My first big Europe trip twenty years ago was one that took me to Switzerland, Italy, and France.

A typical trip for an Australian in his early 20s, it was exciting and more than a little scary. Language wise, Switzerland was easy, Italy a little less so, and France, damn near impossible.

My last stop on the trip was Paris, the city of love. When I arrived at the main Parisian train station, Gare du Nord, I was tired and overwhelmed. I did what any other tourist would have done and walked up to the ticket booth to ask for some directions. The first thing that came out of my mouth as I approached was, 'do you speak English?'. A perfectly reasonable question to ask someone who worked in the service industry, I thought. In one of the most visited cities on the planet, no less. Through some little glass slats, the well-dressed attendant hunched down, looked me dead in the eye and said, 'Do you speak French?

We stared at each other for what felt like five minutes, then I turned around and walked away with my tail between my legs. It was clear that he did, in fact, speak English, but because I made no effort to meet him in the linguistic middle, he rejected my plea for help. I can't remember how I ended up finding my hotel that day, but I suspect there were more than a few tears shed in the process.
That moment has coloured my view on France ever since, but you know what? The grumpy man was right. Why should he bend to my needs when I wasn't even willing to try to communicate with him In the language of the country I was visiting? I still feel bad about it 20 years later.

Why Should Watch Journalists Learn French?

I returned to Europe in October 2024. I was there to visit the Bovet and Krayon manufactures, but unfortunately, nothing much had changed in my abilities linguistically. Once again, there I was, banking on the kind effort of others. Everywhere I went, people so graciously accommodated me by dropping their native tongues, the language of watchmaking, to speak to me in plain old English, the language of annoying watch journalists. Pathetic!

My visit at the Bovet facility at Tramelan (Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie Artisanale) in 2024 concluded with a meet and greet with some of the incredible artisans that call the facility home. Machinists, engravers, designers, it was a group of people with enough combined knowledge to take over the watchmaking world, and I couldn't talk to any of them. 'Bonjour' in an Australian Accent was all I offered.
The most frustrating encounter was with Bovet's faiseur d'étampes (stamp maker) Thierry. This man has hands that have seen it all and a smile that could knock you out. The stories he would have from his 30-year career in the workshop would be unbelievable, but the best I could get out of him were some fumbled questions asked through Fannette, my English-speaking friend for the day. It was a real shame.

My inability to communicate with these astounding people is holding me back. The quality of stories I can tell on The Subdial are suffering, and it's also stopping me from having real human connections, from understanding where these watches come from philosophically. Without the help of my multilingual friends, I would well and truly be stuck up a creek without a paddle. Yes, the vast majority of people in the industry speak English, and yes, there's a plethora of information out there to consume, but can you truly understand something if you don't speak its language? I don't think so.

Weh Koh Does It Right

I've long been a fan of Wei Koh, the Singaporean founder of Revolution and The Rake. His interviews are great and watching him switch between English and French Is not only intellectually impressive, but it shows the level of respect he has for the people who sit across from him.

Weh was born the son of Singaporean diplomat Tommy Koh in the United States. From a young age, he was exposed to foreign service so it's no surprise that he's able to communicate the way he does. His immense depth of watchmaking knowledge seems almost incidental next to his eloquent interpersonal skills.

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I recently watched Weh's interview with Louis Vuitton head of watchmaking Jean Arnault and mad genius/ forrest dweller Denis Flageollet of De Bethune. It was really impressive. The watch was great, but Weh's linguistic dance between the two men was extraordinary. He understands that to truly connect with people like Denis, you have to meet them where they are. Jean on the other hand, is clearly more media and interview experienced and was happy to speak in English. Weh knew where and when to switch between the two languages like a conductor in an orchestra. There are a few interviews like this and it's incredible to watch.

Knowing well that most of the audience would prefer to listen in English, Weh chooses to present this very European art form in its mother language and make the audience (YouTube captions) do the work. It's not the interviewee's job to translate their art, it's ours. This is a whole new level of respect.

How Am I Going To Learn French?

Like everyone else on the planet, I've fallen victim to the judgemental green bird that is Duolingo. The app-based approach will give me a good idea of the fundamentals (Oui, Comment ça va?) but my goal is to be conversational. I want the ability to speak in technical watchmaking terms and to communicate with real people. So here's the plan. I'll continue with Duolingo for now, then add some in-person night classes so I can get my face-to-face time in. I'm also going to reach out to all of my French-speaking friends and ask them to stop responding to me in English. Whether it be someone I'm writing an article about, old schoolmates or waiters at a restaurant, if they speak French, I speak French. It's going to be uncomfortable, it will be hard, but I will do it. Ça marche. I'm also going to make a commitment to all of you. In one year's time, I will interview someone for The Subdial Show completely in French. From start to finish. It may not be perfect, but I'm going to do it, Cool?

Cool. For now, I bid you Adieu.

À la prochaine ! X