Spencer Torok, 25, a watchmaker at J.N. Shapiro Watches in Torrance, recently graduated from Rolex's Lititz Watch Technicum. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Ever since watches began bringing ...

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Greg Petronzi of True Patina, a watchmaker specializing in vintage Rolex repairs. He is also a licensed psychologist and professor at New York ...