"My father is a successful watchmaker. His shop supplies the richest families of Brevoy. When I grew up and it

"My father is a successful watchmaker. His shop supplies the richest families of Brevoy. When I grew up and it was time to teach me, he decided to 'move from simple to complicated' – to start with the shell, then move on to mechanisms. I learned how to make a golden chain, how to cast a perfectly smooth case, how to etch and ornament and encrust with jewels... and entirely lost interest in springs and gears!"