Laurie Kahle

My introduction to horology began with a manually winding Cartier Tank that I received for my high school graduation in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Soon after, I moved east to study communications at Boston College.

After years of working in broadcast media, public relations, marketing, advertising, and editorial, I became senior editor at Robb Report, where I directed coverage of watches, jewelry, and fashion. This experience immersed me in the fascinating world of fine watchmaking and cultivated a deep appreciation of the age-old art and craft. I met visionaries, artisans, and passionate (sometimes obsessive) collectors. I learned about the historical evolution that led to today’s cutting-edge technical innovations, and I visited ateliers and manufactures to enhance my knowledge of the finer details that define a luxury watch. These various facets of watchmaking offer a treasure trove of material to draw upon as I seek to inform the well informed and enlighten the curious with my stories.

After more than eight years with Robb Report, I left to pursue a freelance career in 2008, as the watch industry underwent another upheaval brought on by market forces and technology. The same forces were also dramatically transforming the publishing industry. During this transitional time, I received my father’s gold Audemars Piguet dress watch—a Christmas gift from my mother in 1964 that serves as a reminder that watches can be more than mere status symbols or fashion accessories. As heirlooms, they measure more than the time of day as they encompass memories of times past and those who wore them. A slick screen in your hand can never match such a rich emotional connection on your wrist.

In addition to watches, I write about travel, an endeavor that satisfies my craving for adventure and a curiosity about the world that was instilled in me by my globetrotting parents. In recent years, I have ventured to Cambodia, Dubai, Galapagos, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Myanmar, Peru, Seychelles, Thailand, Tanzania, and other destinations. I have skydived, scuba dived, cruised in a submarine, circled the track at Le Mans, and flown in acrobatic airplanes, hot air balloons, and helicopters. I even had a personal encounter with a cheetah that imprinted me with a Kenyan tattoo. But most of the time, you can find me in a sleepy suburb of Boston where I live with my husband and two children, spending far too much time on my laptop. In addition to WorldTempus, I am a regular contributor to Centurion, Cigar Aficionado, Departures International, Forbes.com, NUVO magazine in Canada, and Robb Report, among others.

At work, it boils down to quality over quantity and the quest to bring added value to reporting using experiences and interviews to tell informative and well-crafted stories. In life as a whole, it’s carpe diem and the golden rule.

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand

The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver

Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

Women Who Run With The Wolve,s by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés

… and many more.