Dan Spitz’s move from Anthrax’s touring and recording cycles to watchmaking was not a sudden rejection of music. In a 2012 interview, he described a gradual decision shaped by touring fatigue, time away from his children and a longstanding interest in mechanical watches that began with his grandfather.
Why Dan Spitz stepped away from touring
Spitz told Hodinkee in 2012 that the change grew out of years of repeating album and tour cycles. Having toured from a young age, he found the routine increasingly difficult, particularly because it meant missing time with his children. He wanted a break and a serious new challenge, rather than simply another round of recording and touring.
“At the end of the day, I just needed a break,” he said. He also described himself as someone who commits deeply to an interest, adding, “I need that drive and that ambition.”
A childhood connection to watches
Watchmaking was not entirely new to Spitz when he considered it as a career. He said his grandfather, Eddie Spitz, owned an antique jewelry store in the Catskills and introduced him to fine watches. As a child, Spitz recalled taking watches apart with his grandfather. His official biography also describes a family connection to watchmaking.
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His reported watchmaking education
In the Hodinkee interview, Spitz said he completed the Bulova watchmaking course and received a scholarship to continue his studies at WOSTEP in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, where he studied with instructor Antoine Simonin. His biography describes a four-year Bulova degree and WOSTEP graduation.
These education details are reported by Spitz and his biography; the cited sources do not include school records or independent confirmation from either institution. An Apple Podcasts episode listing from September 2024 likewise presents him as a former Anthrax guitarist who became a watchmaker, but does not independently verify his credentials.
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From training to specialist service work
Spitz’s official biography says he worked as a complications specialist and instructor for after-sales service operations associated with Chopard, Franck Muller, De Grisogono and Leviev. It also says he ran four restoration and service centers and developed training courses. Those career details come from his biography rather than independent records included in the cited sources.
In the Hodinkee interview, Spitz said he had worked on Patek Philippe watches for several years. He spoke especially warmly about vintage watches: he valued their robust construction and the challenge of making replacement parts when originals were no longer available. He named Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Christophe Claret among his watchmaking interests; these are his own preferences and experiences, not an external ranking of the brands.
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Spitz also described designing a watchmaking bench after importing benches from Switzerland and finding them expensive. He said the CAD design and prototyping process took three years. His point was that the work surface itself matters: a suitable bench can be a more important early investment than buying tools without first considering where and how the work will be done.
For anyone setting up a watchmaking workspace, that idea translates into practical questions: Is the bench stable? Does it put the work at a comfortable height? Is there enough clear space for small parts, lighting and tools? Does it offer useful storage without crowding the working area? Spitz discussed his design in 2012, but the sources cited here do not establish a current Spitz-branded listing, price or availability.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What guitar and watchmaking have in common
Spitz’s own explanation of the connection between his careers is practice. He compared learning watchmaking with learning heavy-metal guitar: both demand sustained effort, difficult skill-building and personal drive. “It’s an unending skill to learn,” he said. The parallel is not that the crafts are alike in their techniques, but that neither offers a final point at which practice stops mattering.
Hodinkee’s 2012 introduction reported that Spitz had sold more than 15 million albums. That figure is attributed to the publication’s introduction; the sources cited here do not include an original artist, label or sales record confirming it.
What the career change shows
Spitz’s account is best understood as a transition from one demanding craft to another, not a sudden awakening. Touring had become routine and kept him away from his children, while the mechanical-watch interest had roots in childhood. He then pursued formal training and, according to his biography, moved into specialist service, restoration and instruction. His story’s through-line is the commitment he says both guitar and watchmaking require: continued practice in pursuit of mastery.
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