The Burning Desire

The Go-To Watch Brand for Billionaires - Michel Nydegger, CEO of Greubel Forsey - (TBD #65)

Why did Mark Zuckerberg wear a handmade, mechanical watch while announcing the future of Meta's augmented reality glasses?Welcome to the world of Greubel Forsey—a watchmaker that completely flies in the face of our fast-paced, throwaway culture. In this episode, I sit down with Michel Nydegger, who took the helm as CEO after years of shaping the brand's identity.Greubel Forsey doesn't build for mass scale; they build for eternity. With only around 200 timepieces hand-crafted a year, they are famous for spending up to a decade on research and development for single movements—even if those projects never see the light of day. Michel opens up about the brand's uncompromising ethos, why they willingly scrap hundreds of thousands of dollars in parts monthly to achieve perfection, and how he is guiding this legendary "adventure" into its next chapter.If you've ever wondered what true, obsessive luxury looks like in a digital world, this conversation is for you.

The Luxury Watch Movement Manufacturer You’ve Never Heard Of: Nicolas Wiederrecht (Agenhor) TBD #64

Have you ever wondered who actually builds the mechanisms inside the world’s most prestigious luxury watches?In this episode of The Burning Desire, we go behind the curtain of Swiss haute horology with Nicolas Wiederrecht, CEO of Agenhor. While mainstream marketing wants you to believe every luxury brand invents its own mechanisms from scratch, the truth is that the industry's most poetic, mind-bending, and revolutionary complications are engineered right here by Nicolas and his team in Geneva.But Nicolas never wanted to be involved in the watch industry.He joins the podcast to share his incredible personal journey—from a son who wanted nothing to do with the family business, to starting a university project on his father’s company to accidentally falling head-over-heels in love with the art of mechanical timekeeping. Now at the helm alongside his brother Laurent, Nicolas is shaping the future of independent watchmaking.We dive deep into:The Accidental Successor: How a university project evolved into a legendary Swiss movement specialist.The Secret Engines: How Agenhor partners with elite independent masters and luxury powerhouses to bring wild horological dreams to life.Redefining the Chronograph: The genius engineering behind their industry-shattering AgenGraphe® movement.The Future of Independent Watchmaking: Why transparency, local Swiss craftsmanship, and genuine human relationships matter more than ever in the modern era.If you love mechanical engineering, independent watch brands, or the hidden stories behind elite luxury businesses, this conversation is an absolute must-watch.Learn more about Agenhor:🌐 Website: https://agenhor.ch/#LuxuryWatches #Watchmaking #Horology #IndependentWatches #Agenhor #NicolasWiederrecht #SwissMade #Chronograph #HMoser #MBF #SingerReimagined #Hermes #BurningDesirePodcast

#62 - Marc André Deschoux - Watches TV & Horopedia

In his own words:🎥 Founder of Watches TV | ⏱️ Founder of the Horopedia Foundation🔧 Committed advocate for the transmission of watchmaking know-howA lifelong enthusiast of watchmaking, I have built my path around a strong conviction: watchmaking knowledge must be shared, passed on, and preserved.In 2011, I founded Watches TV, the first video platform entirely dedicated to the world of watchmaking. My goal: to offer privileged access to the behind-the-scenes of manufactures, and to highlight the trades, expertise, and people who shape Swiss and international excellence. More than a decade later, Watches TV has become an independent reference for enthusiasts, professionals, and institutions.But telling the story was no longer enough. It needed to be preserved.Preserve the memory of the crafts. Preserve the gestures. Preserve the soul of this unique industry.This is how the Horopedia Foundation was born — a nonprofit, impartial, and independent initiative entirely dedicated to documenting and transmitting watchmaking knowledge. A living, open, collaborative library—designed for future generations. In addition to this encyclopaedic mission, my new goal is to create its physical embodiment with the Maison des Arts & de la Culture Horlogère (the MACH), which will open in the heart of Geneva in the second half of 2026, with the ambition to educate, inspire, and protect what makes watchmaking so rich, and share it with the world.

#51 - Tim Vieira - Serial Entrepreneur

Timothy Alexander Vieira is a Portuguese businessman. Born in South Africa, he worked in Angola before relocating to Portugal in 2009. His business interests include property and telecommunications in Angola, and fruit and public debt in Portugal. He became an investor on the television programme Shark Tank in 2015. Most recently, he also ran for president of Portugal. He's looking to revolutionise the education system on a global basis with his latest venture.

#50 - Juandre Kruger - Springbok International Professional Rugby Player

In this episode, Juandre talks about his early life, his ascendancy into playing international professional rugby for South Africa (Springboks), and his current chapter as Group Chief Executive Officer of Tygervalley Eye & Laser Centre.We explore the elite mindset it takes to get to the very top in sport, and Juandre shares how he has brought this into the business arena.This was a very special episode marking my 50th interview and also, a first for me, having interviewed Juandre's father previously (Dr. Johann Kruger)!