Search for story in Rhode Island leads to 25-year-old Rolex-certified watchmaker with a passion for his craft

In a new "CBS Mornings" series, lead national correspondent David Begnaud was surprised with a last-minute plane ticket, embarking on a challenge to find a story within 48 hours of arriving at his destination. The series began in Savannah, Georgia, and continued in Providence, Rhode Island, where Begnaud met Mitchel Thompson.

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In the heart of Providence, Rhode Island, a city celebrated for its vibrant art and food scenes, Mitchel Thompson, a 25-year-old Rolex-certified watchmaker, has a passion for timepieces — and for his craft. 

"I love innovation and I love the cultural significance of the watch," Thompson said.

His curiosity about the mechanics of the watch led him to be part of a small and elite group of watchmakers who are certified by Rolex. His journey into the world of watchmaking began with a simple gift from his mother to make sure he could tell time at school.

"I was 8 or 9, and she said, 'Well, you're going back to school. You need to know how to tell the time with hands, no digital watch.' So, she gave me a Timex with hands. And that was my first watch," he said.

He now owns 25 watches, and that first watch sparked a curiosity that later led him to enroll in a watchmaking school in Pennsylvania, fully funded by Rolex. There were only 11 students in his graduating class.

"I think, for me, the watch, apart from the mechanical marvel, is the reality that someone had to create it," said Thompson.

In his workshop nestled within the jewelry store Providence Diamond, Thompson focuses on the little details that go into watchmaking. 

"It's very similar to the focus you have when you thread a needle. You have to do something over and over and over again," he said.

"Biggest example is a loose screw in a watch. And you're checking every single one every time. And if you miss one, that can stop the watch," he said. 

The scarcity of watchmakers is a stark reality, with the number across the U.S. dwindling from over 30,000 five decades ago to less than 2,000 today, Rolex says. 

Thompson said watchmakers possess a specialty: passion.

"If you don't love this, there is no place in this business for you," he said. "You have to love it."

David Begnaud

David Begnaud is the lead national correspondent for "CBS Mornings" based in New York City.

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