All Around Gearhead

[Treiber Timepieces]

Now we all know there’s a special connection between the automotive and watch worlds, so we’d love to hear from you. What cool cars do you own or have owned? Have you worked on any exciting projects? Have you gone on a nice cruise recently? Please share your automotive adventures with or without your Treiber Timepieces. 
 

Treiber’s founder Hermann Kugeler has built and worked on classic cars since the age of 13. His passion for cars and watches spawned Treiber Timepieces, developing a bridge between the two interests. His automotive stories and projects are shared also shared here. 

[Treiber Timepieces]

Hi everyone, this is Hermann, Treiber’s founder. I am a true gearhead that began working on cars at the age of 13. My first project started with rebuilding a 283 cubic inch V8 from a 1958 Chevy Corvette. The rebuild was challenging, but I loved every minute. This also sparked my interest in mechanical engineering, which eventually became my career. 

Following the engine rebuild I began searching for a car to put it in. That’s when I stumbled upon a beat up and abandoned 1932 Chevy frame and 1931 Ford body that were headed for the scrap yard. Most people would have written them off as junk, but I saw potential. I had always been fascinated by the 1950s era of American hot rodding that took pre-war cars and modified them to be sleek, and powerful machines. This car was an attainable start to the dream of having my own hot rod. 
 

By the time I was 16 the car was pieced together and drivable, but was far from finished. This didn’t stop me from driving the car around town though. By the time I was 18 the car was about 95% complete, including satin black paint. 
 

I am a strong believer in driving the cars we own and love, which is what inspired my company’s name “Treiber”, which is translated as Driver in Swiss German. 
 

I hope you enjoyed this little story and insight into my passions that have inspired the Treiber brand. This is just the beginning of my automotive journey. I have a lot more projects to share so keep an eye out for those stories.
 

The attached pictures show the before and after photos of the engine and hot rod. 

[TimeTexas]

My dad first bought a hotrod while I was in college but I always enjoyed it. He didn't keep it too long before he sold it and then got into remodeling Model A's and was part of the Austin Model A club. I'll see if I can find some photos of some of his cars. He had a '31 Crown Victoria and a fire truck and a few others he worked on and rebuilt but ended up selling. I was never very mechanically inclined, but I think it definitely plays a part in my love for mechanical watches. I truly appreciate people that can design and build watches and I'm fascinated that hundreds of inert metal pieces can be assembled to tell the time within just a few seconds per day. Really remarkable.

[Treiber Timepieces]

On 6/27/2023 at 7:08 PM, TimeTexas said:

My dad first bought a hotrod while I was in college but I always enjoyed it. He didn't keep it too long before he sold it and then got into remodeling Model A's and was part of the Austin Model A club. I'll see if I can find some photos of some of his cars. He had a '31 Crown Victoria and a fire truck and a few others he worked on and rebuilt but ended up selling. I was never very mechanically inclined, but I think it definitely plays a part in my love for mechanical watches. I truly appreciate people that can design and build watches and I'm fascinated that hundreds of inert metal pieces can be assembled to tell the time within just a few seconds per day. Really remarkable.

Sounds like he had some awesome, not so common model A’s. I’m a big fan of the victorias, and you can’t beat a vintage fire truck! Very cool to hear and would love to see pictures if you find them.

[TimeTexas]

Definitely. The next time I'm home I'll see if my mom has any.