Grandey’s Watchmaker wins Lady Mayor’s Livery Apprentice Award

Congratulations to Grandey’s Place advanced watchmaking apprentice, Dr Victor Pérez Álvarez, who is one of only twelve recipients of the inaugural Lady Mayor’s Livery Apprentice Awards, which celebrate outstanding apprentices across the City of London's historic Livery Companies. 

The award was made as part of the 2026 Heritage Crafts Taskforce - spearheaded by the Lady Mayor of the City of London, Dame Sue Langley DBE - which aims to address the critical skills shortage in the UK's traditional craft sectors, and ensure that historic trades survive for future generations. 

Victor, who is also a historian of horology, was nominated by the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers which granted him an advanced apprenticeship award in 2024. He has worked closely with Grandey’s Place antiquarian horologist, Seth Kennedy, to hone his skills.  

Victor started by teaching himself the practical skills for basic watch servicing and practised on simple watches with only a few components. Over eighteen months, he has learned to service complex watches with many interacting parts and is now adept at correcting the distortion of balance springs and manufacturing individual replacement watch parts. 

The twelve Lady Mayor’s Craft Livery Apprentices were formally recognised at an awards ceremony in September 2026, where each received a specially commissioned medal and certificate. 

You can read more about Víctor HERE

You can read more about the Lady Mayor’s Livery Apprentice Awards HERE

Picture credit: City of London Corporation