On Friday 22 September 2017 Nicholas Philippe sadly passed away atthe age of 57 after a courageous and dignified 6-month battle with pancreatic and liver cancer. A terrible tragic loss to the jewellery industry.

Nick was a philosophical, kind man with a warm heart and broad smile.  He was charming, a bit cheeky at times, and always welcomed you with open arms and a big hug.  He was an uncomplicated soul who loved animals, he had two parrot pets.

Nick had a strong passion for jewellery and watchcase making. This he would have strong opinions on, and this was his reason for living. He dedicated every bone in his body to his craft. He was a true artisan… a master… a craftsman. He loved helping people and sharing his knowledge, whether it was about how to make something or advising on what lathe to buy, he was always willing to help. He articulated his passion and enthusiasm to anyone who wanted to know, and he was entertaining with his numerous stories and tales about his experiences.

Anyone who had the privilege to know Nick could probably recall one of his tales. One fondly remember, with a smile, is when a client brought Nick a beautiful Fabergé egg to restore. The egg was carefully placed on the table whilst Nick and his client briefly left the room. When they returned, a few minutes later, time must have stopped, as now Lucy and George were perched on the table and the egg was in pieces on the floor!!!! This story embodies Nick, as there was often some kind of drama surrounding his work.  But Nick was the ultimate professional when it came to his craft, and the egg was restored to its former glory showcasing his incredible skill and craftsmanship, of which he was so proud.

In 2008 Nick was asked by Amanda Mansell if he would feature in a short film about making jewellery in Hatton Garden. Nick ended up being the real star of the show and the film went on to be very well received amongst the trade, students and graduates. Nick enjoyed the ‘fame’ and his new ‘celebrity’ status. He loved being recognised when he walked along Hatton Garden. He absolutely reveled in it!

The film then led on for him and the rest of the team going to many trade events together, sharing fun times, wonderful unique experiences and talking annually for about 6 years on The Goldsmiths’ Company Getting Started Programme, where Nick immensely enjoyed imparting his knowledge to the recent graduates who attended.

In the film Nick talks about his earliest memories as a child of 6 playing in his uncle’s jewellery workshop, and it was from this age that he knew he wanted to become a jeweller and the passion and intrigue never left him.

He undertook his apprenticeship with Paris Michaeledes, a master pattern maker for Ratners and Slade & Kempton between 1974 and 1979. After this, at the age of 20, he became self employed and was taken under the wing of Central St Martin’s tutor Jean Pierre Dondollenger, who was responsible for teaching him engineering which would eventually lead to his passion for watchcase making.

Between 1991 and 1996 he worked for the English Traditional Jewellery Company where he made jewellery and diamond dress watches for the Kutchinsky family. This led to him working directly for the Kutchinsky family for the next 5 years, where he continued to make dress watches, and jewellery for the Sultan of Brunei and the Arabic Royal family.

In 2001 he returned to self-employment where he continued to work from his Bond Street workshop, making watchcases and jewellery for various shops and private clients.

However, even with this impressive portfolio and his wealth of experience, Nick just wanted to keep learning.  He was like a sponge; he absorbed everything that was shown to him.  In 2001 at the age of 42 he asked Martin Matthews, a retired highly skilled fourth generation watchcase maker, if he would teach him the art of engine turning and case making.  These skills were 300 years old!  After some persuasion, and realising Nick was already a classically trained Diamond Mounter and Goldsmith, Martin agreed to teach him, earning Nick the self-title of oldest ‘apprentice’.

Nick enjoyed his time with Martin, he considered it a privilege, and they became close friends as he continued to visit him one day every other week, for twelve years, until sadly Martin passed away in 2013.

This was a devastating loss for Nick, but he promised himself and Martin that he would carry on his legacy and pass on his skills and knowledge to new generations. It is desperately heartbreaking that only three years later, Nick has passed away taking that knowledge with him, and those skills are now tragically lost forever…

Because one of the most heartbreaking things about Nick is he still had so much he wanted to do, and one of those things was to make a very special Nicholas Philippe watch.

In addition to his jewellery work and involvement with the jewellery industry he was also a member of the British Horological Institute and the Epping Forrest Horological Centre, where he taught and offered support.  He was also an active member of the Society of Ornamental Turners, where he taught engine turning and ornamental turning.

In recent years he received two awards from the Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council for watchcase making. And he was also a member of the Institute of Professional Goldsmith.

And last but not least there are very few people in the world who are Freeman of three Livery Companies: The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, The Worshipful Company of Turners and The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers.  And he was also a Freeman of the City of London.