October 24, 2026 — 5:00am

Growing up, Tania Duong spent countless hours in the back room of her family’s watchmaking shop in Springvale, Melbourne, fascinated by her father and grandfather’s careful work.

“I remember their watchmakers’ benches, lit up by these large lamps, with the two of them hunched over their work, moving with such ease and control,” she recalls.

Her maternal grandfather honed his craft in Vietnam, before migrating to Australia and passing the trade to his son-in-law. As Duong got older, her parents entrusted her with small tasks in the shop.

Anastasia Tarassova, founder of Atceatera Vintage, with her collection of vintage watches. Simon Schluter

“I didn’t know it at the time, but I was handling vintage Rolex, Omega, Cartier. To me, they were just boring old, scratched-up watches.…