Long before he began designing cars for Honda and building his own watch company, Jason Wilbur designed—and played—his own electric guitar at the age of 16, shown here in the hayloft of the family barn. ©Brian Fitzgerald
As a New England based editorial photographer, I get the opportunity to meet and photograph some amazingly talented people. People like Jason Wilbur, an automotive designer turned luxury watchmaker. From a laptop and a desk in his Vermont home, Wilbur created timepieces that probably cost more than your car (certainly more than mine). It’s easy to see why, with his automotive-inspired and space-age aesthetic blending into muscled yet sleek works of art. 
I met Jason and photographed him for an article in the Financial Times. We made portraits in his work area and around his property. Almost as an afterthought, I asked to see his family barn. That’s where I took the last portrait of the day, with Jason holding the hand-built guitar he made as a teen. It was so cool to see the Times choose this as their lead image–it’s also my favorite. I think it captures a mood and environment that hopefully reveals a bit more of Jason too.
Jason Wilbur, 50, photographed at the property his family has owned for decades in South Londonderry, VT. ©Brian Fitzgerald
Jason Wilbur in the studio he calls “The Treehouse”. ©Brian Fitzgerald
