The tattoo fan travels to Los Angeles for him: Dr. Woo. Minimalist tattoos, fine lines and delicate motifs are what his customers wait months for an appointment for. At Roger Dubuis, everything happened very quickly: Dr. Woo designed the Excalibur Dr. Woo MT for the watch brand, a watch whose design gets under your skin just like the artist’s art.

Interview: Mirco Ludolini
Editors: Simona Bieri, Marina Warth

FACES: You collaborated with Roger Dubuis on a collection. What brings a tattoo artist and a watch brand together?
Dr. Woo: I became involved with the Roger Dubuis watch brand through a collaboration with Lamborghini. The project I had in mind sounded cool, I liked the people, everything was just right. After the kick-off, I was even more fired up because Roger Dubuis captured my style exactly and hit it perfectly. After that, everything ran so smoothly, I’m not used to that at all. I often work with lots of different people on a wide variety of projects, and that’s not always easy.

F: Have you always been interested in watches, or did this collaboration spark your love for timepieces?
DW: I owned a few Rolex models before that, but I definitely wasn’t as obsessed with watches as my friends. Many of them are real fans and watch connoisseurs! Working with Roger Dubuis definitely gave me a taste for the industry, sharpened my eye for it and sparked my respect for watchmaking.

F: You are world-famous as a tattoo artist, your new book is about tattoos, and you often stay in this world with your collaborations. Do you also take on projects that have nothing to do with tattooing?
DW: Yes! There are a lot of creative and new projects that are close to my heart, such as the implementation of stories in brand or product development. Tattooing is of course my passion, so I put a lot of my energy into it. But usually this work is also a way of opening people’s eyes to other issues that they didn’t know about.

F: Do you still engrave tattoos as a grandpa?
DW: I don’t know, but I think about it a lot. If I continue tattooing as before, it won’t be for career reasons, but just for fun. As a creative, you have to make sure that your passion doesn’t just turn into a job at some point.

F: How much of your success as Dr. Woo is art and how much of it is marketing?
DW: It’s probably a mixture of both. A big part of my success has been understanding branding and marketing. You have to understand that you are not just selling a thing, but a story and an environment to which people belong. There are so many background and future stories, but it’s important to keep everything in balance.

F: Prison inmates have significantly shaped tattoo culture. Today, however, tattoos have become mainstream and the quality varies greatly.
DW : In fact, some of the best tattoos I’ve ever seen have come from prison. In my opinion, some of the best tattoos in the world come from Los Angeles. There are a lot of stores there and many people who simply get tattoos in the garage. I think the access to tattoos is just broader there, people are more open, and that’s why there are so many legendary stores and tattoo artists in L.A., which in turn help shape the culture of tattoos.

F: Is there anyone you would refuse to give a tattoo to?
DW: Yes, sometimes people come because they think they should have a tattoo, even if they don’t really want one.

F: What is your fascination with Los Angeles?
DW: There are so many different cultures in LA. It gives you access to all kinds of people, different cuisines and dishes from all over the world. Los Angeles is a place where you can come with nothing and build the greatest life if you work hard for it. The weather is also great, you are close to the beach, close to the desert and can easily venture into the snowy mountains.

F: Do you still get tattoos yourself?
DW: Sometimes yes! But not very often.

F: And then do you stab yourself?
DW: No, I’ll ask a friend or someone else.

F: Do you draw inspiration from other artists, or do you see other tattoo artists more as competition?
DW: It’s certainly both. Of course people inspire each other, but the world is so saturated with tattoo artists that competition automatically arises. I think you should therefore concentrate all the more on yourself and do your own thing. It’s much better to inspire each other than to see something you don’t like about yourself in someone else.

F: You don’t tattoo faces, is that right? Suppose a celebrity like David Beckham came to you and said he wanted a face tattoo, would you still do it?
DW: Maybe. I actually made this rule once, but more with regard to young people who come to me at the age of seventeen or eighteen and want a tattoo on their face for no good reason.

F: The tattoos you make are works of art that you will never see again. Are you always giving away a piece of yourself? And would you want to see your works again one day?
DW: Yes! For me, tattoos are not so much about the color, but more about the moment and the story you experience at that time. No matter where you are in life, a tattoo always fits in. It’s always nice to see a tattoo again, but maybe I would also say: Oh God, come back, we have to touch that up! (laughs)

F: What do you prefer: people who come to you with a clear idea of their tattoo, or those who give you a completely free hand?
DW: In the past, I would have opted for carte blanche, but today I prefer my customers to know what they want.