Ian Watchorn has been making and repairing stringed instruments since 1976. He started out in Sydney, Australia before moving to Canberra in 1979. Watchorn then studied musical instrument conservation at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg, Germany under Friedemann Hellwig and John Henry van der Meer. He worked as a conservator at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum from 1984 until 1987. From 1987 until 1990 he worked on the conservation and collection development for the musical instrument collection at the Power House Museum, Sydney, and later as curator of the same collection. From 1990, he has worked as maker, conservator & consultant in Melbourne, Australia. He specialises in historical stringed instruments including early guitars.

Source: Ian Watchorn website (20 August 2021)