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Timing Is Everything This heir to a watchmaking dynasty struck out on his own. Now he's the one to watch.

By Bob Weinstein

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Why would anyone abandon an incredible job at great financialrisk to start a business? That's what critics and naysayersasked Carlo Crocco when he left his family's watchmakingdynasty to start Geneva, Switzerland-based MDM Geneve, manufacturerof the exclusive Hublot watch.

Crocco turned a deaf ear to the critics, convinced he could dowhat they thought impossible. The result is a company that producesone of the world's most distinctive watches. This year,Crocco's company will rack up sales of $22 million. But gettingto that point was a study in perseverance, conviction and enormousrisk-taking.

When Crocco decided to leave the family fold in 1976 at age 32,almost everyone who knew him was convinced he had a few screwsloose. As scion of Italy's premier watchmaking family, theMilan-based Binda company, Crocco had it made. In fact, until hedefied tradition, no family member had ever left the firm.