"the face behind the clock"
How, where, when and why? (you know who and what haha)
This isn't easy to say but I didn't necessarily grow up being completely "into" watches like I am now. Having said that, I do remember my first watch from when I was 8(ish) and it was a Boy's Timex Marathon LCD with a light haha! By about 10, the Timex was destroyed and I recall wanting one of those cool Casio remote control watches then of course quickly realized how easy it was to get in trouble at school and in public so that one didn't last too long;) Anyway, a year or so after obtaining a Casio Databank Calculator watch, I started noticing fine watches by the age of 12-13. My family would always go to our local indoor flea market and my Mom would buy me the Robb Report magazine each month. This is when it all changed as I truly admired the mechanical watches I saw in these magazines and just thought how cool it could be to wear a watch that never died! (in theory haha) So, I saved and saved to purchase a replica Rolex. When I turned 16, I bought that replica Rolex and I'll just leave it at that as I quickly realized how poor they were made let alone the fact I saved up for junk! So, my mother bought me my first mechanical watch for my birthday a few years later, which was an German Made Elysee. (still have it and wear it...see picture) The passion soon diminished partly due to a lack of knowledge on my part but also because I just had a watch that worked!
Fast forward to about 6 years ago, I was sitting on the computer bored out of my mind and saw this beautiful dress watch. Why was I even looking for a watch after all those years? Well, due to a lack of knowledge, I just kept wearing the Elysee watch until it literally died due to lack of oil/power. A week later, I had my first "entry-level" luxury watch which was a Frederique Constant. Long story short, I was cleaning the watch a month or so later and I snapped the crown right off. Once again, just not having a knowledge for watches, I didn't realize how delicate they can be plus I had the crown pulled out while cleaning it which wasn't too bright lol. At that point, instead of wasting more money on yet something else I might break, I decided to pick up a few watchmaking books and also took a few courses to see what watch repair was all about. To my surprise, I was not only very interested in pursuing watchmaking/repair but I was also able to disassemble and reassemble a standard/basic Swiss mechanical without breaking nor losing parts when using the proper tools of course:) When I first made the attempt at the hobby, I had cheap tools and they caused many problems so doing it the right way was extremely important to me and always will be! When there is passion in a particular skill/hobby, the chance of success is extremely high so don't hesitate to pursue your passion! It's been almost 5 years since I've perused this journey into watchmaking yet it feels like a "week or two"!!!! Hundreds of jobs/repairs/services later, it only gets more and more exciting!
As of today, I work in I.T. by day and by night, I work on watches! (and yes, I am also some sort of superhero such as BATWATCHMAN or SUPERWATCHMAN lol) Not a fan of comics yet I could see taking that role! :-) I am also now an avid collector of luxury and vintage timepieces and have listed a few "featured watches from the collection" in the next section below:
Elysee Automatic Mechanical
FEATURED WATCHES FROM THE COLLECTION
2015 Rolex "Hulk" Submariner
2015 Rolex "Hulk" Submariner
2015 Rolex "Hulk" Submariner
One of my favorite and most accurate watches, it tends to with me a lot. A fine mixture of ceramic, 904L, 18k white gold and platinum! Nicknamed "Hulk" and "The Money Watch" by many.
2017 Rolex Oyster 36
2015 Rolex "Hulk" Submariner
2015 Rolex "Hulk" Submariner
This is another favorite of mine as it's awesome 18k white gold hands and markers reflect light like no other let alone that dial! The Rolex 904L Steel just completes it along with the platinum compliments!
1969 Rolex DateJust
2015 Rolex "Hulk" Submariner
1898 Waltham w/ Custom Glass Dial
You gotta love the 18k white gold fluted bezel and pie pan dial...including me lol;) It's a nice watch to help round off the collection and is a classic!
1898 Waltham w/ Custom Glass Dial
1898 Waltham w/ Custom Glass Dial
1898 Waltham w/ Custom Glass Dial
Another one of my favorites due to the rarity, case patina and amazing custom dial! These are extremely rare as the glass dials can easily shatter.
2016 Tudor Pelagos (MT Calibre)
1898 Waltham w/ Custom Glass Dial
2016 Tudor Pelagos (MT Calibre)
Although I had my issues with this watch in the beginning, it truly is an amazing piece made of titanium. This not only makes it light but also comfortable to wear! This is no "poor man's Rolex"
2016 Nomos Club 36
1898 Waltham w/ Custom Glass Dial
2016 Tudor Pelagos (MT Calibre)
All made "in-house" under one roof in Germany, this watch offers the best quality out there for the money. Very unique watch thst offers an excellent combination of luxury and sportiness all in one!