A Tale of Two Wristies
The podcast where watch talk feels like late-night café conversation. Join Chris—a U.S.-based watch writer, poet, and comic book creator—and Iman, a playwright from London, as they navigate time zones, trade horological hanky-panky, and share stories about everything from writing to dog ownership.
A Tale of Two Wristies
Episode 31: Audience Q&A Part II - Plus Watches in the Wild
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
It's time for our second audience Q&A episode, where we answer questions that you all have sent in to our Instagram account: @ataleoftwowristies. If you have any burning questions for us, feel free to DM us on Instagram, and we will get to them in a future episode. And stick around for the introduction of our new recurring segment, Watches in the Wild!
**Minor Minor Minor Odyssey Spoilers** -- btw, go see The Odyssey
00:08:40 - Wrist Checks
Chris’s NWA - Seiko 5 x Rowing Blazers
Iman’s BB58 Bronze
00:16:00 - Main Segment - Audience Q&A
Thank you to the audience members who contributed questions:
Chris 3-Watch Collection - BB58 Bronze, Speedy Snoopy, VC 1921
Iman 3-Watch Collection - Santos Carree, Rolex OP Beige, 34mm Lange Saxonia
00:46:50 - Recurring Segment - Watches in the Wild
Follow us on the 'gram:
You'll find us @ataleoftwowristies
Chris is @poppingcrowns
Iman is @ticktick_taptap
And most importantly, our mascot Phantom is @phantom_of_the_pupra
Just starting the hobby? Start with Ep. 11
Two writers, two dogs, two time zones, and too many watches. I'm Chris. And I'm Imam. And this entertained two with people. The podcast will work to me to make my pathway conversation. So pop the catalog.
SPEAKER_05Or order your podcast.
SPEAKER_01And let's get started. Hi Amon.
SPEAKER_05How are you alive?
SPEAKER_00What happened? Briefly.
SPEAKER_05Briefly, what happened? Um, I just got I got sick from medication on last Sunday, so a week ago. So if you hear the extra, the extra Batman in my voice today, um, it is it is because my vocal, my my esophagus is still recovering.
SPEAKER_01Well, Christopher Nolan's having a moment now, so it's kind of appropriate. Have you seen the Odyssey yet?
SPEAKER_05Um I'm going for the second time today.
SPEAKER_01Wow, you like it that much. My goodness.
SPEAKER_05I have my issues. Um I I was I don't know if I ever touched on this with uh I was a classical literature major in undergrad. So like the Odyssey, the Divine Comedy, the Aeneid, like those are like the things that I was all about.
SPEAKER_01So you probably have a lot of issues with the film. Apparently it's a very sanitized film.
SPEAKER_05I uh listen, I am all about I don't want to see it first of all, there's so many translations of the Odyssey, and who knows if Homer was actually one person or several that did this through oral tradition. And um so I'm all about an interpretation. I'm not looking for it's a fictional story anyway. I'm not looking for tons of historical accuracy or things like that, because we don't know I liked there was a huge change from the original that he made. Um, and I can't I can't say it on here without um massive spoilers, but pretty much there were a handful of characters he got rid of.
SPEAKER_01My most my my favorite bit of the Odyssey, and I haven't read a translation, but I know it because if you're in theater, you just do tend to know bits, is Calypso. I I was really looking forward to seeing Charlie Sterin keep Matt Damon as a sex slave for seven years, and apparently that doesn't happen.
SPEAKER_05I yeah, I mean Calypso is a great character from the Odyssey, but I will minor, minor, minor spoiler.
SPEAKER_01I don't mind a spoiler.
SPEAKER_05Uh or for for our listeners, I know you don't.
SPEAKER_01Uh she forget we have listeners sometimes, but carry on.
SPEAKER_05We're we're competing with Ristology. Um she ha uh she's in it, um, and she does keep him and it's implied um that there is that. So I get the the device that he that because you know Chris Nolan always like finds a way to play with time. I think the device that he's using is the calypso moment, is that time period that he's bouncing back and forth to um uh and telling the rest of the story through the calypso moment. So it doesn't lean hard into the sex slave thing, but it implies that she has um deceived him into a relationship with her. Uh and what I really liked about the movie was it pushes hard on the after effects of war, both on soldiers and on the community, like the gl like the world at large. Um, so it it leans really hard into what war does to people and what war does to society. And I think that was always part of the Odyssey. It's just when I studied it as a kid it in college and high school, it that was never apparent to me. Like I read the Odyssey and I was like, oh, Odysseus is such an asshole. He doesn't want to go home. Like, why doesn't he want to go home? Like it it always seemed to me that he was making this like choice to not go home. And and this movie leans hard into like he can't go home.
SPEAKER_01He's not ready.
SPEAKER_05He's not mentally able to go home. The violence of war is still in him. So I loved that aspect of the movie. What I my biggest criticism is just um, listen, I love Spider-Man. I love I love Tom Holland. He seems like a a decent person. But when you put Tom Holland up against Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson in most of his scenes, you really see that he is not as strong an actor as Ann Hathaway and Robert Pattinson. And to me, that was the biggest um pull. That and some of the the dialogue, the dialogue seem to bounce back and forth between trying to be old and trying to be new. Like there's a Right. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So But isn't isn't Tom Holland like a 30-year-old who has to play like a 17-year-old or something?
SPEAKER_05I I think he can pull it off.
SPEAKER_01Like he Like he's just very miscast, is my understanding.
SPEAKER_05Well, no, because he's playing 20 in the uh because he was just born when or or a child. He's playing like 20 or 21 at his height. Um and I think he kind of like they've definitely put some makeup on him. They've made him look a little bit younger, and I think he looks young anyway. That didn't pull me out. It was it was really just his ability to like he couldn't keep up with Anne Hathaway, I I thought.
SPEAKER_01That's so funny. I find her to be a very average actress, so I'm looking forward to seeing this. I just feel like Anne Hathaway plays Anne Hathaway. Like I, you know, in everything she does. And she plays Anne Hathaway successfully.
SPEAKER_05So Yeah, I I I don't think she's I don't think I've ever hold the opinion that she's one of the best actresses in the world, but I I've always thought she could hold her own. And and I don't think he could match. And I think Robert Pattinson is very good at Yeah, he's gotten most of the acclaim, hasn't he?
SPEAKER_01I mean he is very talented.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, he's talented and and Tom Holland has quite a few scenes with uh with Robert Pattinson, and and those are a tough watch.
SPEAKER_01And is Robert Pattinson the guy who's like tr trying to vie for Penelope's love? Is he that character? Yeah, he's I forgot.
SPEAKER_05He's the suitor. I forgot his name too. Yeah. He's the he's the major suitor, but he's also the the person who he likes to herald the fact that Odysseus told him to watch over his family as he was gone because he wanted to go to the war. Um, but Odysseus wouldn't let and and it's not really how it ha I like how Chris Nolan handled that too, the that character. Um so yeah, it's it's good. And I think the other, and then I'll stop talking about the Odyssey, but the other role that um was a real good one was uh Johnny Bernthal. He plays um Menelaus.
SPEAKER_01Uh oh, lovely casting, fantastic casting, yeah. Nice. I didn't know that. That's awesome.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, he's great. He is great as Menelaus.
SPEAKER_01I'm looking forward to seeing um John Leguismo as is he the Tyreseus, the the Blind Prophet? Is that his name? Tyresius? The Blind Prophet?
SPEAKER_05Yes, yeah, he's good too.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing him because he's su he's an such a brilliant actor that I just think has not had his due. So I hope this is like a reminder. Because also he's one of the like less big names in it. Um which you know, I'm I'm a bit tired of this. Like, I mean, how many celebrities can you pack into one film? It's a bit tedious, isn't it? Fun story, too.
SPEAKER_05I've met him.
SPEAKER_00Have you? How come?
SPEAKER_05Um, random, he's written a comic book before, and at a Comic-Con, his table and my table were right next to each other, and I got to meet him, and he is a really, really nice person.
SPEAKER_00That's so cool.
SPEAKER_01That doesn't surprise me at all.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I also just loved him as was he Malvolio in um Baz Luhrmann's Romeo Romeo Juliet. Does he play Valvole?
SPEAKER_05Uh or I know he was in it.
SPEAKER_01Anyway, before we turn into a film podcast, what do you have on your wrist?
SPEAKER_05Um, so you're an influencer. Uh I I have my NWA on wrist, my new uh Seiko 5. So it's the uh Seiko 5 rolling rowing blazers, the the green, I guess, rally diver uh that they came out. I just I love it. I I've never owned a Seiko 5, and I yeah, I couldn't I couldn't help myself when it went on sale. I was like, you know what, these are gonna sell out so quick, let me just try and and see if it if I don't get one, it it it wasn't meant to be, and went on, got in there, got it, got it like a week later, and yeah, it's it's such a cool little watch. Like, and it looks good on on NATO straps and stuff. Like I have it on an orange one right now, and it's it's cool.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I love that. I always it's what you call a 5KX, I guess, these days.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah. I know I know some some Seiko purists like really hate these new 5KX ones because they're like, they're not actual divers. I'm like, I'm not actually diving.
SPEAKER_01Um also there are improvements, so like you can hack it right and you can unwind it. So like, you know, my SKX, you can't do either of those things. You have to shake it, and it's a tiny bit annoying. It's a tiny bit annoying because you can't really sec set the seconds like you know, to time and it's a bit fafa, but yeah, it it it's its own charm, but also it is a lesser watch. Sorry, guys.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah. I I just I I have no point of reference because I've never had an SKX. I and at this point, SKXs don't sell that cheaply. Like if you want to buy one, you're spending like $400 or something on a on a watch that used to sell for $150.
SPEAKER_01I didn't realize, which is as much as you paid for your 5KX.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I I paid a little bit more. I paid like $500, but which I know is a lot um for the watch. You know, it's not it's it's uh they're hard lex crystal, it's not sapphire, it's um but I don't fucking care. Like it looks cool. It looks cool. I'm sure I'm never gonna have a problem with it.
SPEAKER_01Um It's also different. It's like that bezel is very unique. It's fun. I like it. It's a rally bezel, is that what you call it?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I think they uh Eric Wind, the guy that um uh designed it, like like calls it the rally bezel, the the checkered uh the checkered bezel and I just love that. Like to me that that was the selling point of it, the the checkered bezel. And this is the smaller one, so it's 37.5 millimeters or 38 millimeters. Um and I just wanted to try the smaller one because I've tried on the 42 before, which is what the other one is. And the 42 fits me great. Um Seiko's have that crazy ability of being big but not fitting large. Um and yeah, but but I just want to try the smaller one and I really like it. It's it's small, it's out of the way, but it's still shouty because of that that bezel and the strap I have it on right now. So yeah, that's my that's my NWA. You said it. I couldn't get it out of my head. And and there we go. Influencer, influencer amon.
SPEAKER_02Sorry.
SPEAKER_05No, you're not. What do you got on today?
SPEAKER_01I see you and raise you, my black bay bronze.
SPEAKER_05Okay, I did a little bit more damage on you.
SPEAKER_01Um, which I honestly it's barely left my wrist. It's so easy to wear, it goes with everything. Um, it just makes me smile every time I look at it. It was the only thing that went on holiday with me to Portugal, and it was such a cool um festival watch. Uh, and yeah, I loved it. I love it. Um yeah, barely take it off. So good.
SPEAKER_05And how was the festival? We didn't catch up with that because you sent me some videos of Florence and the machine.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it was amazing. It was amazing. So the first night was Nick Cave, the headliner. Um, second night was Wolf Alice, followed by Foo Fighters. And if you don't know Wolf Alice, I really recommend them. They're extraordinary.
SPEAKER_05I don't know them.
SPEAKER_01Ugh, I think you'll really love them. I think you'll really love them. They feel like a rock band, like a a female-led rock band of the yay old times, but they are new. Um, and her voice is extraordinary. Like it's this choral kind of beautiful voice, but in a in a rock song. It's amazing. Uh, not not I've made it sound a bit like Evanescence.
SPEAKER_05It's not like it's not like No, that wasn't what I was picturing at all. I was picturing more like um uh like like rock at its like AC DC kind of sounding guitars or something like that. I don't know.
SPEAKER_01That's no, it's more it's sort of, I don't know, maybe a a poppier hole.
SPEAKER_05I love hole. I actually yeah, I have hole on my phone.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so i i uh that sort but maybe sort of more modern and poppy, but yeah, just really cool. Check them out. Um and then Foo Fighters who just I mean, the way they command the stage and a crowd is just extraordinary. And they're such seasoned performers, you're just like in awe of Dave Grohl's performance. He was really just incredible. Um, and then the final night was Lord, who was fine. Um you like her to you?
SPEAKER_05I like Lorde a lot, yeah.
SPEAKER_01She was cool, she was cool. Um, followed by um Florence in the Machine, uh, which was just the perfect way to end it. We didn't stay for all of Lord, so we left Lord and then came back in just as Lord ended. And so we got to like just as people were leaving to like go for a pee and get some food before Florence came on. We managed to slip in quite close to the stage, so we were really close. Um and oh she's just amazing, she's just extraordinary. I love her. I'm like obsessive. I don't I don't think there there's another singer or performer or artist who I am this like in love with, and she is just amazing.
SPEAKER_05She's like entrancing, like when you entrancing, that's the word. Yeah. When you watch her, you can't pull away. Yeah, yeah. Everything draws you in.
SPEAKER_01Totally magnetic, yeah. So it was wonderful. And the rest of the holiday was lovely too. It was a lot of flying by the pool or petling around Lisbon and yeah, lovely. Really needed it, feeling refreshed.
SPEAKER_05And you had some watch spotting, which we'll get to later. Indeed.
SPEAKER_01Um So this just before we jump in, just to say this episode is gonna be a little bit shorter than our normal episodes, because I have to dash for a work thing this afternoon. So we'll be rattling through our main topic fairly briskly.
SPEAKER_05Yes, we're gonna do our best to keep him on on time.
SPEAKER_01Otherwise, you'll have to finish the episode on your own.
SPEAKER_05I can't I can't hold it on my own. Um But we uh we decided that it would be fun to do another audience question episode because we've only done one. We've answered audience questions here and there um on different episodes, but we've only done one full episode of audience questions before. And I think it was a pretty popular episode in our like numbers looking at it. Uh so I yeah, I I I pulled for audience questions a couple of times this week and we got some good ones. We also I added in a couple of old ones that we haven't answered um either. And Iman, have you taken a look at the two bigger ones that I put in the I have that big.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_05They are they are one is really big. Um and I think we should uh we maybe start with that really big one uh to get to get it out of the way. Um uh but it is from at Mon.creef. Uh Monty, I think is it he's actually he just joined my Red Bar, Virginia Beach. Hey, cool. He lives in North Carolina. He lives a little ways away, but we're the closest Red Bar to him. And uh really nice person. And his question was so big a question. Um five years from now, what do you each envision for your lives? Wishes, accomplishments, experiences, work, and personal. Now, what will your watch collection look like then? Pieces, themes, number. This is aspirational, so think big. Love the show. How do you answer that?
SPEAKER_01So I didn't actually plan this. I saw it and I was like, I can't plan it, but I will wax lyrical off off the cuff. Um D did you plan an answer for it?
SPEAKER_05I tried. I I I I yeah, I tried, but like how can you? Um because I I I think I try not to do this. I try not I try not to think this far in advance because it life never works out the way you you plan it. So I don't know. I'm curious, like what what what is your gut what is your gut reaction to this?
SPEAKER_01What five years from now am on being Yeah, I my gut reaction was and I and I dithered over whether to even talk about this or not, was like, will I have children or not? Because I think that changes the picture in every which way, whether it's watches and the amount of disposable income I have for watches, whether it's work or you know, my what my day-to-day life will look like. Everything changes if I have children versus if I don't. And right now that's a very live question that I haven't we haven't made a decision on. So it's I I honestly think I can't answer this in short because the the jury is out, right? They're there are like two very different versions of of life in five years that will I think depend solely on this one decision. Like if I if I'm being honest. How about you?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, um, so you I feel like you you have a bigger so something about my life has seriously changed if the uh if the question of children has has come in. You're at least in in the part of your life with your partner where that is a question. Um and hey, my life changes too if you have kids. I'm an uncle. Um but I I think my gut reaction is I feel like I'm at the place in my life where s something within the next little bit is going to make it change drastically, whether that is um a promotion at work or a new job or um doing more in watches, I my life is going to be a lot different in five years, I feel. I just don't know how yet. And I and I think that's as far as I can go. I don't and I don't want to. Like, I don't want to because I've always been I feel like you just set yourself up for disappointment if you're like this is this is exactly where I want to be in five years, and you just laser focus on that. I think you're just setting yourself up for a negative reaction if you do that. Um so yeah, that that's as far as I go with the the personal work accomplishments and life stuff. Um, as far as watches in five years, um, I don't know. I I will turn 40 next year. I I'm not planning on something in particular. I know I will have some different watches and some new ones. Um, I don't expect myself to be able to afford too much more outside what my highest cost watch is now. Um yeah, I'm not sure. I'm not sure uh where where I'm gonna be. Did you have any thought on that? Like what a a watch you would want within five years or where your collection would be?
SPEAKER_01I feel like I'm approaching the point where I'm maxing out on the amount of money that I want to sit within a watch collection. Like I don't know how much more money I I want to spend and have spent and invested in watches. There's a point at which I'm like, okay, I enough. And and I and I feel like I'm not far off, and I look at my collection or my watchbox and I go, actually, I'm really pretty happy with with these. Maybe I can add one thing or I can take one thing away, like but I like the collection and I d it doesn't feel like there's room for more. It might what might happen is I might like trade within. Right. But I think in terms of number and value, I can't see myself going, I'm gonna save for that longer, or you know, I I I do want to buy something for my 40th this year. And beyond that, I just I can't see myself spending masses of money on something unless something else goes. Because I already look at that watchbox and I'm like, oh god, how much is in this? Um yeah, I feel I feel guilty about it. Like it makes me uncomfortable. Um and that that isn't like a judgment on anyone else. That is just for me and knowing what I earn. Um, it f makes me feel uncomfortable, the amount I've spent of what I earn on watches. So that's just a very personal thing. Um, I mean, what I would love in five years from now is a little more financial stability. Whatever happens. Um I'd, you know, work-wise, I'd I'd love to have a a West End show. Um, I'd love to have taken a show to New York. Um, and I would love to have had a feature film made, um, one that I've written. Those are my three like work aspirations. Maybe once I'm financially more comfortable, my like, you know, what I allow myself to spend on a watch will change. Um, but I I don't know.
SPEAKER_05I think th those are all great, great insights. And you know, because you said it, I'm gonna throw it in there too, that I would like for one something that I write creatively to make it into the world. Not a not like watch articles, but like my like a book of poetry or um one of the screenplays I've worked on, or something I'm writing like something. I would like one of these things to make it into the world at some point. Um Yeah. So I think good goals. That was a really hard question. I know.
SPEAKER_01I don't think anyone And I feel like we probably disappointed Moncrief.
SPEAKER_05I don't I don't think so. I I I I mean, how how could anybody be like, I want to do this and I'm gonna have this, this, and this? Like, and like, no, you're not. Um so our other big question, and then we're gonna get to some hopefully quicker ones, but our other big question was this shake, rattle, and roll. Um Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So this is a friend of mine from Pakistan. He's a journalist in Karachi. So his name's Mikhail. Hi, Mikhail.
SPEAKER_05Hi. Um yeah, he asked us this question a long time ago. Um, and it was just such a big question. What would what would be in your ideal six-piece collection? But I've paired that down to three because I feel like we could do an entire episode on six, and if we've given it a little thought, maybe we could just I'm actually more curious to know how you interpreted this question of Yeah, because I mean I I think I don't know if you've made it easier by narrowing it down to three or harder by narrowing it down to three.
SPEAKER_01If I was like, just three watches. Basically, I don't think an ideal watch collection for me could only have three. I j like it's not possible. I'm sorry. I like I wear far more watches than that on a daily basis. Like in in any given day I might wear three watches. So in a week, you know, it's so this is hard. And in terms of interpreting it, uh I you know, I I struggled. I think there are a lot and going back to the point I made about price, there are a lot of watches I love that are very expensive that in an ideal watch collection, sure it'd be nice to have in a collection, but would I actually wear it? Like I would love a you know, uh 222, a Vashron 22, but I think I'd be too afraid to wear it. I would love a um the the gold uh submariner with the brown dial and the like nipple nipple indices, I think they're called. I forget the reference.
SPEAKER_05Um the older beer. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's yes, but it doesn't have the two-tone bezel, it's all a chocolate brown bezel, like like the black bay. Um but I I'd feel too like I can't like I wouldn't carry £20,000 of cash in my wallet in my pocket. So why would I carry that amount of money on my wrist in a watch? Look, I would I wouldn't carry five thousand pounds cash in my in my pocket either. Um but but I do fuss find a way to carry it on my wrist. Um so there I'm sure is a bit of cognitive dissonance there, but I just don't know how much I would wear if I had three really expensive, massive hitters in terms of price. I just think I have three watches that I'm uncomfortable wearing, which is not the ideal collection. So that was my starting point for this. And also I felt like I could easily pick three watches from my current collection that would be my ideal watch collection. So I've also excluded everything I already own. Um so those were my two starting points for my ideal free watch collection. Always watches I don't own and have never owned, and watches that I would actually feel comfortable wearing on a daily basis.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. So did you did you come up with three?
SPEAKER_01I uh have come close, yes. I've I've two I have found, yes. And then the the the jury's out on the third. But yeah. How about you? What's the two? Oh no, no, no. What's your do you want to talk me through your thinking or do you want to do that all in one go?
SPEAKER_05Okay. I mean, yeah, I could do that too. I I I think I approached it the same way as you. I I was like, there are two ways to to really look at this question. Where like uh ideal three-watch collection, uh, does that mean I pick three watches I've never owned from scratch, like three crazy watches that are expensive that I would love to own that would be very hard or nearly impossible for me to own at the same time? Or do I go with what I have and and maybe tweak it a little? And I think that's where I ended up was I know for certain there are two watches in my current collection that I would never get rid of. And and they would be in if I were forced to pick three watches to have forever, two watches I currently own would be in that three. Um so that's where I landed, and that's how I have eventually come to the conclusion of what my three would be. Uh so who wants to share theirs first, me or you? You want to go? We bouncing back?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, let's bounce back. So my first would be a two-tone Cartier Santos Carey. That was quite that was the only easy choice.
SPEAKER_05We both like that watch.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. And I I feel like uh a three-watch collection would need something two-tone in it for me personally. So that's my two-tone watch.
SPEAKER_05Okay. So you're two-tones. So we're bouncing. We're bouncing. My first, I mean, I guess I will go into because I said two of them would be watches from my current collection. Um I would need like a a sports, a sports watch. So my my Black Bay 58 bronze would be the first. Um, I'm positive that watch is never leaving my collection. That is the first uh of my three.
SPEAKER_01Nice. Yeah. So I I did it over this. So my rule was not to choose anything in my existing collection. And then I was like, oh, should I, you know, I love my Black Bay bronze so much, would I choose the Black Bay 58 in gold with the green dial, which you know I love. But I'd want it on a bracelet, and I mean the cost of that is something like I'm silly, it's like 30 grand or something. Yeah. It's stupid. And I just don't think I'd wear that much gold on my wrist. So I I excluded that. Um I did want a steel sports watch. Um that was that would be my like daily beta wearer thing. Um and I did it between two watches, and one is the Ingenieur um in 35, uh, with a white dial. I think is my favourite having tried them on. I do like the new aqua though, um, but I think the white dial would be more versatile. Um, however, I think it is slightly pipped to the post by a Rolex OP with the beige dial, which I'm currently on the list for, so I don't own it yet. So I'm allowed it. And I just think that's super wearable, versatile, sporty, dressy. I I think you'd get a lot of wear from that watch. And I think that was my other thinking. It's like if you've only got three watches, what can you wear all the time consistently? So it would be Rolex OP in 36 with the beige dial. Sadly, no ingenure.
SPEAKER_05Uh I would pick the Rolex OP over the Ingenure personally. Um my second, uh I mean again, the the second one's gonna come from my current collection. And I love chronographs. There has to be a chronograph, and it's the Snoopy. Uh so that's that's the second. Um I feel like, and I agree with what you said. If I had a three-watch collection, they would have to be three watches that I would wear frequently, all of them. And um, and I just I would wear the Snoopy a lot. I and I think it fulfills the fun aspect too, because it's got the it's it's blue and silver, it's got Snoopy on it, it it's you know, it's not as serious as the the Black Bay 58, so it's like the fun watch. I can put on a white rubber strap, it looks cool on that. Um, I could wear it on the bracelet, I could, I could put it on a lot of stuff. Um, I have the those bunge straps with the whole cutout. Yeah. Bundle. Yeah. The bundle. Um uh yeah. I um so that would be my second.
SPEAKER_01Nice. Predictable, but yes.
SPEAKER_05Nice. Yes. I think my third's gonna be predictable too, but really I I want to hear what your third is first.
SPEAKER_01So the third one I really struggled with because I was like, okay, I've got two watches now. Neither are really strap watches. They're both bracelet watches. I mean, you can, I guess, put the OP on a strap, but it it it I think it looks its best on a bracelet. So I was like, I want a watch that I can put on a strap and that will look good on a strap. I want something slightly more elevated and dressy, because I think the Santos, though it is two-tone, is has a sporty aesthetic to it. Um, so I narrowed it down to a kind of dress, a a gold dress watch, a very thin gold dress watch. And I was looking at um all the different the langas, the predic brigades, the protects, the price of them all. And I think you can actually find a very simple Langer Saxonia in gold with a white dial for about 10, 11. And I think I would just about wear that with enough regularity to justify it. So it's a it's a 34mm Saxonia, and then you could change the straps, and I think that would be fun to do again with a white dial. Um yeah, I think that's that would be my third. But that was a re it was really tough because you know I love like sort of military watches, field watches, dive watches, like that. There's so much we're gonna do this to exclude. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_05We're never gonna actually do this.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so it was painful. Which is why we should do an episode on the six, because we should do a whole episode on the six. Yeah, that might actually be more feasible. Yeah. Um who do you like more?
SPEAKER_03That is not what I'm asking.
SPEAKER_05Um what's your third? Uh my third, I went the same direction as you. I I I want the third one would have to be something dressy. Uh in a dressy that I would wear all the time. Um in my current collection, that's the Omega CK 859. Um however, I would ideally want that to be the Vashron 1921. Yes, I thought you would go for that. And that is a watch that like I will have that watch one day. And and uh and but I think it specifically it would be the smaller 1921 in the rose gold uh color because I think I could wear that on like a brown strap. Uh like I could put it on like a brown alligator strap and have it be dressy. I could put it on like a brown, um, like distressed leather strap and have it look more uh more casual. And because I could see myself wearing that casually with like jeans and a shirt. So yeah, that would that would be my that would be my third.
SPEAKER_02Nice.
SPEAKER_05Um so yeah, three watches that I know I would wear for most situations that I'm in, just depending on the mood. And never gonna actually do it. But that's it. Okay. So now, listeners, Iman has not seen any of these questions. So when I see them, I'll be like, oh yeah. Um, but these are quicker. Um, at least I think there's about 10 of them. I think we should be able to fire through these. Okay, so one, this first one, comes from Sophie Scott Lewis Art. And Sophie asked, if watches were potential partners, which would you take home to meet your mom and why? This is probably the one that requires the most thought, I think, of all the ones I'm gonna ask. But um Do you want to answer it first? Um yeah.
SPEAKER_01I can't even have a little more thinking time.
SPEAKER_05I I swear I didn't I just thought of the answer right now. Okay. Um my mom is a big Disney fan. If it were a watch at Mickey Mouse on it, I'd bring it home to meet mom.
SPEAKER_01Nice.
SPEAKER_05So that that'll be my my quick answer for I think I would take home.
SPEAKER_01I made my mum try on the Fears Brunswick Orchid when we were at Time and Tide. I took it to Time and Tide, and she was very taken with it. Um I think she loves that. She liked the mother of pearl, the pinkish hue to the mother of pearl. So of my watches, and I'm narrowing it down that way because otherwise my mind will explode. Of my watches, I would take home my uh light pink Grand Seiko SBGW289, which by the way has gone back to Watchfinder to get fixed. And they're just not replying to me. No updates, nothing. They're awful, honestly. They're so terrible. I've been chasing them for just like an update, like what's wrong with their head office said, whether they're gonna send it to Grand Seiko. Well, I'm now uh I I sent multiple emails, called multiple times, and they said, Oh yeah, I'll get the guy to like give you an update. No reply, and so now I've just like filed a complaint. It's like you know, it it was a problem. They sold me a a d a watch that wasn't working properly, and the least they can do is keep me updated. So annoying. Anyway, they're so terrible, honestly.
SPEAKER_05No, I I listen, I get that too. I I went through the same thing with my when I sent the BlackBay 58 bronze in and I wasn't getting updated quickly. I went like almost two weeks without hearing back from them. And uh yeah, I feel the same.
SPEAKER_01It takes it takes so little. Oh, let me just ring the head office now and I'll get back to you soon. Okay, I've spoken to the head office. They've had people on holiday this summer, so they're a bit short-staffed. They haven't had a chance to look at it yet. It's like it's so simple to just keep someone updated. Why I don't understand. Like customer service can be so bad sometimes and for such an expensive thing. Anyway, rant over back to QA's.
SPEAKER_05Yes, back to QA's. Um, okay. Uh so our next one uh comes from BG Mario One. So this is Mario from WatchGecko that uh that uh mic's up and and filmed us when we were at British Watchmakers Day. Uh his was just things all watch collectors can agree on, question mark. That's it. And I'm like, wow, who way to ask the impossible question, man? But can you think of anything that all watchmakers or all watch uh collectors can agree on?
SPEAKER_01Jeez. Um uh I mean it it must be something about like the fact that it's worthwhile spending your children's college fees on watches. I don't like as in watches or nights. It's gotta be something as generic as that, right?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, maybe that we would we would all spend more than we probably should on these things.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, that was it. And uh honestly, my mind went to everything. Um like, but I I like straps, date windows, bezel action, like uh crystals, like no, it's like no matter what, you're always gonna have somebody that thinks something different or doesn't prefer that thing. The one thing that I came up with is actually something Mario said in response when I told him this is impossible. Um, because I was thinking it as he typed it to me. And it was, I feel like all watch collectors can get behind Casio as a as a brand. Uh just that, like I guess owning owning a Casio, owning a G Shock, the F91W's awesome. Like I've I feel like I've never heard a watch collector like dismiss Casio entirely.
SPEAKER_01I would say all watch collectors can get behind automatic mechanical watches. I've I've never heard a watch collector go.
SPEAKER_04I don't want a mechanical watch.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, mechanical watches suck. It's all about courts. Whereas I have heard the inverse.
SPEAKER_05I I'd say too that maybe all watch collectors would also agree that um you don't have to spend a lot of money to get a really great watch.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01If I I hope would hope. Yeah. I mean, what's that guy, Kevin O'Leary, might disagree, but or like what a lot of money is to some people might be slightly different. I'm sure he'd be like, look, $2,000 buys you a great watch. Isn't that amazing? It's hardly anything. Um but okay. Yeah, that's a thanks, Mario. That was tough.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, that is a tough one. Some of these are tough. Um so uh Abinger Watches sent us one. I think this I think this is Tom.
SPEAKER_00Because he said, when are you gonna buy one of my fucking watches?
SPEAKER_05Uh listen, he's naming one of his watches Phantom so soon. Okay. Uh so Abbinger Watches asked, if you had the option of being a brand ambassador for one watch brand, who would you choose? Tudor. That was that was a quick one for you.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Tudor. I want to be born to dare.
SPEAKER_03Um You Honestly Omega.
SPEAKER_05No, I you know what though? Like, I don't like everything Omega does. There's a lot that Omega puts out that I don't like. Um I would actually go to Tudor before Omega. Um because like I I would buy a 58, I would buy a Pelagos, I would buy um I I like some of their dressier watches. No, I in my head I went with um isotope. Oh I that I I just think that is the sci-fi nerdy crazy shit, like that's me on a watch, and I feel like um I'm weird enough to pull that off. So uh in a very positive way. So yeah, I think I think I them, but of of the big brands, I I would probably go uh Tudor.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. If I had to pick a micro brand, it would be Fizz.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. Oh, you for sure. I see that 1000%. Um okay, so you kind of asked answered this one before, but it's one of those this should be our final question before our recurring, by the way. Okay, final question before recurring. So Tiny Mics at Tiny Mics was asked. Uh and again, you kind of touched on this before, but sorry if it is a bit of a downer, but do you ever feel guilt wearing expensive watches?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, all the time. All the time. Guilt and shame. Yeah. It's to the point where I don't even like I don't want people to, you know, when a non watch person is like, so how much was this? And you have to tell them it's like a black bay. And you're like, Well actually I got a really good deal on it. It was like three thousand And it's you're j I feeling like s and they're and you watch their faces like their jaws drop in horror. Especially when it's people Who um work in my industry who make similar kinds of money to me, and you see their jaws just like drop because they'd never spend that amount of money on anything. Um I do feel pr pr profound shame actually. Um so I try and do that.
SPEAKER_05I don't think you should feel that. Because I I mean those people will likely spend that money on something else, just not that, like a big trip or a or this or that or um or a car or you know, I I don't know, but I get it.
SPEAKER_01Um do you ever feel guilt?
SPEAKER_05All the time, but for a completely different reason.
SPEAKER_01What's your reason?
SPEAKER_05I'm just very aware when I'm wearing an expensive watch that not everybody can have this. Um and and that makes me sad. Um granted, I I I I work for the money that I have and I save up, and there are a lot of things I don't buy myself so that I buy this thing. But at the same time, I I just it is it is a luxury that I can afford and it makes me sad that somebody else can't afford a luxury of the same. And it is often something, even when I'm writing about watches, I'm like, I wrote an article yesterday that I'm turning in today about a $450,000 watch. And I can't afford that, but I I but I feel guilt because I'm writing about something that is just so outside the realm of what 99% of people on the world in the world can ever even fantasize about realistically. Um so it is something that I I constantly check myself uh of and just remind myself, okay, um, let me think of ways to balance this out.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, mine is quite different actually, because I think mine is less about like, oh, I can afford it and others can't, and it's more about like uh me and like why does owning something so expensive give me so much pleasure? And I don't like that trait in myself that that I I put value in these expensive things. I feel like I should just be a little more ascetic and like non-capitalist and kind of I I wish I wasn't so materialistic, I guess. I wish I was happy with less. Um but turns out I'm very happy with more, and I don't like that about myself.
SPEAKER_05I feel like that is the soundbite for this episode.
SPEAKER_00I'm happiest with more.
SPEAKER_05More is more. You know what is wonderful? Excess. Um I find it very pleasurable. Um so no, but I thought that was a really good question.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's a really good question.
SPEAKER_05And uh okay, so now we're gonna go to our recurring segment with the last few minutes that we have. And uh this is one that I don't think we've ever actually done, but we've had written down for a while. And it is Watches in the Wild. And Iman, you have uh and watches in the wild just being an encounter that we have with a person.
SPEAKER_01Um not in a watch space.
SPEAKER_05Not in a watch space, yes. Crucially, that's it. We haven't gone somewhere for watches. Um uh just a wild encounter of a watch person. And you've had a a couple.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I've had two that I'm gonna talk about. So one was in Portugal at a hotel. I was sitting downstairs in the lobby waiting for an Uber, and there was a couple sitting opposite us also waiting for an Uber, and I saw a watch on the dude's wrist, and I sort of looked at it, and it was this lovely yellow colour, and I was like, You're shitting me. He is wearing a Clements Monroe in yellow, which is the watch you have, Chris.
SPEAKER_05Which is the watch that I bought when I was there, when I was in uh England last year.
SPEAKER_01Yes, I remember you sitting at my dining table resizing it. Um, and I was like, oh my god, I'm do I say something? I should probably say I'm gonna I'm gonna say something as a Clemence Monroe. And I I I was so kind of surprised. I was like, this guy must know Tom. He must be friends with Tom because otherwise, like, why would he have it? He can't just be a watch nurse. All micro brands just sell their watches to their friends in the lobby, sitting opposite me, waiting for a neighbour. I know. I was like, Tom must not sell that many watches, like, come on. Anyway, so I was like, is that uh Clements Munro? And he was like, It is, yeah. And he was Scottish. He was like, Yeah, it is. I was like, Oh, do you know Tom? And he was like, No, but I live in I live in Edinburgh.
SPEAKER_00And I was like, Oh, okay. And he was like, Why? What's the connection? I was like, I just like watches. And he was like, Oh, so you know them?
SPEAKER_01I was like, Yeah, I know them. You know them. He was like, Yeah, I like watches too. And then that Uber came. And then but what was funny, I turned to Hannah, I was like, Oh my god, look, we're everywhere when you watch people. And what was funny was his girlfriend and Hannah both exchanged looks and rolled eyes, and they were like, Oh my god.
SPEAKER_04I wish you had exchanged information because you know you made that guy's like day.
SPEAKER_01That was funny. Oh yeah, he seemed quite pleased, and he sort of like bopped off and he didn't ask me what was on my wrist though, disappointingly. Maybe he'd already peeked a look, but I was like, Oh, you're not a real collector. No, I'm sure he is. He seemed really nice. I wanted to be like, I have a podcast, but then his Uber came, so I was like, see you around, maybe at a watch fair. He was like, maybe. Anyway, and my second one was just yesterday. I was at a friend's flat party, and um there was this guy uh who is wearing a white dial dress watch, and I was like, it can't be, it can't be, no, it can't be. And I spent the whole party trying to like nudge closer to him to get a better look at his wrist.
SPEAKER_04You're like moving.
SPEAKER_01I know. He must have thought I was like coming onto just edging closer and closer to like sneak in, and he was like, this guy has the like weirdest chuck chat up line of like, I like your watch.
SPEAKER_00But yeah, I went over to him and I like tapped it, and I was like, this is nice. And he was like, Oh, you like my watch? I was like, Yeah, where's it from? What's the story? Where's it from? He's like, Oh, it's from Scotland.
SPEAKER_01And I was like, Oh, wow. And it basically was an it was an anordain, guys. It was an this man was wearing an anordain, a company that has like a three or four year wait list for watches, and he was just casually wearing a white dial anordain at a party in London. I was like, Oh wow, they're really, they're really. He's like, it's from Scotland. I was like, Yeah, do you like watches? They're really rare. He was like, Are they? He's like, No, I don't really like watches. I was like, Yeah, they're okay, yeah, they're nice. And I was like, Oh, okay. And he was like, Yeah, basically, like I wanted a Patek Philippe, and then like my friend was like, Look, if you like that sort of dress watch style, this is a brand that's quite cool. And he sent me a link to Ann Ordain, and I sent it to my girlfriend at the time, because my girlfriend's from Scotland, and I was like, Look, this watch brand is from Scotland, and then for my birthday, she bought me this Ann Ordain, and she had it engraved with us, but then like a month afterwards we broke up, and so it was really awkward. So now I have this watch, anyway. Anyway, this guy turned out to be a real asshole. He was so obnoxious, and then he was like, Oh, what's on your wrist? And I showed him my Tudor, which I was wearing, and he was like, I was like, Oh, it's a Rolex. I was like, No, it's a Tudor. And he was like, Oh, Tudor, yeah, fake Rolex, whatever. I was like, okay. And then I really regretted talking to this asshole, okay? And then he was like, Oh, and then he's just started like mouth chatting about all sorts of nonsense. And I was like, Okay, how do I extract myself from this conversation then make the world's most boring man? He isn't even into watches, he just like has this one watch that happens to be an Anne Ordain, honestly.
SPEAKER_05Oh, it's a really cool watch.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, really cool watch. Yeah, and then he was like, and he's just chatting to me, and he's like, Oh, so you know, I d I like dating British girls because like they don't talk about feelings. Whenever you talk about feelings, it's becomes a problem, you know. And he was like, I was like, what's wrong with problems, like conflict science? And he's like, Oh, you know, I just why can't like as soon as you have a problem, then you have to make a compromise. And what what do they say about compromises? Compromises mean like two people aren't happy, you know, I can be manipulative because I'm an only child. It was boring me, boring me. He's like, There are three, let me explain it to you in one minute. There are three types of there are three types of relationships in this world. Let me explain it to you in one minute. And I was like, okay, I'm gonna time you. And he's like, no, don't time me on your Tudor. I don't trust your Tudor. I was like, okay, fine. And then he takes like ten minutes, not one minute, to explain his very basic theory of human relationships. And I was like, oh my god. And then I was like, oh yeah, I don't know.
SPEAKER_00I'm married, I've been married for a long time. Anyway, where is my wife?
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna go find her. And I had to do it. You stood there for all of that. Oh my god. He was so it was like one of those parties where once you're like locked in, it's very hard to then like extract.
SPEAKER_00I was like, I can't believe I spent so much time trying to talk to this guy about his stupid watch, and now I'm stuck.
SPEAKER_05See, this is where I'm a totally inappropriate human. Like, I would have been like, Man, you're an asshole. Like, I'm going. I I can't hold it together when someone is that much of a dick.
SPEAKER_01Well, because he everything he said is a joke. He was like, Yeah, chew to fake Rolex, ha ha. And I was like, Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05Well, that's how assholes do it. Assholes cover their tracks by claiming the thing that makes them an asshole is a it was just a joke. You didn't you you just you don't get jokes. Um Oh, that's so sad.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I know. I know. But I was it pleased me to know he wasn't an actual watch enthusiast, so you know.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01How about you? Any watches in the wild stories? And then I really have to go catch my train.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. I have I have one. I can I could remember one that happened somewhat recently uh in the last month, and I don't think I shared the Daytona spotting story when I was borrowing my brothers. Um so I was wearing my brothers, I was in one of the coffee shops that I go to here. And um this is the only person that pointed out the Daytona the whole two weeks that I was like wearing it. Um and he it was a it was a kid. It was like a a teenager back from college. He's must have been like 19. He was a freshman in college. Um and he goes to Virginia Tech over here, so it's a few hours away from where I am. And he was walking out, he got his coffee to go. He was and I was sitting in the shot. He was walking out, and he walked by me, and I saw like his eyes like fell on my watch. And then, like, right before he gets to the door, he and he was like, Is that real? And and I was like, Yeah. And he goes, Oh my God. He's like, I've never actually seen one in person. And I was like, Oh yeah, and I I said immediately, I'm like, I'm borrowing it from my brother. Um, you know, I I write about watches and stuff, and I'm just like trying it out and um I I'm really loving it. And uh and then I looked at his wrist and he was wearing uh a Hamilton Murph. Oh and so he had he had a white dial uh murf on, one of the newer, smaller ones. And I was like, oh, dude, I'm like, that's a sick watch too. I'm like, I actually I have the 42 Murph. And he's like, and immediately he knew about why he's like, You have the one that has the Eureka Morse code on the second sand. I was like, yeah. And and he goes, Oh, it's so cool. And he's like, Yeah, my parents bought this for me when I graduated high school. Um, his Hamilton Murph. And uh then I I was like, dude, that's awesome. And and he's like, Yeah, uh, and he was just like, uh he's like, Can you like, can I see it? Like he was like motioning, like if I could hold up my wrist to see, and I just took it off and and I just like handed it to him and I was like, you could try it on. I'm like, my wrist is bigger than yours, it'll go around like you can try it on. He's like, Really? And like, yeah, he put down his coffee, he put down his pastry, he was like just sitting there, like playing with it. He's like, Can I do the the pushers? And I was like, Yeah, go for it. He was just the happiest.
SPEAKER_01That is adorable.
SPEAKER_05What a lovely story. I know it was so cool. And I said that, and I actually said, I'm like, Can I try yours on? I've never tried on the the white Murph. So I did like I tried his watch on, and yeah, it was just one of those like really nice. I told him about my red bar group because obviously his family lives around here, so hope he joins, maybe. Uh, but yeah, it was just such a like a wholesome the opposite of jealousy guy. I'm jealous. It was the polar opposite experience, and um no, it was just it was just cool to see someone like light up so much to see a watch that they like would really want one day.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, that was on that lovely note. Thank you, Chris. Thank you, listeners. Like, follow, share, subscribe.
SPEAKER_05We kept it tight. Um, I'm on, have a safe trip, do your workshop, have fun, and let me know how it goes. And listeners, thank you. Um, like, comment, subscribe, but
