Endings and Beginnings

Okay, in reading Robert-Jan Broer's post on his pursuit and purchase of a GMT Master (Rootbeer) -

https://www.fratellowatches.com/why-i-bought-a-five-digit-rolex-gmt-master-ii-again/

Courtesy of Tudor

I got to thinking of "What's Next?" in my own collection. Before going on, let me state plainly that I have resolved to thin the herd by about 5 pieces. It is important to understand that as I work for/with/represent several brands, I have no small amount of choice when I go to the bank deposit box to select something for the week.

With that being said, I am getting to a certain point where priorities are most assuredly shifting. Like most Americans I will likely be working closer to my 70s rather than my 60s. Overall, I'm okay with that as Wendy and I don't have kids (meaning no grandchildren to fuss over and take up our time ; ) 

But moreover, I have gotten to a point where apart from "work watches" (which I love, don't get me wrong!), I tend to wear 2 or 3 in particular, meaning that while they are secure in the bank box, several watches are just sitting there, where they are safe, but unworn and (unintentionally) under appreciated. So in the next few months I hope to remedy that. If you are looking for a good deal on some pre-owned time machines, follow my feed on Instagram for buying options -

https://www.instagram.com/henki_time/

But back to the matter at hand -

As mentioned in the second half of my Geneva notes, I returned to the Boston and learned my Aunt's husband was quite ill. She and his daughter worked tirelessly and selflessly to take care of him for a few weeks until he had to be hospitalized, and he passed shortly thereafter. And this really resonated with me. I think we tend to trivialize long-enduring relationships as something everyday or common. And of course if we think about it, we realize that just isn't so. For over forty years their lives had been intertwined, learning each others shorthand, and maintaining their individuality while growing stronger together. 

"Okay Henki - what's this got to do with watches?"

Fair question, allow me to retort -

A watch, be it a mighty Rolex or a $10 Snoopy Timex that your parents bought you in the 70s is not a "timepiece", rather it is a time machine. It has the ability to take you to a different time and place (hopefully a happy one). It can mark a milestone - such as a graduation, wedding, wedding anniversary, promotion, new job, etc. It can mark the end, and also the beginning.

And I think that I am coming up to a very pivotal point in my own life - both personal and professional. On the personal side? I've never been happier. Wendy and I will celebrate our 31st wedding anniversary this week. The brands I work with are doing well, and although bittersweet (as her longtime partner is no longer with her), I get to spend each summer with my Aunt. The work side I have come through what I can only describe as a crucible. For those unfamiliar, here is AI's take on the definition:

A crucible is a cup-shaped container, typically made of porcelain or metal, used in laboratories to heat and contain substances at high temperatures. It can also refer to a severe test or trial, or a place where things change or are influenced by concentrated forces. The word also appears in Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible", which is a powerful dramatization of the Salem witch trials, often used as a metaphor for political persecution and the dangers of mass hysteria.

I am currently the Executive Director of a MassHire Career Center. Our mission is to help people who have lost their job either enter or re-enter the workforce. This is done with counseling, as well as hard and soft-skill training. It is very challenging work, but also very rewarding. I work with a phenomenal team of extremely committed people. I wouldn't call it a family because that just seems like a cliche. But I have never worked with a team so focused, dedicated and united in what they do. So maybe it is what a work family could and should be. We will have a new operator on July 1, and we have been made to understand that many of us will be shown the door. I am, by and large, the newcomer with a little over 2 years spent.  With that being said, I have colleagues with nearly 20 years invested in what they do, and it has been heartbreaking to watch them try to navigate this enormous change that they know is coming. 

For me personally? It has been disappointing to see the work of the last two years get somewhat methodically pulled apart by the future operator, not unlike a sweater that slowly gets unravelled. And believe me when I say it, we did a lot in just the two years that I have been involved, and no doubt much more in the time before I arrived. It goes without saying that the only certainty in life is change. But change can and should be managed, but sometimes the way it gets managed is outside your control.

So again - "What's this got to do with watches?"

I was re-reading Will Guidara's best seller,
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

and he shared a quote from his father:

"Adversity is a terrible thing to waste."

Think about that for a minute. 

My team did something remarkable these past few months, knowing full well that they would probably not be doing what they've been doing for the past 5 years or more, they continued to show up every day with a smile, focusing on helping our customers. Think about that. While the temptation might be to go into Eeyore mode, they continue to be professionals, right up to June 30!

And for some of us, this now presents an opportunity to explore other paths, to turn left at the fork in the road rather than the right turn that we have always taken up to this point. We have the power to put some control on our future by collectively saying that this is not something that happened to us, but something that is happening for us!

And for me, I want to mark what has been a career defining 2 plus years. I had great early success managing programs and teachers in Finland back in the 90s. I thought for sure my career path was set. I got a huge job in the US, moved home, and promptly failed. It was a series of very hard lessons to learn. What followed was a series of aimless jobs that (in truth) I was overqualified for, but felt secure and safe in that I would not have the burden of leadership and the fear of failure that accompanied it. Nearly 20 years later I found myself leading a team of 3, which grew to 10. Together we built one of the strongest adult education programs in the region, growing from 60 students to over 130 - and doing so during COVID. This led to my current (soon to be finished) tenure with MassHire. In 2 years we have achieved similar results in terms of our performance and the customers we have served. So again, this coming to an end is somewhat bittersweet.

So I know now that I can lead a team, that it is always worth fighting for what is right, and that I don't want to hide in the shadows any longer.

I am not a wealthy person, so the watch that will mark this new chapter will not be brand new. But I do want it to be special. I have a few things in mind, but the Tudor Black Bay GMT Steel and Gold seems to tick all of the boxes. Gold, but not "Gold-Gold". 

Courtesy of Tudor

A GMT feature which connects me to friends around the world, and in this instance I think not a bracelet. I think the black "fabric" strap lends itself more to my chosen career in the "helping business".

Courtesy of Tudor

So that's all for now, stay tuned for the next dispatch.

Tempus Fugit!

Pecan Pie With Lime Sherbet à la Mode...

Courtesy of Tudor

Now before I go any further, I am the proud owner of a Tudor X Rowing Blazers Black Bay -

But I am not, at least I don't believe, a fan-boy. To that end, when I first clapped eyes on the latest release from Tudor posted by the big dogs the past few days... I winced. While I wouldn't say it looked so bad that it hurt my feelings, I would say that it immediately reminded me of an epic night at a restaurant in Gloucester, Massachusetts back in the late 50s/early 60s.

My father did not have what could be thought of as a celebrated academic career at the Cornell Hotel School. He had twice been asked to partake of what could kindly be called a sabbatical to reflect on his commitment (or lack thereof) to not only the pursuit of a career in hospitality management, but post secondary studies in general. It was during this first timeout he was hiding out from his parents in Texas thanks to a kindly cousin who found him a job as a bell-boy/front desk receptionist at the Shamrock Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Suffice it to say, the strength of family bonds was tested when word found its way back to the ranch in Brady that the old man had tanked his class in plumbing. This seemingly insignificant academic blip would prove crucial during the diarrhea outbreak that swept the Henderson household during the Christmas holiday of 1975. Yes, gentle reader, after the single toilet failed in a house with 5 youngsters and 4 adults (our cousins from Rockport were visiting Ohio, we resorted to cleaning buckets, and the menfolk skulking about the shrubbery in the neighbor's yard. 

Shamelessly borrowed from the worldwide infoweb

Pepto Bismol would be running short in that region of Northern Ohio for over a fortnight following the outbreak of what came to be known as "white lightning & chocolate thunder" (all apologies to Planet Lovetron's favorite son Daryl Dawkins, his signature dunks would come a few years later). And when the plumber's bill was presented for emergency services provided over the holiday period, both of my older sisters were encouraged to consider attending the local vocational school, as plumbing appeared to be a career with a very lucrative future.

But back to Gloucester...

My father had a good friend from Cornell (who would later become my uncle, but that is a story for another time), and this friend's mother owned a restaurant on the waterfront that was very popular with out of town tourists. My father's Texas accent was thicker than a shag carpet after a frat party, so as you can imagine he was already a minor source of comic relief among both the staff and guests. My father spent one or two summers working at his friend's mother's restaurant. And together, they spent their summer working hours contriving ways to trick the rubes (read innocent restaurant patrons) into ordering some truly diabolical items that weren't on the menu. One particular weekend stood out as the freezer had conked out, and there was a mad push to sell as much of the frozen stock as possible. Free ice cream with everything! But the final Saturday night left them with a heavy surplus of one item in particular. As they prepped for service they agreed on a dessert that would not only clear out the freezer, but help reshape the culinary habits of coastal New England...

Pecan pie with lime sherbet à la mode.

Spoiler alert - they sold out! In fact, a travel writer for a midwestern news outlet wrote about it after being duped into ordering it. This led to a strange surge in requests from out of town diners hailing from Michigan (he was based in Grosse Point). God knows what could have happened if this had taken place during the Food Network's heyday, or with social media today, but that little Gloucester restaurant would never again feature their erstwhile signature item. But in my and my cousin's households, the legend lives on as a testament to what people will buy if you can just convince them that it's authentic.

Now back to the matter at hand - 

Courtesy of Tudor

The marketing folks in Le Locle assure us that this is a "BOLD AND VIBRANT CHOICE". I can certainly agree with that assessment. The same thing was once said about pecan pie and lime sherbet à la mode ; )

The asking price for this "Flamingo Blue" Black Bay Chronograph is $5,875. As a side note, I would encourage the brain trust at Tudor to visit Florida, a zoo, or even consult the internet... flamingos are, by and large, pink. Per the AI feature embedded in Google:

Flamingos are pink because of the carotenoid pigments in the food they eat, such as algae and shrimp. The color of a flamingo's feathers can range from pale pink to crimson, depending on the species.

So if you too are born to dare, and unlike John Waters prefer your flamingos blue, here are some basics -

The case is of stainless steel, and measures 41 mm in diameter with a lug width of 22 mm.

The movement is the Manufacture Calibre MT5813, offering time, date, and chronograph functions.

The dial is a "daring" Flamingo Blue.

• 
  

The "Neon Noir" Tudor X Rowing Blazers

As many watch journalists will relate, there are few new releases / special editions that can be kept secret  where a new watch model intersects with social media and a 24 hour watch news cycle. But then again, not every special project has been handled by Rowing Blazers -

So let's hop into the Wayback machine and return to those halcyon days of March, 2022. March 11, in fact. I got an email letting me know that there was going to be a special project open to a maximum of 100 people. Invitation only, targeting a delivery within 12 months. 

To quote the invitation announcement:

Our watch is a Black Bay 58 model in black, designed based on the original Tudor Submariner "Big Crown" watches from the late 50s.

I gave it all of about 5 minutes of deliberation and pulled the "commitment trigger".  And then I put the whole thing in the mental vault, and tried to forget about it as waiting for this was going to be like waiting for Christmas, your birthday, and graduation all in one go.

And time, as is its wont, went by. 

And then with the first signs of spring came the news that the Tudor "Neon Noir" watches were ready and would be shipping. And so, nearly a year to the day of its announcement, my "Neon Noir" Tudor x Rowing Blazers found its way to my door.

Needless to say, the Executive Publisher approved ; )

To say that I am a bit of a Rowing Blazers addict would be an understatement. My custom Tempus Fugit blazer has become somewhat of a conversation piece since its (and my) appearance at the Wind Up fair in New York this past October.

Now I have no doubt that there will be longer, more eloquent reporting on this special Tudor from the Great and the Good of Watch Town's Fourth and Fifth Estate. But as for myself? I have reported on many special watch projects, but this is the first one that I ever had the opportunity to do more than report, but actually participate. So a big thank you to Jack Carlson, Eric Wind, and the team at Rowing Blazers. It is nice to be part of the club!

And After ALL That Anticipation...

Tudor presents -

Courtesy of Tudor

Courtesy of Tudor

Two new iterations of the Black Bay Chronograph with "panda" style dials.

For just south of 5,000 CHF, you get:
A 41 mm steel case with Calibre MT5813 and a five year guarantee. Oh, wait! You also get your choice of three (3!) bracelet styles - that will be a fun one to haggle over at Tourneau/Watches of Switzerland ; )

But wait! There's more!

Courtesy of Tudor

A, sigh, silver dial Black Bay. Available in the usual suspect sizes of 32, 36 or 41 mm.
A really (I gotta' be honest) blah dial in a stainless steel case. Your's for 2,800 CHF.

Hey, the kids out there like bitchin' black dial Black Bays! Let's make some more!

Courtesy of Tudor

This is the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925

The case measures 39 mm with an open case back.  The movement is Tudor'sMT5400
Yours for CHF 4'100. Oh, one other thing...

this one is apparently made of... silver. Let's file that one away for future reference once that tarnish sets in.

Courtesy of Tudor

The 1926 which reminds this writer that sometimes the past is best left, well, in the past.

Available in a plethora of sizes -

28, 36, 39 or 41 mm 

Stainless steel and priced at CHF 1,750

And last but not least -

Courtesy of Tudor

A green dialed, gold cased dive watch...

Shamelessly Borrowed from the World Wide Infoweb

And priced at - CHF 16,000

Well, in the spirit of Tudor's catchy tagline, I guess I was born to dare to call this anxiously anticipated release of new watches, well, disappointing.

You remember when you were a kid and it was your birthday, and you hope you're going to get something great like a baseball glove or even a new bike? You wake up bright and early, and there on the breakfast table is a 3 pack of Fruit of the Loom briefs that your folks didn't have time to wrap?  Yeah, this release sort of feels like that. Glad I didn't have to pay for a plane ticket and hotel in Geneva.

DOXA, DOXA, DOXA...

They say that you can't put a price on heritage, but it is nice to see that the folks who now have control of the DOXA SUB feel that they can - and it's the type of money that is usually negotiated with the aid of a loaded pistol and a get away car.

Courtesy of DOXA

Ladies and Gentlemen, behold - a watch that could have been brought to market and sold for a competitive price is now on offer for the low, low price of...

$4,900 US

So, let's do some comparison shopping, shall we?  The Tudor Black Bay Chrono has a manufacture movement, and sorry DOXA, has a bit more "whats-it".  

Courtesy of Tudor

And it comes in at $5,100.  

Now the argument certainly could be made that the DOXA is going to be more unique, exciting for collectors, etc.  But let's consider the whole picture.

DOXA, in their wisdom, decided that what would make this super-duper would be to put in a vintage movement.  Now in fairness, I have no doubt that the movements will be restored, etc.  But let's
try to imagine what fun servicing that movement is going to be as an ongoing maintenance project.

More curious is that the press release from DOXA mentions that the Valjoux 7734 is Automatic, manual-winding.  Curious, because most of what I have read and understood about this caliber is that it is a hand-winding (i.e. not automatic) movement.  IMPORTANT - if I have the wrong end of the stick on this one and this is an automatic movement?  Please let me know!

So riddle me this Batman, how much are you going to enjoy unscrewing the crown every day to wind the watch, so that you can screw it down again, so that you can unscrew it again tomorrow, so that you can hand-wind it again...  I think you get the idea.

Now we can make the argument that wow, it's a historic movement, etc.  We can argue that it's a limited edition of 300 pieces.  And in fairness, even when I worked for them, I didn't always "get" what DOXA was doing.  There was a gold piece limited to 13 pieces released not so long ago for a price tag that was called, well as this is a "family" publication, to call it usurious might be more gentle than some of the words bandied about.  I have no idea how many of that particular watch actually sold, and who knows?  Maybe they all were.  

But at the heart of it, what the lates T-Graph offering and the steep price tag attached to it leads me to believe, is that the newly minted shot callers at DOXA HQ are somewhat disconnected from who the DOXA SUB customer really is.

But I will let you judge for yourself, here is the press release just as it arrived this morning to Tempus Fugit HQ -
(quick note, the grammar is a little dodgy, but I'm giving it to you straight, no chaser)

Courtesy of DOXA

An iconic model, reinterpreted: DOXA SUB 200 T.GRAPH in Stainless Steel
After the success of the 130th Anniversary series in 18K gold presented at Baselworld 2019 and limited to only 13 pieces, DOXA launches the SUB 200 T.GRAPH in steel in a limited edition of 300 pieces

This limited edition is powered by historical movements: original VALJOUX 7734 calibers which had been conserved in pristine condition for over 30 years at DOXA.

It was at Baselworld 1967 that DOXA launched the revolutionary SUB concept, considered to be the first purpose-designed diver's watch intended for the general public. The radical innovations it presented quickly made it a reference for professionals as well. Water-resistant to a depth of 300 meters, it was the first to feature a patented rotating bezel with the official no-decompression dive table. This watch would also become an easily recognizable legend due to its orange dial – a first for a diving watch, and a brash contrast with the traditional black or white background.

In 1969, the SUB concept is further refined in the form of the DOXA SUB 200 T.GRAPH, which even today still counts as a reference in the field of the most emblematic diving watches in watchmaking history. And the legend continues.

50 years later, DOXA presents a reinterpretation of its iconic model. Following a first limited edition in 18K gold, DOXA unveils the SUB 200 T.GRAPH in a new stainless steel limited series.

With a diameter of 43 mm, the SUB 200 T.GRAPH is topped by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating. In addition to being water-resistant to 20 ATM, equivalent to a depth of about 200 meters, the watch also features the famous patented unidirectional rotating bezel with the dual indication of dive time in minutes and depth in meters to calculate the dive time without decompression stops. The finishing touch: a SuperLuminova® pearl at 12 o'clock.

Just like the original model, the legendary face finished in semi-matte orange features two counters, one at 9 o'clock indicating the seconds, and the other at 3 o'clock indicating the chronograph's 30 minutes. The baton-type hands and the insert on the chronograph’s seconds hand are all filled with SuperLuminova® beige “Light Old Radium.” The SUB 200 T.GRAPH's characteristic indices, painted in black, are filled with SuperLuminova® beige “Light Old Radium” as well.

This limited steel edition, as was the case with the 18K gold version, is also equipped with historical 7734 VALJOUX movements. These original calibers, dating back 30 years, have been carefully preserved by the Swiss family Jenny, who took over ownership of the DOXA brand two decades ago. Each movement has of course been completely revised and made absolutely reliable prior to fitting.

The famous DOXA “grains of rice” bracelet, also crafted from 316L steel and featuring a folding clasp with diving extension and the DOXA fish symbol, rounds off this purpose-designed classic.

Technical Specifications – SUB 200 T.GRAPH steel

Movement
7734 Valjoux
Automatic, manual-winding 45 hours Power ReserveFrequency 18’000 vph (2.5 hz) 17 Jewels
Decorated by Doxa

Case
Stainless steel case
Diameter 43.00 x 46.00 mm
Height 15.00 mm
Screw in crown
Water resistance 20 bar / 200 meters / 656 ft Screw down case back with sailboat engraved

Indications
Hours, minutes, seconds Chronograph
12-hour and 30-minute counters Date

Features
Sapphire glass
Unidirectional turning bezel
Numbering in orange (depth) and black (time), light point at 
12 o'clock Limited Edition of 300 timepieces

Dial
Orange dial with black painted index with white luminescent material Black painted hands with white luminescent material
Black painted minute-tracks

Strap
Stainless steel strap "separate Beads of Rice" style attached by screws to ensure a secure fit Deployant buckle with wetsuit extension, DOXA fish insignia

Suggested retail price
4'900.- $
This watch will be available for order as of 2 September 2019 on the official DOXA website
https://www.doxawatches.com/

The Black Bay Steel and Gold

The Black Bay, it is safe to say, is the basket that Tudor has placed most of their eggs in.  And because we are talking about a fairly large brand that is still struggling somewhat to truly create its identity, that is not necessarily such a bad idea.  I say that in no way to disparage or speak ill of Tudor  but now several years on, Tudor has had some hits and some misses.

As a former brand manager, I have learned the painful lesson that just because I like something, it does not necessarily mean that everyone else will.  I personally love the Advisor (alarm watches are not for everyone), I like the North Flag (but it does not seem to have really found its footing), and I think that the Black Bay GMT is the SHIT THAT KILLED ELVIS, although one design element that I would modify would be to add an "inverted" cyclops date window.  This would make the date window more legible, but also add a certain "what's-it" to the Tudor design.  Tudor, if you're reading this, you can have that idea for free ; )

Having said all of that, I will say that the steel and gold Black Bay is an appealing option -

Courtesy of Tudor

It offers a truly different take on a collection that is starting to suffer from a certain sense of "sameness".  While I realize it might not speak to everyone, I sorta' dig it.  This one debuted in 

Here are the pertinents, straight from Tudor -

• CASE

  41 mm steel case with polished and satin finish
• MOVEMENT

  Manufacture Calibre MT5612 (COSC)
  
  Self-winding mechanical movement with bidirectional rotor system
• POWER RESERVE

  Power reserve of approximately 70 hours
• WINDING CROWN

  Yellow gold screw-down winding crown, with the TUDOR rose engraved and lacquered in black, with black anodised aluminium winding crown tube
• WATERPROOFNESS

  Waterproof to 200 m (660 ft)

• BEZEL

  Unidirectional rotating bezel in yellow gold with 60-minute graduated matt black anodised aluminium disc, gold markings
• DIAL

  Champagne-colour, domed
• CRYSTAL

  Domed sapphire crystal
• BRACELET

  Steel and yellow gold bracelet with folding clasp and safety catch

The New Glamour Double Date from Tudor

Some new Tudor models have dropped, and apart from the naming convention (I just don't get the collection name of "Glamour", but maybe that's just me), I do think they have come up with something pretty cool.

Courtesy of Tudor

 It is available in either steel and gold (above and below) -

Courtesy of Tudor

And stainless steel  -

Courtesy of Tudor

Such as this one (above) which is my personal favorite in this new collection.  It is a wonderfully understated piece, offering a watch that will be desirable for more than just one Instagram cycle.  

The case measures 42 mm in diameter, and is of stainless steel.  The movement is Calibre MT5641 which is a manufacture movement, with the COSC blessing.  It is a bidirectional (rotor), automatic (self-winding) mechanical movement, with an advertised power reserve of 70 hours.  Available in three different dial colors, with our without "bling" (diamond indices), with a bracelet or strap, and in either steel & gold, or steel.

Now the challenge was, and will continue to be, how to break out of the "Tudor as Tough Guy" watch idea that has been the unfortunate byproduct of the popularity of the Black Bay divers.  Yes they are nice, clearly they are popular, but they have planted a (false) seed in the minds of bloggers, influencers and journalists (both small and mighty), that Tudor is only about dive watches.  The Advisor, the Ranger, and others offer quite a bit more especially in terms of value for money.  The challenge that retailers face is that all too often, the demand is for the dive watches, and the other pieces become a bit of a "heavy lift" for the retail outlets.  But I have faith that Tudor might be on the right course!  Let us hope, because we waited a LONG time to get Tudor here, I personally want to see it grow and grow strong.