A Few Minutes With Eric Wind

There was a time, gentle reader, when buying vintage watches carried more than a bit of risk. I am not referring to fakes in the traditional Canal Street vein. What makes vintage watches desirable is not only the provenance (although that is certainly important), but also the stories (both known and untold) that the scuffs, dings, and patina tell about not only the watch but those who wore it. But with age comes maintenance, and maintenance sometimes means that an original part might not be available, or put more plainly, it often is more expeditious to use a "secondary market" solution. 

So in these increasingly uncertain times, it is great to know that there is at least one guy out there making sure that you not only get the vintage watch you want, but that it comes to you as advertised.  Ladies and Gentlemen, a few minutes with Eric Wind -

Courtesy of Eric Wind

Henki Time -

What was your first watch?  Was it a gift?  Is there a story behind it?

Courtesy of YoJoe.com

Eric Wind - My first watch was a G.I. Joe digital watch with a compass embedded in the green rubber strap. I loved it! My first mechanical watch was a Hamilton Neil my mom gave me in 2008 after my grandfather passed. It was a gift from my grandmother to my grandfather for their wedding in 1947 and my grandfather wore it daily his whole life. It opened up my passion for vintage watches!

HT - When you were a boy, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?

EW - I was also interested in politics and public service, so I was interested in running for office at some point in my life.


HT - You attended Georgetown as an undergraduate and then Oxford for an MBA - not necessarily a mainstream path! What did you study at Georgetown? And why Oxford for an MBA?

EW - I studied International Politics in Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and business in the MBA program at the University of Oxford. I was always interested in studying at Oxford and I thought I would benefit from learning more about business. I loved the idea of studying business with an international cohort of students and I liked that it was a one-year program so I could return to working after a year.


HT - What got you into the world of watches in the first place?

EW - My grandfather's Hamilton Neil was given to me around the time I stumbled on HODINKEE back in 2008. HODINKEE was initially almost exclusively about vintage watches and reading about all these iconic vintage watches, from the "James Bond" Submariner to the "Steve McQueen" Monaco made me extremely interested.

HT - You then found yourself in the world of watch auctions, how did that come about?

Courtesy of Eric Wind / Wind Vintage

EW - I made a name for myself writing for HODINKEE and was recruited to Christie's by John Reardon. I joined Christie's in 2015 as Vice President, Senior Specialist of Watches and it was a whirlwind after that!

Courtesy of the Harry Truman Presidential Library

HT - You are well known as one of the top authorities on the Vulcain Cricket. What is it about this somewhat peculiar watch that attracted you?

EW - A Vulcain Cricket was one of the first vintage watches I purchased and I still have that one! Crickets have woken me up countless times. I love the history of the development of the Cricket as well as the aesthetics. I also love their presidential history.


HT - What is your take on "re-editions" / "homage" pieces? (i.e. DOXA SUB re-editions, Vulcain Cricket re-editions, etc.)

EW - I prefer the originals as a general rule!

HT - Your reputation is for not only being extremely well informed on all things vintage, but being the one person out there who can (to paraphrase the G man in Raiders of the Lost Arc) "obtain the unobtainable".  What attracts you to vintage?

EW - I prefer vintage watches to modern watches for collecting because they are all unique in terms of how they look now, the patina that many develop, and the more handmade nature of these watches compared to their modern counterparts.


HT - When you're not researching and locating rare and amazing watches, what do you like to do for fun?

EW - I love to play with my kids, whether it is dressup with my girls Adelina and Gemma or golf, soccer or basketball with my son Charlie!

HT - Of all the watches that have come and gone in your personal collection, what is the one that "got away"?

EW - Fortunately, I don't have too many regrets about watches I should not have sold! And there is always another watch just a FedEx box away around here, so there is always something new to see each day.

HT - If you weren't doing this, what would you be doing?

EW - Hard to say - I can't imagine doing anything else at this point!


HT - What advice do you have for the next Eric Wind out there?

EW - Keep learning some new things each day!

The Oberlin Watch Company

Well, I guess the cat is now officially out of the bag.  

Over the past 6 months I have been trying to (quietly) work away on a personal project. What you see in the photo is the prototype / sample of the Oberlin Watch Company's first model - the OBIE1.

So in fairness, some background. As you know, I am a Northern Youth. Born in Zanesville, Ohio but raised in a small northern town - Oberlin.

Oberlin is noted for a college, a conservatory, some very open-minded and liberal thinking, being a station on the Underground Railroad, and in horological terms it is literally within walking distance of Kipton, where the Great Kipton Train Wreck took place -

https://postalmuseum.si.edu/node/2072

Oberlin is also a town founded with the same zeal and ideals as many towns in the midwest were, and if you've ever read Sinclair Lewis's Babbitt, you could probably picture what it might have been like. It is also rumored that Mark Twain wrote The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg as a response to a less-than friendly reception he received when visiting Oberlin: Twain had given a lecture in a church at Oberlin College in 1885, and it was unpopular with the academic audience. The Hadleyburg story may allude to this event. Scholar Russel B. Nye wrote that the story "was Twain's way of taking revenge on the small town" after being jeered at and rejected by the academic audience.^[5] Writes Nye, "the story is coexistent with the publication of Twain's tale of exposed hypocrisy, the townspeople remembering his visit and noting the parallel situations. There are some interesting and provocative parallels between Twain's Oberlin experiences and the Hadleyburg of fiction". The town of Oberlin had been founded as a religious and educational settlement in 1833, and is and was known as an educational and religious center. Nye says that Twain read three stories that were received coolly by most of his Oberlin audience: "King Solomon" (an excerpt from Huckleberry Finn, ch. 14); "The Tragic Tale of a Fishwife," an excerpt from A Tramp Abroad; and "A Trying Situation." The fishwife tale is from Appendix D in A Tramp Abroad, subtitled "The Awful German Language."

per Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_That_Corrupted_Hadleyburg

And lastly, it was common to name a watch company for the town that it called home - Waltham (MA) and Elgin (IN) being just two examples.  Wendy and I have been nomads most of our married life, but if I do have a hometown, it would be Oberlin.

Now for all of you watch fans out there -

The watch is of stainless steel and measures 40 mm in diameter.  The thickness is 9.3, lug to lug is 48 mm, and the lug width is 20 mm.  The movement is the Citizen 2035.  The straps were sourced by the good folks at Lic Straps in Belgium, and feature quick springs -

And in case you need a reminder of what place your watch represents -

The dial design and case back are courtesy of my friend Armand Billard, the mad savant behind Sartory Billard.

Watches should be fun, and should evoke some emotional response. And judging from some of the emails I received today, I think it's a big success already.

I am not a watch maker, and I am not a designer.  

So I thank Armand, as well as the folks at Swiss Watch Consultants (the same dream team that make the Swiss Watch Company watches - Rod, Stephen et al.) for their support and assistance in making this happen.

The first series of the OBIE1 retails for $97.97 plus whatever shipping.

If it's in your wheelhouse, drop me a line -

Oberlin Watch Company

The Chicago World Champions Edition

From Vortic -

Courtesy of Vortic Watch Company

Now, being from Cleveland, it is safe to say that the World Series was a tough one for some of us to swallow.  But, in fairness, the devoted fans of the Chicago Cubs have been waiting just a little bit longer than we have, and are very deserving of this years championship!

And it seems that feeling was shared by the folks at Vortic, who have put together a watch (along with a pretty nifty pen) to celebrate this wonderful accomplishment.

I have to say that I like the way that they have gone about this.  Tasteful, retro (not hipster, thank God), design elements have provided a watch and pen set full of emotion without any cheesy irony.  So all you tragic "heritage brand" hipsters out there - THIS IS HOW TO DO IT RIGHT!  I am quite impressed by the concept, the look and detail of the watch, and the sincere restraint.  Finally a watch brand has created a commemorative that is actually something you will want to wear (and write with) on an every day basis.

As I have not gotten to see this in person, I am going to rely on the info provided by the folks at Vortic -

Courtesy of Vortic Watch Company

It's been 108 years since the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, and a World Championship win deserves commemoration. Vortic Watch Company is in a prime position to build an unparalleled collaboration set for the watch/pen loving Cubs fan. 

In 1907 and 1908, the Elgin National Watch Company (located just outside Chicago) produced a number of beautiful pocket watches. These are also the years that the Chicago Cubs won their only other World Series', back to back.

Courtesy of Vortic Watch Company

Vortic has collaborated with Hooligan Pen Company to bring you the Chicago World Champions Edition Gift Set; a hand-crafted fountain pen made with wood from 1930's Wrigley Field seats paired with an American Artisan Series 2.0 watch powered by an original Elgin movement from 1907 or 1908 and a strap made from vintage baseball gloves.

The Gift Set Includes:

• A one of kind American Artisan Series watch
  • Built using an Elgin pocket watch movement originally made in either 1907 or 1908. • Available in two sizes, 16size (51mm) and 12size (46mm)
  • Includes personal design consolation with one of Vortic's founders
  • Multiple case colors, hardware options and strap choices available
  • Comes with hand made strap cut from a vintage baseball glove
  • One of only 10 limited edition pieces to be built
  
• A hand crafted, one of a kind fountain pen made using historical wood from original early 1900s Wrigley Field seats.
  • Made entirely by hand in California by master pen maker Tim Cullen • One of only 10 limited edition pieces to be built
  
• A handcrafted wooden display case with cork in-lay
  

• Custom engraving available for personalization

• A choice of American made ink for the historical writing instrument 
  
  
  Further details and ordering information can be found here -
  
  Chicago World Champions Edition
  

Summer Reading List!

Well, we are now unofficially into Summer, and with it my annual summer reading list suggestions.


First up this year is Watches I Have Known -

I personally have known several watch makers, and a good one is right up there with a tailor and dentist - you hold onto them for dear life!  But in all my time in and amongst the great (and not-so-great) in the industry, I have rarely encountered someone with the same enthusiasm and care for craft and customers that Mr. Marcus's words express.

To be fair, there are a lot of photo heavy coffee table books out there about watches - I'm personally working on one right now ; )  But when you really talk about passion, and commitment, and what makes a watch special?  There is really only one book for you to check out this summer -

Watches I Have Known.

The layout of the book is interesting, because it is essentially a series of anecdotes about customers and their watches.  Some of them brief, some quite nuanced and detailed - all of them thoughtful. And it very accurately underscores the delicate balance between customer and service provider.  We own a lot of things in our lives that will require service - homes, cars, etc.  but when it comes to watches that might be family heirlooms, they take one even more significance and can attach even greater anxiety to the service process.  

In a day and age where service has become one of the most impersonal aspects of the watch ownership experience, it is a revelation to read the care, thought and energy that Mr. Marcus put into his life's work.  This book was truly a labor of love, the stories from a lifetime at the bench, carefully recorded with the help of his daughter Julie Campisi.

Some of the most interesting stories are related to the "resolution of unsolvable problems".  As you can imagine, in a career that started well before the days of SWATCH and super groups, there were frequently times when the parts you needed just weren't available.  So this meant  not necessarily being able to simply order the needed part online.  It meant putting on your thinking cap, rolling up your sleeves and making the necessary part yourself.  These are the stories of a true watch maker, so do yourself a favor and pick up this book!

Watches I Have Known at Amazon

Wrist + Pocket = Wrocket!

So if you're anything like me, you have come across old pocket watches.  With luck, you might even have one or two in your collection.  But Richard Paige decided to take it a few steps further.

Dissatisfied with what was available at the $2,000 - $3,000 price point, and wanting to have something that wasn't dependent upon the whims of the SWATCH Group (ETA), he became determined to create something else.  Necessity met conservation! 

Courtesy of RPaige

In their own words -
The limited edition Rpaige Wrocket watch is a play on words. The watch uses an antique/vintage "12 size" (39.78mm) American pocket watch movement made by either Elgin of Illinois, or Waltham of Massachusetts.

Courtesy of RPaige

Essentially, Richard has sourced these movements, refurbished them, and encased them in new art deco inspired case. 

Courtesy of RPaige

These are limited editions, and available direct from RPaige.


Courtesy of RPaige

 And because I know you are interested are the specs:

Rpaige Wrocket Watch with white Dial and round hands

Courtesy of RPaige

Limited edition of 50 worldwide

Case:
Polished Stainless Steel Convex sapphire crystal front, diamond coated glass display back.

Dimensions:
44mm diameter, 14mm thick, 52 mm end to end

Movement:
15 or 17 jewel, Waltham or Elgin antique/vintage American pocket watch movement
Weight:
Steel case - 82.7 grams

Price: US $2,400




Rpaige Wrocket Watch with Black dial and round hands

Courtesy of RPaige

Limited edition of 199 in steel

Limited Edition of 99 in titanium

Case:
Polished Stainless Steel or titanium, Convex sapphire crystal front, diamond coated glass display back.

Dimensions:
44mm diameter, 14mm thick, 52 mm end to end
Movement:
15 or 17 jewel, Waltham or Elgin antique/vintage American pocket watch movement

Weight:
Steel case – 82.7 grams
Titanium case – 67.3 grams

Price:$2,400

www.rpaigewatch.com