Time "Presses" On!

Okay, in fairness, J. PRESS always had a lot of Ivy street cred. Way back when the dinosaurs still roamed the earth (1991) a young Henki arrived fresh from his undergraduate studies at the University of Oregon in Harvard Square where he worked at Kinko's with dreams of somehow getting into publishing while (poorly) managing the Kinko's Professor Publishing program at Harvard University. Unbeknownst to me and thousands of other "Kinkoids" around the lower 48, Kinko's Professor Publishing was about 3 months away from the terminal sort of body-blow that you just don't bounce back from. An academic publisher sued (and won) over fair use. Basic Books, Inc. v. Kinko's Graphics Corp. I saw the writing on the wall, slung my hook, and a little over a year later was living and working in Tokyo. The publishing world's loss was English Teaching's gain ; )

But for a brief, shining moment I roamed the campus trying to convince professors (and more often graduate teaching assistants) of the virtue of letting us photocopy their materials and sell them as bound compendiums to their students. This also led to a fair bit of free time which I dufifully spent around Harvard Square, starring into the store windows of the shops I could not begin to afford to shop in. The Andover Shop (which is still there), and J. PRESS.

Courtesy of J. PRESS and Bamford

So it was with a very large amount of curiosity that I opened my email today to find an announcement of (I believe) the first horological collaboration of what I am calling the "Jack Carlson" era of J. PRESS. 

Courtesy of J.PRESS and Bamford

And well, it's a bit special!

Courtesy of J. PRESS and Bamford

Here are the details, straight from the source -

Order Window: 3/12 - 3/26

Estimated Shipping Schedule: Bamford will begin making these watches once the order window closes on 3/26.  We expect to begin shipping orders from New York the second week of May.

A new way of thinking about a watch dial’s geometry: twelve pennant-shaped slices, emblazoned not with numerals, but with letters spelling out the name of each hour, formatted as they would be on a collegiate pennant. That is the concept behind the limited-edition J. Press x Bamford London B80 Watch.  These watches will be limited to one hundred units, and each will be numbered.

• Powered by Sellita SW300-1
• 25 jewels
• 28,000 vph frequency
• 56-hour power reserve
• Self-winding, Time only
• Hand-brushed, polished titanium case
• Matching titanium caseback
• Width: 39mm; Thickness: 10.5mm
• Sapphire crystal with anti-glare coating
• 100m (10 ATM) water resistance
• 20mm lug width; 48mm lug-to-lug length
• 5-year Warranty from date of purchase
• Presentation box crowned with detachable limited edition Bullion Wire J. Press Blazer Badge

George Bamford writes, "I have long loved and admired what (J. Press Creative Director and President) Jack Carlson has done and when he talked to me about this idea, I was blown away.  Producing something unique for them to embody this amazing brand is a privilege and working with him and diving into the archive of the brand is something that I feel very lucky to have been able to do. I feel excited doing this on one of our Bamford London watches especially with the Bamford 80 as I think it really does create the right canvas for this stunning dial."

# JWC8001SJ

When Nice Guys Finish First - The Transfer Window has Opened at JPress!

I am not, by nature, someone who believes in fate, timing, etc.,. 

But every now and again, something happens that makes me question this viewpoint.

Courtesy of JPress

News (very welcome news) reached the North Shore offices of Henki Time that the founder of Rowing Blazers, Jack Carlson, has been appointed as Creative Director and President of JPress. 

Just last night, I was scrolling through various  websites, lamenting the ever shrinking amount of Ivy/Trad options. I mean, I literally had set aside a bit of coin with the intention of treating myself to a new blazer to celebrate my "newish" job (more about that later). And needless to say, I came away disappointed. In the time since Mr. Carlson left the party, there has been (in all honesty) a lack of fresh ideas in this space (Ivy/Trad).

So it was with more than a bit of a double-take when I read the full release that Jack Carlson would be taking the helm of one of America (and Japan's) most revered labels - JPress!

Here's the news, straight from the source:

J. Press is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Jack Carlson as Creative Director and President. The 38-year-old American designer will debut his first collection for the brand on Thursday, the first day of New York Fashion Week. “I grew up with J. Press,” says Carlson. “I used to go to the shop in Harvard Square, and many of the first shirts, ties, and sport coats I bought for myself were J. Press. This feels like coming home. I studied the classics (literally). Much of what J. Press does is almost sacred to me: the button-downs, the blazers, the khakis, the Shaggy Dogs. J. Press also has a colorful, slightly irreverent streak that resonates with me too. I want to celebrate all of that. And I plan to bring a renewed focus on Made-in-America, as well as England, Scotland, Canada, and Japan. J. Press is one of the only menswear brands of its size still making most of its products in the United States, the old fashioned way, in places many other brands have abandoned.” Previously, Carlson founded the brand Rowing Blazers and served as its Creative Director until selling to Tory Burch co-owners Burch Creative Capital in 2024. He also led the revival of several heritage brands, including Warm & Wonderful, a knitwear label beloved by Diana, Princess of Wales. He has designed collections in partnership with Gucci, Barbour, Beams, FILA, Umbro, Noah, La Veste, Target, and more. Carlson has also designed watches in collaboration with Tag Heuer, Seiko, Zodiac, and Tudor; luggage with Globe-Trotter and LeSportsac; and footwear with Sperry and Hunter. Carlson’s designs have been worn by David Byrne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Timothée Chalamet, Keith Richards, Chloë Sevigny, Russell Westbrook, Pete Davidson, Venus Williams, Chris Briney, Ronny Chieng, Emily Ratajkowski, and Prince Albert of Monaco. His pieces have appeared in films and television shows, including Saturday Night Live, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Gossip Girl, and The Crown. Carlson has an undergraduate degree from Georgetown and a doctorate from Oxford. A three-time member of the U.S. national rowing team, he is a World Championships bronze medalist and has won both the Head of the Charles and Henley Royal Regatta.

Big congratulations to Mr. Carlson!

And JPress? Get ready for greatness!