Summer Repeat: She Loves America

I first ran this one in "the Blog fornerly known as Tempus Fugit" several years ago.  Sadly, it's as true today as it ever was. So for you, gentle reader, a cautionary tale about the perils of not developing local talent -

 

She Loves America… but America doesn't Love Her.

This was, albeit the short form, the sentiment that I heard from a blogger colleague of mine referring to the recently appointed replacement coming to "save" the North American subsidiary of "brand x".

I've written on this topic before, but with the inevitable annual "house cleaning" session that we are about to witness, it seemed like a pertinent topic again.  Please indulge me while I revisit the ongoing challenge faced by the watch industry in the US and Canada.  So basically, brand x is in Switzerland.  They have tried several different solutions, that like death can be broken down into specific stages:

1.  Go with a distributor for about 10 years.
Everything seemed to be going okay.  Sales were very, very strong.  But then they started to hear rumblings.  Their watches were showing up in many places that were not exactly "official retail partners" which is a polite way of saying "grey market".  How did that happen?  Simple, the distributor wrote very large orders to stores and store owners who in fact were doing massive amounts of trans-shipping.  In other words, although some of the watches were in the "front area", the majority of the watches were being sold out the back door before they even made it into the store's safe.  So a change had to be made.

2.  Hosanna!  We have the solution!  A young Swiss sales manager saddles-up and heads across the water to "take the situation in hand".  And like any great television sitcom, hilarity ensues!  Language and cultural miscommunication leads to acrimonious feelings between the "natives" and the "over lord".

Sounds pretty harsh?  Trust me, I've heard worse from both sides.  This situation is destined to fail for a number of reasons, but essentially what resonates is that:

To the parent company - The North American team sucks.  They are little children that clearly can't handle the job, and we have to "keep an eye" on them.

To the "home team" - Oh great, another "idiot son" sent to "train for the future" by running the North American subsidiary.  This genius can't even figure out where the toilet is!

Needless to say, things don't work out.  A year to three is about how long this usually runs.

3.  Okay,  let's hire someone to run our subsidiary.  And while everyone may love this person, they stand about the same chances as any new restaurant opening.  Because at this point, the feeling is that things better go right.  This person will usually be given about half the time to fix or establish the brand.    Very few people can do it, and those who can't?  Well don't worry, you'll see them working for a different brand inside of 6 months.

So what am I trying to say here?  PATIENCE needs to be the policy.  Your brand didn't go bad overnight, it was a slow, but steady process.  You will not be able to "fix" your brand overnight either.  Be realistic, and unless your Brand Manager gets caught with a dead body and a bath tub full of cocaine, give them a bit more time - good things, some times take time.

The Skies

From Split -

Courtesy of Split Watches

This is the newest addition to the Split chronograph family. This one's even a bit more special, as it is fully lumed!

Courtesy of Split Watches

This one is limited to 250 pieces, and like the rest of the Split collection, each watch sold generates one hour of therapy is donated to the Anna Freud Centre.

Here are the pertinents, in their own words -

At its core is a revolutionary bi-compax automatic chronograph movement from the Seiko family. The watch is made from Split’s signature Ceramod+ case and paired with a FKM strap, delivering exceptional comfort and durability. Its glow is achieved by infusing Japanese luminous powder directly into the materials during manufacturing—using our secret ratio. Case diameter: 42mm. Case thickness: 15mm. Strap width: 20mm. Limited Edition of 250 pieces.

Priced at $2,094 US.

Courtesy of Split Watches

Reheated Leftovers - I Could Do It Better Myself - The Sales/Brand Manager

This first came out several years ago, but still rings true ; )

I Could Do It Better Myself - The Sales/Brand Manager

5:30 AM - The alarm goes off, and tempting though it may be to hit the snooze, you pull yourself out of bed, jump on your Peleton and commit yourself to another 30 minutes of fitness.

6:50 AM - Showered, you make yourself presentable, grab a coffee and fire up your laptop for the weekly video conference with HQ.

8:15 AM - your daughter calls to remind you that as it is your weekend, she will be waiting for you outside of school following STEM club at 4:00 PM.  You make a note in your phone and set the alarm for 3:45 to remind yourself.

9:05 AM - safely settled at your desk, you scroll through the "Butcher's Bill" to try and figure out why you got blindsided a few hours ago when HQ informed you that:

1.  You need to close Retail Partner A.  No real detail given.

2.  You need to continue to extend credit to retail partner Z, even though they have not paid their invoices for the past 5 months, hit you with $26,333 of "co-op" advertising expenses, and requiring a "junket" for the owner, the owner's current (not his wife) girlfriend, their assistant manager and 2 of their "loyal" customers to visit the HQ, factory, and maybe, you know if there's time, ski a little...

While reviewing all of the internal and external communication, you happen to glance up at a map of Los Angeles and it all becomes clear.  Retail Partner Z is opening up a new "f - you" store literally across the hall from Retail Partner A, and demanding (literally) that your boss in Switzerland cut off Retail Partner A.  You then remember one of the pictures on the wall at HQ in New York with your boss, the girlfriend (not wife) of your boss, Retail Partner Z and half of the Los Angeles Lakers, courtside at the Staple's Center.

And of course, it just so happens that you are based in (or at least near) Los Angeles...

10:00 AM - Retail Partner A's store has opened.  You meet the owner and the two of you head out of the mall to a nearby restaurant so that you can speak in private.  Retail Partner A was the first store you ever opened an account for your first brand, some 20 years ago.  To his credit, Retail Partner A says he totally understands, he has seen this coming.  You personally really like Retail Partner A.  He and his wife have always sent your daughter both birthday and Christmas presents.  They insist on picking up the check even when they are your guests, they are old-school, shook Sinatra's hand type of retailers.  You excuse yourself for a few minutes, go out to the street and call your boss.  You explain that as a sign of good will, you need authorization to buy back the product.  Considering that most of it is still untouched (as it was just delivered 3 weeks ago), in the wrapping, you can simply walk it across the hallway to Retail Partner Z when they open.  Your boss is in agreement so long as 90% of the pieces are re-sellable.  You do the mental math (you looked at the safe count while you were speaking with Retailer A, and there are 13 pieces that have some wear, which tips it to 15% of the inventory.

You go back in, tell them exactly what your boss told you, but suggest that they take 6 of the slightly worn pieces that are the most likely to sell, and blow them out at 40% off, ensuring that the store can make 10% profit off of them, and be in compliance for the buy-back.

You suggest an early lunch (it is now 11:45) and once again, Retail Partner A grabs the check and will not let you pay.

12:50 PM - You walk Retail Partner A back to their store, and take a moment to make some calls before your next appointment - 175 feet across the mall's "hallway" to visit the soon to be opened 5th location of Retail Partner Z.

Retail Partner Z makes you wait a good 20 minutes in the construction area.  Once done, Retail Partner Z excuses himself, and Junior (second born son) takes over the meeting.  In a very short timeframe (less than a year) Junior has managed to piss off every brand rep he has come in contact with, and driven out more than half of the sales staff at their flagship store in Beverly Hills.  You have resigned yourself to simply nodding and smiling.  But Junior wants to flex his muscles and decides to get pissy with you anyway.  He demands to know why Retail Partner A still is carrying your brand.  You explain that they (Retail Partner Z) will have the exclusive rights the day that they open - which is still 45 days out.

2:00 PM - Junior says - "Hey, I'm hungry.  Buy me lunch and we can talk about our order".  So off you go to lunch #2.  Junior, although he drove to work, decides that a few bourbons would be a good idea on a hot Los Angeles afternoon.  You pay the check (a little over $200 with tip), and Junior says that next time you need to go somewhere nicer - "You guys need to stop being so cheap!".

You walk Junior back to his car, send your best regards to his dad, and hope like hell he does not get stopped by the cops.  3:00 PM is a bit early in the day, but he insisted.

You walk back through the mall to pick up the book your daughter asked you to order on Amazon, and as you're walking to the garage, you hear someone calling to you.  You turn to see your fried Julia, who is the district manager for Unobtainium, one of the hottest watch brands that is finally going into independent retail.  She has just finished meeting with Retail Partner A, and is happy with the outcome.  She thanks you for the referral, and comments on how much people must love them as flowers and two gourmet baskets arrived along with 2 bottles of champagne during her pitch.  You make plans to see each other at the Las Vegas shows in June, and hop in your car.  You make a mental note that you will not be able to submit the gift baskets and flowers on your expense account as they are not part of your approved expenses.

3:45 - The alarm on your iPhone goes off, just as you are rounding the corner to pick up your daughter.  Yes, you are early, but you savor the moment, listen to the last 10 minutes of your podcast, and think about the weekend. 

From Fidel, to Gina, to...

Wennenes auction house will be handling several items from the estate of Gina Lollobrigida on May 28 and 29. And one particular item caught my eye -

Courtesy of Wennenes

This is, as you can tell, not the infamous Rolex that Fidel Castro was frequently photographed wearing. No, this is a rather curious piece.

Per Wennenes -

SEIKO MEN'S TITANIUM WRIST WATCH FIDEL CASTRO WATCH

37x41 mm titanium case, 'to Gina with admiration' personalisation, 'Fidel Castro', LCD dial, quartz movement, titanium strap. 

So how did one of Italy's most famous film stars come to have a digital Seiko watch with a personalized engraving from "Miami's Most Wanted"?

A great article explaining their meeting and how the watch came to her wrist can be found courtesy of the Guardian -

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/12/gina-lollobrigida-fidel-castro-watch-auction

Long story short? When her acting days had come to an end, she embarked on a second act as a photojournalist. And it was in that capacity that they met (for a second time) when she was granted an exclusive interview. Apparently it went well, as Castro removed his watch and gave it to her. He later had it engraved.

Full Circle with the Seiko Presage SPB359

Round the world and home again, that's the sailor's way!

(Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, 1971)

Long before there was a job with Tourneau, a three-year stint with DOXA, the blog formerly known as Tempus Fugit, and now probably too many consulting projects with Swiss, Japanese and German brands to count, your's truly was a semi-freshly minted graduate from the University of Oregon with a BA in English (New World Literature as a focus). It is fair to say I had not figured out what to do with my life.  

Moving to Japan changed my life. I found a career, and I met the woman I would marry. And on a side note, nearly 31 years later, we are still together.

Japanese watches at that time were not really valued the way they are now by the Japanese public and or watch collecting community as a whole. In the early 90s, Japan was very brand conscious, and at least in the metro Tokyo area, Swiss brands were IT. 

I have returned to Japan twice since living there - both times in 2018. And it's funny returning to a place you called home 25 years later. You assume that the people who were there will still be there, frozen in time. The landscape of the city I lived in (Kasukabe), had changed completely. And I suspect that now after an additional 6 years, it's changed even more. But what is curious about memory, is it is often more visceral than anything else. Smells, sights, noises can trigger memories of people and events that you have filed away deep in your personal hard drive, remaining completely forgotten until the switch is flipped.

Seiko came out with the Presage "Laurel" in 2023. It was created in celebration of Seiko's 110th anniversary. It was limited to 2500 pieces. And when I first saw it, it triggered a flood of visceral memories. It brought me back to being 23 years old, trying to figure out how to navigate in a new environment, living in a "newish" city that was still deeply rooted in the past. Old, yet modern, and constantly evolving while never letting go of its history.

I have been tracking the Presage Laurel for the past year and a half. and hitting a personal milestone, the timing seemed right. I love the look and feel of the Laurel. I appreciate the fact that it is, indeed, different. And this, in turn, might be why it did not sell out as quickly as a limited series might typically do. But there are some retail outlets our there who still have them, so if it is in your wheelhouse, I would encourage you to run, don't walk to get one before they are gone.

For those of you in search of the vital statistics:

The case measures 37.5 mm in diameter and is of stainless steel. The movement is Calibre 6R27 which is an automatic movement with self-winding capability.

The functions are hours, minutes, and seconds with a date and power reserve complication. The power reserve is approximately 45 hours.

The dial is enamel - and it is beautiful.

A watch can be simply a way to measure time. But at least for me, the Seiko Presage Laurel is a time machine, taking me back to a place and time I continue to reflect on, uncovering misplaced memories that continue to inspire me.

Enjoy your watches.

Dear Breitling - Shop Your Closet!

There are a GAZILLION "Sleeping Beauty" brands out there. And seeing as Breitling just "whipped it out" to buy an (let's be honest) essentially dormant brand, let's take a moment and consider what US $69 million could have been directed towards given the presence of an  already existing red-headed step-child living somewhat ignominiously under Breitling's roof. I speak, gentle reader. of Kelek. 

Formerly located just around the corner from Eberhard in La Chaux-de-Fonds, it merged / was purchased by Breitling in 1997. Prior to this time there had been a few iterations, but the short-form is that Kelek focused on mechanical movements and had worked with Dubois-Dépraz. It is also worth noting that in the 90s, Kelek was one of the largest manufacturers of automatic, mechanical chronographs. It is also curious to note that Kelek developed a working relationship with one Seiko (Hattori at the time), thus perhaps foreshadowing the great Tag Heuer 1887 movement fiasco of 2009 ; )

In short? For the price of, well, ZERO, the brain trust in Grenchen could have directed time, effort and a much smaller amount of cash towards rebuilding and relaunching something that would only be on life-support for a short period of time, and out of the "recovery room" even faster. But is also, admittedly, not the stuff of nocturnal emissions (that's wet dream to you) from watch nerds swearing up and down that they would buy a Universal Geneve if it were ever revived. These folks are, by and large, the horological equivalent of the now infamous (and largely fictitious) 400 pound guy "hacking a political party" from his bed. Hypothetically they exist, but it begs the question as to why the supply of vintage Universal Geneve watches are not exactly thin on the ground. 

Okay, that's not fair. I am sure that there are some folks out there, but the majority of watch buyers with ready cash listening to Beyonce name drop AP and SPENDING said cash are not borderline or current AARP members with purchasing decision-making impulses driven by nostalgic erections.

Just saying.

So back to the earlier question - when you have a viable brand already in your house, why go out shopping for something that costs you a WHOLE LOT more money than you really need (or likely should want) to spend? A lot of it is sex appeal - be it real or (I suspect in this case) presumed. But a lot of it comes back to what that other great commentator on the watch business opined in Moneyball, fear of looking bad and an inability to objectively and rationally asses value (both perceived and real) -

“There was but one question he left unasked, and it vibrated between his lines: if gross miscalculations of a person's value could occur on a baseball field, before a live audience of thirty thousand, and a television audience of millions more, what did that say about the measurement of performance in other lines of work? If professional baseball players could be over- or under valued, who couldn't?”
― Michael Lewis, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

What is known is that Kelek would have likely made for a fantastic Oakland A. It was, and continues to be a potentially wildly successful brand if the owner / operator would spend one one-hundredth of the time, energy, and money that Mr. Kerns and Breitling are ready to hurl at UG. But then again, when you consider floating an idea like Kelek, you are flying in the face of the marketing logic of a brand that has been worshiping at the altar of stardom (and its reflective glow) for many years. So we'll let Moneyball summarize why activating Kelek would have made a HELL of a lot more sense than spending the kind of money that usually isn't exchanged without the aid of a getaway car.

“The inability to envision a certain kind of person doing a certain kind of thing because you've never seen someone who looks like him do it before is not just a vice. It's a luxury. What begins as a failure of the imagination ends as a market inefficiency: when you rule out an entire class of people from doing a job simply by their appearance, you are less likely to find the best person for the job.”
― Michael Lewis, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

And yes, it is a metaphor. The "certain kind of person" is a certain kind of brand - in this instance Kelek ; )

Just Under the Radar - the Seiya Automatic A167-C

For those in the know, who want the real-deal, down-home, can't get it unless you hop on a flight to Narita watch, the go-to source is Seiya Japan. Now obviously, you can get the "Japan Only" Seikos, Citizens and even The Citizen. But with that said, there is one particularly cool thing you can get that Seiya-San came up with on his own -

Courtesy of Seiya Japan

This will not be found on the site, unless you know the "secret handshake" - that is you go to the accessories page. There you will find two military style watches, one with a date, and this one. And this one is my personal fave.

Courtesy of Seiya Japan

The A167-C is of stainless steel, and measures a tasty 36 mm in diameter. The movement is automatic / self-winding from Miyota.

And best of all is the price - $358.00 USD

Rowing Blazers x Seiko 5 Sport Volume 3

With two of the new Rowing Blazers drop already sold out, this might be old news for many of you. But as someone with five (soon to be six or maybe even seven) Rowing Blazers blazers in my regular rotation, it's safe to say I am a fan. 

Courtesy of Rowing Blazers

Rather than go into a needless bit of hyperbole, I thought I'd let the watches do the talking. But with that said, I was feeling a bit reflective last night on the drive home and was listening to the pod cast I did with Rowing Blazer's founder Jack Carlson nearly four years ago. And it really made me smile, to think how far this brand has come in such a short span of time.  The podcast is here -

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/james-henderson3/episodes/Pod-Special---Dr--Jack-Carlson-of-Rowing-Blazers-e452lp

And the remainder of this latest drop  -

Courtesy of Rowing Blazers

Courtesy of Rowing Blazers

Based on a Seiko 5 Sport, it is available in four different color ways. The purple (above), pink, yellow, and white (all below).

Courtesy of Rowing Blazers

Courtesy of Rowing Blazers

Here are the pertinents -

40mm diameter. Caliber 4R36 with manual and automatic winding capabilities. 24 jewels. 21,600 vibrations per hour. Approximately 41 hours of power reserve. Luminous hands and markers. Stainless steel cases and bracelets. Bilingual day and date calendars (English and Japanese). Edition of 888 per design. Made in Japan.

Available for $495, direct from Rowing Blazers.

It's Been A Minute...

Ladies and gentleman, it is my sincere pleasure to introduce you the Henki Time - The Bulldog Edition

www.henkitime.com

As former regular readers will know, I handed the keys to Tempus Fugit to a new owner nearly a year ago. And while that may or may not have been the right decision for me, I respect the new owner/ owners efforts and wish them well.

With that said, I found that I was (more often than not) reading a lot of the same thing in virtually every outlet. And I had enough kind messages from both brands and readers that I thought it might be time to fly a new flag, and thus I welcome you to Henki Time - the Bulldog Edition.

What the hell is a bulldog edition?

For those of you unfamiliar, a bulldog edition harkens back to the old days of the newspaper business. A "bulldog edition" was an early (or even earliest) edition of the newspaper on a given morning. Large scale events would necessitate that newspaper publishers create whole entire editions to accommodate breaking news. Yes young people, there was a time before cable news and the internet...

So what are we covering? New releases, interviews, industry news. And we will be diving a bit beyond just watches, so we encourage you to check in from time to time.

So, don't call it a comeback ; )

I look forward to continuing the conversation!

Henki

North Shore, MA, USA

January 19, 2023 

Why I Bought It - My Opinion Is Fact: Rowing Blazers

A few Henki factoids:

1.  I lived in Japan for 3 plus years, and in that time bought several SWATCHES, and first automatic watch (a Rado Golden Horse at a Tachikawa pawn shop).

2. Nearly 25 years later I returned to Japan to do a story on Minase and ended up acquiring one of those.

3. Later that same year I returned YET AGAIN to Japan to do a G-SHOCK tour and came home with a pretty swell G-SHOCK MTG-B1000.

4. Since launching Tempus Fugit I have done pretty much everything short of stripping naked and sprinting through the hallways of Seiko North America screaming I LOVE SEIKO (a sight that would have been far less repugnant in my younger, thinner days when I resided in Kasukabe and Hachioji during the early 90s) and have YET to receive any type of response from their PR and marketing offices.

After 11 years of unsuccessful attempts to engage with the gatekeepers of Seiko North America's "fortress of solitude", I have accepted that unrequited love sometimes must, by necessity, remain so. But then I thought to myself - "Henki, you can still love a watch even if the brand does not return that affection." 

I was recently presented with the opportunity to purchase a brand new, in-the-plastic (and tin) Rowing Blazers x Seiko 5 Sports Artillery Zig Zag Watch. And needless to say, gentle reader, I jumped on it. 

This past weekend I was at the Watches, Whiskey and Wine show in Hagerstown, Maryland and was pretty amazed at the number of people who found their way to this big/small town near the Maryland-Pennsylvania border. Visitors came from as far away as North Dakota, Texas, Indiana, Ohio and New York City. That, in and of itself, amazed me. 

I may, in fact, be jaded. It is possible that I've been doing this too long and perhaps what I needed was a "reboot" of sorts. And this past weekend was that.

What was great was was meeting some of the younger folks who came to the show to cover it. There were some of the usual characters, but I met two or three that gave me real hope for the next group of "recorders of passion" coming up. There was no boasting, no false swagger. Honest, earnest and sincere guys and gals who just simply loved watches and liked writing, videoing and podcasting about them. 

So there is hope for the future ; )

But back to today's topic:

My opinion is fact - The Seiko RB Artillery Zig-Zag is the best Seiko 5 released in recent history. If I am honest, I cannot claim to be the end-all authority of anything. Where I might have said, "hey, just do the Zig-Zag, that's the essence of Rowing Blazers. Make that one first and see how it goes". But the group behind this Rowing Blazers/Seiko mash-up clearly had a different take, set the bar higher at a series of 3 watches, and sold them all in fairly short order. And that is why they are the toast of Seiko aficionados and cognoscenti around the world, and this is also why I am writing about it.

I am a Rowing Blazers fan. I do not necessarily love everything that they do, but I can say that there is something for nearly everyone. Rowing Blazers has sold me 4 blazers, 2 rugby shirts, one sweater and counting! And for me, of the three Seikos they released, this was my runaway favorite.

I suspect I will probably mount the croquet stripe strap (which is the shit that killed Elvis) and save the bracelet for later.

So coming from a somewhat jaded and crusty fellow who enjoyed a reboot and reminder about what is great about this slightly sick passion that we all enjoy, to loosely quote that other great commentator on the watch business, Barry Hearn - Remember why you got involved in the first place.

Enjoy your watches!

In Case You Missed It...

So I realize that the majority of folks in Watch Town, and those who are "Watch Town Adjacent" live with the unflinching conviction that the sun rises and sets at Hodinkee. So it would be understandable for those who were privy to the launch of the Rowing Blazers / Seiko mash up drop yesterday and didn't act fast might have missed out on a pretty cool sport watch that has already sold through the Rowing Blazers online store -

Courtesy of Rowing Blazers

Regular readers may remember Rowing Blazers from such disparate and non-watch related stories as -
http://www.tempusfugit.watch/2018/01/beyond-jacket-rowing-blazers-and-their.html

and
http://www.tempusfugit.watch/2018/06/rowing-blazers-pop-up.html

and
http://www.tempusfugit.watch/2019/08/the-official-tempus-fugit-blazer.html

and
http://www.tempusfugit.watch/2020/12/dear-santa.html

and
http://www.tempusfugit.watch/2017/06/blazers.html

and
http://www.tempusfugit.watch/2017/12/show-your-colors.html

and
http://www.tempusfugit.watch/2020/06/the-shit-that-killed-elvis-rowing.html

and
http://www.tempusfugit.watch/2020/09/what-to-wear-on-your-journey-or-look.html

Long story short, if like me you are a fan of Rowing Blazers efforts and you are not a habitué of certain media outlets, you might have missed out as the three versions sold out very quickly.

Well, your pal Henki has some good news for you. As a member of the press (someone who not only did a brief stint at J-school but remembers the importance of research as opposed to waiting on the press release that might never come), I thought I would do something wild and crazy and dig beyond what never showed up in my in-box. Lo and behold (Seiko) sports fans! If you went to bed last night feeling as if you got the fuzzy end of the lollipop, you can still (as of this writing at 6:00 AM Eastern on Friday, June 18) pick up a Rowing Blazers x Seiko sport watch -

Courtesy of Rowing Blazers

Because at the Seiko site, they are still available -

Courtesy of Seiko

So if you missed out on the drop, here's hoping that our attempts at egalitarian, FREEMIUM coverage will help you cop one of these pretty drip divers for yourself, even if you don't claim membership in the cult of the big H.

A very, very happy Juneteenth to all of you, and enjoy your watches!

Something Unexpected from Japan

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, please allow me to introduce you to -

Courtesy of Outline Watches Tokyo

Outline Watches Tokyo

Having lived in Japan for nearly 3 years, I am always curious about the things bubbling under the surface that only the locals know about. There are certain products, certain brands that remain unknown outside of the country. And beyond that, there are certain things that are only known by true insiders - a club within a club if you will. 

Courtesy of Outline Watches Tokyo

Outline Watches Tokyo is the baby of Japanese watch media veteran Yoshimasa Kikuchi. With some wonderfully whimsical products, he offers something that can't be found just anywhere. I will be sharing all of his offerings in subsequent posts, but for today we are sharing the Partner 1 -

Courtesy of Outline Watches Tokyo

This piece was a collaboration with "partner", noted actor Houka Kinoshita -

Courtesy of Outline Watches Tokyo

The watch is a diver that is (in fairness) inspired by divers of the past. But why I dig this is that it is a modern watch, it is affordable, and it is not trying to pretend to be anything that it isn't. And lastly? You aren't going to see it everywhere you turn.

Courtesy of Outline Watches Tokyo

It has some wonderful details that make this so much more than most of the watches you'll find at this price point.

Courtesy of Outline Watches Tokyo

Of the two versions, the date model still has some availability. It is priced at 66,000 Yen, which equates to $604.43 as of this mornings XE currency conversion rate.

Here are the pertinents -

Model number: 

Ref.YK20201-1 (dot type)

Material : 

Stainless steel
Size: 

Case diameter 40 mm, case thickness 15.75 mm
Water Resistance: 

10 atmospheric pressure water resistant (everyday life water resistance) 

Movement: 

Automatic (manufactured by Seiko Epson Cal.YN55A / 22 jewel / hourly 21,600 vibration (day difference -25 seconds +35 seconds) / maximum winding during about 40 hours power reserve) 

Suggested retail price: 

66,000 yen each 

(assembly: Japan)
Warranty period: 

1 year

The Seiko Beatmaker - Customize a Seiko 5 Sports

Okay, now before you get too excited - NO.  No, this does not enable you to customize and order your own version of a Seiko 5 Sports.  It does, however, get you to mix and match bezels, dials, hands and case finishes.

The top vote getter/getters might get made, so vote for Early Christmas!

Courtesy of Seiko - and Henki!

https://seiko5sportsbeatmaker.com/en/?id=IS2dPd

Seven Days (and More) with the Paulin Neo B

When you're on the B (or even C) list, you frequently don't get the press release, and brands are not always falling over themselves to send you a loaner watch for review. But every now and then, you will see something that catches your eye, and you decide to go for it. This is one of those times ; )

Last month a reader had forwarded me a link to the Paulin website. I suspect, in hindsight, that he/she might have read the release info on Quill & Pad (which I read a week or so later). That evening I mapped out which model I liked - which would be the Neo B (the yellow option) and opted for the cordovan strap (which you see above).

So from here on out, please keep in mind that this review is that of a cash paying consumer, not of someone who was sent a loaner sample. On the purchase side, I will say that when I finally did communicate with someone via the Facebook page's messenger function, they were polite, friendly and helpful. I received my order confirmation on October 21 (a very warm and fuzzy message thanking me for my order, and informing me that I would be getting a notification when my watch shipped). So I marked November 1 on my calendar (the day shipping was scheduled to start), and then... I waited for November 1, not unlike I used to wait for the first kick of the football season. November 4 came, and I reached out again via Messenger and got an update that yes, shipping had started, and my watch should be shipping soon. So, a wee bit vague, but fair enough. And then this past Monday, the 9th, I received an automated email from UPS that my watch had shipped. And true to their (UPS's) word, it arrived this afternoon. Now in truth I am of two minds on the communication from Paulin. On the one hand, they are a small family business and although communication was not as standard or timely as I would normally expect, all of the messages were warm and friendly.

My Neo B arrived on time as promised.  One suggestion that I would make to Paulin is to require a signature for delivery. Luckily, I was working from home (in-service day for those of us in education in the US), and was able to pull it off the porch right away. 

I love the packaging on every count.  Paulin has a nifty custom wrapping paper surrounding the box, and I'll level with you gentle reader, it's the little things that make a difference. 

Some more of the groovy wrapping paper!  

And then a wonderfully simple, recyclable bit of packaging -

And finally, the grand reveal -

I have to be honest, I was almost a wee bit sad that there weren't any more little touches to remove. In terms of the Paulin packaging it is definitely from the Goldilocks school of design - not too much, not too little, but beguilingly just right!

And now for the watch itself -

The watch itself is very well finished.  The dial is bright and shiny and it is truly a pleasure to wear. One small initial suggestion would to use a slightly more tactile crown. It is not the easiest to "get under" to set the watch. Not a deal breaker by any extent, just a little fiddly.

It's only been a few hours, but it is on my wrist and ticking away smoothly. 

And I LOVE IT!

That's it for the initial feedback, Friday/Saturday I'll provide some more in-depth feedback.

Stay tuned!

Something To Look Forward To

Like probably every single person out there suffering from insomnia and therefore reading Tempus Fugit, I am tired.  Like you, I am tired of COVID and the startling way it has somehow become a political issue. Let's hope we all live through it. 

I was thinking about something that I said at the second annual (and final) gathering of the "Watch Expert's Network" at BaselWorld (the less said about that ill-fated effort, the better), where I asked the absolutely crazy question - "Do any of you actually remember why you got involved in writing about watches in the first place?"  Well, imagine a vacuum sucking all of the air out of the room at a startling rate.  More than a few feathers were ruffled, but Robert-Jan Broer, to his credit, understood that I wasn't trying to pick a fight with anyone, but I was a wee bit exasperated by the waste of an hour and a half listening to a lot of hot air during Sunday (the busiest day at BaselWorld back then).  But to Robert-Jan's credit, he understood what I was driving at - "What was the trigger."  In other words, what drove us all to be interested in something like watches in the first place?

Well, I remember my first SWATCH, the Calypso Diver. I could go into all sorts of crazy details, recount the story, but essentially I hopped into my 1978 Toyota Corona and drove to Midway Mall.  There in the May Company's jewelry case they had the Calypso Diver and the Yamaha Racer. It was back and forth between the two of them, but in the end I opted for the Calypso Diver.

Anyway, that is a long way of saying that I actually really miss those particular SWATCHs. Last week a reader forwarded me this website -

Paulin Watches

And once there, gentle reader, my eye fell on this time machine -

Courtesy of Paulin Watches

So I selected he black cordovan strap and solid case back option -

Courtesy of Paulin Watches

And I ordered!

As a side note, I do not think that they engrave case backs, but I will do that when it arrives.  I will keep you posted ; )

I am not one for hyperbole - I have not held one, worn one or spoken to anyone who has owned a Paulin Watches watch. But some things you gotta take on faith, and I am ready to place mine here.

For those of you who are curious, here are the pertinents -

Movement: 

Seiko NH35A (Automatic)

Lens: 

Hesalite box section PVC

Water resistance: 

5ATM

Case: 

316L stainless steel

Case diameter: 

38mm

Case thickness: 

11.6mm

Strap width: 

18mm

Warranty: 

24 months

Wilbur Watches

This is something completely new from the brain of Jason Wilbur -

Courtesy of Wilbur 

This will be available shortly, but owing to COVID-19, things are a wee bit delayed in terms of delivery, but nothing too bad ; )

A more in-depth discussion with Mr. Wilbur himself is in the near future.

Here are the pertinents courtesy of Wilbur -

Modular-Frame Case44m X 46mm X 16mm
9-Part Full Modular Design 
CNC Machined
Hand Finished 316 Steel
100M Water Resistance
Front & Rear Sapphire Crystal
Anti Reflective Coating
Exhibition Back
Patent-Pending “Suspended” Dial & Movement Structure
DLC Coatings (on spec’d models)
‍
Movement & Dial
‍3D Hand-finished Dial. Suspended Outer Dial-in glass. Time and Date Function. Custom movement “Launch” Rotor. Luminescent Hands and Hour Indices. Custom Japan Seiko Movement – 24 Jewels.
‍
Straps 
‍Silicone Bolt-on Strap. Ballistic Nylon with contrast stitching. Bolt-on 316 Steel Clasp with DLC Coating (On spec’d models)

Where Evangelism Meets Retail - A Few Minutes with Jeff Hess

Believe it or not, all is not doom and gloom in "Watchville".

Courtesy of Jeffrey Hess

I started out late last year (yes, a week or so ago) wanting to do a story about Jeff Hess and what he has built not only with Old Northeast Jewelers but with three of the brands he has championed as a distributor in North America.  My reasoning behind this was that Jeff has frequently decided to adjust his sails in what might be considered a contrary manner to some.  He is not a "churn and burn" type of guy.  He has two PHYSICAL stores, he goes to BaselWorld every year, and if there is an equivalent in the watch business to that phrase in Ocean's 13 - "He shook Sinatra's hand", he would definitely be one of those people.

Jeff and I go back a wee bit, longer than some, and not nearly as long as others, and one of the things I truly appreciate about him is his refusal to simply take things at face value, and his willingness to consider alternative points of view.  Curious to relate, the more we got to talking about his experiences in the watch business, the more and more I got drawn into a deeper discussion about Grand Seiko.  So, gentle reader, a few minutes with Jeff Hess -

Tempus Fugit:

So what got you into the watch business in the first place?

Jeff Hess:
In a word - Vintage. I started collecting watches as a high-schooler, I even went so far as to enroll in watchmaking school. But I found out that I liked buying and selling vintage watches much more than I did watchmaking. One thing led to another... and here we are.

TF:

You've seen a lot of changes in the business, particularly in the retail sector - what has been the most positive?

JH:

In the long term it is the realization from the brands and the manufacturers, that the USA is completely different animal in the world of marketing than every other world market. There is a new awakening on this issue especially with brands like Breitling who, in my opinion, "get it" and proceed accordingly. Mr. Kern has it figured out. On a more immediate level it is the idea that smart watches have actually saved the Luxury business. Our business has thrived on Boomers and Gen X-ers. But now we see successful Millennials in their mid to late 30's graduating to luxury in huge numbers. From wearing nothing on their wrist, to smart watches and then maturing to luxury watches. We''ve even noticed Generation Z's are now having an interest.  I also want to give a nod to smaller brands and micro-brands who are leading the 21st century renaissance in collector/ design interest.

TF:

And the most negative?

JH:

It would likely be the age-old practice of "over production" from the big manufacturers. Overproduction is not new. It has been going on since the 1880's when Waltham "dumped their dogs" on the English market in Birmingham when too much stuff piled up. The big manufactures have not figured out a way of dealing with this. It puts great stress on retailers, distributors and on the manufacturers bottom lines. And it sends a confusing message to the end-user/buyers.

TF:

In our conversations leading up to this interview, it became more and more apparent that Grand Seiko holds a special spot in your heart not only as a retail partner, but as a watch enthusiast.  At times I thought I'd accidentally walked into a revival meeting, you are quite the evangelist!  What is it about Grand Seiko that attracts you as an enthusiast?

JH:
Great question! I am a watch guy. Perhaps a ten percent fashion guy, but absolutely a 90% watch guy. As mentioned, I got my start in vintage back in the 80's when acquiring that proverbial old "box of watches" from an estate. It seemed the only ones that ran upon picking them up after years of neglect and abuse would be the Rolexes, The Seiko's and the Breitlings. Shake them and they ran, no matter how weather beaten. 

Courtesy of Jeff Hess

When one of the watch magazine publishers brought Grand Seiko to my store in 2010 (yes we were one of the first three retail stores to take on the brand in the US) asking us to carry an 8000 dollar Seiko, well... let's just say I got a little push back from my wife, my staff and just about everyone else. "An 8000 dollar Seiko? Absurd!" was probably the most often heard type of comment. But I brought my wife around and we brought Grand Seiko in. It was not easy but the design and the quality was over-the- top insane. As a vintage guy I remembered the lion medallion series and the old Diashock Chronometers. And honestly?  While I knew that converting our Swiss and German watch aficionado clientele would not be easy, I knew it was doable. I am an equal opportunity watch guy. The Swiss in many ways "own" this space. But I felt there was ample room for the Germans and the Japanese in the luxury space as well. 

Courtesy of Old Northeast Jewelers

Our little store was visited by the head of Seiko Japan in 2012 and he promised great things to come. And we stuck with it. I was surprised at the push back from some of the bigger Swiss brands I carried. Some of them were insistent that I not put Grand Seiko in my larger store. But I eased them in anyway. Needless to say, it has been a terrific partnership. The Japanese have a decidedly different way of dealing with authorized retailers. It is a cool brand with a cool factor that has an "outsider" appeal to collectors. And Grand Seiko collectors are truly "rabid". Akin to Patek and Rolex collectors but in many instances a younger demographic. Once and still small and streamlined, now also bold and beautiful. (Some at 44mm! )But all the Grand Seiko styles are held together by one constant - accuracy.

TF:

Retail, as we both know, is a different proposition than many watch fans think it is.  You have to seek out the new and exciting, but you have to balance that with the reality of customer appeal, reliability of the brand to deliver in a timely manner, and the overall dependability of the watch itself.  How does Grand Seiko compare to the other brands in their price category?

JH:
As I mentioned, the demographic is a bit different with Grand Seiko. 

Courtesy of Old Northeast

It seems to occupy a comfortable space between the handsome rugged flyer/adventurist/ Breitling owner and the ever-gentlemanly Patek owner. The old "watch cliche" of "looks as good with jeans and a t-shirt as it does with at a black tie event" is apropos. One might argue that the Godzilla model might not work with suit. 

Courtesy of Old Northeast

But I'd do it! In short, maybe not as rugged as a Breilting, but as attractive as a Blancpain.

TF:

You are one of the most well-known and sought-after retailers in the US.  You have the ability to pick and choose what you want to carry.  What was it about Grand Seiko that caught your eye?

JH:

It's a simple answer with several components - It's different, its accuracy is beyond reproach, and the design is unique.  And probably, most importantly is its history. 

Courtesy of Old Northeast

Just about every brand we carry has a story. From Carl F Bucherer's early coziness with Rolex, to the fine enamel and robust military watches that Ulysse Nardin for the US Army Corps of Engineers, Heuer's patented oscillating pinion and Hamiton's American heritage... all of my store's brands have "historical aspects"that appeal to me.