My yr in watches started in a fog of Covid that led to the acquisition of a James Lamb Origin Sequence, an acquisition that set the tone for the remainder of the yr in each how my very own watch assortment would proceed to take form, and in how I approached my function at Worn & Wound. The theme of this yr, for me, has actually been brewing for the final a number of, however 2024 was once I actually started to hone in on the significance of unbiased watch manufacturers throughout your entire spectrum of the watch panorama, and independence in our pastime and in watch media.
After I bought the James Lamb, I made no official declarations or formal choices about shutting out massive model purchases for the rest of the yr, however in my head the thought had been taking form for a while. Conversations with colleagues and different watch lovers had led me to the conclusion that whereas massive luxurious manufacturers are definitely able to making very prime quality watches which might be fascinating and objectively “good,” they’d come to really feel a bit stale, virtually sterile, compared to watches just like the James Lamb, which appeared born out of a burst of creativity. It was additionally unimaginable to not discover the standard microbrand scene rising by leaps and bounds, with many manufacturers providing bits of actual craft and thrives of real watchmaking inspiration at a really approachable value level. Why, I puzzled, would anybody pay much more than I paid for my Origin Sequence for a watch created from the Swiss equal of a cookie cutter?
I couldn’t provide you with a cause, and this yr I noticed watches enter my assortment and move throughout my desk for evaluate and analysis that appear to show over and over that indies, to place it merely, are the place the motion is in the meanwhile. And I’ll most likely all the time bear in mind 2024 because the yr {that a} new accumulating philosophy of kinds started to take form. For the final a number of years I’ve been fond of claiming that my accumulating targets revolve across the thought of “fewer, higher” watches, however this was the primary time that I actually put some motion behind these phrases.
I bought off lots of watches this yr. Not fairly a group purge, however I made a decision to let go of issues that had been successfully impulse buys as soon as upon a time, or watches that had been simply not to my style. Sure, there have been some watches from massive luxurious group manufacturers that had been a part of the sell-off, however there have been additionally some watches that I appreciated for a fleeting second, and was just too weak to withstand in what I believed was the transient window I’d must make a buying determination. If there was a purge this yr, it was of watches that jogged my memory that I wasn’t resistant to the hype cycle and Instagram drops.
This de-cluttering of my assortment occurred with out an eye fixed towards something particular to switch the just lately vacated items, and allowed me to spend extra time carrying the watches I made a decision to hold on to, those I knew weren’t expendable. After I started including items again in, just like the Fears Brunswick “Aurora” or the Paulin Modul or the Christopher Ward Bel Canto, they weren’t simply oddball variations of watches I cherished, however they had been from manufacturers based, run, or staffed with those that I’ve come to know and like from being a part of this neighborhood. It could sound corny, however the satisfaction of possession, for me, with a watch just like the Bel Canto is made that rather more satisfying due to the nice experiences we’ve had with the Christopher Ward group in any respect the Windup occasions by means of the years.
I feel it’s value declaring right here that whereas I’m after all extraordinarily lucky to work within the watch business and type relationships with most of the nice individuals behind these manufacturers, my expertise shouldn’t be distinctive. At each Windup, I see common previous civilian watch lovers who don’t work within the business work together with model homeowners as if they’re previous associates, as a result of in lots of circumstances that’s precisely what they’re. And that’s one of many many issues that makes our neighborhood, and unbiased watch manufacturers specifically, particular. Do you suppose administration at Omega will bear in mind you for being first in line for the Speedmaster Pilot? I are likely to suppose they won’t.
I suppose this was additionally the yr, then, that the road I’ve repeated so usually about not having an actual emotional connection to the watches I personal may be thrown out the window. As a result of once I take a look at my watchbox on the finish of 2024, I see watches which have been made, bought, designed, or some mixture of every, by individuals who have change into associates. That’s significant to me in a means that “getting the decision” from an AD by no means has been or ever might be. These watches not solely replicate my very own style and persona in a hyper particular means (which I feel is a elementary cause why we gather within the first place) however they symbolize a small means that I can help the continued progress of the pastime, and the small unbiased house specifically. Is it old style patronage in the way in which Griffin described earlier this yr? I’m undecided I’d go that far or put myself in that class. I’d merely say it feels good to personal a watch that you understand the story of as a result of you understand the individuals behind it.
It’s unimaginable for me to consider my yr in watches with out getting somewhat reflective about my first full yr as Managing Editor at Worn & Wound. It’s been an thrilling yr, and I’m extremely happy with all the nice stuff we’ve made. It’s particularly rewarding, although, to work with so many gifted and enthusiastic writers. Our freelance crew represents, in my view, the deepest bench in watch media. It’s made up of seasoned skilled journalists who’ve been overlaying this house for years, new collectors adept at documenting their journeys as they uncover all this pastime has to supply in actual time, and every little thing in between. Most of all, although, I’m impressed with their curiosity and genuine curiosity in watches, one which I see mirrored in our readers, listeners, and viewers.
