Wisdom & Experience: Learning from the Experts
Thanks for coming back to this edition of #Watchcology!
Living vicariously through someone else is great, right? You don’t get to enjoy the wins they are having, but you don’t have to take the hits of defeat either. So maybe not an example of win-win, but if you don’t know what you’re doing and you’re a little (or a lot) risk-averse, then this is a space you may also spend a lot of time in.
I very much enjoyed each article that Thomas put out during his journey to start his own watch brand - Venustas Per Constantiam (VPC) Watches. “Building a Watch Brand” is a wonderful way to feel the experience that was starting this brand. From a concept to fruition and now hoping that all continues to go well. The series of 13 articles helps enlighten those who think, “Hey, I could start a watch brand.” I do think that would be fun to do one day… and playing with assembling a watch is helping with scratching the itch, as it were, but rather than a horror story, it’s really a way to help avoid certain pitfalls. However, there’s much that cannot be shared in a few pages of a blog post that leaves much to the imagination.
For instance, Thomas went from a hobbyist of sorts to getting a (I assume) sizable loan to help make his dream a reality. This takes a great deal of courage, and as he states, this also required a deep conversation with his family to ensure that if this doesn’t work out, there would likely be some real consequences to their financial position. One assumes that given his experience with Fratello, he has seen many things that worked as well as their antithesis and had some good advisors in the professional space that helped shape his destiny. To this point, it appears that sales are going well and everything is a go for VPC Watches! Congrats!
Listening to Tony Traina talking to John Ferrer, it sounds like the next step in that adventure is to have several ideas ready to go for the follow-up act or second watch. It’s very stressful listening to those who have had successful starts but risked it all to get there! I love it! Brew is another success story, and John has really done it all from start-up to success story. There’s no large team behind him, but good advice and some industry experience, along with some influence from his jeweler father, helped fuel his fire over the years.
Fun with Lasers:
So I really enjoy Thomas’ story and want to continue to document his success. I also want to write more about what I’d ultimately like to do, which is start a brand as well. I have no timeline and have a lot to learn, but I love the idea of growing my community around me then eventually doing this when the time is right. Someday.
I’ve really enjoyed meeting watchmakers and parts makers here in the US. They are essential if the US is ever going to be in the same conversation as the Swiss icons. I even joined the ranks of the British Watch and Clock Makers (read: I paid for a $50 membership), but I’ve been so impressed with their work and no one can denounce the British Watch Movement that is happening! It’s stunning and so important for the watch economy, in my opinion.
So I’m hopeful for the future here in the States, and I’ll be a participant in some fashion. Supporter at the very least! Before I’m ready to do anything real in this watchmaking side of things, I’m eager to learn more, and that’s going to include assembling a watch and making a dial. Not simple but also not a walk in the park. I’ll use lasers and 3D printers and have some fun doing it. I’ll document it as well, but it will be along the equivalent to making the 4th-grade paper mache volcano when compared to the likes of the professionals. I want to learn and do, and this will help check those boxes for me. More to come.
While I’m covering some important Fratello news from this week, I was listening to the latest Fratello Podcast - shout out to Nacho, the relaxing voice and host of the show!
Founder and frequent co-host of the podcast, Mr. RJ Broer laid some insights down for the listeners. The link to the article and podcast is here:
Learning from the wisdom of RJ
RJ is a very successful journalist in the watch world, and you should absolutely listen to what he has to say. His dry sense of humor and quick-witted responses on the podcast and his writing are always good and will absolutely keep you coming back for more. There’s a reason Fratello has been so successful in the watch media space, and he’s obviously the tip of the spear, as they say.
In the podcast this week, they focused on the excuses people make when not buying a watch. There are a few go-to statements that drove much of the conversation, and obviously, it wasn’t solely because a date window is at 4:30 or because the date color didn’t match the dial color, though for some, that becomes a deal-breaker.
The emphasis that struck me was on a couple of key points, well articulated on the podcast:
1. Aesthetics: The first thing you see really drives whether you’re going to take the next step into learning all about that timepiece and the analysis that comes next in determining what you like and if you’re going to have an interest in buying it. (See Watchcology: How to Choose!)
2. Price: Obviously plays a big role in whether you’re buying anything really. Prices on watches have become pretty extreme, but if people are paying, then the market will do what it will do. It wasn’t this obvious insight that makes me want to write this today, but rather the comments that RJ made regarding living within one’s means.
Yes, watch journalists get to handle the new APs and Pateks of the world, but it doesn’t mean they are buying or own all of these amazing pieces. He notes that part of their job is to help get the word out and that social media has led to an image that everyone who has an account also has these amazing timepieces, thus the FOMO sets in. I appreciated that sentiment in a way that struck a nerve in a good way, and I wanted to articulate my appreciation beyond what an Instagram reel would allow - though I appreciate the Fratello shout out I got in their stories! Cheers for that!
I harken back to the watch community and the fun that is had even without ownership. We have a great community with “haves and have-nots,” people who appreciate the wildest watches, and plenty of Captain Borings (thank you, Adrian Barker, for leading the charge!). It takes all sorts to build this community.
Yes, it’s a ton of money to have that new white dial Speedy, and those who have the opportunity to own one - Congratulations! I’ll applaud you along the way! But I have means to live within, and that’s great! We all have lives, and it can’t be (for most of us) that every free dollar we have goes to a $10K+ timepiece. (Maybe if I win the lottery?) But I still love looking at that Brew, Studio Underd0g, and Baltic, and thankfully, they aren’t breaking the bank…maybe on the grey market…but not in first-hand sales. I appreciate that very much, you three!
I also took note of comments about keyboard warriors and comments and how that plays into the watch conversations. I do make comments and try to remain positive because life is much more fun that way, and I think we get back what we put in. I also knew I needed to expand on my feelings about the conversation, and this is my way to help contribute to a conversation that no one invited me to be a part of. So if you’re reading this, I want to say thank you. I really appreciate you. Please reach out on my Instagram @adamrlincoln or shoot me an email at adamlincolntime@gmail.com. I’d love to connect and talk about your journey in watches and why you love this craft!
Cheers!
(Photos from watch brand websites and media sources mentioned in article)