My 1st memory of an interest in watches is from middle school. I had a collection of Swatch watches, but the only 2 I can remember clearly were the original version of the “Clearly Gent” and a fashion watch with a mirror dial with no markings, black baton hands, straight lugs, and a white leather strap. I vividly remember friends asking me how I told time on it and having no problem.
The next watch I remember was the first that felt like a “nice” watch to me was a quartz Luminox, that I purchased with gift cards, I redeemed American Express points. The watch was heavy, all-black, had tritium lume, it was a Luminox. I enjoyed wearing it for a couple of years, but stopped when my wife and kids complained that it hurt them. I’d love to have that watch now, but I don’t know where it went.
The “watch” that sparked my current interest was a Garmin Venu3 that I wore as a step tracker. After a few months I decided I wanted to wear a “real” watch again and… now we are here.
Watch Notes…
Disclaimer
My wife claims that I have had many mid-life crisis that have led to numerous hobbies… motorcycles, Jeeps, Miatas, Firearms; but the reality is, I like learning about things, discovering how they work, sometimes making them better, and developing a connection with the people that enjoy the same hobby.
I have gone deep learning about topics in the past and found that writing about them helps me develop my thoughts. As I am starting this in November 2025… I know virtually nothing about watches; more than I knew in October for sure, but still very little. I am sure in the coming months as I begin to learn more, I will realize that I know less now than I think.

Now for the disclaimers…
- Please assume that everything you read her was written by a monkey with a typewriter.
- Consider these pages my notes as I learn.
The Perfect… Mistake
I bought my Longines HydroConquest 41, from the perspective on someone that never had a watch collection. I knew that the 1st cornerstone piece in my new collection would be a Rolex Explorer. I knew there would be times that I wouldn’t want to wear that watch out, because of the attention it might attract. […]
Watch Styles
When we describe a watch we often try to categorize it into a specific type… which make complete sense if you don’t think about it. A watch measures time. Interesting watches are beautiful, intricate and have great craftsmanship. Watches can also have features or complications that make them more helpful to the wearer, or limitations […]
Watch Industry Overview
One of the first things I noticed about the watch industry is how many brands there where, which makes since as initially each watch maker was his own company, but today many of the companies are owned by larger groups. What is below is my attempt to describe the consolidation and mapping the most important/iconic […]
Topics to Consider
- Industry
- Ownership Groups
- Brand Deep Dives
- Brand Rankings
- Geography
- Historical Affects
- Certifications
- Famous Firsts
- Glossary
- Watch Types
- Chronograph
- Dress
- Diver
- Field
- Flieger
- Watch Characteristics
- Case
- Shape
- Size
- Material
- Lugs
- Crystal
- Material
- Crown
- Crown Guards
- Case Back
- Water Resistance
- Face
- Dial
- Color
- Design
- Markings
- Painted
- Applied
- Lume
- Types
- Dial
- Bands / Straps
- Material
- Construction
- Buckles
- Complications
- GMT
- Calendar
- World Timer
- Moon Phase
- Tourbillon
- Jump Hour
- Case
- Movement Characteristics
- Accuracy
- Power
- Quartz
- Automatic
- Manual
- Spring Drive
- Hertz
- Power Reserve
- Jewels
- Best…
- Of Type X
- Of Price X
- Watch Influencers

“The significance of the passage of time, right? The significance of the passage of time. When you think about it, there is a great significance, passage of time.”
— Kamala Harris