In this episode we explore watch collecting and it’s significance. What is the value of time, which is our most precious resource that we can never get back. How do we measure our self worth ? Times reveals all ! So tune in !
In this episode we explore watch collecting and it’s significance. What is the value of time, which is our most precious resource that we can never get back. How do we measure our self worth ? Times reveals all ! So tune in !
Hey, brian, how's it going tonight? It's going on, man. How are you? I'm doing great, dude. I just want to say thank you so much for being a part of the podcast and I'm looking forward to talking about tonight's subject, which is what is your time worth just because we both like watches, and I just want to hear your story and you can hear my story, and we just share with each other about our watch journeys.
Speaker 2:First, question how do you say your first name?
Speaker 1:My first name is a meat. Okay. It's intimidating because you see the A-N-N, then there's the H and the W-E's, and there's a T and then there's an E, but the H is silent.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I didn't know how many people have actually asked you that question. I figured with this podcast, you know it would be something that listeners would maybe want to hear.
Speaker 1:Yeah, most people just refer to me as Oakley. Still, I think it's just a. It's weird because I think Oakley's always been my identity. When I came to America so when I played soccer, my coach was like, ah, oakley. And then everyone just started calling me Oakley and very few people, even if they've known me for a very long time, they ever call me by my first name. My wife doesn't call me by my first name. What do you prefer? I don't have a preference. I think, based on what people call me, it allows me to know where they know me from. You know, like the person that says, hey, anit, I'm like okay, I went to school with this person.
Speaker 2:Hey, you know, is there anybody who tries to bridge that gap from knowing you now and not knowing you then, but still like finding like a good understanding of calling you Anit? You know, and I mean I'm not saying that's an important thing, but you know, as far as getting to know you and understanding the value of that relationship, I would think that if someone did try to bridge that, I think it would be a different perspective for you. I don't think that comes across a lot.
Speaker 1:I may be wrong, yes and no. I think it does not come across a lot. It does come, though, but it's always few and far between, because whenever someone calls me Anit, it's always especially in an environment where I'm not familiar with a lot of people it completely throws me like off guard, like anywhere, like I stop and have to process. So even I think a week ago, I was at the grocery store and someone was like hey Anit, and I started looking around like I didn't recognize the voice or anything and I had, like my name tag on and it was just another, you know, one of the workers there to sing like hey Anit, you know, and I just thought that was very weird.
Speaker 2:I almost kind of want to call you Anit King because you have a Mandalorian shirt on, but it's actually that Mandalorian.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:What are you saying? The association Star Wars?
Speaker 1:But the watch is also. It is.
Speaker 2:I was going to get there, but you just got to get into it kind of subtly. First question well, that's actually second question now. What are you listening to on the way here?
Speaker 1:I actually wasn't listening to anything on my way here. Normally I am listening to things. If I'm going somewhere with a purpose, I try to let that be the thing that I kind of meditate on.
Speaker 2:That mean when you're going to work you listen to vegetables.
Speaker 1:I do. I do Because I produce a lot. I was going to go veggie tails with that. That's actually pretty cool. I'm just saying, you know it's weird. It's like you know how when you're around someone and you want to give them your all again and I could either be on my phone texting you while we're hanging out, like mentally, I want to give you my all too. So I never want outside influences to come, even though you know it's just music or I'm not listening to anything bad or anything, but just the. I want to be in that zone, present, yeah, just present. That's something that I think is missing in a lot of relationships, like friendships especially. It's like I can't hang out with someone and we're both here, but we're not here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there are other things going on in life. It's kind of hard. I think it's also hard if you don't associate with that person with kind of the same entity that they are meaning a dad, a husband, kids. Life it's kind of hard. I mean you can have friends that are outside of that I mean we all do but to have real relationship you have much more common with someone who's going through the same thing as you are. It's just kind of how life is sometimes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I understand that. For example, we're both here, we're both married and we both have children, but our significant others know what we're doing, so it's different versus I'm just on Instagram right now. We know that life happens still so there's this mutual understanding, but the Facebook thing can wait if we're having a conversation.
Speaker 2:That's why I don't really like social media at all. No offense to the podcast, but podcast to me is different than social media.
Speaker 1:You know, interestingly enough, for the first time today I've actually posted about the podcast on social media. I've never done that before, really I've never. Yeah, I've never occurred to me. So all the streams are what? Now that I've gotten is just because people just wanted to listen, just randomly find it right, yep, I prefer it that way.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, if you want to build popularity, it depends on why you want to build it right, and if the idea behind what you're doing is just to enjoy it, it's a lot different than trying to meet the schematics of the algorithm, of whether the podcast or YouTube or Facebook has to make yourself popular.
Speaker 1:So I've always been of the thought that if you build something, you're the one that build it. No one can take it away from you. So if Facebook builds me up or Instagram or TikTok builds me up, that can be taken away, but the true diehard people that tune in like they're there. For that reason they invested their time. It wasn't social media or popularity that brought them, you know. And also, if I say something now that ten years front down the line decides to become controversial, guess what? I can't be cancelled.
Speaker 2:I'm also going to point out that I think it was unintentional, but you referenced a movie which would be Field of Dreams. But if you build it, they will come. So I believe it was like 1989. Kevin Costner, yes, and James Earl Jones. Yep. I'll also mention those kind of things as we go along, just because that's just who I am and I just think that it's pretty neat. So time you know what is it. So my third question, which actually is like my second one down, is why wear a watch?
Speaker 1:Why wear a watch?
Speaker 2:Yeah, why Do you really want to know the answer to that question. Of course I do. That's why I wrote it. I wrote it down. It's on my phone. So therefore it says I wrote it down. It has to be truth.
Speaker 1:The reason why I wear a watch, it's because it represents me being alive. Okay. That is why I wear a watch, and it represents purpose. Okay. And a lot of things got me to the point of staying in my purpose. Okay.
Speaker 1:You know the lessons in life. For example, I've always watches were always gifts, you know, as when I was younger and I always loved all the watches that I got as gifts. Then, you know, maybe you get a watch on a birthday or something which is birthday or Christmas. Well, it's Christmas, right. But then maybe your parents saw you working on something hard and they knew you accomplished that thing. You weren't doing it for a reward, it just came out of the blue. Your parents are just acknowledging oh my goodness, you really worked hard on this. Here you go, and when I was younger I just had a lot of those things that would work out that way, that I would be doing things, and then people just knew that I liked watches, so that would be the gift that I was given. And that's how my love for watches really started, because I just looked one day and I was like, oh my goodness, I have all these watches. You know, it just worked out that way.
Speaker 2:That's a pretty good reason, then, definitely, and that's what I think every podcast does if you wear a watch, do a watch check.
Speaker 1:What you got on today. Today I have an Invicta Limited Edition Mandalorian watch. This was a gift from my best friend, phil, that was on the is Yoda the good guy or the bad guy, you know? Episode of the podcast. So one of the things that we do with each other is that we gift each other watches just constantly. Okay, this is the star thing that we do.
Speaker 2:Excellent.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Well then, I'll mention mine. Mine is a Seiko SKX007 original, not modded, from 2017. They don't make this watch anymore. It has the original movement, which is the 7S26 or 7S62, and great watch, wonderful loom. You know, I can wear it all the time and as long as I wear it, it runs.
Speaker 1:So here's something like. I think it's pretty cool that you just mentioned is that when you said they don't make this anymore. See, I love those kinds of watches. That's why I always get limited edition watches when I know it's only one in 700 and a thousand.
Speaker 2:Sure, it's like if you talk about Rolex. They make a million watches a year. That's low for them.
Speaker 2:You know, the fact of what they've done before and produced in the past. So I'm a vintage watch guy. I normally don't, I think all the watches I have which I have, I think only four but there's a story to each of them. You know, this one, not so much, but a simple one is a watch that I've been wanting to get for a long time and just waiting for the right opportunity to get it. I've got a Tag Heuer which is a dive watch from 1987. It was from a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, so pretty neat story there. I've got a Ben Russ, which is an American company out in New York, and that watch is a field watch, it's like a one out of 100. And then my son got me a Tessot PRX Just the Quartz, but wonderful watch, blue face Again a story to it there. So I don't have many, but the ones that I do have I really love and I try to wear them often. And then, of course, I have the typical Apple watch, which tells you about your health and all this other stuff, which is great. I have no complaints about whatsoever and we'll wear it all the time.
Speaker 2:But if you're wearing a watch, you need to know why you're wearing it. Don't just wear it. To wear it, have purpose behind it, because that's why you have it on you. If not, you shouldn't be wearing anything. But I definitely am one of those guys that if I walk out of the house without it, I know it. The other day I went out without a watch and I thought it was a naked. I was like what's going on here. But you know.
Speaker 1:If I don't wear a watch, I feel unbalanced, even though technically, wearing the watch means I'm unbalanced, not having it means I am mentally unbalanced.
Speaker 2:Well, are you left or right handed? I'm right handed, okay, so I'm left. But I found out that on my right arm, when I wear stainless steel or whatever, my wrist will break out, but on my left, wrist, it doesn't.
Speaker 1:This is the same thing, even though a lot of times I'll actually wear my watch on my right handed and people who are left handed. Ask me if I'm left handed.
Speaker 2:So I don't know if a lot of people pay attention to that or that it matters, but you know it's something you think about. If you notice people and I've always had to have in my life that type of thinking I'm always looking, always. Just because of the career that I've had and the things that I've done Military service, whatever it may be, it's just how I ended up becoming over time is that I just notice things and I notice watches more than I do now, than I did before, and I don't try to judge someone on the watch because you never know how they got the watch. You don't know what it took for them to get the watch, but you also don't know if, even if it's a simple Casio digital watch, how special it is to them. So I think as I get older, especially now that I can say that I'm a grandpa, it's a different way of looking at stuff and being thankful for just having the things that I have.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's profound. So I had this Casio digital watch.
Speaker 2:Which are like, if you look on Amazon's top, like 100 watches. I think Casio and Seiko are like the top 50. Or something. I mean it's just insane that even in this time of day, the simplicity of a watch.
Speaker 1:I prefer that over anything, so it doesn't matter. So I'm down to four watches exactly right now as of two weeks ago.
Speaker 2:So we both have the same watch, we do the same amount of watches, so I gave away.
Speaker 1:So what happens is, once certain things have lived their life, I either give them away or I sell them.
Speaker 2:Usually you give shoes away.
Speaker 1:I see I always keep shoes a different story but my shoes is always limited because everything's about comfort for me. Oh yeah, I agree with that this is for this, this is for this, this is for this and rotate. So I believe in being a minimalist when it comes to a lot of things, and sometimes, when I have a little bit too much material things, it makes me feel heavy.
Speaker 1:Okay, I don't like that feeling of being heavy. Okay, so what watches do you have? So, as of right now, I have two more Invictus at home and I have a. I don't know the name of it. I actually haven't even looked at the watch. This is a gift that I got. I haven't looked at it in terms of what brand it was. I've never seen the brand before.
Speaker 1:It's a it starts with an F, it's probably German, or Is it fairer? It's not. It's not that. It's like something that, like you, know that it requires, like the tongue you know, what I mean.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm talking about?
Speaker 1:What are those words? Yeah, it's one of those words like with the Unlock in there yeah, oh yeah. So I definitely couldn't pronounce it. So it's okay though, but it's nice. So it's one of those movement watches that operates on kinetic movement.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:So as long as you're moving, you know it'll, it'll move.
Speaker 2:Same with what's on the on-liners. So we have, you have an automatic, you have a, you have a mechanical and you have, of course, a battery powered watch. So quartz, which usually keeps, as they say, probably the best time. And then you know, then you get into other things like tourbillons and all this other stuff, and you know, I think you can tell time with a $200 watch almost as you can with a $2 million watch. Yeah, Just depends on what you think people should be looking at about you.
Speaker 1:Absolutely yes. So I go for. I go for uniqueness and rarity over name brand. That because people who know will know, right, when I have a conversation with someone they know oh, I like Star Wars, sure, you know it's like well, where did you get that watch from? I haven't seen this watch, you know, that's, that's it. It's not so much the Rolex. I absolutely I won't say that I I dislike or despise Rolexes. I just don't think that I've lived the life where the Rolex is necessary. Yet, sure, it has to have a meaning and purpose for me and it's not there. And there's many times I've been tempted to buy one, but I've learned lessons along the way that tells me not to get one. For example, when I was 21, I was gifted a switch watch that I could not pronounce and I thought that the it was. Oh, maybe it's just some cheap watch. You know, like you, just you just sometimes you don't think that someone would have given you something so expensive.
Speaker 2:Sure. And it was when you almost waited to like a value kind of thing, not in cost, but in the value of of you. Yes, meaning that that you're equating it because of the of what you thought about yourself, yes, you know, and what someone would spend on you because of that? Yes, and that was a hard thing for you to get past.
Speaker 1:Yes, because it was like I haven't earned that yet, I'm not at that stage. So I just, I didn't know Totally. So a couple of months go by and I looked and the watch nothing was turning and you could see the internals and everything. Sure, and it wasn't. So I said I'll have to go get the service. You know, and at this time I never really needed to get a watch service, you know, it's just yeah, didn't think about that, right? So, because you know, 21 and I go and to the first person was like some local jeweler and they told me, oh, I can't mess with this. Like what do you mean? Well, he's, that's good, you're honest, yeah, it's like, honestly, why give? It is like it's like oh, you know one, it's going to be expensive and I don't have the authorization to use this and if I damage anything I can't, you know, I can't fix it. So I was like, okay, like where do I go? And it was a forgot where he sent me, but it was somewhere in the, like, the Florida mall area over there on that side, all right, so sent me over there. This is, oh my goodness, almost 10 years now. So sends me over there.
Speaker 1:And I remember, after they did everything, they took all the everything apart and I paid like 200 bucks for them to service the watch. And then I then I was like man, I can't afford this one. Like, if I'm going to use it and it's going to be worth, it's working, I have to use it all the time one, and I just can't afford maintenance on it, because if I wanted, I would like the luxury of just putting the watch on and that's it Not. If I haven't worn it in six months, I don't know what's going on with it, If that makes sense. So that was a lesson that I learned and I that's one of the reasons why I don't want to Rolex because of maintenance. And then I got to the point where I had certain watches that I had to get insurance on in case anything happened to them, and so because I was paying insurance every month on the watches, and so how many of those watches would you say you had to pay insurance on?
Speaker 2:Maybe eight at the time and do we know how to say those?
Speaker 1:watches names See, see, see. Okay, so here's the, here's the truth, the. I'm fortunate enough to have like really good people in my life. That's wonderful, that the things that I love and enjoy like I don't have many people that would just give me something that just has nothing to do with me. Sure, and you know, when you have like good friends you don't do things for them because you expect something in return.
Speaker 1:You know exactly. So the fact that, like, when I get blindsided in a good way that someone would do something for you, like that Exactly, just like you're going to make me cry right now, you know just this, completely like left field, I just I couldn't justify again, justify that for myself Because of the fact that, like again, for where I was at in life, I didn't think that I've earned that. You know because again, it's always about the earning aspects that I associate with the watches that this is my milestone. If I, if I go out and I spend, say, 700 bucks on a watch, right, I know that that's where I'm at in life, that's, that's the. The. I met that goal of okay, I can afford this watch, I can afford the upkeep of this watch. If it breaks it's not a problem because that's where I'm at in life, versus if you have more higher end what, and if it breaks you have to go like, fixing this is a problem. It's like what do I have to give up to fix this watch? Yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't want to ever have to think about those questions when I have a watch. It's not right now, I think in 10 years I think I'll be in a good enough spot where I don't have to think about those things.
Speaker 2:Okay, what if you flip that script, though? You change the identity of that premise instead of thinking of it as that you aren't there yet. What if you change it to God's blessing me, because he knows where he wants me to go?
Speaker 1:Absolutely that's, that's, that's an angle to consider. But here's my thing when it comes to watches, just me, the me, the person and not the gift I get you is that the watches are not just a milestone like marker, but they're a lesson learned marker. And so if someone gives me a watch, even if it's lower value or higher and the higher end, there was no me lesson in there. Okay. And it throws off like the collection. I'm a super OCD with it.
Speaker 2:And that's okay.
Speaker 1:There's nothing wrong with?
Speaker 1:that. So, okay, when I was in college, one of my friends older friends, most of my friends are older than I am started business and he's like hey, you're super smart, you know helping with my business and whatnot business doing extremely well. And I remember just, I live here in Claremont and the business was all going to park. So that's a drive, you know, and I was extremely dedicated to it. You know he did pay me, you know was never he never cheated me or anything like that but one of the more money he started to make the poorer life decisions he started to make as well, which can happen, yes, and for me, the fact that I was helping him with his business, it hurt me a lot emotionally, because whenever I spend time doing something I want to see grow and flourish and that was like my ultimate reward. I didn't want to be his business partner, I just wanted him to succeed because we're friends. And you know the midst of it, you know he decided, okay, now I'm going to acquire a second business. And when I looked at the situation, I'm like, dude, honestly it's not a good idea. You know you're, you're doing well with one, but you're also making poor you know just life decisions. You're burning the money as quick as you're making it, you know you should slow down. So then he decided to get an assistant, which was an attractive lady, and ends up, you know, giving the business to the attractive lady, because that's what he was chasing. He was just trying to impress that lady, which is why he bought the other business Just to say, hey, I'm making this much money and I have this much money and in the end, you know, she's the only one that benefited from that interaction.
Speaker 1:So when I left that situation, I remember feeling down in the dumps because I knew what the outcome of everything was going to be and he just couldn't see it. And I still was. You know, I was like, hey, man, this is dumb. Like you've built something and you're literally giving it was like no, no, no, no, this is going to be a tax right.
Speaker 1:He was just telling me a lot of dumb things and I remember feeling hurt because of the fact that I put so much time into the business and I was like man. I could have looked at it as I lost a lot of time, or I could look at it as man. There's some dumb people in this world and lesson learned, so that taught me how to pick and choose, like when I'm going to truly like either be a part of something versus just giving advice to something. I learned that lesson and so you know that's when I got another Invicta watch to mark that lesson that I learned, so the value of it was a long way around to get to the premise of the boss, so I get it.
Speaker 2:So you still have that watch, nope.
Speaker 1:I sold that series. I call them series Because of that lifetime period. I sold that series probably about three years ago, so once like once I am. I said, when I feel heavy, that's when I just so here's a question.
Speaker 2:Did you get the same value you put into it back when you sold it?
Speaker 1:This is going to sound roundabout, yes and no at the same time. It's okay Because that particular set of watches all of them were in victors in that set and it was a really good friend. It was when I was I think I needed to get something. It was like too many things at once. My wife was pregnant and she was in that stage of we have to get all of these expensive things, because the more expensive they are, the safer they are. You know you're talking about like one car seat, that's a thousand bucks. The strollers, you know 1200 bucks, like just literally thousands of dollars, just so that I could kind of sleep. So that's why I sold, you know, that set of watches.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of things we will do when those changes in life occur.
Speaker 1:So you know, yes, because the peace of mind that I got, because she's like we have to have this car seat yeah, I was like this car seat, but we already bought this car seat. Yeah, the peace of mind doesn't always say yes or no, because I needed it fast. So I sold them all to one friend because they knew he loved watches as well, and is that friend still a good friend?
Speaker 2:Still a good friend? And does he still have the watch?
Speaker 1:He still have all the watches. Okay, all of the watches. So then it actually, you know, he's tried to give them back to me because he felt guilty and I told him now he's tried to he's multiple times.
Speaker 2:I bought one Invicta watch. It broke. Yes, I reached out to Invicta. They wouldn't help me. Mm. Hmm. Ever bought an Invicta watch since? Now I'm not complaining about a company or saying anything.
Speaker 2:I love that, though. I mean, it's just just one of those things that, like that was like one of the things and this was a while ago, I mean we're talking probably 15, 20 years ago and I was really excited about it and it broke. The second hand broke off. I'd had it for maybe two weeks and I was like, okay, I could just call their bill, they'll help me with it. And I called them and reached out to them and like we're sorry, sir, we can't help you. I said, okay, well, I appreciate that. Then bad mouth them Still won't. I don't. I'm not saying they're not a bad company. I could have just got a bad watch, because they make hundreds of thousands of watches, yes, so, and not every watch is perfect, absolutely so. And I think if I went with the attitude to be negative about it, then I wouldn't like watches.
Speaker 1:So you know, when we talked about watches and you told me that story before, I thought it was funny how our stories are the exact opposite, which is why I love Invicta watches and I'm definitely loyal to them. And again, even though since I purchased my first Invicta watch, I've had plenty of bad experiences there, they got me at the perfect time in my life was because my dad had bought me an Invicta watch because I made straight as and it was one of those. It was an one of the aviator. Okay, one of the aviators.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so that particular one, just, it just made me so happy and I just remember just, and then he had him, he got one for himself, so we'd have a matching pair Okay. So I was already just like over the moon. Sure, because it was just like, like I said, one of those blindsided gifts.
Speaker 1:But I cherish that watch. So then when I went to go purchase a watch for myself because I got a diet to beg my parents to get a job when I was in high school, because I wanted a job just so I can buy things and not have to ask for money, and my parents didn't want me to work, they were like oh, you know, here's an allowance or whatever.
Speaker 1:But it's like no, it's not the same. Obviously it's not the same, because, just like they would give me money, they could also say nope, not today.
Speaker 1:You know, I just didn't like that concept. So they finally agreed to let me have a job and one of the first things that I wanted to get was an Invicta. And I didn't have, you know, bills or anything. I'm still a kid and I go to the store because, you know, I also have my driver's license too and I have money so I can buy things. So I go to the Invicta store and I went to go buy a watch and it was another, it was a limited edition and this one was a part of their pro diver series and you can see, like the, you had a design of a scuba diver and I remember it was like hey, this is my first time buying a watch watch, not the digital is just my watch. And the guy was like you know what? We're going to make it special today? So when I bought the watch, he literally just gave me another watch for free, like he just gave me another one.
Speaker 1:You know, and he just was over the moon about that Like just oh, was it added in Invicta store? It wasn't the actual store, so he did. Then the gentleman was extremely nice and every time I needed like something serviced, he never charged me. He's like, hey, when you like something and you love it and you're passionate about things he's like, and because you're young you'd be surprised, the doors that will open up for you. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So you still have either the two watches and when your dad got you in the second one that you bought on your own, no, no, so neither of them.
Speaker 1:I start over fries. I'm telling you clean slate.
Speaker 2:So the one you you said you'd cheer so from your dad, does he still have the one?
Speaker 1:I don't know, I don't know. I never asked him about it. The last time you asked him. I've never asked him about it period To be honest with you.
Speaker 2:Well, because that's one of the things I love about watches, because there are things that I can pass on to my boys.
Speaker 1:See, I would do that with my son because that's the premise, I think the premise of the relationship Sure.
Speaker 2:Without a doubt, that's very contextual to the identity of what you're talking about To me and my son.
Speaker 1:I've already started buying my son watches. Yeah. You know the dude and I just didn't get him into the habit of like just having a watch. I've not bought him like anything expensive, but just the things he likes. He likes Paw Patrol so I buy him a Paw Patrol watch. They always get broken, but at least he's like forming that. Oh, watches are cool Identity. But with my dad he never wore any of the watches that he had, so it was. It was. Even though I love watches, that was not his thing. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Just never wore a watch.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so there's. If you look at, like, how watches are today, it's so different than you know what we thought of them as we were kids growing up, you know, as kids, to me it was just something that told time, and when I was younger it was called the sun, went outside, I played sports, it's done. You just came home when it was dark, and if you didn't, then you got in trouble. So, but like so, we're going to Israel in in February next year, and so my goal is to find a watch that I can take when we travel, specifically probably something mechanical or automatic, that way I don't have to worry about a battery, but something field oriented. That would be something that I can take and travel with all the time. Yes, and then that watch when I'm done traveling however long in my future that God allows me, that will be something to pass on to my family as well, because that will have been everywhere. It'll get to Israel, it'll have been to the Philippines, it will have been to these places, and then we'll have that story.
Speaker 2:And then in between, I have these other watches that, like the one I'm wearing right now. It's, you know, something, that I don't have to worry about a battery. I can wear this. It sits on my arm. They'll always tell me time. It's got a. It's a day date, so it always had that. It's water resistant up to 200 meters. I can go in a shower with it, go swim with it and I will have no problem. So to me it's like an indestructible watch and for the fact that you know it's, it's how it came, it's the other thing that I kind of attribute myself to you when it comes to watches is not changing how they made it. If I wanted it changed, I would ask for a changed watch. I wouldn't you know. I'm more about the original and why it was made the way it was, Because I think to me that's the heart of the person who designed it.
Speaker 1:Yes, you know. You know. Ironically enough, I think watches are also a conversation that you can't have with everyone. Correct, even when you talk about the value of time. Yeah, I remember I had a watch and you get to the point where everything. I've never been one of those people that hold on to certain things, so once that thing that passes like my brain just deletes that information, especially with names. I'm good with dates and, but I've never really been good with names. However, I had this Invicta watch.
Speaker 1:Again, you said the majority of the collections were always either limited edition or like part of their reserve series, and that particular one was Made in America and that series, the series that came after that, like they weren't made in them and no longer made in America. It was one of their older watches as well, and so I remember someone wanted to buy it for me and I said I'll give you is like you know, your cool guy, like I'll give you a discount on it. And if it was another watch enthusiast, they would know automatically hey, like this is a discount, yeah, right, so One of the when you say things like oh, this, this one is made in America, like you automatically know, like what that means Versus. Oh yeah, this one was made in Bangladesh. It's not the same. Well, like this watch, there's two different versions.
Speaker 2:Yes, there's this version which is made in Japan, yes, the original version, mm-hmm. And there's the other version that Was made in, like Singapore, exactly, yeah. So again, when you talk about this watch, it's the actual original SKX 007 made in Japan, mm-hmm. So it actually tells you, as you can hear, that that's the velcro on my watch. You turn it over. It actually tells you on the back of it made in Japan, yes, so you can actually read that on the watch itself and it tells you, that's a diver.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a diver, but it also you can see in the bottom there it says made in Japan, where the other ones don't. So and like. It's again like, if you talk about a Swiss made watch, right does is the movement Swiss, is what that's housed in Swiss, what is determined that makes it a Swiss watch or, like you know, like. So, benras, the one watch I was talking about is an American made watch because it's it's made here in the US, in New York, and it's something different and you can attribute, you know, and I have no problem with you know, because so there's. If you talk about Seiko, for instance, you have Seiko and then you have Grand Seiko.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Grand Seiko watches can be anywhere close up to like ten, twelve thousand dollars. Yes, some of them. Yeah, you're like it's a Seiko, but it's it's not.
Speaker 1:It's not, though, yeah, it's not.
Speaker 2:You know, it's the movement in the watch, it's how it's made, and but you don't necessarily compare Grand Seiko to a Long Jean or something of I mean you can, it depends on the person. There's no discriminatory to me difference between a Grand Seiko and a Long Jean or Whatever other kind of watch that you would like to look at. I mean, you really have to kind of look at heritage. Seiko has been made for ever. Yes, grand Seiko made forever All these other companies. They've been made forever. Yes, so you know, and I think that's what really attributes like I'm a big tutor fan.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was actually just gonna mention that I don't own a tutor watch.
Speaker 2:But I could tell you a Myriad of tutor watches, you know, and the differences, and they went from the edda movement to the in-house movement and you know there's a. Now you have the 58, 54 I'm a fan of the the 41 heritage, which is a little bit of a bigger watch, but then you also have the Pellagos and you have the tutor perpetual. I mean there's there's the Royce, the oyster perpetual which is came Out of Rolex, and then the guy who started Rolex is the guy who started tutor. You know, and Really, tutors just made kind of a research in the last just couple of years because for I guess about 10 years it wasn't sold in the US. There was some issue, I guess, and that can be a whole different discussion, I guess, if you get into it.
Speaker 2:So, but you know, I think something catches your eye and you like it, like it. Yeah, you don't have to worry about telling me why you like it exactly. Your watch, yep, but then Also be be smart about it. If you see a watch as a sapphire crystal, it's kind of, you know, a salita movement in it or an edda movement and it's a thousand dollars, and you look at a $2,000 watch and it has the same things, and it's because of a name. Why would you spend the money on the $2,000 watch when you don't need to?
Speaker 2:exactly when you're getting just as good of a watch at a thousand dollars. There's a company out of Ireland, a nomadic and no MADIC. They've got a salita SW1 in it as sapphire crystal. It's water resistant to 200 meters. Looks like a very well-made watch. Mm-hmm, I could go with something else. You know a tutor you go with which are great watches Omega, great watch.
Speaker 1:I like Omega's yeah.
Speaker 2:Omega's. Just they make an incredible watch. That's three to five thousand dollar range. You can get a lot of great watches. So but if you're not, if you don't have that kind of money but you still want a good watch, it's okay to get another watch. Yes, doesn't meet that standard. Yeah, and there's nothing that takes away from you and how you feel about the watch and how good of a watch is how long the last the watch will last you know.
Speaker 1:You know, ironically enough, you know, I've never Felt that like that. Oh, this makes me less than or not, because it's kind of like when they say, do what you love, I only buy what I love exactly because I'm buying it for me, they're not for everyone else around me. So, like I said, one of the things that I look at when I'm making a watch purchase is also that do I like this watch? Yes, now, is this watch, like you know, mass produced on a large scale? If it is, then I'm like no, I want it to be rare. I wanted to be a conversation one.
Speaker 2:Well, the question is to the do you ever think that when they tell you that it's a certain number, do you think it's really that certain number?
Speaker 1:I don't think it's that, I never do, because I think it like diamonds. Yeah, yeah, it's like at any moment, you know, and since South Africa they could release a good amount of diamonds in the market, kid, you know, could you know, just be highly inflated, or or, or or otherwise.
Speaker 2:Okay, you think, if they tell you that this is one of 300, why is it not more expensive than how much I'm buying it for? If that's the case, at least in the, in the sense of, like you know, say, if you had, I'll say, when Spider-Man came out, a comic book, mm-hmm, and they make this watch that was supposed to be from that year, whatever may be, and it had Spider-Man on it and they only made 300 on it, mm-hmm. And then you're like well, they re shoot, they reshoot it 30 years later. The same company, same watch, but it's 30 years later. Hopefully the watch that you got originally has more value than the reissued one, because of how much.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, well, that and that's. Yeah, that's the hope. Yeah, with it with with watches, you know If you have it as an investment you don't have it, absolutely, it doesn't matter at all either.
Speaker 1:One of the things that I realized, though I always think that there's always someone out there. Yeah, that is chasing the real thing. Yes, and that's that's what I've learned, and there's been Instances where things that I didn't think were valuable to me personally had zero value to me, where I was like, okay, I can just have this for free, like this person's, like not that, because, whatever attachment they have to, maybe it was a Family thing with them that they got the love for that particular thing. Like I had the. I had these, these DC shoes a long time ago. Okay, yeah, I was never a great skateboarder or anything, sure, but you know when you say DC shoes, it's like when you say vans.
Speaker 2:It's like when you say there's things that you relate to. You know if you knew what a McGill Skateboard was, you knew what a McGill skate. You know what it looked like the bottom in the bobbas, santa Cruz.
Speaker 1:Getcha. Yeah, so I had these DC shoes. Yeah, when I went to the store they had Weird promotion going on, I think of that particular store, and they have these leather DC shoes and again I mean that stage where Don't have bills. Yeah, so I'm gonna get them. Yeah you know it's my bottom and I wore these shoes like everywhere and I would always get compliments on them, because a lot of people just didn't see leather. They were green leather DC shoes.
Speaker 1:Oh nice and, you know, someone bought them Off the street, really literally just off the street. So I went to, I went to Boston for the first time and this was, I want to say, maybe 2014. Okay, so so is when I was in college and when I was in Boston, I'd never experienced snow before and it wasn't even supposed to snow. Yeah, I ended up being a snow, snow storm. My DC shoes aren't meant for snow, yeah, right, so the roads that the snow powers didn't start yet or anything, so we just got off the airport and had to walk like a mile. I didn't. You know, I slipped and fell a bunch of times. You know, just the, the, the weird tourist guy from Florida that's falling with his other friend that's also from Florida, sure, and the shoes were kind of morphed because of the snow and.
Speaker 1:I went to a shoe repair shop which, ironically, was in Boston and Call a cobbler by the way, I Didn't want to use that term, I didn't know people knew what that is.
Speaker 2:Oh, come on if you're not listening, if you're listening to this, this podcast, right now we're talking about watches. My hope would be, if we say the word cobbler, they kind of know what it's a person who works on shoes. Yeah, I mean, if not, you could have watched. What's the? There's a movie with Adam Sandler. He's a cobbler. Is that, is that? Or what is his daddy cobbler? I don't remember what the movie was. There's an Adam Sandler movie where he actually he is again. I think the shoes, like when he fixes people's shoes. They were magical or something like that, not sure.
Speaker 1:I don't know.
Speaker 2:Anyway, random thought, but go ahead with your cobbler story.
Speaker 1:Again one of those Really perfect instances of just one of the cities in the US.
Speaker 1:Yes, and that family had been there for literally hundreds of years. Okay, right, so in the family and this guy's maybe 70 something years old. Again, I tell him that you know, I was like, I know this is gonna be a dumb Florida thing. Yeah, is there any way that you can fix my shoe? My shoe? You said, of course I can. You know it's like and you don't have to worry about it because you're first time here in the city. Okay, you know, it takes care of it. One of his customers Came in and anyone who's going to a cobbler more than likely has money, because it's more than likely not.
Speaker 2:Well, Especially in a town like that. You probably have a lot of guys that wear Really expensive shoes and one of the biggest things for cobblers is like, if you have, you know, you know, reattaching your soul or re-soling Expensive shoes because of the cost, like, say, the two grand for a pair of shoes Mm-hmm cost you 200 bucks and he fixes them like they're new. You're gonna pay the 200 bucks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so the customer comes in, yeah he goes. Are those leather? You know I was gonna do the box in the Boston accent, but I'm not gonna do it. He's like are those leather DC, you know? Shoes you know, and I was like, yeah, you know, and now they're kind of Stuff, yeah he goes I buy him from you. I'll even buy you a pair of shoes. And he did, really did.
Speaker 2:Now now, what did he buy you, though? Do you remember what he bought you?
Speaker 1:It. Well, all the shoes that were in the store were handmade by the cobbler. Those were his shoes. Oh, wow, yeah. So the thing about that, though, was when I was in Boston, I didn't bring a winter coat, and you know, you know, I Was just wearing a regular jacket, yeah, and it was like I said, it was snowstorm there and everything, so I Needed that money, because I didn't factor that in my budget, that I was gonna need that, sure, and that's what I ended up doing. I went, jevon, I should pair shoes, though. I did, but okay, but still, it was not shoes for the snow. Yeah, that still was the problem that I had had going for yes.
Speaker 1:So even though you know he's paid me well like I still had to buy Sweater and boots, yeah, but I would never wear again more than likely, so it just worked out, you know in my favor that happened. So you know, if I could have bought a watch in that moment, I would have bought a watch in that moment, but necessity dictated that I needed a jacket and boots.
Speaker 2:Have you had a moment as you wanted to buy a watch separate from this one, but you didn't?
Speaker 1:yes, I Remember there was a time when I wanted to buy it was actually a Rolex. Oh, really, it was a Rolex and Okay.
Speaker 2:So I'm gonna ask this question in. Let's take it for what it is. Do you remember what Rolex it was? No, okay.
Speaker 1:No, it was just, that's what I'm saying. At that time it was just because I was there and I had the money and I'm young, I don't have a family or anything, and I was like, man, I should do it, despite knowing that the watch needs upkeep and whatnot. My friend said remember how you had all these watches before and the maintenance and stuff? Yeah, it's like, do you want to go through that again? And I was like you know what? You're right, like it was just one of those things that, sure, in that moment I had to rationalize that I wasn't ready for it. Yeah, so I don't know what milestone event I need. Also, it won't be just a money thing, but there has to be the significant milestone for me to have the Rolex, to be like this is this? So that way, if I pass it on to my family, they know what the watch represents. It's not just the watch, but it's the story with the watch as well.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, no, no, I I don't know if I'd buy a Rolex, I don't know. I'd probably lean more towards the tutor, Maybe an Omega, but you know, depending upon what the experience would be. No, I almost would also take the money that I would spend on a Rolex and buy four watches that I know would be just as good. For why I would want them. Like you, look at Hamilton. You know their khaki field watch. Yes, it's a great watch. I like those ones. $450, $500 up to about 700 bucks. You like Mavados. Mavados are good. I've just never been a real big fan. They're faces a lot to me. I mean they have a lot of plain face watches. I mean there's some that actually you have some good design and stuff. Nothing against them.
Speaker 1:What about Delias? Do you like the Delias?
Speaker 2:They're okay, they're a good watch but definitely, like I've already said, like Long Jean is a good watch to sew has the gentleman.
Speaker 1:I've seen those as well.
Speaker 2:Gentleman, is a great watch. It kind of features itself off of a Rolex or a perpetual you know which. Right now, if you look at they redid the Oyster Perpetual for Rolex, so I think it came out in 2021 or 2022. And they go for about like 9,500 bucks. You can an older one because it's more of a bigger size, like a 41. Like I have a seven and a quarter inch wrist, so I have a big wrist, so you know, and so with that I can take up to like a 42, 43 millimeter watch and it doesn't look big on me. So sorry to cut you off. No, you're good.
Speaker 1:So if you had to say that watches represent something for you, what do watches represent for you as a person?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, my hope would be is that it speaks to just how I carry myself every day. To me, like this watch that I have on today, if I wear it, it's being useful, it has a purpose. It's not the flashiest, it's not the most expensive, but it gets the job done. And my hope is, with who I am, that I know I'm not the flashiest and to me I know I'm not the prettiest, but I know my purpose and I stay within that. You know, every day I work hard. You know I stay true to what I need to stay true to. I know that, like with this watch being imperfect, that I am imperfect as well, but that over time, you know, I still stay the course. Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, and I think a good watch does that. I think a good watch allows you to, you know, understand that time is fleeting and that you need to make time work for you, not the other way around, you know, and that allows you to have a schedule in your day. I'm a morning person. I get up early, because that's just how I'm, even on the weekends, saturday, I can't usually see past seven o'clock. It's just how I am, it's how I'm built. So, even when I'm off, I still will have a watch on, you know, because then I can, you know, get through my day. I can say, okay, well, I've done this so far. I have this much stuff to do the rest of my day. I want to be able to get it done. So, but then sometimes I'll think of it as a burden, just because the fact that I'm like man, it's already been this amount of time for the day, why don't I have more time to do stuff that I need to? And then other things get piled upon you and stuff like that.
Speaker 2:But you know, but then also, I definitely know that if I see a watch, I like it or I don't Like. I mean, I'm just to me, I just I'm that not focused, but understanding of who I am and what I like. I just I like simple, you know, like a field watch to me is a great watch Just because it's made to be worked, it's made to be useful, and I do like having watches that either wind or they're self-winding because they last. Yeah, they got to be serviced. It's fine with me and I'm okay with that. Usually a good like. If you spend money on a watch, though it'll be five years. With every five years, a watch has to be serviced and you know and I would say that if you do buy that type of watch, know where they have to be serviced, yes, and then you can do what you need to do to care for that watch and then go from there and be okay with it. Yeah, and as long as you know that you know, things are good.
Speaker 1:And I think that's one of the reasons why, you know, I can remember my purchases and the adventures with them, that, okay, first time someone was honest enough to say, hey, I can't work on this, they could have just taken my money, sure, and they gave me a bad experience, you know, and they didn't. I'd say that watches represent for me, though, not to switch things up, no, it's okay, they represent me like the time itself.
Speaker 1:I think that you know, I always joke with my wife that ha you know, you know I'm going to reach a point in my life where I'm going to build this huge shed.
Speaker 1:And you guys need to enjoy me now, because once I'm older, I'm just going to be working on projects. You know just, you know, when I'm in my 60s, that's something that I want to do, just work on projects, you know, and you know, if my family wants to be a part of those projects, then sure, but it's just, I look forward to that time and I also stay present. And that's what the watches are is that in every moment that I'm in, I'm present, I'm fully in those moments and I give nothing else to those moments. I love spending time with my family as a whole, but I also love spending time with just my son, just my daughter and just my wife. That way, you know it's, if you're at dinner table and you're talking, not everyone will get to talk equally, because you're going to have the family member that is more outspoken the shy, you know, family member.
Speaker 1:So now I use that, like I see my grandmother every week and we. She's one of my best friends in the entire world and I, it's just, I'm present in all the people that I encounter that are part of my life. I believe in a smaller, you know, circle. That way I'm there, I'm present, it's easy to be present and it's easy to be real. I don't want to spend my time, you know, with people who aren't. They don't have to be me or like me, but we have to have that same understanding of the value of time.
Speaker 1:And you'll find that if someone can't respect their own time, they definitely respect your time. That's true. And so then it boils into other things, such as respect and how I feel respected. You know, for example, you'll have, you know, some people that maybe they'll call you whenever they feel like calling you, maybe at three o'clock in the morning, not because there's an emergency, you know, but just because they're up because they don't respect your time. You know, and you learn those things as you transition through life. And I just enjoy the story behind the watch. I enjoy the fact that the watch is also an embodiment of me, the person.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so then what's the next watch?
Speaker 1:The next watch for me, I'm actually looking at another Invicta, so it's this part of their Diver Pro Diver series. I forgot what the collaborator is. So there's a series that they call the the Dua Lipa series of Invicta. They're just the art series and I love all the watches in those series and I actually almost completed the series and I gave all the series to my friend. Oh, wow.
Speaker 1:So, like literally, I told him the last watch in the series, I think, and I thought it was the last watch, but there's actually one more. I thought it was the last one. And I told him I'm gonna get you this watch, but I'm gonna wear it for two occasions and then I'll give it to you. And he thought I was joking. So he went and he bought the watch and I was like I don't care if you have the watch. I told you it's gonna buy it. You shouldn't have bought it. You're still gonna take it. So I did.
Speaker 1:It was nice, it was this snake skin. Oh, wow. So I needed to wear for a specific outfit, okay, where I had leather boots and I had a gator belt and I had the snake skin watch so I could make a joke. Where were you going? It was just the camping thing.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay.
Speaker 1:But I wanted to make a joke on. You know, I said you know, I said gator.
Speaker 2:Crock it out of the.
Speaker 1:Exactly, the gator eats the cow, right, but the python eats everything. That was the joke that I made. Okay, and the fashion you know, but did the people get it?
Speaker 2:when you wore it, they did. That's the question.
Speaker 1:I was around, the perfect demographic to make it happen, to make it work, so I just needed to tell that joke.
Speaker 2:Well, because that wouldn't be good if they didn't get it. Yeah, so, like I said, you know they were just trying to figure out why you know crocodile and the cow and everyone. And then you have a python and all these things mixed together and you're like, did you get it? I hope you did, because if not I'm still laughing about it because it's pretty funny.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I did it and then once I got to do it for those two days and I'd served its purpose, you know I and you know he has them Okay. So I think that's the story too, because now he has a story about the watch and he's going to have to try to make it work in a joke.
Speaker 2:No, that may be tough, exactly, unless he goes to South Florida where there's a lot of pythons.
Speaker 1:Exactly. That's one of the reasons. That's how.
Speaker 2:And then he could just say hey, where is that from? Oh, I killed the python, now he's on my wrist. Yes, I am the python hunter, Just saying Crocodile.
Speaker 1:John B have you ever seen that movie? I've seen both crocodiles on the movie. Okay, go ahead.
Speaker 2:Of course, paul Hogan, good actor. He's pretty much his main claim to fame with those two movies.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, the one where he's in New York and then the one where he's in Australia. I watched them both as a kid, so fun fact. And you say as a kid.
Speaker 2:That makes me feel old. Wow, that's okay, though that's cool. I'm a grandpa, so I have to take it. No, you don't have to take it, I'm going to take it.
Speaker 3:I'm going to hold on to it. People tell me I'm old now you know.
Speaker 1:Like I'm, I'm 30 years old. And there'll be this 19 year old kid that like says something and I'll say something back and they'll say, oh, it's because you're old. Like I remember. I remember I was at, I was getting coffee. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And there was a kid at the register and I guess the the register wasn't working, okay. And I said okay, dude, you know everything. Okay, you know you're not really talking to anyone, yeah. And he's like well, the machine isn't working, bro. And I was like okay, and like well, people have cash, like. And he's like the machine isn't working. I'm like the register is still working. Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, the thing is he. What he wants to say is that the calculator on the register wasn't working. I'm like, dude, you can pull out your phone, use your phone as a calculator if you need to, but he's just like the machine isn't working. I'm like it's working, just use your phone or the calculator, you know, like an actual manual calculator. And when I, when I mentioned the, the, the manual calculator, you know what he said to me it's because you're old. So he said he's like, literally, he just said it's because you're old, that's why you would mention a calculator. And I was what I was going to say to him it's because you're stupid, why you can't calculate. But I didn't say that, you know. So I just was like you know, here's 10 bucks. You know, have a good day. Like I just wanted my coffee to be in and out. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, I think those are times that God gives us to give grace to those around us.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, I, you know that's. That's the other thing you know. With time I've learned that you don't say anything at all sometimes. You know.
Speaker 2:Well, again, as I've learned as I get older, it just gives me more opportunity to learn about myself and how I relate to others, and the premise of that is is Knowing what I've done and been through. How do I extend that to someone else? Let them see who I am. You know, and you know as we talk about watches and what it allows us to talk about as our journey and what watches mean to us and stuff I Think watches also you know talk about. We have opportunity in our own selves with relationship To do I have any father to people around us, because that's also predicated on time. You know. More time we spend with him, more we get to know him, more time it's one of our friends. We get to know them, mm-hmm. The more, as you say, invest do we are into those people, the more tangible a relationship is. So I bring that towards the the other side of our conversation and you know, something that you and I think strive for every day is is the closeness of that.
Speaker 1:You know, you know how happy it makes me to hear you say that. Why is that? Because there is rarely a time no pun intended in what I think I was In which you meet, you know, other people in, you know, and it can even be family members, yeah, it's not specific, but just people that Certain things just click. You know, either it clicks or it doesn't. Yeah, and more times and not, it won't click, but when it does and you see that this person is just who they are I. I that's, but that's what I want.
Speaker 1:The simplicity of that is all I want. Yeah, it's just I'm me and you're you, and we're not gonna pretend that, hey, I'm really this person and you're gonna. You know that. That's who you are, true, you know that. I don't need that. You know I need just genuine. You know, if it's, if it's a sayco, it's a sayco. Yep, you know, if it's an invicti, it's an invicti. It's not something disguised as something else. You know, we're just who we are and being who we are, and I never want to feel that when I'm around someone like they're not being their true self, sure, and I just don't have time for that in my life. I just want to be me and I just want you to be you, and it makes me so excited that you're always who you are and that's why you're one of my favorite people.
Speaker 2:I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:I do mean that. You know I talk about you. You know how excited I was, you know, coming here yeah, do the podcast with you because of the fact that you're just you. I appreciate that is. That is a very beautiful thing and it warms my heart. I'm just gonna say to you warms my heart because you know there's so many people that they're trying to be someone else and you can see it. You know Everyone's trying to strive for everything else but themselves. Right, like not striving to be the best who they are, they're trying to be the best whoever tween Idol or whoever there is.
Speaker 2:And so in you talking about this, I've seen about this the other day and this is my randomness of my brain, so I love it. It's a commercial and it's the premise and it kind of puts it into a picture, I guess, of the two sides, of how people I think we'll look at watches. Sometimes Guy comes in the room. He says, hey, sir, do you have the time? He was just watching. You see, as it's like a time X or something, this is well the time X watch says it's 235. And then, and then his wife, you know, looks at and he says, well, what time is it? He says, well, oh, he has only time X time, so I don't know if that's really the time.
Speaker 2:And then, you know, they walk down the hall, they see another guy's what time he's at it goes, and you see it's like a Rolex and he goes well, my Rolex says it's 236. And he goes, oh well, that must be the real time, yeah, and then so, and the premise behind it is is Either you're on the side that says no matter what the time says, or who makes it, it's just the time that it is and it doesn't matter, you just go on with your day, mm-hmm. But then there's the other side of it, that you look at it and they say, well, it's a Rolex and or it's. It has to be that way because that's only the only way you can look at it, right, mm-hmm? Or to me, the time Xsaco person is just like you know what Life is, what it is exactly you take people for what they are.
Speaker 2:Yes and a watch still only just tells time exactly. It doesn't matter if it's $2 or 20,000. It still just tells time. It just does it in different ways. And how does that express who you are?
Speaker 1:Right, the one watch I will say that If I had it it would make me truly happy again yeah, is my Casio digital watch. That was my favorite watch because that was a calculator or just a straight digital, straight digital. I had the calculator as well, yeah, but the digital. I had it for 12 years and I never needed to change the battery for 12 years.
Speaker 2:Did it have the blue lettering on the bottom of?
Speaker 1:it.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes.
Speaker 1:Square screen blue lettering on the box I know exactly the watch you're talking about like indestructible yeah, indestructible.
Speaker 1:Yep you know, and I you know someone stole it and this is one of those things that you know. In a lot of ways I'm naive to certain things because I don't expect certain things to happen. Yeah, because I just didn't grow up that way to sure expect it. So, you know, if you know we're on the same you know, soccer team or whatever, my understanding is that, okay, we're teammates, we wouldn't steal from each other. Yeah, you know, like maybe the other team would, but I would, you know.
Speaker 1:So when I lost that watch it, it's like this gap in my, in my watch heart. Yeah, I'm a real hard, but my watch heart, yeah, that there's no watch that could replace that feeling and that attachment that I had to that watch. Yeah, because prior to that watch, no matter what I did or where I went, every other watch was An occasion watch. Yeah, like I'll wear a watch every seven days a week, but this watch has me for six because you know if I'm gonna go To a dinner or to church or whatever, like I'd wear any other watch, but for that watch that was, that was the one that. What about a G shock? So I've had a G shock to my G shock was pretty, was amazing there.
Speaker 2:They're a great watch and they're I mean, you talked to any watch person. If they're Just a normal watch person, no, they'll see. There's nothing wrong with a G shock. There isn't. And they're under 200 bucks. Yeah, they're fantastic. They're water resistant. They will keep time forever. You get the digital. You get the. You know the one that's at the analog.
Speaker 1:It's just so I had the cross one the one Okay yeah, so it was a black and gold one and that one. I Actually, you know, as a part of one of my sets. Okay, so that particular one, you Could, whatever time you set with it, yeah, say that you go into a different time zone. You just click over to that time zone. Yep, and that's what I loved about it. Yeah, you know it. Just it is. Oh, I don't have to worry about you, just click and I'm good. Like, it's two o'clock in China right now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would probably say that like For as you'll watch memory, probably my is when I went to basic training when I was in the military. We got to Fort Knox and it was like pouring rain. It was really late at night, early than when I got a number and Of course we're on post the next day. And now we got all of our stuff to go to basic training and they put you in this like holding, it was holding, building and you know the BX or the PX, it's there, and I had money to buy a watch, didn't have one, so it was like a time X Explorer, I think is what it was, and I mean it had the Velcro strap, you know, and it was water, water resistant, water proof, what I.
Speaker 2:You get it so can. I did matter and I was like, okay, and I got me through basic training and I kept that watch, I kept through my military service and I even kept it when I got into fire rescue Mm-hmm and I had it and it just I beat the junk out of it and it died.
Speaker 2:So but I kept on to it even after died, for like a couple years no, like seven, eight years probably After died, because I thought I could fix it. Of course I couldn't so, but I get what you're saying, that type of thing of what it gets you through. Yeah, you know so and you know it goes back to the basics of what it was made for yeah it was made to Go through getting the junk beat out of it, mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:And you know, like the watch I have on, I could be this thing to death. It's got a mineral crystal, doesn't have a sapphire, you know, and I could change it out and put a sapphire in it. But to me it takes away from what the watch was intended to be. You know it's it's. It's certified to go 200 meters under water. It's one of the only watches from you know say go from this time period. That's why it's so collectible, that's why people like it. It has a following to it but it has a purpose. Mm-hmm, you know, even if people don't like Apple watches have watched, still have a purpose. You know it does.
Speaker 2:Your heart rate can tell you these things that you can never do before.
Speaker 1:Yes, and if you think about it and your sleep cycle to your sick can do all kinds of stuff.
Speaker 2:I mean if you're over 65 and you have an Apple watch on you, you should feel safe. Yes, I mean, I mean if you think about it. In that sense it's different if we're younger, because we have to worry about that much, so much, even though it's got gadgets and gizmos on it. You could play games, you can listen to music, you do all this other stuff if you want to. But I Just if I come down to it, I want to wear something like this Mm-hmm. But then I also know that, like you'll see me on Sundays and I'll have the PRX on. Why? Because if I'm Marver-bearing or something like that, I usually won't wear something like this, just because of how it looks. But then I mean, you look at PC and he has watches, mm-hmm. He has a pretty neat watch collection when you look at his stuff. So, but again, his watch is fit him exactly.
Speaker 2:And my only hope for anyone if you ever watch on, be purposeful with it. Yeah, have a, have a conversation, if you can, with someone about it so that you just go oh, it's a watch, yes, you know. Yes, but don't be that person Mm-hmm. The reason I say it is because if you're, if you're intentional with who you are, then you should be a titan about with what you have and wear. Now it comes to clothing and whatever like them. I Don't decide all that, but I do. I.
Speaker 2:I'm a short guy. That's where everyone gets surprised when they see me in pants. Mm-hmm, it's just how it is. I mean Pants. Five days a week. I'm in a hospital. I wear dress clothes. It's just how I have to be. So for the fight, and before that I wore scrubs, or I had a fire uniform or whatever it may be, so I always had to wear pants. Yep, I want to wear shorts if I'm not at work.
Speaker 1:So I Can totally relate to that. I see like, okay, like these, I've had these for a while. Yeah, I see these shoes a lot You've worn the last couple times I've seen you these are vans. Yeah, no, no, I know what they are and I I just it's a comfort, yeah, it's just a comfort thing. Comfort, it makes me feel like I'm crocodile Dundee when I wear these. That's okay.
Speaker 2:All I look for is your big you know, you know knife and you don't have one. Really.
Speaker 1:Oh, I do.
Speaker 2:Oh, no, I'm saying it's a full set.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a full set Also. So, again, you know, talking about what's a ton, two things because it ties in. Yeah, so the when I went to, when I, when I, when I got these shoes they were a gift from my brother there was a knife Smith that I went to and you know he's selling knives and he was Like doing like a demonstration. You know you ever go to any of the like fairs and stuff. Okay, so it was doing a demonstration, but he was like you know what, anyone who buys a knife today, you know I'll custom make a holster for it, you know you know, and so I was like word, you know, and you know I was about it.
Speaker 1:So he did, and I still like to this day, like I've, you know, probably five years always have it.
Speaker 2:Always. So I always have usually a knife, like if you go to my vehicle I've got one of also, but I'm also guy is a carry concealed guy, and I usually always have something on me, something some sorts. So but yeah, I always have a pocket knife on me. I always have a, a weatherman, a leatherman, I always have certain things. But then on top of that, you know, being a medic, as long as I have, I've also got a tourniquet. Yes, I've got, you know, first-aid stuff. So I've got a fire extinguisher in my car, but that's only recent. So but not that I've needed or anything, but just the resourcefulness is like you can't, I was just how I am, you know, it's like you see so many. If they're hurt, you try to help.
Speaker 2:Yes, if the other day I'm leaving work and there's a lady out in the in the uh uh parking lot and she's older and, um, she has her grandson with him and he's probably in his 20s, but kids struggling to change a flat tire, mm-hmm, and man, it was hot, like I didn't complain. But man, it was so hot and I was like well, I'm just gonna help and you know, and I wasn't in my dress clothes because I got changed. So she's like well, do you work here? I said, well, actually I do. I don't just randomly go into parking lots and help people, you know, drive by like you get out of my car. I mean, if I needed to, I would, without a question. But in this case I I was like no man, I work here. I, you know, I'm part of the leadership of the facility and and help them out and change their tire, because young man was having a hard time getting the spare down. So I said, well, let's just youtube it, bro. That's like made this hard for us.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I got their car and and put on youtube and we watched how to get the tire down and we did it. We fixed the tire and got them on their way and you know but Again that it's funny as it could be, you could almost equate to what did I have my wrist? Because there's something that I had this watch on my wrist that day, and but that also to me I'd never and this may be be my poor judgment, but I usually don't see a lot of guys Rolex is on who do that. Yeah, and at least that's my mindset and that's not a negative against them or that those kind of people wouldn't, but to me, you know, um, now there's one person that I know and I've gotten to know over the last you know, six, seven months, um, and he's someone that has worked with me and, uh, he bought a Rolex, mm-hmm, but he, he bought a Rolex when he graduated med school. So he's a physician and has been a doctor now for I think about 15 years and, uh, and I asked him about it, so I said, oh, rolex, huh, oh yeah, submariner, and I think it's a 55 13, which is the older I got.
Speaker 2:I think the 55 12 replaced it. Anyway, um, rotating, but as old as black, black face, absolutely awesome watch, right, if you picked a in the Rolex Submariner, they're great watches to me. Uh, 1967 13, blue on blue. I love blue watches. So when it comes to blue faces, that's that way.
Speaker 1:you like tutors as well? I do. Yeah, we're not a doubt.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, um, just that blue on blue is just a pretty white. My tag holler that I have is a blue on blue. Um, which, just, it's just neat. That's just that why I tend to lensey, but anyway, no, but that's super Rolex with that black on black. It's just a pretty watch. Yes, you know, not pretentious To me, it's just.
Speaker 2:And he wears it every day, though. He doesn't matter where he is, it doesn't matter what he does. I'm like you're a watch guy because you wear the watch. Exactly that's like with shoes you wear the shoes. Now I have a pair of 2012 Jordan for white cements, my only pair of Jordans I have. They were given to me, but I wear them. Yes, and the only thing that was told to me when they were given to me was you better wear these. If you don't wear them, I want them back. That's. Those were the directions the person gave me, and this guy's a shoe guy, like a big shoe guy, and I said, okay, my son Thatcher got me a pair of bow-nose Like yes, see two trainers, the alber ones.
Speaker 1:I'm not gonna lie, I know nothing about shoes, it's okay. So I like talking about bojack bo Jackson, I know how to shoot.
Speaker 2:That was white and it was orange and purple. They called it the alber, one of my favorite shoes growing up. Can never afford it, but we ended up. He ended up getting me a pair. So those are, but I wear them, I don't just let him sit there. Well, I think the same thing. Watch, you should wear it now, if you know. Here's the thing, though. If I end up getting, say, a 2 to 41 heritage or a pellet ghost or whatever it may be, dude, I would wear the junk out of that.
Speaker 2:But, but there's a reason behind it, right, and my other watches would sit without a question and they would just have to sit because of what that watch is, you know, and the ideal behind that watch, the lineage that that watch comes from, the company you know, and there's like with the heritage 41. So there's two different versions. They one which they call the smiley, which a lot of their tutors, the older ones have the smiley All the bottom, and the newer in-house movements which didn't use the, the edda movement and even though it still kind of has an edda but, or the eta movement and tutors gone and done a couple of things that makes it an in-house movement. And comparison to the slida, like sw2 or whatever, I don't know, the smiley face looks kind of original man, you know, it's just kind of a happy watch, like you look down at you like, oh, that's, that's pretty neat right. Yeah, you know so again.
Speaker 2:But going back to what I was saying, this guy wore this watch. He has like a 20,000 watch on it just because of how old this watch is, how it's aged, the version of watch that it is and and how much, and. But he wears it every day, mm-hmm, and, and he has not Pulled back by it by Amy Meats, so I'm okay with that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly Now, if you have a purpose a purpose.
Speaker 2:But if you have five of them and four of them sit, or you just rotate just because, just because you want someone to know that you have five Rolexes, I'm not that person. Yeah, and there's another wrong with that person. If you want to be that, go for it. Another against you, but to me I'd rather have the one.
Speaker 1:So the one other? I was thinking about why the Casio was so important to me. Yeah, and I realized that the Casio, it Marked the last time I was allowed to do survival training. Oh, wow, that's what it. That's what it, that's what it marked the last time, you know. So it's, how are you? Maybe 25. Okay, yeah 25.
Speaker 1:I wasn't 26 yet, so, yeah, 25. So we go on this, this survival training trip, and in the, even though it's a survival training trip, it turned into real survival. Okay, and long story short, so we're going out, like into the swamp, and you know the goal was to just be out there, just bare minimum. Of course we had to turn a kid as well and you know we brought water. But just because it's the swamp, no filtration system. There's ways to filter water as well.
Speaker 1:But, it's you're going to have to make a raised bed fireplace. You're going to have to, you know, build everything you know by hand.
Speaker 2:I just get one of those charcoal filters put in, a thing for the water, and when you pour it out it's good.
Speaker 1:It was meant to like. That one was going to be like the rough one, sure, and so it was also after a major hurricane. We, because we decided to keep the date. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Anyway, we're going down river and normally I'm younger than everyone else at this point, so everyone else is ex military. Yeah, but because I'm younger, you know, I'm always the head of the pack. But this time everyone's just making fun of me because I'm way back and I'm like guys, I'm tired, I'm winded. I was like I've never been in a canoe and, I'm sorry, a kayak and felt so bogged down before. They're like maybe you're just getting old. I was like no, I'm like really tired. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Little did I know that the canoe had was taking on water.
Speaker 2:Oh right.
Speaker 1:It's a hole in it right, that's so good, and I'm saying canoe, but kayak. So and I'm strapped in, I have my back, my pack on as well, yeah, and I had my cell phone in there and everything. So while we're going down river, I flip. Mind you, this is after a hurricane and there's a you know, trees have fallen into the water that you can't see, yeah, you can't see. So then I have a pack on. It's just hot underwater and my pack is is, is is attached on the kayak and the kayak has water. So I'm, you know, submerged. So now, even though all these things are happening, I'm like man, if I cut my pack, like I'm down a kayak, I'm down my backpack, like something's going to go in that decision, you know it was pretty tough one, and I mean I'm still like three years into my marriage at this point as well.
Speaker 1:So you know, all these things are racing to my head and I was like you know, I cut it and you know, and I lost my cell phone, I wallet, and you know I was able to get the kayak, like the kayak was because of where, how, it was positioned and you know me and my buddies, like we pulled it on, you know, onto the riverbank, you know set up camp and you know we we patched it and everything.
Speaker 1:But that night was the best slept, this is the best sleep I ever endured because of how tired I was. But my wife, like she was trying to call me, couldn't get me, and she was trying to call my friends, couldn't get my friends because there's no reception. Yeah Right, just because she found out she was pregnant, oh wow, oh man, because because she was pregnant, the fact that she couldn't, you know, reach me, that mark at the end of me doing survival training survival training ever again, ever again.
Speaker 2:So one of the one of the cool things, and I think we'll I think I'll wrap up with my last question here yes, yes. So if, if you had to make a watch and they said, uh, said, oakley, you know, we're going to give you this ability to make a watch. One of the key things that a lot of people sometimes look at is what's underneath, and I know it's really cool Sometimes when you can see a clear back and see the movement on it, stuff. But if the back was closed and you could put whatever you wanted to on the back of your watch, oh you know. So the question is would it be on every watch you had or would it only be on one?
Speaker 1:So it would be on only one. Okay, so it would be the idea. So the idea is a guy running and you know he's about to jump on a, on a surfboard.
Speaker 1:So, like it's like the surfboard is just a little bit ahead of him, but you could see that he's about to jump on this. Okay, why? So a long time ago I had a dream that I was driving, but I felt like I just wasn't. There was this recurrent dream that the like, even though I'm driving, I'm not going as fast as I can go and I'm driving to through Utah stretch of like there's nothing, nothing, yeah, and I'm just going and I hit like 180 and it's still just not fast enough. And so I get out of the car and I put my running shoes on and I I start clocking. So I just start running and now I'm like, okay, now I'm faster than the car, and now I'm faster and I'm just running, running, running, running, running. Kind of like the scene, the scene when Superman is about to fly.
Speaker 2:Oh, are there any safe horses go?
Speaker 1:No, no. So that just dream. It was just this dream that just kept happening over and over again and for some reason, at the end of the dream, when I thought I was going to fly, there was a surfboard and I jumped on the surfboard and started surfing, okay, and I just that would just be such a cool thing to me, like just kind of like the jump man symbol, but it's the Oakman symbol, okay, you know hashtag Oakman, okay.
Speaker 2:I'll go with mine and I have two, and I have two and it's here I would add so the first one would be a pelican.
Speaker 1:Okay, because you're from, you live in Florida.
Speaker 2:Florida? No, not at all. Actually, I love birds, but the pelican this actually in essence would be I think this is what they call the penguin pelican, which is the biggest pelican in the world.
Speaker 1:Yes, so they're only jerks as well, yeah, and huh, they're jerks as well, yeah.
Speaker 2:And you know, that's just. It's just. Pelicans are different. They can fly over land and sea. They have, you know, different lifestyles and habits of what they do, but they're also kind of like caretakers. Yes, so the other would be probably a bear. So, being a grandfather now, that's my grandpa name. Other bear, no, it's just bear. Okay, yeah, so just be a, a r. And you know, I would want, as a way for me to, you know, pass on to my kids. Those would be things that I would probably pass on. I'd be those, those, those watches that were made and that had that on the back of it, and they would only be given to them because they're part of that, you know, so that it really it brings together to myself and who I was, what I've made and what I'm passing along, because that's the premise of the watches, right, and as we talk about this conversation and everything we've brought together about this, is that we know that whatever we're doing, we're going to pass on to those that come after us yes.
Speaker 2:You know, and that's what this is really about is is doing, that is, that we've been able to talk about so many things, just, I mean, from why we wear a watch, but so it's so much more, and my hope is is that, as we grow, we never forget that, that who we are and who we become as people who make mistakes are imperfect. We not only give grace but receive it, and that we grow from it. You know, and that's that's the key, right? So I just want to thank you for letting me come and do this, yeah, this is.
Speaker 2:This is great. I really you know for the first time.
Speaker 1:I think someone needed to hear it. You know what you just said. I think someone needed to hear that.
Speaker 2:Well, good, well, and the hope is is that by doing this, we only not talk about just things that we think are fun and good to talk about, but we also remind ourselves why we're here, you know, and, above all, that's the most important thing, you know, and I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful that I've had those opportunities and that I get to share things like this with you, because to me this is a new experience and I've loved it.
Speaker 1:It's been great just sitting here talking and that's why we're going to do it again.
Speaker 2:Excellent, I look forward to it. So you let me know when it is and I'll be happy to do it.
Speaker 1:All right, well, I'll shoot you a text message. All right, I schedule is already lined up, so that's perfect. Excellent, thank you.