I still remember when the release of a new watch of a certain brand would send my heart rate into unhealthy territory and inject serious amounts of endorphins in my blood stream. At first trying to satisfy my need for a fix by perusing countless pictures of said object online and then finally rushing to a store or watch show to see it in the flesh or - yes it could really happen - actually hold it in my own hands and feel the perfection of the steel between my fingertips.
And the love for the more mature pieces and the never ending pursuit of the best possible build of the rarest of rare timepieces.
Will I ever forget the moment when my eyes caught sight of a certain case shape between a mountain of worthless junk during the visit to a flea market in Germany which turned out to be an original Rolex GMT 6542 case with case back and original ghost dial completely devoid of any lume markers ..... I found the grail.
And then the ensuing hunt for the right GMT movement from the original manufaktur to fill the missing link and the countless sleepless nights considering the sacrilege of actually re-luming this piece of history despite the fact that it was barley legible even in the brightest of lights.
What happened to this passion that seemed to fill every free hour of the day? Or to the excitement of making a hand-stitched strap for the latest vintage Panerai from that perfect piece of old cow hide ripped from a dilapidated suitcase or well worn boxing speed bag? Why do I know seem to miss the logic in buying literally dozens of different endlinks to finally get the perfect fit for this vintage rivet bracelet for that Tudor build. Boxes of parts stare at me repeating the question: What happened?
Was it the pandemic's fault, that gripped so many of us with it's subconscious depression and tried to pull us down? Why did I not make better use of these months where all economic activity had stopped and do something with this most valuable asset? Learn a new language, go out and surf, unlock that last thing that makes my golf swing still suck. Build some watches out of all these parts piling up in my work studio. Anything would have been better than wasting hours - which added up to days, if not weeks - watching depressing youtube videos or calculating the newest Worldometer numbers of new cases and COVID deaths for the next 24, 48 or 120 months... yes I really did that!
But no. I think it had started before the news of the first cases started coming out of China. Somehow that light of passion for watches that had been glowing so strong and for so long had started to flicker already some time ago. But why?
Was it because I had seen it and done it all? Barely. Why is it that the Tudor Black Bay 58 which should be right in my wheelhouse just gets a nod of deference with a snidely comment about it's chubby side profile compared to it's ancestors or that basically nothing in the current Rolex lineup even gets a second look. Panerai has already lost me a while ago with it's endless sequence of ever more identical looking models hidden in their model number salad. Have I become that jaded?
I know my other passion, the one for four wheeled pieces of art is still going strong like always. Maybe it's because living in the Third World most of it needs to be satisfied online and only the occasional trip to Puerto Banus will get me a car fix strong enough to hold me over for a while. But shouldn't this also be the same for watches...?
After all watch spotting there is a real treat in comparison to the fields of Nicaragua.
But somehow the new Porsche GT3 Touring or the new Ferrari 296 GTB or the recreated Lambo Countach can do to me what neither a new Daytona nor Nautilus seem to be able to...
Maybe I am just in a phase of reorientation .... having worn my Seiko Turtle every day for the last several months seems to point that way. Something that seemed unthinkable a couple of years ago especially considering the other pieces collecting dust in the watch box.
And I am wearing it on the same strap all the time! And I didn't even make it! It's a ridiculously expensive Eulit perlon strap (worth very penny though if I am honest).
I still enjoy making watch bands for other people though, but even there I have to admit that the creative challenges are getting harder to find between those orders for AP hornback or Hublot croc belly straps.
Maybe I am just getting old? Maybe I need a change of scenery? Maybe I need a project? Maybe I need to see a shrink, because technically I have nothing to complain about.
So why did I just type all this? I really don't know but I suddenly had to do it. Maybe to just get it off my chest.
Thank you for allowing me to do so.
Maybe, just maybe ( a lot of "maybe-s" for someone who usually doesn't have a problem making even tough decisions) you have an idea?
Donerix
And the love for the more mature pieces and the never ending pursuit of the best possible build of the rarest of rare timepieces.
Will I ever forget the moment when my eyes caught sight of a certain case shape between a mountain of worthless junk during the visit to a flea market in Germany which turned out to be an original Rolex GMT 6542 case with case back and original ghost dial completely devoid of any lume markers ..... I found the grail.
And then the ensuing hunt for the right GMT movement from the original manufaktur to fill the missing link and the countless sleepless nights considering the sacrilege of actually re-luming this piece of history despite the fact that it was barley legible even in the brightest of lights.
What happened to this passion that seemed to fill every free hour of the day? Or to the excitement of making a hand-stitched strap for the latest vintage Panerai from that perfect piece of old cow hide ripped from a dilapidated suitcase or well worn boxing speed bag? Why do I know seem to miss the logic in buying literally dozens of different endlinks to finally get the perfect fit for this vintage rivet bracelet for that Tudor build. Boxes of parts stare at me repeating the question: What happened?
Was it the pandemic's fault, that gripped so many of us with it's subconscious depression and tried to pull us down? Why did I not make better use of these months where all economic activity had stopped and do something with this most valuable asset? Learn a new language, go out and surf, unlock that last thing that makes my golf swing still suck. Build some watches out of all these parts piling up in my work studio. Anything would have been better than wasting hours - which added up to days, if not weeks - watching depressing youtube videos or calculating the newest Worldometer numbers of new cases and COVID deaths for the next 24, 48 or 120 months... yes I really did that!
But no. I think it had started before the news of the first cases started coming out of China. Somehow that light of passion for watches that had been glowing so strong and for so long had started to flicker already some time ago. But why?
Was it because I had seen it and done it all? Barely. Why is it that the Tudor Black Bay 58 which should be right in my wheelhouse just gets a nod of deference with a snidely comment about it's chubby side profile compared to it's ancestors or that basically nothing in the current Rolex lineup even gets a second look. Panerai has already lost me a while ago with it's endless sequence of ever more identical looking models hidden in their model number salad. Have I become that jaded?
I know my other passion, the one for four wheeled pieces of art is still going strong like always. Maybe it's because living in the Third World most of it needs to be satisfied online and only the occasional trip to Puerto Banus will get me a car fix strong enough to hold me over for a while. But shouldn't this also be the same for watches...?
After all watch spotting there is a real treat in comparison to the fields of Nicaragua.
But somehow the new Porsche GT3 Touring or the new Ferrari 296 GTB or the recreated Lambo Countach can do to me what neither a new Daytona nor Nautilus seem to be able to...
Maybe I am just in a phase of reorientation .... having worn my Seiko Turtle every day for the last several months seems to point that way. Something that seemed unthinkable a couple of years ago especially considering the other pieces collecting dust in the watch box.
And I am wearing it on the same strap all the time! And I didn't even make it! It's a ridiculously expensive Eulit perlon strap (worth very penny though if I am honest).
I still enjoy making watch bands for other people though, but even there I have to admit that the creative challenges are getting harder to find between those orders for AP hornback or Hublot croc belly straps.
Maybe I am just getting old? Maybe I need a change of scenery? Maybe I need a project? Maybe I need to see a shrink, because technically I have nothing to complain about.
So why did I just type all this? I really don't know but I suddenly had to do it. Maybe to just get it off my chest.
Thank you for allowing me to do so.
Maybe, just maybe ( a lot of "maybe-s" for someone who usually doesn't have a problem making even tough decisions) you have an idea?
Donerix
