The Watch Community: Fueling the Flames of Watch Enthusiasm

One of the great things about Substack has been the access to a platform that allows for an outlet to talk about watch enthusiasm but also a way to distribute and collect metrics for posts. It’s a user-friendly way to post long-form content that other social media platforms are striving to get away from.

Discovering My Passion for Watches

I love reading other more technical pieces, but I also enjoy reviews and new release announcements just as much as the next enthusiast. General watch content seems to draw me in the most. By that, I mean I like the articles and podcasts that tend to be driven by an almost “ask me anything” (AMA) approach that you’d see in other online pieces. It’s certainly not because it’s a weighty approach to watches; in fact, it’s the opposite. It’s the approachability that draws me in. More than anything.

Navigating the Watch Community

It’s why shows like AET worked so well. It was relatable. It’s why I love listening to This Watch Life and That Watch Podcast. The topics are about preferences and what they like or dislike. Occasionally, there’s a guest appearance from someone who is also in the enthusiast realm that may know a lot about watches, but the delivery is so approachable. It’s what makes this ‘hobby’ so enjoyable—the people!

Growing My Online Presence

So a brief mention of just how in the weeds I’ve gotten, and my hope is that a lot of you are nodding along with this, or else I’ll really feel like I’m off on an island here. This all started with a general interest in watches that’s festered for years. Most of the time, it lay fairly dormant, but there have been watches in my life all along this journey. No intentionality behind it, just a calm appreciation.

After that, there was a spark. It’s hard to say what the true spark was, but there must have been a lot of fuel around the spark because the explosion of interest was so much that it led to me trying to decide on any number of ways that I can learn more, then engage more, then truly participate in the conversation about watches as much as possible.

Side Note

Arcanaut has their own podcast too, and their last episode focused in on how the three people at the helm of the brand got into their careers in watches. James was probably the most open and vocal about his path and his humble answer focused a great deal on how he never felt like he should be on stage or at the table with the greats. But he was invited and he went with it and now, though still incredibly humble, I think he is at least more understanding why he’s where he is. His place is rightfully earned whether or not he believes. If you haven’t heard it you should really check it out.

The explosion of my interest was shaped by many YouTube videos, blogs, and podcasts, and after I felt like, “ok, I think I understand what they are sort of talking about,” it led to, “ok, I need to know even more and add more reading materials,” and then eventually it led to a need to socialize some of the thoughts that were bubbling up. I needed community. Let me tell you, in this interest, if you want it, it’s there!

The Learning Curve of Social Media

I probably started on Watch Crunch (WatchCrunch.com/watchcology) before I started an Instagram page (@watchcology) specifically for my watch enthusiasm. I liked that it was started close to where I live in Washington State, and I liked the content that was all about watches. If you haven’t ventured into their app, then I highly recommend you get into the conversations. It has a lot to offer anyone who has an interest in the watch community.

I then decided to make the move to start the separate Instagram account all for watches. That was its own adventure. I wasn’t a huge user of Instagram. I posted the occasional photo of my cute kiddos and the occasional professional update, but that was about it. I knew nothing about these stories or reels, and I certainly didn’t know what to post or how to make photos look halfway decent. The people who do post serious photos are amazing photographers and can make the simplest “plonk shot” into something that’s incredibly desirable for both the watch enthusiasts and photographer enthusiast communities. In this case, there’s a heavy crossover between the two, which makes for a nice Venn diagram.

The learning curve was pretty heavy. I didn’t have some of the pieces I do now, which meant photos, even if well edited, weren’t really all that great. I spent time using brand release photos and making mediocre reels or occasional posts. I tried to follow too many people and was stopped from adding others for days, and of course, that approach yields very few follows back to your own content. It was me struggling to figure out a system, and I hadn’t yet found a voice to be my authentic self. That’s what was missing. The real connection hadn’t happened because I didn’t know where to focus or how to do what I wanted. I still may not really have it down, but connections slowly started and real conversations started.

Influences and Connections in the Watch World

I even ran into a friend from back in the day—Michael—(I won’t go into the weeds with who all the people are that have influenced me. There are many. But I will refer to their names, and some you may know, and others I’m happy to talk about if you have interest) who I had no idea was a watch person. Seeing his content and considerable following has really been an influential factor in how my photos have at least improved, and I only post my own content—not borrowing and formatting to get some version of attention. Yes, it helps that I added some pieces that look good, and I borrowed some watches, but along the way, I went from editing with the iPhone native app (enter the gasps from the seasoned photogs) and got into using Lightroom. That leap was because Vu Bui helped talk about his approach to editing, and both he and his partner, Lydia Winters, are experienced and excellent photographers (whether they like to admit it or not).

Connections and conversations started. I met James, who has his own podcast, and Andrew, who is located in the same region. The fun chat about watches went from an expectation that everyone can rattle off all of the Speedy references (RJ can, but not most of us Speedy muggles) and was reshaped into conversations about, “hey, I like that watch and that watch,” or “I certainly can’t afford that piece, but I appreciate that other one very much.” Just casual and approachable conversations that, as a non-expert, I could participate in.

That was a huge impact on my confidence. People were going from usernames to friends in the community. What a great feeling. And the positivity that most bring to the table is something that I personally truly enjoy. There are a lot of people like James out there who are super knowledgeable but also want to share their expertise with the people who are genuinely interested.

Zach is another person who is leading a revolution in watchmaking in the US. He owns a company making parts for watches. I mean, he’s making micron-sized parts using modern US manufacturing to reshape the landscape for what making watches in America means. That’s incredible to me! He and I have chatted many times about his work and his commitment to the job. I’m going to interview him at some point, but he also works 16-hour days and runs this nearly as a one-person operation. His time is valuable, and I certainly don’t want to be someone taking away from his livelihood. I want to help drive more people to his business, and if I can play a role in that at all, I surely want to. On his time and availability.

Venturing into Long-Form Writing

So I need to get back to how I got to Substack. I was enjoying the conversations and participation on Instagram and Watch Crunch, but I was having a challenging time figuring out how to participate in a lengthier format. I have a deep appreciation for watch journalists and have had the opportunity to chat briefly here and there with many that I deeply respect. Some of those people had/have their own Substack, and so I gave it a shot. But then you go through the phases of what to write, and the pieces like this that share the most personal thoughts tend to be the ones that get the most notice from my small but mighty readership. That’s a really special feeling—to click on the analytics and witness that, in minutes of posting, so many people have read your piece. It’s a quite special feeling. I’m grateful to all of you for taking the time to slog through and get this far. Thank you! Truly!

Long-form writing has evolved since my first pieces, and now that I’ve written over twenty “watch-icles” here, I’ve got the bug to even further expand my readership and write about more and more of the watch world.

WhatsApp was another community that I’ve fallen into. Thanks to Rick and Alon and Rob, I’ve been invited to participate in smaller group conversations about watches with even more professionals in the watch world and some serious collectors and sellers of watches. I feel like James now that I’m invited to sit at a table I have no business sitting at, but I’m not being told to leave, so I’m soaking in every awesome moment of learning and participating where I feel comfortable.

Future Goals and Aspirations

Watch reviews are another area that I enjoy reading, so why not write about them too? Well, because I didn’t have much of a social media following and didn’t work for a publication, so who in their right mind would want to send me a watch to review? I certainly don’t have the money to buy every watch I’d like to review, and I live in a “watch desert” with no real watch stores until you drive about three hours west. I saw friends with real followings receive watches to photograph, and I see their following, so I get that brands want to achieve reach, so I either need to get followers or get with a publication or get rich and buy these little joys!

Followers come with time, and now I have materials I’ve written (great practice) and more of a reach than I did even just a few months ago. Enter Mr. Trip Henderson of Lōcī Watch Company. He was in one of the WhatsApp groups and was talking to a group of actual journalists and industry insiders when he asked if anyone in the states wanted to have a hands-on experience with his watches. I raised my hand and assumed he’d take one look at my follower count or my readership and say no thank you. I want to send it to X publication or Y mega social media influencer. But thankfully, he took a chance. He worked with me on providing great info for the piece, and while perhaps it wasn’t a huge investment of time or resources on his behalf, there was a tangible investment. He spent his time and resources allowing me to do this, and I am fully aware that he has more influential people he could work with to really gain more of a reach than I could provide, but instead, he helped me. I can’t say enough about Trip and how he’s helped. His brand also gives back to great organizations with each watch purchase, and you should absolutely check them out!

Brands sending materials to review was something new to me. I’ve since even had a strap brand reach out, and I’m planning on posting about them in the near future too, as I’ve really enjoyed the product they make and am more than happy to share their story with those of you sticking in here! Thank you, again!

Back to how do I get even more reach into the watch community. I’ve been talking with a couple of brands about doing some freelance work with them. Now that I can comfortably share that I have written some pieces, I have materials to share and show I can do this and participate in a larger way. It’s been great to talk to Chris, who has done this and was even featured on a recent video about his own collection and journey. It’s so inspiring to see others do it, and I’m gaining the confidence to also try and elbow my way in, politely, to do this more than I am even now. I’m really hopeful that I’ll be able to get a byline in the near future and keep this wonderful feeling going while I’m constantly learning more about the industry of watches and journalism, too.

I’m a working professional. I don’t have the ability to go to school to be a watchmaker, and I think there are people far more creative than I am to lead that charge in the watch community. Writing is something that is more approachable for me for now, and I enjoy it and the other opportunities that are coming from this joy. I would like to expand, one day, into other mediums like YouTube, but they are all really brave to have those channels, and they find the time to edit said videos. Writing an article per week is the commitment I’ve made for myself, and it’s been something that’s manageable and doable. I’d also love to get into podcasting, but the podcasts I love feature duos at least, and I don’t have a partner in crime for that venture, nor do I believe I have the content to make that something that would be enjoyable for listeners on a weekly basis. (Huge acknowledgment to This Watch Life for being a daily podcast that’s not been stale even once! Daily!)

Thank you for reading this far. I enjoy writing these more personal pieces about where I am with the watch journey. It’s full speed ahead from here. The passion I have for these things has only expanded, and the list of pieces I want to have in my own collection is also expanding, much to the chagrin of my better half. But it’s not the ownership that makes me most happy when it comes to watches. It’s the community. It’s all of you that are taking the time to be a part of the conversation and talk about what you like or not, what you’ve owned or want, why you like watches in general, and why you’re drawn into talking about them with other enthusiasts or collectors.

I love these little things, and so must you. I hope you’ll continue to read and be a part of my journey, and I’d love you to reach out so I can chat more with you about them as well.

Thanks again!

-Adam