"The watch that started it all for me" – Jean-Paul's Breitling Transocean
There’s always one that started it all. The first taste that starts the passion. Like the first dunk that lit the flame in Jordan’s heart. The first moment Phelps touched the end of a pool and knew he loved to win. Or the first piece in your collection that opened your eyes to the variety and complexity involved in the pursuit of good watches. For Jean-Paul, this was his first. A stunning Breitling Transocean ref. 1461 semi-perpetual calendar, that he picked up on his honeymoon in New York City. After four visits to the Wempe boutique, he decided to pull the trigger, and hasn’t looked back since. The fact that you can put this many complications in a watch that small, and it’s also a watch you don’t see every day. I’m very happy with it. Wear it in good health, Jean-Paul.
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Jonathon did not buy this watch — a stylish Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Geographic — instead, he managed to convince his grandfather to relinquish it. It was the first watch Jonathon remembers seeing and noticing that it was a *nice* watch (and honestly, it’s easy to see why). Now, it’s one thing to notice your grandfather’s watch and admire it from afar, but it’s another thing entirely to fully migrate it from his wrist to your own. But as we discovered in the latest instalment of Every Watch Tells a Story, Jonathon’s approach was surprisingly direct. I said to him, “Hey, that’s a nice watch, I don’t see you wearing it that often — I’d be very happy to take it off you and wear it for you. And he was like … sure, if you’ll wear it more, it’s yours.” The coda to the story, though, is that the watch needed a service, and with that came a case polish, which meant that the dings and marks of a life well-lived disappeared, and while Jonathon was initially disheartened at this erasure of identity, in the end he came to the realisation that it’s now his watch, and one he can put…
Today’s entrant into the ‘Every Watch Tells a Story’ hall of fame is Dale. It turns out that Dale has a bit of a thing for pilot’s watches, and for good reason — Dale is a commercial airline pilot. And the pride of his collection is none other than the mighty Breitling Navitimer. In case you’re not across it, the Navitimer (a portmanteau of navigation and timer) is one of those seminal watches that dates back to 1952, and featured a distinctive slide rule bezel, which was used by pre-avionics pilots as a tool, allowing on-the-fly calculations of things like fuel levels and average speed. It’s a pilot’s watch that pilots used to use Of course this isn’t functionality that Dale needs on his wrist for his day job, but it’s an important part of the history of aviation, and undeniably cool. And of all the models on offer, Dale’s 2003 model, with a starburst blue dial, is a real stunner. 
Next up in our rolling cavalcade of ‘Every Watch Tells a Story’ stories is Vince. Now, this one is a bit of a funny one, and not just because the watch in question is the critically acclaimed Joker from Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin. If you’re not familiar with the Joker, it’s a very clever piece of watchmaking, that looks like, well, a Joker. Look closer and you’ll notice that those crazy eyes show hours and minutes, and the lolling red tongue is actually a moonphase. It’s bright, cheery and pretty out of the box for a generally conservative industry. And these are all reasons why Vince fell for the watch, hard. The only problem? It was limited to 99 pieces and they were all gone. He actually made a secret edition with a casino in Russia called Tigre de Cristal So Vince put some calls in to try to track one down. Within minutes he had a call back … but there was something odd about this Joker … 
So it’s a little bit weird to be writing an intro blurb for my own ‘Every Watch Tells a Story’ video, but there you go. I’d also say that my own ‘story’, brief as it is, doesn’t stack up to some of the others we’ve got in terms of drama. But it is my story, and — I think — a relatable one. It’s the first one that I chose, and that I obsessed about online. It’s the story of my humble Archimede Pilot, which was the first ‘nice’ watch I bought, more than 10 years ago. It’s a watch I researched more than I probably should have (shout out to the Timezone German Watch Forum). It’s also (unlike many of my other early watches) one I still like the look of today, and wear regularly, though to be honest it’s well overdue for a service. 
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In the first episode of a new Time+Tide video series called ‘Every Watch Tells A Story’ — in which we ask people to choose a watch in their collection with a memorable backstory — Tom explains how he came to be the proud owner of a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711, a watch that has had arguably more attention in the last few months than ever before in its colourful 42-year history. How can I rattle that fact off so easily? Because we are the same age. I could only dream of ageing as well. Without stealing Tom’s thunder, this is a familiar and, for many, frustrating tale. You are asked by one of your friendly watch dealers, ‘Which watch would you most desire?’ To be met with laughter these days is probably not uncommon. Though Tom’s final result may have many reconsidering their long game, and gritting their teeth, though the months and years may seem to stretch away. If you actually make it onto a list, that is. If you want to get in on the fun, just tag your watch and story at #everywatchtellsastory and we’ll see it. I gently tapped the man on the shoulder and said, ‘Listen, sorry mate,…
When we came up with the concept for ‘what sealed the deal’, it was all about those micro-details and micro-decisions that happen in the final stages of a purchase. Tiny things you can’t get out of your head about a watch. That case shape. Those burnt orange indices that are coloured not by paint, but by oxidisation. Most of the factors that sealed the deal on my TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 were documented in this video below, but there is always more to the story, so here it is. When did you first see/hear about it? This is a weird way to meet a Monaco, but the first one I saw was in the mid-2000s and it was a V4, that wild creation comprised of belts, ceramic balls and magic. Of course, I’d seen them on wrists before that, but it wasn’t until GQ needed a story on the V4 that I properly deep-dived. At that point, to be completely honest, I found it occupied a weird polarised place, with this insanely innovative and amazing (cough, expensive) version and other really retro models that were out of vogue in the mid-2000s. There was certainly nothing as pitch-perfect as the…
Those who know Champs know that he has a special affinity for Audemars Piguet. And like many others, that fondness for the Swiss manufacturer began with nothing more than a few pictures found online – like the proverbial pin-up posted on our bedroom walls. A few years later, an innocent trip to Baselworld led to an incredible visit to the AP factory and it wasn’t long before he returned to pick up his Royal Oak 15400 with boutique blue dial. Still the fire burned. And soon after he was back at the birthplace of the original luxury sports watch; only this time, it was to pick up this one, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin 15202. When did you first see/hear about it? I first heard about it back in 2012, when it was relaunched for the 40th anniversary of the Royal Oak. I had been daydreaming about it ever since, but sadly, I couldn’t afford it yet. Any story behind the purchase? When I went to Baselworld in March 2017, I had the privilege of meeting the CFO of AP and other AP associates. We got along so well that I’ve stayed in touch with them, and every time I have been to…
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