Sept. 8, 2026
023: Behind the Watch Strap with Calvin Smith
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David Newman welcomes Calvin Smith of Lusso Straps to dive into the often overlooked but essential world of watch straps. Calvin shares how his background in the Peace Corps and travels to over 75 countries fueled a passion for high quality leather that eventually led him to the unique cult of Panerai. They discuss why most mass produced straps are essentially the particle board of the horological world and how a simple strap change can completely transform the mood and functionality of a timepiece. From creating custom fit solutions for small wrists to pulling out subtle dial details with contrasting thread, Calvin explains why a handcrafted strap is the ultimate way to refresh your collection without buying a whole new watch.
00:01 – The World of Straps
-
David introduces Calvin Smith, the founder of Lusso Straps and a specialist in the niche world of Panerai customization.
-
Setting the stage for a conversation on how straps serve as the unsung heroes of the watch box.
00:41 – Peace Corps and Plywood Leather
-
How a background in international consulting and Costa Rican leather crafts sparked the idea for a business.
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Why bonded leather is considered the particle board of the watch world and why quality matters for comfort.
03:41 – The Panerai Connection
-
Exploring why the unique tool watch history of the Italian Navy makes Panerai the perfect canvas for leather work.
-
Why legibility and size are critical for true diving tools when used in murky underwater conditions.
06:46 – Solving the Small Wrist Struggle
-
Calvin discusses the difficulty of finding high-quality straps that fit a six and a half inch wrist properly.
-
Why custom measurements are far superior to off-the-rack options that look like a sundial on the arm.
10:46 – Handcrafted in the Midwest
-
Meeting the master strapsmith and former saddleryman who brings Calvin's designs to life with movie-quality precision.
-
The technical challenge of maintaining a strict tolerance of less than a quarter of a millimeter for a perfect fit.
14:31 – Seasonal Mood Swings
-
How a bright yellow strap for summer or black crocodile for luxury can completely change a watch's personality.
-
Using contrasting thread to highlight specific dial details, such as a red arrowhead second hand.
18:17 – The Alternative to a New Watch
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Why you do not need to drop ten thousand dollars on a green dial if you can just buy a high-quality green strap.
-
How a few hundred dollars on handcrafted leather can scratch the itch for a new timepiece.
21:57 – The Panerai 101
-
A breakdown of the three basic categories of the brand, including the Radiomir, Luminor, and Submersible.
-
Why the Radiomir wire lugs require a bit more expertise and patience to navigate during a strap change.
28:35 – Motorsport and Memories
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Calvin shares his personal collection including Chopard Superfast models and his first Rolex Day-Date purchase.
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The story behind the Yema Rallygraph and the 1969 Mario Andretti Indianapolis 500 victory.
36:18 – Becoming a Connoisseur
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Why moving from off-the-rack straps to custom leather is like moving from a department store suit to a tailored jacket.
-
Final advice on finding the perfect fit that complements both your physiology and your personal style.
Once you experience a strap that was made specifically for your wrist, you will never go back to off-the-shelf leather again.
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WEBVTT
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This file was generated by Descript
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Calvin: I find that over time
the market has really shifted.
00:00:04.274 --> 00:00:07.204
It's not just the major manufacturers.
00:00:07.664 --> 00:00:13.233
It's gotten to a point where there
are niche, other niche makers, and I
00:00:13.233 --> 00:00:17.503
just find that fascinating that you
can change so much with a watch strap.
00:00:17.514 --> 00:00:22.883
David: Welcome to Watch Smarts, where
smart people get smarter about watches.
00:00:23.123 --> 00:00:24.493
I'm your host David Newman.
00:00:24.723 --> 00:00:25.933
Let's jump right in.
00:00:37.354 --> 00:00:41.474
We have talked an awful lot
about watches, watch collecting,
00:00:41.483 --> 00:00:43.674
watch brands on this show.
00:00:44.063 --> 00:00:45.544
But you know what we haven't tackled?
00:00:45.544 --> 00:00:49.663
And it's a topic I happen
to love, watch straps.
00:00:50.143 --> 00:00:55.563
Well, you're in luck because Mr.
Calvin Smith from Lusso Straps is
00:00:55.563 --> 00:01:00.983
right here right now to give us
the lowdown on the world of straps.
00:01:00.983 --> 00:01:02.253
Calvin, welcome to the show.
00:01:02.464 --> 00:01:03.224
Calvin: Thank you very much.
00:01:03.224 --> 00:01:04.333
It's a pleasure to be here.
00:01:04.813 --> 00:01:09.413
David: So tell us a little bit,
what was your entree, first into the
00:01:09.413 --> 00:01:14.393
world of watches, and then give us a
little backstory of how you got into
00:01:14.393 --> 00:01:15.874
the business that you're in today.
00:01:16.314 --> 00:01:20.314
Calvin: Well, I initially started with
gain- I actually gained an interest
00:01:20.314 --> 00:01:24.752
in leather and leather products when I
was in the Peace Corps Uh, I lived in
00:01:24.752 --> 00:01:30.862
Costa Rica, and one of my small business
clients that I would consult with was
00:01:30.872 --> 00:01:34.582
someone who made belts and wallets and
things of those na- of that nature.
00:01:34.951 --> 00:01:35.932
He was a great guy.
00:01:35.932 --> 00:01:37.051
I spent time with him.
00:01:37.051 --> 00:01:41.442
We would hang out and talk about types of
leather and things along those lines, and
00:01:41.442 --> 00:01:44.001
I, I really gained an interest in that.
00:01:44.722 --> 00:01:48.991
And then through traveling, I've
traveled extensively, uh, 75 countries
00:01:48.992 --> 00:01:55.092
so far, and I found leather tan-
tanneries in places like Brazil.
00:01:55.441 --> 00:01:59.202
Of course, you, you visit Tuscany and
you can find the tanneries there as
00:01:59.202 --> 00:02:03.051
well, in the, uh, Veneto and some of
the other places that you can go to.
00:02:03.471 --> 00:02:07.051
Uh, there's a company here in
Chicago, in the States, I say here
00:02:07.061 --> 00:02:11.711
in the States, uh, that does Horween,
and so that's a wonderful leather
00:02:11.712 --> 00:02:13.351
that we like to work with a lot.
00:02:13.912 --> 00:02:17.452
And so during COVID, I mean,
you probably hear a lot of COVID
00:02:17.462 --> 00:02:18.951
stories with businesses starting.
00:02:19.511 --> 00:02:24.991
My primary business, which was the
higher education consulting, took a
00:02:24.991 --> 00:02:29.201
hiatus, let's say, because when the
universities were closed, a lot of
00:02:29.202 --> 00:02:31.152
the consulting was not necessary.
00:02:31.152 --> 00:02:37.751
So I decided to pursue another interest
and, and try to turn it into a business
00:02:37.751 --> 00:02:42.341
rather than, than just, uh, some-
something that I did for fun, really.
00:02:42.781 --> 00:02:42.981
David: Yeah.
00:02:42.982 --> 00:02:46.111
Calvin: And so I put that
with… I have small wrists.
00:02:46.111 --> 00:02:47.741
I have a 6.5-inch wrist.
00:02:48.452 --> 00:02:52.761
It's very difficult to find
a strap in the proper size.
00:02:52.851 --> 00:02:56.231
Also, I was always disappointed with
the quality of the straps I bought.
00:02:56.232 --> 00:02:59.431
They, they use a very inexpensive leather.
00:02:59.931 --> 00:03:03.851
It's either bonded or it's a, what they
call a genuine leather, which just means
00:03:03.851 --> 00:03:05.491
it's made out of some part of an animal.
00:03:05.952 --> 00:03:11.291
And, um, uh, bonded is basically
the, uh, particle board of, of the
00:03:11.291 --> 00:03:13.452
leather world, plywood if you will.
00:03:13.772 --> 00:03:16.171
And, uh, I just, I dove into it.
00:03:16.171 --> 00:03:17.431
I, I studied leather.
00:03:17.461 --> 00:03:21.732
I studied the different trends
in the, in the industry.
00:03:22.052 --> 00:03:26.611
I learned that it's only been about
20 years since people really started
00:03:26.621 --> 00:03:31.781
getting into straps to change those
for their watches in a personal way.
00:03:32.202 --> 00:03:32.492
David: Yeah.
00:03:32.502 --> 00:03:34.842
Calvin: It used to be you
would go to your jewelry store.
00:03:35.252 --> 00:03:40.154
They would have that rack of, uh,
Speidel Uh, bracelets with a little
00:03:40.154 --> 00:03:43.894
re, you know, the little transparent
revolving rack, and you would go in
00:03:43.894 --> 00:03:47.493
there and your, your jeweler would
charge you to put it on Yeah And you
00:03:47.494 --> 00:03:48.974
didn't really have a lot of options.
00:03:48.974 --> 00:03:53.044
But of course, with internet availability
and being able to order from all over
00:03:53.044 --> 00:03:55.234
the place, it just really took off.
00:03:55.234 --> 00:03:59.643
And so, uh, I was able to make a
business out of something that I love.
00:03:59.974 --> 00:04:00.664
David: Yeah.
00:04:00.664 --> 00:04:01.124
Wow.
00:04:01.244 --> 00:04:05.913
So I have so many questions, because
what we haven't talked about yet,
00:04:06.234 --> 00:04:08.513
you are in a very niche business.
00:04:08.513 --> 00:04:11.214
You are in the niche of a
niche, as a matter of fact.
00:04:11.644 --> 00:04:15.364
Because of course some people would
say, "Oh, he just makes straps." It's
00:04:15.364 --> 00:04:16.714
like, okay, he just makes straps.
00:04:16.833 --> 00:04:19.413
He just makes leather straps.
00:04:19.473 --> 00:04:20.134
Okay, fine.
00:04:20.333 --> 00:04:26.544
He just makes leather straps for a certain
brand of watch, and you chose Panerai.
00:04:26.544 --> 00:04:29.404
Tell us about your connection
to Panerai and why that became
00:04:29.404 --> 00:04:31.073
the focus of Lusso Straps.
00:04:31.484 --> 00:04:34.483
Calvin: Initially I just, I've always
had an interest in horology, as a
00:04:34.484 --> 00:04:39.744
lot of us have throughout the years,
and I had a friend who had, uh, in
00:04:39.744 --> 00:04:44.514
Milwaukee, who actually had a Panerai,
and it wa- it's just so different and
00:04:44.514 --> 00:04:46.283
unique in the, in the watch world.
00:04:46.733 --> 00:04:51.383
I mean, it's a tool watch, but,
um, it's all… I mean, over time
00:04:51.383 --> 00:04:55.813
it's evolved into a, more of a
luxury brand and people wear them.
00:04:55.824 --> 00:04:57.553
They, they changed some of the sizes.
00:04:57.553 --> 00:04:58.623
They've gotten smaller.
00:04:59.004 --> 00:05:02.144
And, uh, they can be up
to a dress watch actually.
00:05:02.263 --> 00:05:04.833
And I just found that really
interesting in the watch world.
00:05:04.833 --> 00:05:07.664
They really stuck out in my mind.
00:05:08.093 --> 00:05:12.983
So I, I bought my first Panerai,
and I just, I was like, "This
00:05:13.004 --> 00:05:18.503
is, this is wonderful." And I
started looking at straps again,
00:05:18.513 --> 00:05:20.073
and it was sort of the same thing.
00:05:20.703 --> 00:05:26.363
Uh, mass-produced, cheap leather, not
very nice buckles, and they were always
00:05:26.394 --> 00:05:30.293
cut in a way where they were too long
for someone with a smaller wrist.
00:05:30.463 --> 00:05:30.593
Yeah.
00:05:30.593 --> 00:05:33.993
And of course, being a, a huge watch,
a lot of people would say, "Well,
00:05:33.993 --> 00:05:36.614
you shouldn't be wearing a watch
that big anyway. It's, it's just too
00:05:36.614 --> 00:05:38.723
big. Looks like a sundial on there."
00:05:39.163 --> 00:05:41.323
So I didn't care.
00:05:41.324 --> 00:05:42.544
I just, I loved the watch.
00:05:42.544 --> 00:05:44.883
I wanted to wear it,
and it's a tool watch.
00:05:44.883 --> 00:05:47.403
It's a diving watch, uh, initially anyway.
00:05:47.413 --> 00:05:47.583
Yeah.
00:05:47.783 --> 00:05:49.594
And so it's supposed to be big.
00:05:49.594 --> 00:05:51.554
It's, it's over a wetsuit.
00:05:52.044 --> 00:05:52.094
Yeah.
00:05:52.344 --> 00:05:54.163
So, and it needs to be visible.
00:05:54.173 --> 00:05:59.853
So it just, all of that, that history
with the Italian Army and Navy and the
00:05:59.853 --> 00:06:03.294
different things that they were suppliers
for, it just, I just found it fascinating.
00:06:03.303 --> 00:06:07.433
And then I thought, "Well, I, I really
love leather. How can I put these
00:06:07.434 --> 00:06:09.623
two interesting things together?"
00:06:10.154 --> 00:06:10.404
David: Yeah.
00:06:10.443 --> 00:06:15.163
Calvin: And so I decided to
look into getting straps made.
00:06:15.913 --> 00:06:17.493
And again, it was the same thing.
00:06:17.503 --> 00:06:21.863
Everyone wanted to put out what
I consider a mediocre product.
00:06:22.173 --> 00:06:25.633
And I thought, "Wow, I've, I've
visited a lot of the leather places.
00:06:25.633 --> 00:06:26.703
I've met a lot of people.
00:06:26.703 --> 00:06:33.264
What if I were able to get someone here
to actually physically make the straps
00:06:33.264 --> 00:06:40.918
that I design?" And we will get all
of the thread, leather, uh, buckles,
00:06:40.918 --> 00:06:45.878
everything you need and, and have them
delivered here and put them together
00:06:45.878 --> 00:06:50.837
ourselves and, uh, uh, make a, a quality
strap at a reasonable price point.
00:06:51.577 --> 00:06:54.467
David: It's interesting that
you mentioned about the size.
00:06:54.757 --> 00:07:01.787
So I had, uh, just a few, a few episodes
ago, I had a guest who was just a dive
00:07:01.788 --> 00:07:03.867
watch fanatic, like dive watch freak.
00:07:04.387 --> 00:07:07.687
And he also had fairly small wrists, I
think six and three-quarters, something
00:07:07.688 --> 00:07:08.907
like that, maybe, you know, seven.
00:07:08.908 --> 00:07:12.148
But, you know, these huge, like these
watches are enormous for even- Yes
00:07:12.298 --> 00:07:15.177
you know, a little bit larger than,
than your, your wrist and mine.
00:07:15.647 --> 00:07:20.107
He said, "Do you know why these
watches are so big?" And most people
00:07:20.118 --> 00:07:23.267
cite the fact that you do put them
over a wetsuit, and the wetsuit,
00:07:23.278 --> 00:07:26.318
you know, it's a layer of rubber on
your skin, so it needs to be bigger.
00:07:27.037 --> 00:07:31.097
He said, "You're underwater.
You're wearing a mask."
00:07:31.377 --> 00:07:31.428
Mm-hmm.
00:07:31.438 --> 00:07:36.478
"Often the mask will develop
condensation. So through a mask in
00:07:36.478 --> 00:07:40.767
the dark, underwater, semi-dark, you
need to be able to see what's going
00:07:40.768 --> 00:07:43.337
on on that watch dial." Exactly.
00:07:43.347 --> 00:07:44.847
"So of course it's big.
00:07:45.057 --> 00:07:49.748
It's big for legibility." And you
don't want to be, you know, 100 feet,
00:07:49.757 --> 00:07:54.178
200 feet, 300 feet underwater and go,
"I wonder how much air I have left.
00:07:54.178 --> 00:07:55.678
I can't see my dial."
00:07:55.877 --> 00:07:58.307
Calvin: Precisely, and
it's, it is a tool watch.
00:07:58.387 --> 00:07:58.927
David: Yes.
00:07:58.957 --> 00:07:59.647
Yes, yes, yes.
00:07:59.908 --> 00:08:04.457
So Panerai, of all the luxury brands,
and I could be wrong about this, I'm
00:08:04.457 --> 00:08:07.967
just recently learning about them,
and I think hosting this show has been
00:08:07.967 --> 00:08:12.117
such a wonderful opportunity for me
to learn from experts like yourself.
00:08:12.577 --> 00:08:16.207
A lot of the luxury watches, you look
at Omega, you look at Rolex, you look
00:08:16.207 --> 00:08:21.628
at some of these, you know, 10, 15, 20k
kind of range luxury watches- Mm-hmm
00:08:21.628 --> 00:08:23.657
most of them come on a bracelet.
00:08:23.997 --> 00:08:28.357
Am I right that most Panerais
come on some sort of strap?
00:08:28.938 --> 00:08:29.707
Calvin: Yes, they do.
00:08:30.088 --> 00:08:30.267
Uh, they- So
00:08:30.267 --> 00:08:33.347
David: they're much less into
the steel bracelet kind of world.
00:08:33.597 --> 00:08:34.297
Calvin: Absolutely.
00:08:34.298 --> 00:08:38.037
Yeah, you'll… You can buy from,
directly from Panerai, you can buy
00:08:38.048 --> 00:08:40.347
steel bracelets for a lot of the models.
00:08:40.557 --> 00:08:40.847
David: Yeah.
00:08:40.857 --> 00:08:44.167
Calvin: But, uh, for example, if
you're looking at a Radiomir, uh,
00:08:44.198 --> 00:08:48.218
the majority of them have the wire
lugs, and it's, you just, you can't
00:08:48.228 --> 00:08:50.577
attach a bracelet to it, uh- Oh, right
00:08:50.588 --> 00:08:51.527
in most cases.
00:08:51.537 --> 00:08:51.557
Yeah.
00:08:51.728 --> 00:08:54.828
So that's a, a large
portion of the market.
00:08:54.828 --> 00:08:58.447
And then Luminor, they do make
them, but it's, again, it's,
00:08:58.448 --> 00:09:00.538
um, they're very expensive.
00:09:00.997 --> 00:09:01.327
David: Yes.
00:09:01.327 --> 00:09:02.487
Calvin: And most people don't want them.
00:09:02.497 --> 00:09:05.457
It's just, it i- it's,
like, got a cult following.
00:09:05.588 --> 00:09:05.938
David: Yeah.
00:09:05.978 --> 00:09:11.247
Calvin: There are strap makers all over
the world, and they connect very well
00:09:11.247 --> 00:09:14.297
with, uh, groups like paneristi.com.
00:09:14.597 --> 00:09:14.947
David: Yeah.
00:09:14.997 --> 00:09:17.128
Calvin: And they have
developed a reputation.
00:09:17.467 --> 00:09:18.687
I feel I have, too.
00:09:19.510 --> 00:09:22.200
And people can get custom ones made.
00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:25.120
I have some that I carry
in stock on my website.
00:09:25.640 --> 00:09:28.770
But anybody that, whatever they
need, they, they just contact
00:09:28.770 --> 00:09:30.450
me and w- we make it for them.
00:09:30.880 --> 00:09:35.289
David: Well, I was gonna say,
because, you know, if you look at
00:09:35.430 --> 00:09:39.909
most of the manufacturers that we're
talking about, if you go to them
00:09:39.909 --> 00:09:43.610
for a strap, it is very expensive.
00:09:43.650 --> 00:09:46.540
I mean, certainly I think the
bracelets are even more so.
00:09:46.599 --> 00:09:49.849
You know- Oh, absolutely … you can
get 1,000 or $1,200 for a bracelet.
00:09:49.999 --> 00:09:54.279
But even the straps are easily
two, three, $400, right?
00:09:54.290 --> 00:09:55.829
From the- Absolutely … from the brands.
00:09:55.959 --> 00:09:59.199
Calvin: Yes, and s- oftentimes
more than that, five, $600.
00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:00.070
David: Yeah.
00:10:00.359 --> 00:10:06.059
So you've decided to make your straps, I
mean, for a handmade, handmade top quality
00:10:06.060 --> 00:10:09.419
materials, handcrafted by the founder.
00:10:09.889 --> 00:10:12.190
Have people told you that you
need to raise your prices?
00:10:12.729 --> 00:10:17.040
Calvin: Yes, and for the customs that we
do, they're a little bit more expensive.
00:10:17.509 --> 00:10:22.550
But for the ones that we have on hand, we
were just able to have the same quality.
00:10:22.589 --> 00:10:26.629
We im- we have the same Serafil thread.
00:10:26.769 --> 00:10:29.479
We have, uh, Swit-
buckles from Switzerland.
00:10:30.069 --> 00:10:30.229
Yeah.
00:10:30.230 --> 00:10:34.179
Uh, the leathers come from all
o- Tuscany or, or France, or just
00:10:34.639 --> 00:10:35.950
here in the States with Horween.
00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:41.909
And really, I just felt like here, it,
things are just less expensive oftentimes
00:10:41.940 --> 00:10:46.919
in the Midwest where we're located, and
we can get everything together here.
00:10:47.379 --> 00:10:51.770
And my strap smith, I, I, I will
admit, I, I have very little to do.
00:10:52.139 --> 00:10:55.899
I'm, I'm more the designer and the
person that interfaces with the client.
00:10:56.040 --> 00:10:56.450
David: Right.
00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:59.959
Calvin: But I, I know a few things,
but, uh, I have a strap smith who
00:10:59.999 --> 00:11:02.290
is a former, former saddlery man.
00:11:02.849 --> 00:11:02.879
Oh, wow.
00:11:02.889 --> 00:11:05.540
And, uh, he just, he does wonderful work.
00:11:05.540 --> 00:11:07.539
He's done work for movies.
00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:07.969
Yeah.
00:11:07.979 --> 00:11:11.659
Uh, for, like, Westerns with the,
the holsters and things like that.
00:11:11.669 --> 00:11:11.689
Wow.
00:11:11.699 --> 00:11:15.509
So he's a very well-known
person in, in the leather field.
00:11:16.010 --> 00:11:21.409
And so we've just got this partnership,
and he's just … I can tell him what
00:11:21.409 --> 00:11:25.009
I'm looking for, what the customer wants,
and we get together and put our heads
00:11:25.010 --> 00:11:27.770
together and, and he can make it quickly.
00:11:28.069 --> 00:11:32.189
And we can, exactly, we use the
same high-quality products at
00:11:32.690 --> 00:11:36.130
half or a third of what, what a
major manufacturer will charge.
00:11:37.016 --> 00:11:40.506
David: Quick commercial break here
to ask you, have you seen all of the
00:11:40.506 --> 00:11:45.096
cool resources, downloads, and guides
waiting for you at watchsmarts.com?
00:11:45.256 --> 00:11:46.155
Go check it out.
00:11:46.216 --> 00:11:47.126
You'll love it.
00:11:49.136 --> 00:11:56.016
Now, I know that most, probably most of
your clients are multi-brand collectors.
00:11:56.016 --> 00:11:57.195
They have some Panerais.
00:11:57.215 --> 00:12:00.545
They may have some Rolexes,
some Pateks, some other things.
00:12:01.055 --> 00:12:06.115
And I'm sure you've gotten the call
or the email, "Calvin, I love my Lusso
00:12:06.125 --> 00:12:12.195
strap on the Panerai. Can you help me
with my…" fill in the luxury brand.
00:12:12.506 --> 00:12:16.785
"Can you start doing for Patek?
Can you start doing for Vacheron?
00:12:17.015 --> 00:12:19.085
Can you start doing for Rolex?"
00:12:19.935 --> 00:12:23.545
How have you resisted so far,
I'm guessing, you've resisted
00:12:23.545 --> 00:12:25.205
the temptation to branch out?
00:12:25.596 --> 00:12:27.805
Calvin: Well, we do customs for any watch.
00:12:28.285 --> 00:12:34.595
Um- Okay … I, yeah, we do Ro- I do
Rolexes, uh, Chopard, Jaeger-LeCoultre.
00:12:34.665 --> 00:12:36.335
You name it, I've done a strap for it.
00:12:36.346 --> 00:12:36.366
Wow.
00:12:36.715 --> 00:12:40.246
So we do have the custom side of
it, but we don't have it as, like,
00:12:40.246 --> 00:12:44.286
a standalone production, I guess you
would call it, if you can call it- I see
00:12:44.286 --> 00:12:45.266
custom straps production.
00:12:45.266 --> 00:12:45.706
Yeah.
00:12:46.016 --> 00:12:50.566
But anyway, yeah, we do any kinda
custom, but those are typically…
00:12:50.775 --> 00:12:52.356
We do a lot out of word of mouth.
00:12:52.925 --> 00:12:53.772
David: Yeah, no, I bet.
00:12:53.772 --> 00:12:54.686
Calvin: Exactly what you said.
00:12:54.686 --> 00:12:59.136
We get a lot of people who say, "Yeah,
I've got a Panerai. I want to get
00:12:59.145 --> 00:13:02.705
something exa- this is exactly what
I want. Every time I go in, I can't
00:13:02.705 --> 00:13:04.226
find a red one with blue stitching."
00:13:04.235 --> 00:13:04.255
Yeah.
00:13:04.695 --> 00:13:09.375
"Or I want rally holes in, in this one to
put on my Tag Heuer Monaco or something."
00:13:09.525 --> 00:13:10.035
David: Yeah.
00:13:10.065 --> 00:13:11.786
Calvin: So we just, we do it.
00:13:11.985 --> 00:13:14.365
We, we have the capability to do that.
00:13:14.745 --> 00:13:17.185
Everything we do is without dyes.
00:13:17.625 --> 00:13:22.255
Uh, we don't use anything… It's
basically freehanded, and this, again,
00:13:22.256 --> 00:13:24.136
this, this Strap Smith is amazing.
00:13:24.535 --> 00:13:24.855
David: Yeah.
00:13:24.915 --> 00:13:27.996
Calvin: When you're talking about
half of a millimeter or something
00:13:27.996 --> 00:13:32.105
that a strap has to be exact or it,
it doesn't fit, it doesn't look right.
00:13:32.435 --> 00:13:32.795
David: Yeah.
00:13:32.795 --> 00:13:33.935
Calvin: Uh, we don't accept it.
00:13:33.935 --> 00:13:37.595
A- any- we have a tolerance of, of
less than a quarter of a millimeter.
00:13:37.895 --> 00:13:39.635
David: Yeah, and obviously
that's very important.
00:13:39.635 --> 00:13:43.256
If you've ever changed the strap on a
watch, e- even if you've just done, for
00:13:43.256 --> 00:13:48.065
the folks listening, if you've just done
a Quickchange strap- Mm-hmm … right,
00:13:48.086 --> 00:13:52.395
much less a real strap that you have to
kind of get into, it either fits or it
00:13:52.416 --> 00:13:56.245
doesn't, and trying to force it to fit is
a living nightmare, and it pops out- It is
00:13:56.506 --> 00:13:58.006
and it's, for, you know, crazy.
00:13:58.526 --> 00:14:02.485
So I wanna go back to something that
you said, just kinda macro level,
00:14:02.545 --> 00:14:04.576
about changing straps on a watch.
00:14:04.985 --> 00:14:07.265
Because for a lot of people,
this is a revelation.
00:14:07.605 --> 00:14:13.585
This is like, "Wait a minute, I can change
straps on my watch? If I have a bracelet,
00:14:13.595 --> 00:14:17.445
it can be leather? If it's leather,
I can substitute out something else?"
00:14:17.875 --> 00:14:24.735
So tell us in your experience, what
does, from a design standpoint, from
00:14:24.735 --> 00:14:32.414
a look-on-the-wrist standpoint- What
is special and magical about changing
00:14:32.414 --> 00:14:38.964
a strap and completely changing the
look and feel and mood of a watch?
00:14:39.464 --> 00:14:43.583
Calvin: Just that ability to,
to do that very thing, to have
00:14:43.584 --> 00:14:47.434
a… For example, you've got a,
a black-faced watch of some sort.
00:14:47.454 --> 00:14:47.904
David: Sure.
00:14:48.374 --> 00:14:50.993
Calvin: Put a yellow strap
on it, and it's summertime.
00:14:51.514 --> 00:14:53.193
You feel, you feel excited.
00:14:53.204 --> 00:14:55.893
You feel energy, I think.
00:14:55.903 --> 00:14:55.923
Yeah.
00:14:56.104 --> 00:15:00.543
And if you want to be more luxury,
you could go with a, a crocodile
00:15:00.543 --> 00:15:02.533
or an alligator black, for example.
00:15:02.534 --> 00:15:02.864
Yeah.
00:15:03.534 --> 00:15:06.084
And it completely changes the mood.
00:15:06.503 --> 00:15:09.484
Colors are very important on
a watch, and also you can…
00:15:09.534 --> 00:15:16.203
A lot of people, myself included, like
to use straps and/or the thread to pull
00:15:16.214 --> 00:15:18.583
details out of the face of the watch.
00:15:18.593 --> 00:15:18.623
Yes.
00:15:18.953 --> 00:15:24.663
I have a Chopard that has the second
hand, the, the arrowhead is red.
00:15:25.063 --> 00:15:26.143
The watch is silver.
00:15:26.803 --> 00:15:28.634
And s- uh, the, the dial is silver.
00:15:28.703 --> 00:15:34.523
And so you can use red, for example,
red thread or a red strap, and it just
00:15:35.023 --> 00:15:39.303
visually it pulls all of those things
together, and sometimes you don't even
00:15:39.303 --> 00:15:44.891
notice it, but it just makes the watch
complete And I'm a big fan of contrast.
00:15:44.901 --> 00:15:45.531
Mm-hmm.
00:15:45.531 --> 00:15:47.712
I like lighter colors a lot of times.
00:15:47.762 --> 00:15:52.062
A- And for me, it's seasonal, and for
a lot of my, my clients, it's seasonal.
00:15:52.512 --> 00:15:54.732
Uh, they do want brighter
colors for the summer.
00:15:54.972 --> 00:15:59.831
They, they want, uh, warmer colors
for the fall, and in between
00:15:59.831 --> 00:16:02.721
colors, like for the spring, things
that are almost like a pastel.
00:16:03.112 --> 00:16:03.372
David: Yeah.
00:16:03.442 --> 00:16:07.821
Calvin: So it just kind of, uh, it, it
just evolves as, as the year goes on.
00:16:08.301 --> 00:16:10.531
And pe- it, it's just a
wonderful thing to me.
00:16:10.551 --> 00:16:14.901
And with different things, like for
some of those customs that we do,
00:16:15.362 --> 00:16:18.712
to have quick pins, for example,
the quick, quick release pins.
00:16:19.021 --> 00:16:19.342
David: Yeah.
00:16:19.441 --> 00:16:23.021
Calvin: I mean, you can change
your watch strap in a minute.
00:16:23.411 --> 00:16:26.922
We supply a lot of people with, uh,
buckles if they want… don't want to
00:16:26.922 --> 00:16:31.101
use their original, or they buy more
than one original buckle for their watch.
00:16:31.391 --> 00:16:31.591
Yeah.
00:16:31.592 --> 00:16:34.982
They're gonna use the aftermarket
that we have, and so they're set.
00:16:35.021 --> 00:16:38.351
I mean, you get up in the morning,
um, people pair it with what
00:16:38.351 --> 00:16:39.471
they're gonna wear that day.
00:16:39.481 --> 00:16:39.501
Yeah.
00:16:39.901 --> 00:16:43.471
I've got a blue tie, I'm gonna wear
my brown strap with the blue thread.
00:16:43.911 --> 00:16:46.191
And you come up with some
interesting combinations.
00:16:46.261 --> 00:16:53.732
I just did one that is a, uh, crocodile,
and it's got a red stitch on it.
00:16:54.192 --> 00:16:58.192
And so the c- the client was just
very interested in that, and it was
00:16:58.192 --> 00:17:00.921
a, it's a very dark espresso brown.
00:17:00.932 --> 00:17:00.952
Yeah.
00:17:01.281 --> 00:17:04.722
So you normally wouldn't see
a watch strap like that in
00:17:04.722 --> 00:17:06.211
that color with red stitching.
00:17:06.571 --> 00:17:06.921
David: Right.
00:17:06.942 --> 00:17:09.722
Calvin: And so they're just…
It's an infinite palette
00:17:09.722 --> 00:17:10.941
of things that you can do.
00:17:11.262 --> 00:17:11.732
David: Yes.
00:17:11.771 --> 00:17:14.942
Calvin: And to me, that's very exciting
and, and a lot of times the clients
00:17:14.951 --> 00:17:16.281
will say, "Well, just do what you want."
00:17:16.781 --> 00:17:20.441
Well, I need to know a little
bit about their personality, what
00:17:20.441 --> 00:17:24.271
they're gonna do with the strap,
you know, or just, just a variety of
00:17:24.271 --> 00:17:26.001
things that, that you need to know.
00:17:26.021 --> 00:17:29.011
I want the strap experience
to be very personal.
00:17:29.292 --> 00:17:29.742
David: Yeah.
00:17:29.751 --> 00:17:31.641
Calvin: I want the person…
They're, they're, they're
00:17:31.671 --> 00:17:34.031
paying for a custom strap.
00:17:35.002 --> 00:17:35.082
David: I
00:17:35.082 --> 00:17:40.362
Calvin: want, I want that strap to be the
leather, the thread, the buckle, the size,
00:17:40.632 --> 00:17:42.502
everything exactly the way they want it.
00:17:42.502 --> 00:17:42.652
Yes.
00:17:42.652 --> 00:17:44.372
And, and we don't settle
for anything else.
00:17:45.081 --> 00:17:48.852
David: I'm gonna say something that
is gonna probably get me in trouble
00:17:48.902 --> 00:17:53.031
with some of our listeners and some of
our listeners' guests, and who knows.
00:17:53.532 --> 00:17:58.422
Let's say that you have a watch that
you really love, and you're very tempted
00:17:58.432 --> 00:18:01.471
because of what you just said about the
different colors, the different moods.
00:18:01.831 --> 00:18:05.512
You're like, "Oh, you know what? I
have the black dial, but they make
00:18:05.512 --> 00:18:09.581
a green dial. That green dial is
gorgeous." You know, are you gonna
00:18:09.581 --> 00:18:13.741
drop another 10 grand, 12 grand on the
green dial, or are you gonna take the
00:18:13.741 --> 00:18:16.511
watch you have, put on a green strap?
00:18:16.952 --> 00:18:18.482
You will be amazed.
00:18:18.722 --> 00:18:20.542
It's like that scratches the itch.
00:18:20.551 --> 00:18:22.411
At least for me it scratches the itch.
00:18:22.761 --> 00:18:26.821
If I have… 'Cause I've, for example,
I've been looking for purple dial watches,
00:18:26.821 --> 00:18:29.521
and I found a couple of beautiful ones,
but purple's kind of hard to come by.
00:18:29.522 --> 00:18:30.221
It's a little bit weird.
00:18:30.231 --> 00:18:30.321
Absolutely.
00:18:30.731 --> 00:18:30.901
Sure.
00:18:30.901 --> 00:18:35.141
So I have a couple of black,
just black dial diver watches.
00:18:35.411 --> 00:18:38.972
And, um, I actually like to
put, for the summer at least,
00:18:38.972 --> 00:18:40.342
I like to put s- rubber straps.
00:18:40.342 --> 00:18:41.531
I like to put FKM.
00:18:41.531 --> 00:18:41.902
Sure.
00:18:41.902 --> 00:18:43.622
I, I know it's probably ugh, bleh.
00:18:44.211 --> 00:18:46.281
But you know, this is just-
All the chemicals … my, my,
00:18:46.281 --> 00:18:47.682
my little personal thing here.
00:18:48.031 --> 00:18:54.011
I put a purple rubber FKM
onto a black dial watch.
00:18:54.472 --> 00:18:56.202
I don't need a purple watch anymore.
00:18:56.292 --> 00:18:56.631
Mm-hmm.
00:18:56.661 --> 00:19:00.331
And so I imagine some of your
clients, Calvin, are saying, "You
00:19:00.332 --> 00:19:02.822
know, I have this beautiful Panerai.
00:19:03.112 --> 00:19:06.911
Yes, I, I could get it in the brown,
or the black, or the silver, or the…
00:19:07.341 --> 00:19:12.181
Or wait a minute, instead of dropping
50 grand on watches, I could drop
00:19:12.182 --> 00:19:16.141
a few hundred or a few thousand on
some straps or some custom straps.
00:19:16.561 --> 00:19:19.001
I have all the watches
just… I, I'm sorry.
00:19:19.001 --> 00:19:23.501
I have all the colors, but on my favorite
watch I have now all the colors."
00:19:24.101 --> 00:19:25.261
Calvin: You've hit the nail on the head.
00:19:25.271 --> 00:19:25.291
Yeah.
00:19:25.851 --> 00:19:29.992
Most of our, our clients
are in that very mindset.
00:19:30.011 --> 00:19:30.031
Yeah.
00:19:30.101 --> 00:19:32.931
They, they look at it, and
they're… The same thing.
00:19:33.351 --> 00:19:36.741
They, they, uh, have a black face
watch or a silver faced watch.
00:19:37.051 --> 00:19:42.616
A lot of times when you get into a purple
or a green- People think, "Well, I'm
00:19:42.616 --> 00:19:44.996
kinda limited. It, it has to match."
00:19:45.636 --> 00:19:48.826
And it looks great when it does,
or you, you go with a color and
00:19:48.826 --> 00:19:50.246
then you match it with the thread.
00:19:50.386 --> 00:19:50.806
David: Sure.
00:19:50.986 --> 00:19:56.165
Calvin: But it also gives you an
infinite opportunity to be creative
00:19:56.165 --> 00:20:00.126
and, and have, have a different
color on that purple strap.
00:20:00.486 --> 00:20:00.866
David: Sure.
00:20:00.866 --> 00:20:03.895
Calvin: And it, or a wa-
rather, or the purple watch,
00:20:04.316 --> 00:20:06.025
and it just changes everything.
00:20:06.035 --> 00:20:06.055
Yeah.
00:20:06.306 --> 00:20:11.835
It just really comes alive and, and it,
for sure if you've got a black-faced
00:20:11.835 --> 00:20:15.675
watch and you put purple or green
on it, lime green, which we've done-
00:20:15.955 --> 00:20:16.495
David: Yeah
00:20:16.806 --> 00:20:22.635
… Calvin: or you put dark brown or black on
it, I mean, it just changes completely,
00:20:22.635 --> 00:20:27.305
and we have a lot of people who, who
change straps more than once a day.
00:20:27.625 --> 00:20:28.355
David: Oh, yes.
00:20:28.385 --> 00:20:28.896
Oh, yes.
00:20:28.925 --> 00:20:29.605
I've been there.
00:20:29.625 --> 00:20:30.626
I've totally been there.
00:20:31.035 --> 00:20:34.495
Calvin: I have clients who have,
not necessarily from me, but
00:20:34.495 --> 00:20:36.935
they, they'll have two 250 straps.
00:20:37.475 --> 00:20:38.635
David: Oh, my goodness.
00:20:38.675 --> 00:20:39.035
Calvin: Yes.
00:20:39.035 --> 00:20:43.166
I mean, people have huge… And then
their storage that they buy from you.
00:20:43.166 --> 00:20:43.306
Well,
00:20:43.335 --> 00:20:45.976
David: that's what I was gonna ask you
next because, you know, there's people
00:20:45.976 --> 00:20:49.755
that have big watch collections, so
they buy watch cases or watch winders.
00:20:50.195 --> 00:20:53.015
What, how do you store 250 straps?
00:20:53.015 --> 00:20:55.466
What, what mechanisms are
out there to help with that?
00:20:56.214 --> 00:21:00.793
Calvin: Most people use a cloth,
typically a cotton, uh, not as much
00:21:00.793 --> 00:21:02.974
like a synthetic, and they're rolls.
00:21:03.033 --> 00:21:04.264
They're like a watch roll.
00:21:04.324 --> 00:21:05.234
Oh.
00:21:05.264 --> 00:21:09.524
And people will just have these, like
a r- a row of shotgun- Mm … the,
00:21:09.543 --> 00:21:13.854
the bandolier, and, uh, they just have
them in there and, and roll them up.
00:21:14.154 --> 00:21:15.584
And, uh- How about that?
00:21:15.584 --> 00:21:18.894
… we, we do some, some storage as
well, but it's more for travel.
00:21:19.164 --> 00:21:22.703
We do some, uh, leather pouches,
I guess you would call them.
00:21:22.703 --> 00:21:25.593
They'll, they'll hold three or four
watches or whatever you would like.
00:21:26.014 --> 00:21:26.124
Nice.
00:21:26.124 --> 00:21:29.304
And so we do those as well because they're
thin and they're protective, but they're
00:21:29.304 --> 00:21:33.724
not bulky if you're just throwing a couple
of watches in there for the weekend or
00:21:33.813 --> 00:21:37.594
also just to put a few straps in there
and one watch or whatever the case may be.
00:21:37.973 --> 00:21:38.293
David: Right.
00:21:38.334 --> 00:21:41.344
Calvin: So, uh, Panerai
guys like leather a lot-
00:21:41.924 --> 00:21:42.293
David: Yes … in
00:21:42.293 --> 00:21:44.523
Calvin: my experience,
and they know a lot.
00:21:44.523 --> 00:21:44.633
For sure.
00:21:44.683 --> 00:21:46.333
They're very discerning customers.
00:21:46.654 --> 00:21:49.203
David: Well, for people that don't
know the brand, and this is not
00:21:49.203 --> 00:21:53.274
necessarily a Panerai show, and you're
not an authorized representative, so
00:21:53.274 --> 00:21:55.033
we'll just make that disclaimer now.
00:21:55.444 --> 00:22:00.123
But walk us through some of your
kind of favorite models of Panerai
00:22:00.154 --> 00:22:03.043
or, or i- if you have some in your
collection, I'd love to hear about
00:22:03.043 --> 00:22:04.983
your watch collection overall.
00:22:04.994 --> 00:22:08.804
But, but give us kind of the Panerai
101 for people that might not be all
00:22:08.804 --> 00:22:10.363
that familiar with the brand yet.
00:22:10.644 --> 00:22:13.453
Calvin: Well, uh, you have
three basic categories.
00:22:13.464 --> 00:22:13.494
Okay.
00:22:13.504 --> 00:22:17.374
You have the Radiomir, which
typically has the wire lugs.
00:22:17.983 --> 00:22:23.513
You have the Luminor, which is a
much, I don't know if you'd call
00:22:23.513 --> 00:22:25.013
it sturdier, but it's definitely…
00:22:25.013 --> 00:22:26.283
it's got solid lugs.
00:22:26.284 --> 00:22:26.633
It's, uh- It's
00:22:26.633 --> 00:22:27.424
David: tougher looking.
00:22:27.473 --> 00:22:28.233
Calvin: It i- it is.
00:22:28.233 --> 00:22:32.553
It's definitely more solid and
masculine, if you wanna call it that.
00:22:33.214 --> 00:22:38.094
And then you have the Submersible,
which is your classic dive watch.
00:22:38.413 --> 00:22:41.833
There are, again, so many options
with those because you can get
00:22:42.133 --> 00:22:47.333
different kind of composites and
colors on the dials, on the bezel.
00:22:47.383 --> 00:22:49.403
You have just a lot of opportunities.
00:22:49.633 --> 00:22:53.143
We do a lot of straps for the
people with the Submersibles-
00:22:53.563 --> 00:22:53.743
David: Yeah
00:22:53.744 --> 00:22:54.993
… Calvin: but also on every other one.
00:22:54.994 --> 00:23:00.603
And I personally like watches
like the, uh, the Radiomir 183.
00:23:01.833 --> 00:23:03.143
It's a beautiful watch.
00:23:03.183 --> 00:23:06.123
It's, it's accessible for a lot of people.
00:23:06.563 --> 00:23:13.123
Uh, you can get a nice example, uh, on
the secondary market for 3,000, $4,000.
00:23:13.123 --> 00:23:13.423
David: Yeah.
00:23:13.474 --> 00:23:15.723
Calvin: And it's a great
way to get to know Panerai.
00:23:16.543 --> 00:23:18.413
I encourage people to study.
00:23:18.953 --> 00:23:23.653
There, there's just so much
literature and so many fun groups.
00:23:23.653 --> 00:23:30.524
I mean, paneristi.com has been around
for 25 years, and they do amazing things
00:23:30.524 --> 00:23:34.983
not only f- with the watch community,
but, but just they support each other.
00:23:34.983 --> 00:23:36.373
It's, it's an amazing thing.
00:23:36.763 --> 00:23:38.514
But getting off the
subject a little there.
00:23:38.573 --> 00:23:41.763
The PAM423 is another one
that I absolutely love.
00:23:41.763 --> 00:23:48.293
It's got a power reserve on the front, and
it just… to me, it, it just speaks to
00:23:48.293 --> 00:23:53.788
me in the fact that it's a, it's a dark
dial- Panerai dials, what they call black
00:23:53.818 --> 00:23:57.838
to me are more of a charcoal- Mm … if
that makes a difference, a graphite.
00:23:58.278 --> 00:23:58.558
David: Yeah.
00:23:59.438 --> 00:24:02.158
Calvin: So they're not as sharp.
00:24:02.198 --> 00:24:06.078
They have a m- more mellow feel
to them from that perspective.
00:24:06.078 --> 00:24:09.828
They have a certain vintage look
because they have the khaki colored,
00:24:09.878 --> 00:24:13.268
in many cases- Yeah … they'll have
the khaki colored indices and numbers.
00:24:13.708 --> 00:24:19.618
So though it really lends itself, those
watches, especially the, the khaki
00:24:19.668 --> 00:24:23.268
numbers and indices, to the warmer colors.
00:24:23.868 --> 00:24:29.538
So it… Both of those watches, to
me, are s- are watches that are, that
00:24:29.538 --> 00:24:33.987
are affordable and a great way to
get started in the Panerai journey.
00:24:33.987 --> 00:24:39.007
You know, both, both, uh, of course,
one ha- the Radiomir has the wire lugs,
00:24:39.048 --> 00:24:40.648
which is a little more complicated.
00:24:40.648 --> 00:24:44.427
You have to kinda watch a video
or s- or get training from
00:24:44.427 --> 00:24:45.568
something, but, someone- Yeah
00:24:45.848 --> 00:24:49.107
because it certainly is not
your typical strap change.
00:24:49.118 --> 00:24:50.898
It, it'll- Right … it'll
take you a few minutes.
00:24:51.177 --> 00:24:56.177
And then on, on the, the Luminors,
you have the nice screw, and it
00:24:56.177 --> 00:24:59.648
just, you screw it right through
there, right through the, the strap
00:24:59.648 --> 00:25:03.807
into the, the other lug, and it's
just, it's such a solid feeling.
00:25:03.927 --> 00:25:06.637
You screw that in, and
it's, it's just ready to go.
00:25:06.897 --> 00:25:08.357
Your strap feels solid.
00:25:08.847 --> 00:25:12.438
It's ju- it's just a wonderful,
rugged look and feel.
00:25:13.088 --> 00:25:17.637
David: Now, with the Luminor, and I guess
with, with maybe m- a- almost all of them,
00:25:18.077 --> 00:25:21.147
the name Luminor obviously means light.
00:25:21.188 --> 00:25:25.508
They have this crazy lume that's almost
like, you know, you turn on a light
00:25:25.508 --> 00:25:27.687
switch or you turn on, like, a neon sign.
00:25:28.298 --> 00:25:31.707
Is it as amazing in person as
the videos that we see online?
00:25:31.717 --> 00:25:31.727
I
00:25:32.417 --> 00:25:33.057
Calvin: think so.
00:25:33.107 --> 00:25:34.598
It's something I really look for.
00:25:34.598 --> 00:25:38.657
I mean, it's, uh, in the old days,
it was completely radioactive.
00:25:38.997 --> 00:25:42.827
So, uh, you know, today, they've, they've,
uh, tempered that down a little bit.
00:25:42.827 --> 00:25:48.998
But I fi- I fi- I find that the, um,
that actually there are so many options
00:25:49.008 --> 00:25:52.717
and so many variations, but yes, in
general, the lumes are fantastic.
00:25:53.158 --> 00:25:53.418
David: Yeah.
00:25:53.427 --> 00:25:59.137
Calvin: And, uh, y- again, for the divers
and, at, at least originally, I, I frankly
00:25:59.137 --> 00:26:06.537
don't know a whole lot of people who take
their 100-meter $25,000 watch diving.
00:26:06.807 --> 00:26:07.087
David: Right.
00:26:07.477 --> 00:26:08.658
Calvin: I don't personally.
00:26:09.027 --> 00:26:09.427
David: Right.
00:26:09.427 --> 00:26:09.797
Right.
00:26:10.128 --> 00:26:12.187
Calvin: Um, there, there are people
that, uh, you get out and swim, and
00:26:12.188 --> 00:26:13.287
you can snorkel and things like that.
00:26:13.298 --> 00:26:13.758
David: Sure.
00:26:14.027 --> 00:26:19.618
Calvin: But for the most part, my guys
like, my watch clients, like leather.
00:26:19.938 --> 00:26:20.258
David: Yeah.
00:26:20.447 --> 00:26:21.328
Calvin: They prefer leather.
00:26:21.667 --> 00:26:25.917
But they will wear a rubber strap and,
and, uh, Panerai makes some wonderful
00:26:25.917 --> 00:26:29.058
ones, and there are some aftermarket
ones that are very well made as well.
00:26:29.197 --> 00:26:30.198
David: Well, it's funny.
00:26:30.238 --> 00:26:36.218
I think one of the reasons that folks
like me buy leather straps and rubber
00:26:36.218 --> 00:26:42.197
straps is simply the fact that you can't
find some of the cool colors in leather.
00:26:42.197 --> 00:26:42.457
Exactly.
00:26:42.457 --> 00:26:47.447
When they come to you, it's like you
can find any color under the sun in this
00:26:47.447 --> 00:26:54.266
beautiful, handcrafted, artisanal leather
put together by, you know- People who
00:26:54.266 --> 00:26:56.396
are world-class at, at what they do.
00:26:56.396 --> 00:27:00.576
So if, if, if people have,
are listening and they've been
00:27:00.586 --> 00:27:02.406
driven away from, again, leather.
00:27:02.406 --> 00:27:03.706
Oh, yeah, black, brown.
00:27:03.706 --> 00:27:04.466
Oh, let's go crazy.
00:27:04.496 --> 00:27:05.615
Maybe there's a white one.
00:27:05.626 --> 00:27:05.646
Mm-hmm.
00:27:05.655 --> 00:27:08.035
Maybe, you know, maybe
there's, like, a, a yellow one.
00:27:08.036 --> 00:27:09.205
We're going really nuts here.
00:27:09.775 --> 00:27:14.215
All the colors of the rainbow-
Sure … if you go to Calvin and team.
00:27:14.376 --> 00:27:18.795
Become available to you, and, uh,
not just for Panerai, but of course,
00:27:18.825 --> 00:27:20.906
Panerai specialists, Panerai experts.
00:27:21.165 --> 00:27:22.866
What else is in your collection, Calvin?
00:27:22.866 --> 00:27:24.336
What else is in your watch box?
00:27:24.945 --> 00:27:25.895
Calvin: Besides Panerai?
00:27:25.936 --> 00:27:26.286
David: Yeah.
00:27:26.615 --> 00:27:27.245
Calvin: Chopard.
00:27:27.245 --> 00:27:30.475
I, I'm a big fan of motorsport.
00:27:30.475 --> 00:27:30.876
Mm-hmm.
00:27:30.876 --> 00:27:32.025
Primarily F1.
00:27:32.425 --> 00:27:32.645
David: Yeah.
00:27:32.685 --> 00:27:35.565
Calvin: So just about every
watch I have has some kind
00:27:35.565 --> 00:27:38.930
of connection to- motorsport.
00:27:39.250 --> 00:27:39.540
Yeah.
00:27:39.540 --> 00:27:43.440
I have a Chopard, uh, Monaco Historique.
00:27:43.960 --> 00:27:49.040
I have a Super Fast, um, a
Chopard Super Fast, which is huge.
00:27:49.329 --> 00:27:54.639
So it's a wonderful watch, and frankly,
from the, from the, uh, the movement
00:27:54.760 --> 00:27:57.140
side, they are unbelievably accurate.
00:27:57.749 --> 00:28:01.250
And I just, again, they've got that
sporty, they look great on a rally
00:28:01.250 --> 00:28:06.359
strap, perforations, the, the graduated
holes, whatever you wanna do, they
00:28:06.360 --> 00:28:09.480
just, they look fantastic on those,
and I love making those strap, or
00:28:09.480 --> 00:28:10.780
having those straps made rather.
00:28:11.149 --> 00:28:11.369
David: Yeah.
00:28:11.420 --> 00:28:12.719
Calvin: I have a Rolex.
00:28:12.909 --> 00:28:16.089
It's a, a very basic, uh, Day-Date.
00:28:16.210 --> 00:28:18.479
It's the first ac- Swiss
watch that I bought.
00:28:18.989 --> 00:28:19.409
Yeah.
00:28:19.409 --> 00:28:23.589
Uh, I have a Carrera, uh, reissue,
and I have a Monaco reissue from
00:28:23.589 --> 00:28:25.899
the early, late '90s, early 2000s.
00:28:25.909 --> 00:28:26.429
David: Yeah.
00:28:26.929 --> 00:28:28.500
Calvin: And, uh, I have some YEMS.
00:28:29.609 --> 00:28:30.059
Oh, nice.
00:28:30.059 --> 00:28:30.720
I really like YEMA.
00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:35.249
I, I've just absolutely, their,
their customer service is wonderful.
00:28:35.249 --> 00:28:38.580
They're open seven days
a week, 24 hours a day.
00:28:39.019 --> 00:28:42.189
I've had a couple of issues,
uh, like anybody will have.
00:28:42.539 --> 00:28:42.969
David: Sure.
00:28:43.059 --> 00:28:45.919
Calvin: You just open your phone,
send them a message, and they're,
00:28:46.169 --> 00:28:47.629
they're right back to you in minutes.
00:28:47.919 --> 00:28:48.159
How about that?
00:28:48.159 --> 00:28:54.559
And my, one of my favorite watches
is a YEMA Rally Graf Mario Andretti.
00:28:54.980 --> 00:28:55.330
David: Mm.
00:28:55.649 --> 00:29:01.079
Calvin: They made… This was a, a watch,
uh, that was made to commemorate his,
00:29:01.120 --> 00:29:04.400
uh, 1969 win at the Indianapolis 500.
00:29:04.719 --> 00:29:07.679
They made 1,969 of them,
and I was lucky- Nice
00:29:07.749 --> 00:29:08.179
enough to get one.
00:29:08.629 --> 00:29:09.890
And it's an automatic.
00:29:10.249 --> 00:29:16.420
Uh, it looks a lot like the, uh, watch
that he actually used in that race.
00:29:16.429 --> 00:29:16.449
Yeah.
00:29:16.489 --> 00:29:20.569
And there's an interesting story
that he, he was not sponsored.
00:29:20.569 --> 00:29:26.029
He was not, uh, he was not given
any commercial anything, really.
00:29:26.029 --> 00:29:28.800
I mean, he didn't receive a, a
back- any backing or whatever.
00:29:28.919 --> 00:29:31.289
He was just walking down the
street, saw this watch, and
00:29:31.289 --> 00:29:32.280
said, "Wow, that's cool." Yeah.
00:29:32.579 --> 00:29:33.720
And bought it.
00:29:34.039 --> 00:29:38.789
And so years later, YEMA was like, "Wow,
this is really a feather in our hat." So
00:29:38.789 --> 00:29:41.269
they started, they started making these.
00:29:41.269 --> 00:29:45.550
And so they, they make a quartz version,
but I'm really proud of that watch.
00:29:45.599 --> 00:29:49.189
Uh, it's, it's certainly not the
most expensive watch, but it has a,
00:29:49.249 --> 00:29:53.189
a really good movement in it, and
it's just, to me, classic, and it
00:29:53.190 --> 00:29:54.819
pairs so well with so many things.
00:29:55.609 --> 00:29:57.819
David: Hey, David Newman here
with a quick commercial break.
00:29:57.819 --> 00:30:01.199
Have you seen our social media
channels that have video snippets
00:30:01.210 --> 00:30:02.819
from our favorite interviews?
00:30:02.850 --> 00:30:07.170
Check us out on TikTok,
Instagram, and YouTube.
00:30:07.179 --> 00:30:09.140
Now back to the episode.
00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:14.100
Well, as we're landing the plane,
I've got two final questions for you.
00:30:14.100 --> 00:30:17.330
The final, final question is where
can people go to connect with
00:30:17.330 --> 00:30:22.840
you and Lusso Straps and get all
the scoop on what's available?
00:30:22.859 --> 00:30:27.729
And then, uh, before we get to that,
my fin- my pre- my, uh, penultimate
00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:33.092
question, my second to last question
is- If we were to look at just the
00:30:33.092 --> 00:30:38.202
world of watch straps in general, right?
00:30:38.202 --> 00:30:39.522
'Cause people have the watch.
00:30:40.872 --> 00:30:47.152
I, I would say if you have never
changed out straps on your watch,
00:30:47.152 --> 00:30:52.132
whatever kind of watch it is, could be
a $50 watch, could be a $50,000 watch.
00:30:52.451 --> 00:30:57.742
If you've never changed the straps
on that guy, you have maybe missed
00:30:57.742 --> 00:31:00.171
out on 50% of the enjoyment.
00:31:00.172 --> 00:31:02.521
So that's, that's my
closing thought to people.
00:31:02.901 --> 00:31:06.351
Calvin, what's your closing thought
just about the world of Panerai,
00:31:06.362 --> 00:31:11.191
the world of Lusso straps, the
world of strap fashion in general?
00:31:12.248 --> 00:31:15.988
Calvin: I find that over time
the market has really shifted.
00:31:16.508 --> 00:31:19.448
It's not just the major manufacturers.
00:31:19.888 --> 00:31:25.468
It's gotten to a point where there
are niche, other niche makers, and I
00:31:25.468 --> 00:31:29.797
just find that fascinating that you
can change so much with a watch strap.
00:31:30.168 --> 00:31:30.268
Yeah.
00:31:30.277 --> 00:31:34.877
I think it's, uh, it's, it's just
something that I, I look forward to.
00:31:34.888 --> 00:31:36.137
I get excited about it.
00:31:36.158 --> 00:31:39.547
I look forward to the interaction.
00:31:39.547 --> 00:31:42.997
I think I like that more than anything,
is dealing with, with the customer.
00:31:43.308 --> 00:31:46.717
By the way, if you ever get a
strap made, photos are the best.
00:31:47.067 --> 00:31:50.318
Send me a photo to… or send this
one, I want this color, I want this
00:31:50.328 --> 00:31:51.987
sh- Yeah … this thread, whatever.
00:31:52.337 --> 00:31:53.247
That's very helpful.
00:31:53.247 --> 00:31:58.717
And so it, it, people who've never
changed a strap, there are videos.
00:31:59.218 --> 00:32:00.567
They can contact me.
00:32:00.567 --> 00:32:03.468
I'm happy to go through the process
with them because of course there
00:32:03.468 --> 00:32:05.548
are no spring bars with a, a Panerai.
00:32:05.558 --> 00:32:10.128
But we do a lot of, a lot of different
things to help our, our clients, and
00:32:10.137 --> 00:32:14.007
we have a lot of new customers, not
just, you know, they might want quick
00:32:14.008 --> 00:32:15.637
release spring bars, or they don't.
00:32:16.017 --> 00:32:16.227
Yeah.
00:32:16.227 --> 00:32:21.027
Or there's different things out
there that help install things
00:32:21.028 --> 00:32:22.257
or whatever the case may be.
00:32:22.757 --> 00:32:26.767
Honestly, most of, most
of, uh, our clients go to
00:32:28.007 --> 00:32:28.017
David: YouTube.
00:32:28.028 --> 00:32:28.538
Mm.
00:32:28.657 --> 00:32:31.687
Calvin: There's so many wonderful
videos out there by some very
00:32:32.187 --> 00:32:37.798
talented people who have an ability
to show you how to do something.
00:32:38.058 --> 00:32:40.487
And to me, I'm a visual, visual person.
00:32:40.877 --> 00:32:41.097
David: Yeah.
00:32:41.098 --> 00:32:43.878
Calvin: And once somebody shows
me how to do something, then I'm
00:32:43.878 --> 00:32:46.077
able to take it and make it my own.
00:32:46.077 --> 00:32:46.247
Absolutely.
00:32:46.477 --> 00:32:49.467
But sometimes with something like
that, someone saying, "Well, compress
00:32:49.488 --> 00:32:51.107
this pin and slide it in here."
00:32:51.517 --> 00:32:51.667
David: Right.
00:32:51.717 --> 00:32:52.827
Calvin: For me, that's difficult.
00:32:53.007 --> 00:32:53.027
Yeah.
00:32:53.037 --> 00:32:57.947
And I just find that in general,
people are opening their eyes.
00:32:58.007 --> 00:33:01.498
I mean, it's a three plus
billion dollar industry, and it
00:33:01.498 --> 00:33:03.238
was not like that 20 years ago.
00:33:03.558 --> 00:33:07.748
And at, the projections are almost, oh,
five, five and a half billion dollars
00:33:07.748 --> 00:33:11.707
by 2030, 2035, something in those range.
00:33:11.848 --> 00:33:12.477
In that range.
00:33:12.477 --> 00:33:15.337
So what you're, what you
see is a lot of growth.
00:33:15.367 --> 00:33:20.787
There's gonna be more niche markets out
there, so go after what you want and don't
00:33:20.797 --> 00:33:23.487
settle for what is necessarily out there.
00:33:23.497 --> 00:33:23.517
Yeah.
00:33:23.727 --> 00:33:24.908
Contact that person.
00:33:24.908 --> 00:33:29.747
Contact us and say, "Hey, Lusso Straps,
this is exactly what I'm looking for.
00:33:29.747 --> 00:33:30.708
I need it smaller.
00:33:30.708 --> 00:33:31.377
I have a small wrist.
00:33:31.377 --> 00:33:33.797
I need it larger." We get
a lot of those requests.
00:33:33.807 --> 00:33:33.827
Yeah.
00:33:33.837 --> 00:33:35.878
I have a nine, nine-inch wrist.
00:33:36.217 --> 00:33:36.337
Ooh.
00:33:36.497 --> 00:33:36.627
Okay?
00:33:36.937 --> 00:33:40.607
We're, we're gonna make you a
really big strap, but, or, or small.
00:33:40.607 --> 00:33:42.867
I mean, there, I'm, we've got six
and a half inch wrists, and there
00:33:42.867 --> 00:33:44.188
are people smaller than that.
00:33:44.538 --> 00:33:44.958
David: Yeah.
00:33:45.178 --> 00:33:50.457
Calvin: And it's just nice to have
one that's made for you and have it
00:33:50.517 --> 00:33:52.488
the way you want it and have it fit.
00:33:52.538 --> 00:33:56.028
Because there's a lot of things that
you, you have a beautiful watch,
00:33:56.277 --> 00:33:58.147
but y- the strap just doesn't fit.
00:33:58.407 --> 00:33:58.697
David: Right.
00:33:58.837 --> 00:34:01.688
Calvin: And it doesn't look right,
and it's not exactly what you want.
00:34:01.688 --> 00:34:04.798
"Oh, I wish I had this," or, "I
wish it had this kind of buckle,"
00:34:04.798 --> 00:34:05.457
or whatever the case may be.
00:34:05.458 --> 00:34:05.738
Right.
00:34:05.747 --> 00:34:05.767
Yeah.
00:34:06.187 --> 00:34:07.077
Let's do that.
00:34:07.702 --> 00:34:11.152
Let's make it perfect for you and
make you really enjoy your watch.
00:34:11.522 --> 00:34:12.272
David: Yes.
00:34:12.282 --> 00:34:13.002
So good.
00:34:13.002 --> 00:34:13.522
So good.
00:34:13.722 --> 00:34:17.031
Well, Calvin, where can people go
to get connected and stay connected
00:34:17.032 --> 00:34:20.362
to you, Luso Straps, website, links?
00:34:20.362 --> 00:34:22.302
What, what should go in
the show notes for people?
00:34:22.891 --> 00:34:26.132
Calvin: Well, lusostrap.com
is the primary place.
00:34:26.242 --> 00:34:26.561
David: Mm-hmm.
00:34:26.581 --> 00:34:30.112
Calvin: Um, i- if we have, uh, if
we're running some kind of promotion,
00:34:30.322 --> 00:34:31.712
it's always on the front page.
00:34:32.051 --> 00:34:32.231
David: Yeah.
00:34:32.262 --> 00:34:35.401
Calvin: And we do run those from time
to time, so I would, uh, certainly
00:34:35.511 --> 00:34:36.862
encourage people to check that out.
00:34:37.381 --> 00:34:39.641
We have straps available, pre-made straps.
00:34:39.891 --> 00:34:40.772
They're all handmade.
00:34:40.772 --> 00:34:42.371
They're just some that we have in stock.
00:34:42.641 --> 00:34:42.882
David: Yeah.
00:34:42.891 --> 00:34:46.342
Calvin: If they tickle someone's fancy
right off the bat, they can order those.
00:34:46.721 --> 00:34:49.572
Uh, they can contact me through
the website, through chat.
00:34:49.761 --> 00:34:55.351
Uh, make myself available on chat
at all times, and also on Instagram.
00:34:56.281 --> 00:34:58.162
We're, we're on WatchCrunch.
00:34:58.232 --> 00:35:02.311
We're on a lot of different formats
like that, that have a, have a good
00:35:02.311 --> 00:35:04.831
contact with the, with the customer.
00:35:05.441 --> 00:35:07.161
I'm not a hard seller at all.
00:35:07.351 --> 00:35:11.494
Uh, most of our Customers
come from word of mouth
00:35:11.944 --> 00:35:12.154
David: Yes
00:35:12.184 --> 00:35:15.384
Calvin: And we lo- we love that because
then that says, "Hey, we're happy, and
00:35:15.384 --> 00:35:21.763
we, we're willing to put our reputation on
the line, uh, in order to, you know, make
00:35:21.763 --> 00:35:25.014
sure that the next customer is happy."
And it just, it just makes me feel good.
00:35:25.383 --> 00:35:25.833
Yes.
00:35:25.864 --> 00:35:29.263
Uh, I'm, I'm more in this business to
make people happy, and there's nothing
00:35:29.263 --> 00:35:33.213
better than when someone sends me a
wrist shot after they've gotten their
00:35:33.214 --> 00:35:37.314
new strap, and they're just over the moon
because they finally got the watch strap
00:35:37.314 --> 00:35:39.074
that complements their watch the best.
00:35:39.614 --> 00:35:40.674
David: Absolutely.
00:35:40.743 --> 00:35:41.533
I love that.
00:35:41.564 --> 00:35:44.813
And so I, I will need
one of your lime greens.
00:35:44.853 --> 00:35:46.503
I will need some purples.
00:35:46.524 --> 00:35:50.533
We need to talk after this,
and, uh, totally fantastic.
00:35:50.893 --> 00:35:56.003
As you were mentioning this, it, it
struck me, this is like people that just
00:35:56.003 --> 00:36:00.223
have bought off-the-rack clothing, and
they've never gone to a tailor, right?
00:36:00.224 --> 00:36:03.853
They've never had a custom-made
jacket or suit or pair of slacks.
00:36:04.843 --> 00:36:09.784
Once you've experienced this, that
it fits you, your personality, your
00:36:09.794 --> 00:36:14.513
physiology, in this case, your wrist,
your size, the, the size of watch that
00:36:14.513 --> 00:36:18.903
you're putting it on, you're never gonna
go back to an over-the-counter strap.
00:36:18.903 --> 00:36:20.683
I mean, sorry, folks, you, you can't.
00:36:20.933 --> 00:36:23.833
You're now a Lusso
Straps customer for life.
00:36:24.233 --> 00:36:25.824
You know, Calvin's really sorry.
00:36:25.863 --> 00:36:27.953
I'm really sorry, but that's the deal.
00:36:27.954 --> 00:36:28.933
Am I right or no?
00:36:29.403 --> 00:36:30.584
Calvin: You're absolutely right.
00:36:30.623 --> 00:36:34.023
It's just once, once you have
that, it's really hard to go back.
00:36:34.083 --> 00:36:39.143
I mean, it's, it's like, uh, probably
like luxury cars or a luxury watch- Yeah
00:36:39.143 --> 00:36:40.414
or whatever the case may be.
00:36:40.543 --> 00:36:43.453
You have one, and then it's,
it's just hard to go back and-
00:36:43.924 --> 00:36:44.284
David: Yeah
00:36:44.343 --> 00:36:45.183
… Calvin: have something else.
00:36:45.183 --> 00:36:50.923
I mean, because, again, y- we might
be twice what a cheap watch band is.
00:36:51.233 --> 00:36:51.683
David: Yeah.
00:36:51.933 --> 00:36:54.384
Calvin: And when I say cheap, I
don't mean necessarily inexpensive.
00:36:54.384 --> 00:36:56.313
There are good inexpensive watch straps.
00:36:56.564 --> 00:36:56.764
Yeah.
00:36:56.764 --> 00:37:01.923
But what I, what I find in a lot of
cases is simply they're just poorly made.
00:37:02.013 --> 00:37:02.554
They don't fit.
00:37:02.783 --> 00:37:02.843
Yeah.
00:37:03.064 --> 00:37:08.513
They're made for whatever watch is out
there, and people try to mate them to
00:37:08.513 --> 00:37:10.344
their watch, and it's just not the same.
00:37:10.344 --> 00:37:15.163
And, and for most people, a watch
is a huge, can't really call it
00:37:15.163 --> 00:37:18.174
an investment 'cause it's not
gonna typically come up in value.
00:37:18.513 --> 00:37:18.683
Right.
00:37:18.683 --> 00:37:23.444
But it, it's a huge layout of
money, and for most of us anyway,
00:37:23.454 --> 00:37:24.933
who, who have the addiction.
00:37:25.504 --> 00:37:27.586
And- You deserve that.
00:37:27.756 --> 00:37:31.086
I really th- For sure And, and once,
once you have a custom strap and see
00:37:31.086 --> 00:37:34.935
the difference it makes, then you're
like, "Okay, I want that, but I want
00:37:34.936 --> 00:37:39.396
it in this color, and I want it in this
typical, in, in this specific leather."
00:37:39.806 --> 00:37:40.046
David: Yeah.
00:37:40.046 --> 00:37:44.576
Calvin: And you just become a connoisseur,
and you, you tell other people, and
00:37:44.616 --> 00:37:48.925
that's how, really how we, we meet
people and, and, and gain new customers.
00:37:49.665 --> 00:37:50.586
David: That's tremendous.
00:37:50.616 --> 00:37:52.726
Well, Calvin Smith, you are a rock star.
00:37:52.726 --> 00:37:55.515
Thank you for being with us
and sharing all of this wisdom.
00:37:55.866 --> 00:38:00.535
And, uh, folks listening, definitely
check out the links in the show notes.
00:38:00.825 --> 00:38:03.085
Pop over to lusostraps.com.
00:38:03.376 --> 00:38:08.316
Check out Calvin's social media,
Instagram, et cetera, and,
00:38:08.316 --> 00:38:12.516
uh, get your first Luso strap,
'cause you're never going back.
00:38:12.536 --> 00:38:13.766
You're never going back.
00:38:14.016 --> 00:38:15.215
Calvin, thank you again.
00:38:15.516 --> 00:38:16.185
Calvin: Thank you very much.
00:38:16.185 --> 00:38:16.816
I appreciate it.
00:38:18.935 --> 00:38:21.575
David: And that wraps up
another episode of Watch Smarts.
00:38:21.575 --> 00:38:26.465
Listen, if you love this show, if you
love watches, subscribe, download,
00:38:26.485 --> 00:38:30.326
leave us a rating or review on
your favorite podcast platform, and
00:38:30.326 --> 00:38:35.105
check out all the free resources
waiting for you at watchsmarts.com.
NOTE
This file was generated by Descript
00:00:00.024 --> 00:00:03.774
Calvin: I find that over time
the market has really shifted.
00:00:04.274 --> 00:00:07.204
It's not just the major manufacturers.
00:00:07.664 --> 00:00:13.233
It's gotten to a point where there
are niche, other niche makers, and I
00:00:13.233 --> 00:00:17.503
just find that fascinating that you
can change so much with a watch strap.
00:00:17.514 --> 00:00:22.883
David: Welcome to Watch Smarts, where
smart people get smarter about watches.
00:00:23.123 --> 00:00:24.493
I'm your host David Newman.
00:00:24.723 --> 00:00:25.933
Let's jump right in.
00:00:37.354 --> 00:00:41.474
We have talked an awful lot
about watches, watch collecting,
00:00:41.483 --> 00:00:43.674
watch brands on this show.
00:00:44.063 --> 00:00:45.544
But you know what we haven't tackled?
00:00:45.544 --> 00:00:49.663
And it's a topic I happen
to love, watch straps.
00:00:50.143 --> 00:00:55.563
Well, you're in luck because Mr.
Calvin Smith from Lusso Straps is
00:00:55.563 --> 00:01:00.983
right here right now to give us
the lowdown on the world of straps.
00:01:00.983 --> 00:01:02.253
Calvin, welcome to the show.
00:01:02.464 --> 00:01:03.224
Calvin: Thank you very much.
00:01:03.224 --> 00:01:04.333
It's a pleasure to be here.
00:01:04.813 --> 00:01:09.413
David: So tell us a little bit,
what was your entree, first into the
00:01:09.413 --> 00:01:14.393
world of watches, and then give us a
little backstory of how you got into
00:01:14.393 --> 00:01:15.874
the business that you're in today.
00:01:16.314 --> 00:01:20.314
Calvin: Well, I initially started with
gain- I actually gained an interest
00:01:20.314 --> 00:01:24.752
in leather and leather products when I
was in the Peace Corps Uh, I lived in
00:01:24.752 --> 00:01:30.862
Costa Rica, and one of my small business
clients that I would consult with was
00:01:30.872 --> 00:01:34.582
someone who made belts and wallets and
things of those na- of that nature.
00:01:34.951 --> 00:01:35.932
He was a great guy.
00:01:35.932 --> 00:01:37.051
I spent time with him.
00:01:37.051 --> 00:01:41.442
We would hang out and talk about types of
leather and things along those lines, and
00:01:41.442 --> 00:01:44.001
I, I really gained an interest in that.
00:01:44.722 --> 00:01:48.991
And then through traveling, I've
traveled extensively, uh, 75 countries
00:01:48.992 --> 00:01:55.092
so far, and I found leather tan-
tanneries in places like Brazil.
00:01:55.441 --> 00:01:59.202
Of course, you, you visit Tuscany and
you can find the tanneries there as
00:01:59.202 --> 00:02:03.051
well, in the, uh, Veneto and some of
the other places that you can go to.
00:02:03.471 --> 00:02:07.051
Uh, there's a company here in
Chicago, in the States, I say here
00:02:07.061 --> 00:02:11.711
in the States, uh, that does Horween,
and so that's a wonderful leather
00:02:11.712 --> 00:02:13.351
that we like to work with a lot.
00:02:13.912 --> 00:02:17.452
And so during COVID, I mean,
you probably hear a lot of COVID
00:02:17.462 --> 00:02:18.951
stories with businesses starting.
00:02:19.511 --> 00:02:24.991
My primary business, which was the
higher education consulting, took a
00:02:24.991 --> 00:02:29.201
hiatus, let's say, because when the
universities were closed, a lot of
00:02:29.202 --> 00:02:31.152
the consulting was not necessary.
00:02:31.152 --> 00:02:37.751
So I decided to pursue another interest
and, and try to turn it into a business
00:02:37.751 --> 00:02:42.341
rather than, than just, uh, some-
something that I did for fun, really.
00:02:42.781 --> 00:02:42.981
David: Yeah.
00:02:42.982 --> 00:02:46.111
Calvin: And so I put that
with… I have small wrists.
00:02:46.111 --> 00:02:47.741
I have a 6.5-inch wrist.
00:02:48.452 --> 00:02:52.761
It's very difficult to find
a strap in the proper size.
00:02:52.851 --> 00:02:56.231
Also, I was always disappointed with
the quality of the straps I bought.
00:02:56.232 --> 00:02:59.431
They, they use a very inexpensive leather.
00:02:59.931 --> 00:03:03.851
It's either bonded or it's a, what they
call a genuine leather, which just means
00:03:03.851 --> 00:03:05.491
it's made out of some part of an animal.
00:03:05.952 --> 00:03:11.291
And, um, uh, bonded is basically
the, uh, particle board of, of the
00:03:11.291 --> 00:03:13.452
leather world, plywood if you will.
00:03:13.772 --> 00:03:16.171
And, uh, I just, I dove into it.
00:03:16.171 --> 00:03:17.431
I, I studied leather.
00:03:17.461 --> 00:03:21.732
I studied the different trends
in the, in the industry.
00:03:22.052 --> 00:03:26.611
I learned that it's only been about
20 years since people really started
00:03:26.621 --> 00:03:31.781
getting into straps to change those
for their watches in a personal way.
00:03:32.202 --> 00:03:32.492
David: Yeah.
00:03:32.502 --> 00:03:34.842
Calvin: It used to be you
would go to your jewelry store.
00:03:35.252 --> 00:03:40.154
They would have that rack of, uh,
Speidel Uh, bracelets with a little
00:03:40.154 --> 00:03:43.894
re, you know, the little transparent
revolving rack, and you would go in
00:03:43.894 --> 00:03:47.493
there and your, your jeweler would
charge you to put it on Yeah And you
00:03:47.494 --> 00:03:48.974
didn't really have a lot of options.
00:03:48.974 --> 00:03:53.044
But of course, with internet availability
and being able to order from all over
00:03:53.044 --> 00:03:55.234
the place, it just really took off.
00:03:55.234 --> 00:03:59.643
And so, uh, I was able to make a
business out of something that I love.
00:03:59.974 --> 00:04:00.664
David: Yeah.
00:04:00.664 --> 00:04:01.124
Wow.
00:04:01.244 --> 00:04:05.913
So I have so many questions, because
what we haven't talked about yet,
00:04:06.234 --> 00:04:08.513
you are in a very niche business.
00:04:08.513 --> 00:04:11.214
You are in the niche of a
niche, as a matter of fact.
00:04:11.644 --> 00:04:15.364
Because of course some people would
say, "Oh, he just makes straps." It's
00:04:15.364 --> 00:04:16.714
like, okay, he just makes straps.
00:04:16.833 --> 00:04:19.413
He just makes leather straps.
00:04:19.473 --> 00:04:20.134
Okay, fine.
00:04:20.333 --> 00:04:26.544
He just makes leather straps for a certain
brand of watch, and you chose Panerai.
00:04:26.544 --> 00:04:29.404
Tell us about your connection
to Panerai and why that became
00:04:29.404 --> 00:04:31.073
the focus of Lusso Straps.
00:04:31.484 --> 00:04:34.483
Calvin: Initially I just, I've always
had an interest in horology, as a
00:04:34.484 --> 00:04:39.744
lot of us have throughout the years,
and I had a friend who had, uh, in
00:04:39.744 --> 00:04:44.514
Milwaukee, who actually had a Panerai,
and it wa- it's just so different and
00:04:44.514 --> 00:04:46.283
unique in the, in the watch world.
00:04:46.733 --> 00:04:51.383
I mean, it's a tool watch, but,
um, it's all… I mean, over time
00:04:51.383 --> 00:04:55.813
it's evolved into a, more of a
luxury brand and people wear them.
00:04:55.824 --> 00:04:57.553
They, they changed some of the sizes.
00:04:57.553 --> 00:04:58.623
They've gotten smaller.
00:04:59.004 --> 00:05:02.144
And, uh, they can be up
to a dress watch actually.
00:05:02.263 --> 00:05:04.833
And I just found that really
interesting in the watch world.
00:05:04.833 --> 00:05:07.664
They really stuck out in my mind.
00:05:08.093 --> 00:05:12.983
So I, I bought my first Panerai,
and I just, I was like, "This
00:05:13.004 --> 00:05:18.503
is, this is wonderful." And I
started looking at straps again,
00:05:18.513 --> 00:05:20.073
and it was sort of the same thing.
00:05:20.703 --> 00:05:26.363
Uh, mass-produced, cheap leather, not
very nice buckles, and they were always
00:05:26.394 --> 00:05:30.293
cut in a way where they were too long
for someone with a smaller wrist.
00:05:30.463 --> 00:05:30.593
Yeah.
00:05:30.593 --> 00:05:33.993
And of course, being a, a huge watch,
a lot of people would say, "Well,
00:05:33.993 --> 00:05:36.614
you shouldn't be wearing a watch
that big anyway. It's, it's just too
00:05:36.614 --> 00:05:38.723
big. Looks like a sundial on there."
00:05:39.163 --> 00:05:41.323
So I didn't care.
00:05:41.324 --> 00:05:42.544
I just, I loved the watch.
00:05:42.544 --> 00:05:44.883
I wanted to wear it,
and it's a tool watch.
00:05:44.883 --> 00:05:47.403
It's a diving watch, uh, initially anyway.
00:05:47.413 --> 00:05:47.583
Yeah.
00:05:47.783 --> 00:05:49.594
And so it's supposed to be big.
00:05:49.594 --> 00:05:51.554
It's, it's over a wetsuit.
00:05:52.044 --> 00:05:52.094
Yeah.
00:05:52.344 --> 00:05:54.163
So, and it needs to be visible.
00:05:54.173 --> 00:05:59.853
So it just, all of that, that history
with the Italian Army and Navy and the
00:05:59.853 --> 00:06:03.294
different things that they were suppliers
for, it just, I just found it fascinating.
00:06:03.303 --> 00:06:07.433
And then I thought, "Well, I, I really
love leather. How can I put these
00:06:07.434 --> 00:06:09.623
two interesting things together?"
00:06:10.154 --> 00:06:10.404
David: Yeah.
00:06:10.443 --> 00:06:15.163
Calvin: And so I decided to
look into getting straps made.
00:06:15.913 --> 00:06:17.493
And again, it was the same thing.
00:06:17.503 --> 00:06:21.863
Everyone wanted to put out what
I consider a mediocre product.
00:06:22.173 --> 00:06:25.633
And I thought, "Wow, I've, I've
visited a lot of the leather places.
00:06:25.633 --> 00:06:26.703
I've met a lot of people.
00:06:26.703 --> 00:06:33.264
What if I were able to get someone here
to actually physically make the straps
00:06:33.264 --> 00:06:40.918
that I design?" And we will get all
of the thread, leather, uh, buckles,
00:06:40.918 --> 00:06:45.878
everything you need and, and have them
delivered here and put them together
00:06:45.878 --> 00:06:50.837
ourselves and, uh, uh, make a, a quality
strap at a reasonable price point.
00:06:51.577 --> 00:06:54.467
David: It's interesting that
you mentioned about the size.
00:06:54.757 --> 00:07:01.787
So I had, uh, just a few, a few episodes
ago, I had a guest who was just a dive
00:07:01.788 --> 00:07:03.867
watch fanatic, like dive watch freak.
00:07:04.387 --> 00:07:07.687
And he also had fairly small wrists, I
think six and three-quarters, something
00:07:07.688 --> 00:07:08.907
like that, maybe, you know, seven.
00:07:08.908 --> 00:07:12.148
But, you know, these huge, like these
watches are enormous for even- Yes
00:07:12.298 --> 00:07:15.177
you know, a little bit larger than,
than your, your wrist and mine.
00:07:15.647 --> 00:07:20.107
He said, "Do you know why these
watches are so big?" And most people
00:07:20.118 --> 00:07:23.267
cite the fact that you do put them
over a wetsuit, and the wetsuit,
00:07:23.278 --> 00:07:26.318
you know, it's a layer of rubber on
your skin, so it needs to be bigger.
00:07:27.037 --> 00:07:31.097
He said, "You're underwater.
You're wearing a mask."
00:07:31.377 --> 00:07:31.428
Mm-hmm.
00:07:31.438 --> 00:07:36.478
"Often the mask will develop
condensation. So through a mask in
00:07:36.478 --> 00:07:40.767
the dark, underwater, semi-dark, you
need to be able to see what's going
00:07:40.768 --> 00:07:43.337
on on that watch dial." Exactly.
00:07:43.347 --> 00:07:44.847
"So of course it's big.
00:07:45.057 --> 00:07:49.748
It's big for legibility." And you
don't want to be, you know, 100 feet,
00:07:49.757 --> 00:07:54.178
200 feet, 300 feet underwater and go,
"I wonder how much air I have left.
00:07:54.178 --> 00:07:55.678
I can't see my dial."
00:07:55.877 --> 00:07:58.307
Calvin: Precisely, and
it's, it is a tool watch.
00:07:58.387 --> 00:07:58.927
David: Yes.
00:07:58.957 --> 00:07:59.647
Yes, yes, yes.
00:07:59.908 --> 00:08:04.457
So Panerai, of all the luxury brands,
and I could be wrong about this, I'm
00:08:04.457 --> 00:08:07.967
just recently learning about them,
and I think hosting this show has been
00:08:07.967 --> 00:08:12.117
such a wonderful opportunity for me
to learn from experts like yourself.
00:08:12.577 --> 00:08:16.207
A lot of the luxury watches, you look
at Omega, you look at Rolex, you look
00:08:16.207 --> 00:08:21.628
at some of these, you know, 10, 15, 20k
kind of range luxury watches- Mm-hmm
00:08:21.628 --> 00:08:23.657
most of them come on a bracelet.
00:08:23.997 --> 00:08:28.357
Am I right that most Panerais
come on some sort of strap?
00:08:28.938 --> 00:08:29.707
Calvin: Yes, they do.
00:08:30.088 --> 00:08:30.267
Uh, they- So
00:08:30.267 --> 00:08:33.347
David: they're much less into
the steel bracelet kind of world.
00:08:33.597 --> 00:08:34.297
Calvin: Absolutely.
00:08:34.298 --> 00:08:38.037
Yeah, you'll… You can buy from,
directly from Panerai, you can buy
00:08:38.048 --> 00:08:40.347
steel bracelets for a lot of the models.
00:08:40.557 --> 00:08:40.847
David: Yeah.
00:08:40.857 --> 00:08:44.167
Calvin: But, uh, for example, if
you're looking at a Radiomir, uh,
00:08:44.198 --> 00:08:48.218
the majority of them have the wire
lugs, and it's, you just, you can't
00:08:48.228 --> 00:08:50.577
attach a bracelet to it, uh- Oh, right
00:08:50.588 --> 00:08:51.527
in most cases.
00:08:51.537 --> 00:08:51.557
Yeah.
00:08:51.728 --> 00:08:54.828
So that's a, a large
portion of the market.
00:08:54.828 --> 00:08:58.447
And then Luminor, they do make
them, but it's, again, it's,
00:08:58.448 --> 00:09:00.538
um, they're very expensive.
00:09:00.997 --> 00:09:01.327
David: Yes.
00:09:01.327 --> 00:09:02.487
Calvin: And most people don't want them.
00:09:02.497 --> 00:09:05.457
It's just, it i- it's,
like, got a cult following.
00:09:05.588 --> 00:09:05.938
David: Yeah.
00:09:05.978 --> 00:09:11.247
Calvin: There are strap makers all over
the world, and they connect very well
00:09:11.247 --> 00:09:14.297
with, uh, groups like paneristi.com.
00:09:14.597 --> 00:09:14.947
David: Yeah.
00:09:14.997 --> 00:09:17.128
Calvin: And they have
developed a reputation.
00:09:17.467 --> 00:09:18.687
I feel I have, too.
00:09:19.510 --> 00:09:22.200
And people can get custom ones made.
00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:25.120
I have some that I carry
in stock on my website.
00:09:25.640 --> 00:09:28.770
But anybody that, whatever they
need, they, they just contact
00:09:28.770 --> 00:09:30.450
me and w- we make it for them.
00:09:30.880 --> 00:09:35.289
David: Well, I was gonna say,
because, you know, if you look at
00:09:35.430 --> 00:09:39.909
most of the manufacturers that we're
talking about, if you go to them
00:09:39.909 --> 00:09:43.610
for a strap, it is very expensive.
00:09:43.650 --> 00:09:46.540
I mean, certainly I think the
bracelets are even more so.
00:09:46.599 --> 00:09:49.849
You know- Oh, absolutely … you can
get 1,000 or $1,200 for a bracelet.
00:09:49.999 --> 00:09:54.279
But even the straps are easily
two, three, $400, right?
00:09:54.290 --> 00:09:55.829
From the- Absolutely … from the brands.
00:09:55.959 --> 00:09:59.199
Calvin: Yes, and s- oftentimes
more than that, five, $600.
00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:00.070
David: Yeah.
00:10:00.359 --> 00:10:06.059
So you've decided to make your straps, I
mean, for a handmade, handmade top quality
00:10:06.060 --> 00:10:09.419
materials, handcrafted by the founder.
00:10:09.889 --> 00:10:12.190
Have people told you that you
need to raise your prices?
00:10:12.729 --> 00:10:17.040
Calvin: Yes, and for the customs that we
do, they're a little bit more expensive.
00:10:17.509 --> 00:10:22.550
But for the ones that we have on hand, we
were just able to have the same quality.
00:10:22.589 --> 00:10:26.629
We im- we have the same Serafil thread.
00:10:26.769 --> 00:10:29.479
We have, uh, Swit-
buckles from Switzerland.
00:10:30.069 --> 00:10:30.229
Yeah.
00:10:30.230 --> 00:10:34.179
Uh, the leathers come from all
o- Tuscany or, or France, or just
00:10:34.639 --> 00:10:35.950
here in the States with Horween.
00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:41.909
And really, I just felt like here, it,
things are just less expensive oftentimes
00:10:41.940 --> 00:10:46.919
in the Midwest where we're located, and
we can get everything together here.
00:10:47.379 --> 00:10:51.770
And my strap smith, I, I, I will
admit, I, I have very little to do.
00:10:52.139 --> 00:10:55.899
I'm, I'm more the designer and the
person that interfaces with the client.
00:10:56.040 --> 00:10:56.450
David: Right.
00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:59.959
Calvin: But I, I know a few things,
but, uh, I have a strap smith who
00:10:59.999 --> 00:11:02.290
is a former, former saddlery man.
00:11:02.849 --> 00:11:02.879
Oh, wow.
00:11:02.889 --> 00:11:05.540
And, uh, he just, he does wonderful work.
00:11:05.540 --> 00:11:07.539
He's done work for movies.
00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:07.969
Yeah.
00:11:07.979 --> 00:11:11.659
Uh, for, like, Westerns with the,
the holsters and things like that.
00:11:11.669 --> 00:11:11.689
Wow.
00:11:11.699 --> 00:11:15.509
So he's a very well-known
person in, in the leather field.
00:11:16.010 --> 00:11:21.409
And so we've just got this partnership,
and he's just … I can tell him what
00:11:21.409 --> 00:11:25.009
I'm looking for, what the customer wants,
and we get together and put our heads
00:11:25.010 --> 00:11:27.770
together and, and he can make it quickly.
00:11:28.069 --> 00:11:32.189
And we can, exactly, we use the
same high-quality products at
00:11:32.690 --> 00:11:36.130
half or a third of what, what a
major manufacturer will charge.
00:11:37.016 --> 00:11:40.506
David: Quick commercial break here
to ask you, have you seen all of the
00:11:40.506 --> 00:11:45.096
cool resources, downloads, and guides
waiting for you at watchsmarts.com?
00:11:45.256 --> 00:11:46.155
Go check it out.
00:11:46.216 --> 00:11:47.126
You'll love it.
00:11:49.136 --> 00:11:56.016
Now, I know that most, probably most of
your clients are multi-brand collectors.
00:11:56.016 --> 00:11:57.195
They have some Panerais.
00:11:57.215 --> 00:12:00.545
They may have some Rolexes,
some Pateks, some other things.
00:12:01.055 --> 00:12:06.115
And I'm sure you've gotten the call
or the email, "Calvin, I love my Lusso
00:12:06.125 --> 00:12:12.195
strap on the Panerai. Can you help me
with my…" fill in the luxury brand.
00:12:12.506 --> 00:12:16.785
"Can you start doing for Patek?
Can you start doing for Vacheron?
00:12:17.015 --> 00:12:19.085
Can you start doing for Rolex?"
00:12:19.935 --> 00:12:23.545
How have you resisted so far,
I'm guessing, you've resisted
00:12:23.545 --> 00:12:25.205
the temptation to branch out?
00:12:25.596 --> 00:12:27.805
Calvin: Well, we do customs for any watch.
00:12:28.285 --> 00:12:34.595
Um- Okay … I, yeah, we do Ro- I do
Rolexes, uh, Chopard, Jaeger-LeCoultre.
00:12:34.665 --> 00:12:36.335
You name it, I've done a strap for it.
00:12:36.346 --> 00:12:36.366
Wow.
00:12:36.715 --> 00:12:40.246
So we do have the custom side of
it, but we don't have it as, like,
00:12:40.246 --> 00:12:44.286
a standalone production, I guess you
would call it, if you can call it- I see
00:12:44.286 --> 00:12:45.266
custom straps production.
00:12:45.266 --> 00:12:45.706
Yeah.
00:12:46.016 --> 00:12:50.566
But anyway, yeah, we do any kinda
custom, but those are typically…
00:12:50.775 --> 00:12:52.356
We do a lot out of word of mouth.
00:12:52.925 --> 00:12:53.772
David: Yeah, no, I bet.
00:12:53.772 --> 00:12:54.686
Calvin: Exactly what you said.
00:12:54.686 --> 00:12:59.136
We get a lot of people who say, "Yeah,
I've got a Panerai. I want to get
00:12:59.145 --> 00:13:02.705
something exa- this is exactly what
I want. Every time I go in, I can't
00:13:02.705 --> 00:13:04.226
find a red one with blue stitching."
00:13:04.235 --> 00:13:04.255
Yeah.
00:13:04.695 --> 00:13:09.375
"Or I want rally holes in, in this one to
put on my Tag Heuer Monaco or something."
00:13:09.525 --> 00:13:10.035
David: Yeah.
00:13:10.065 --> 00:13:11.786
Calvin: So we just, we do it.
00:13:11.985 --> 00:13:14.365
We, we have the capability to do that.
00:13:14.745 --> 00:13:17.185
Everything we do is without dyes.
00:13:17.625 --> 00:13:22.255
Uh, we don't use anything… It's
basically freehanded, and this, again,
00:13:22.256 --> 00:13:24.136
this, this Strap Smith is amazing.
00:13:24.535 --> 00:13:24.855
David: Yeah.
00:13:24.915 --> 00:13:27.996
Calvin: When you're talking about
half of a millimeter or something
00:13:27.996 --> 00:13:32.105
that a strap has to be exact or it,
it doesn't fit, it doesn't look right.
00:13:32.435 --> 00:13:32.795
David: Yeah.
00:13:32.795 --> 00:13:33.935
Calvin: Uh, we don't accept it.
00:13:33.935 --> 00:13:37.595
A- any- we have a tolerance of, of
less than a quarter of a millimeter.
00:13:37.895 --> 00:13:39.635
David: Yeah, and obviously
that's very important.
00:13:39.635 --> 00:13:43.256
If you've ever changed the strap on a
watch, e- even if you've just done, for
00:13:43.256 --> 00:13:48.065
the folks listening, if you've just done
a Quickchange strap- Mm-hmm … right,
00:13:48.086 --> 00:13:52.395
much less a real strap that you have to
kind of get into, it either fits or it
00:13:52.416 --> 00:13:56.245
doesn't, and trying to force it to fit is
a living nightmare, and it pops out- It is
00:13:56.506 --> 00:13:58.006
and it's, for, you know, crazy.
00:13:58.526 --> 00:14:02.485
So I wanna go back to something that
you said, just kinda macro level,
00:14:02.545 --> 00:14:04.576
about changing straps on a watch.
00:14:04.985 --> 00:14:07.265
Because for a lot of people,
this is a revelation.
00:14:07.605 --> 00:14:13.585
This is like, "Wait a minute, I can change
straps on my watch? If I have a bracelet,
00:14:13.595 --> 00:14:17.445
it can be leather? If it's leather,
I can substitute out something else?"
00:14:17.875 --> 00:14:24.735
So tell us in your experience, what
does, from a design standpoint, from
00:14:24.735 --> 00:14:32.414
a look-on-the-wrist standpoint- What
is special and magical about changing
00:14:32.414 --> 00:14:38.964
a strap and completely changing the
look and feel and mood of a watch?
00:14:39.464 --> 00:14:43.583
Calvin: Just that ability to,
to do that very thing, to have
00:14:43.584 --> 00:14:47.434
a… For example, you've got a,
a black-faced watch of some sort.
00:14:47.454 --> 00:14:47.904
David: Sure.
00:14:48.374 --> 00:14:50.993
Calvin: Put a yellow strap
on it, and it's summertime.
00:14:51.514 --> 00:14:53.193
You feel, you feel excited.
00:14:53.204 --> 00:14:55.893
You feel energy, I think.
00:14:55.903 --> 00:14:55.923
Yeah.
00:14:56.104 --> 00:15:00.543
And if you want to be more luxury,
you could go with a, a crocodile
00:15:00.543 --> 00:15:02.533
or an alligator black, for example.
00:15:02.534 --> 00:15:02.864
Yeah.
00:15:03.534 --> 00:15:06.084
And it completely changes the mood.
00:15:06.503 --> 00:15:09.484
Colors are very important on
a watch, and also you can…
00:15:09.534 --> 00:15:16.203
A lot of people, myself included, like
to use straps and/or the thread to pull
00:15:16.214 --> 00:15:18.583
details out of the face of the watch.
00:15:18.593 --> 00:15:18.623
Yes.
00:15:18.953 --> 00:15:24.663
I have a Chopard that has the second
hand, the, the arrowhead is red.
00:15:25.063 --> 00:15:26.143
The watch is silver.
00:15:26.803 --> 00:15:28.634
And s- uh, the, the dial is silver.
00:15:28.703 --> 00:15:34.523
And so you can use red, for example,
red thread or a red strap, and it just
00:15:35.023 --> 00:15:39.303
visually it pulls all of those things
together, and sometimes you don't even
00:15:39.303 --> 00:15:44.891
notice it, but it just makes the watch
complete And I'm a big fan of contrast.
00:15:44.901 --> 00:15:45.531
Mm-hmm.
00:15:45.531 --> 00:15:47.712
I like lighter colors a lot of times.
00:15:47.762 --> 00:15:52.062
A- And for me, it's seasonal, and for
a lot of my, my clients, it's seasonal.
00:15:52.512 --> 00:15:54.732
Uh, they do want brighter
colors for the summer.
00:15:54.972 --> 00:15:59.831
They, they want, uh, warmer colors
for the fall, and in between
00:15:59.831 --> 00:16:02.721
colors, like for the spring, things
that are almost like a pastel.
00:16:03.112 --> 00:16:03.372
David: Yeah.
00:16:03.442 --> 00:16:07.821
Calvin: So it just kind of, uh, it, it
just evolves as, as the year goes on.
00:16:08.301 --> 00:16:10.531
And pe- it, it's just a
wonderful thing to me.
00:16:10.551 --> 00:16:14.901
And with different things, like for
some of those customs that we do,
00:16:15.362 --> 00:16:18.712
to have quick pins, for example,
the quick, quick release pins.
00:16:19.021 --> 00:16:19.342
David: Yeah.
00:16:19.441 --> 00:16:23.021
Calvin: I mean, you can change
your watch strap in a minute.
00:16:23.411 --> 00:16:26.922
We supply a lot of people with, uh,
buckles if they want… don't want to
00:16:26.922 --> 00:16:31.101
use their original, or they buy more
than one original buckle for their watch.
00:16:31.391 --> 00:16:31.591
Yeah.
00:16:31.592 --> 00:16:34.982
They're gonna use the aftermarket
that we have, and so they're set.
00:16:35.021 --> 00:16:38.351
I mean, you get up in the morning,
um, people pair it with what
00:16:38.351 --> 00:16:39.471
they're gonna wear that day.
00:16:39.481 --> 00:16:39.501
Yeah.
00:16:39.901 --> 00:16:43.471
I've got a blue tie, I'm gonna wear
my brown strap with the blue thread.
00:16:43.911 --> 00:16:46.191
And you come up with some
interesting combinations.
00:16:46.261 --> 00:16:53.732
I just did one that is a, uh, crocodile,
and it's got a red stitch on it.
00:16:54.192 --> 00:16:58.192
And so the c- the client was just
very interested in that, and it was
00:16:58.192 --> 00:17:00.921
a, it's a very dark espresso brown.
00:17:00.932 --> 00:17:00.952
Yeah.
00:17:01.281 --> 00:17:04.722
So you normally wouldn't see
a watch strap like that in
00:17:04.722 --> 00:17:06.211
that color with red stitching.
00:17:06.571 --> 00:17:06.921
David: Right.
00:17:06.942 --> 00:17:09.722
Calvin: And so they're just…
It's an infinite palette
00:17:09.722 --> 00:17:10.941
of things that you can do.
00:17:11.262 --> 00:17:11.732
David: Yes.
00:17:11.771 --> 00:17:14.942
Calvin: And to me, that's very exciting
and, and a lot of times the clients
00:17:14.951 --> 00:17:16.281
will say, "Well, just do what you want."
00:17:16.781 --> 00:17:20.441
Well, I need to know a little
bit about their personality, what
00:17:20.441 --> 00:17:24.271
they're gonna do with the strap,
you know, or just, just a variety of
00:17:24.271 --> 00:17:26.001
things that, that you need to know.
00:17:26.021 --> 00:17:29.011
I want the strap experience
to be very personal.
00:17:29.292 --> 00:17:29.742
David: Yeah.
00:17:29.751 --> 00:17:31.641
Calvin: I want the person…
They're, they're, they're
00:17:31.671 --> 00:17:34.031
paying for a custom strap.
00:17:35.002 --> 00:17:35.082
David: I
00:17:35.082 --> 00:17:40.362
Calvin: want, I want that strap to be the
leather, the thread, the buckle, the size,
00:17:40.632 --> 00:17:42.502
everything exactly the way they want it.
00:17:42.502 --> 00:17:42.652
Yes.
00:17:42.652 --> 00:17:44.372
And, and we don't settle
for anything else.
00:17:45.081 --> 00:17:48.852
David: I'm gonna say something that
is gonna probably get me in trouble
00:17:48.902 --> 00:17:53.031
with some of our listeners and some of
our listeners' guests, and who knows.
00:17:53.532 --> 00:17:58.422
Let's say that you have a watch that
you really love, and you're very tempted
00:17:58.432 --> 00:18:01.471
because of what you just said about the
different colors, the different moods.
00:18:01.831 --> 00:18:05.512
You're like, "Oh, you know what? I
have the black dial, but they make
00:18:05.512 --> 00:18:09.581
a green dial. That green dial is
gorgeous." You know, are you gonna
00:18:09.581 --> 00:18:13.741
drop another 10 grand, 12 grand on the
green dial, or are you gonna take the
00:18:13.741 --> 00:18:16.511
watch you have, put on a green strap?
00:18:16.952 --> 00:18:18.482
You will be amazed.
00:18:18.722 --> 00:18:20.542
It's like that scratches the itch.
00:18:20.551 --> 00:18:22.411
At least for me it scratches the itch.
00:18:22.761 --> 00:18:26.821
If I have… 'Cause I've, for example,
I've been looking for purple dial watches,
00:18:26.821 --> 00:18:29.521
and I found a couple of beautiful ones,
but purple's kind of hard to come by.
00:18:29.522 --> 00:18:30.221
It's a little bit weird.
00:18:30.231 --> 00:18:30.321
Absolutely.
00:18:30.731 --> 00:18:30.901
Sure.
00:18:30.901 --> 00:18:35.141
So I have a couple of black,
just black dial diver watches.
00:18:35.411 --> 00:18:38.972
And, um, I actually like to
put, for the summer at least,
00:18:38.972 --> 00:18:40.342
I like to put s- rubber straps.
00:18:40.342 --> 00:18:41.531
I like to put FKM.
00:18:41.531 --> 00:18:41.902
Sure.
00:18:41.902 --> 00:18:43.622
I, I know it's probably ugh, bleh.
00:18:44.211 --> 00:18:46.281
But you know, this is just-
All the chemicals … my, my,
00:18:46.281 --> 00:18:47.682
my little personal thing here.
00:18:48.031 --> 00:18:54.011
I put a purple rubber FKM
onto a black dial watch.
00:18:54.472 --> 00:18:56.202
I don't need a purple watch anymore.
00:18:56.292 --> 00:18:56.631
Mm-hmm.
00:18:56.661 --> 00:19:00.331
And so I imagine some of your
clients, Calvin, are saying, "You
00:19:00.332 --> 00:19:02.822
know, I have this beautiful Panerai.
00:19:03.112 --> 00:19:06.911
Yes, I, I could get it in the brown,
or the black, or the silver, or the…
00:19:07.341 --> 00:19:12.181
Or wait a minute, instead of dropping
50 grand on watches, I could drop
00:19:12.182 --> 00:19:16.141
a few hundred or a few thousand on
some straps or some custom straps.
00:19:16.561 --> 00:19:19.001
I have all the watches
just… I, I'm sorry.
00:19:19.001 --> 00:19:23.501
I have all the colors, but on my favorite
watch I have now all the colors."
00:19:24.101 --> 00:19:25.261
Calvin: You've hit the nail on the head.
00:19:25.271 --> 00:19:25.291
Yeah.
00:19:25.851 --> 00:19:29.992
Most of our, our clients
are in that very mindset.
00:19:30.011 --> 00:19:30.031
Yeah.
00:19:30.101 --> 00:19:32.931
They, they look at it, and
they're… The same thing.
00:19:33.351 --> 00:19:36.741
They, they, uh, have a black face
watch or a silver faced watch.
00:19:37.051 --> 00:19:42.616
A lot of times when you get into a purple
or a green- People think, "Well, I'm
00:19:42.616 --> 00:19:44.996
kinda limited. It, it has to match."
00:19:45.636 --> 00:19:48.826
And it looks great when it does,
or you, you go with a color and
00:19:48.826 --> 00:19:50.246
then you match it with the thread.
00:19:50.386 --> 00:19:50.806
David: Sure.
00:19:50.986 --> 00:19:56.165
Calvin: But it also gives you an
infinite opportunity to be creative
00:19:56.165 --> 00:20:00.126
and, and have, have a different
color on that purple strap.
00:20:00.486 --> 00:20:00.866
David: Sure.
00:20:00.866 --> 00:20:03.895
Calvin: And it, or a wa-
rather, or the purple watch,
00:20:04.316 --> 00:20:06.025
and it just changes everything.
00:20:06.035 --> 00:20:06.055
Yeah.
00:20:06.306 --> 00:20:11.835
It just really comes alive and, and it,
for sure if you've got a black-faced
00:20:11.835 --> 00:20:15.675
watch and you put purple or green
on it, lime green, which we've done-
00:20:15.955 --> 00:20:16.495
David: Yeah
00:20:16.806 --> 00:20:22.635
… Calvin: or you put dark brown or black on
it, I mean, it just changes completely,
00:20:22.635 --> 00:20:27.305
and we have a lot of people who, who
change straps more than once a day.
00:20:27.625 --> 00:20:28.355
David: Oh, yes.
00:20:28.385 --> 00:20:28.896
Oh, yes.
00:20:28.925 --> 00:20:29.605
I've been there.
00:20:29.625 --> 00:20:30.626
I've totally been there.
00:20:31.035 --> 00:20:34.495
Calvin: I have clients who have,
not necessarily from me, but
00:20:34.495 --> 00:20:36.935
they, they'll have two 250 straps.
00:20:37.475 --> 00:20:38.635
David: Oh, my goodness.
00:20:38.675 --> 00:20:39.035
Calvin: Yes.
00:20:39.035 --> 00:20:43.166
I mean, people have huge… And then
their storage that they buy from you.
00:20:43.166 --> 00:20:43.306
Well,
00:20:43.335 --> 00:20:45.976
David: that's what I was gonna ask you
next because, you know, there's people
00:20:45.976 --> 00:20:49.755
that have big watch collections, so
they buy watch cases or watch winders.
00:20:50.195 --> 00:20:53.015
What, how do you store 250 straps?
00:20:53.015 --> 00:20:55.466
What, what mechanisms are
out there to help with that?
00:20:56.214 --> 00:21:00.793
Calvin: Most people use a cloth,
typically a cotton, uh, not as much
00:21:00.793 --> 00:21:02.974
like a synthetic, and they're rolls.
00:21:03.033 --> 00:21:04.264
They're like a watch roll.
00:21:04.324 --> 00:21:05.234
Oh.
00:21:05.264 --> 00:21:09.524
And people will just have these, like
a r- a row of shotgun- Mm … the,
00:21:09.543 --> 00:21:13.854
the bandolier, and, uh, they just have
them in there and, and roll them up.
00:21:14.154 --> 00:21:15.584
And, uh- How about that?
00:21:15.584 --> 00:21:18.894
… we, we do some, some storage as
well, but it's more for travel.
00:21:19.164 --> 00:21:22.703
We do some, uh, leather pouches,
I guess you would call them.
00:21:22.703 --> 00:21:25.593
They'll, they'll hold three or four
watches or whatever you would like.
00:21:26.014 --> 00:21:26.124
Nice.
00:21:26.124 --> 00:21:29.304
And so we do those as well because they're
thin and they're protective, but they're
00:21:29.304 --> 00:21:33.724
not bulky if you're just throwing a couple
of watches in there for the weekend or
00:21:33.813 --> 00:21:37.594
also just to put a few straps in there
and one watch or whatever the case may be.
00:21:37.973 --> 00:21:38.293
David: Right.
00:21:38.334 --> 00:21:41.344
Calvin: So, uh, Panerai
guys like leather a lot-
00:21:41.924 --> 00:21:42.293
David: Yes … in
00:21:42.293 --> 00:21:44.523
Calvin: my experience,
and they know a lot.
00:21:44.523 --> 00:21:44.633
For sure.
00:21:44.683 --> 00:21:46.333
They're very discerning customers.
00:21:46.654 --> 00:21:49.203
David: Well, for people that don't
know the brand, and this is not
00:21:49.203 --> 00:21:53.274
necessarily a Panerai show, and you're
not an authorized representative, so
00:21:53.274 --> 00:21:55.033
we'll just make that disclaimer now.
00:21:55.444 --> 00:22:00.123
But walk us through some of your
kind of favorite models of Panerai
00:22:00.154 --> 00:22:03.043
or, or i- if you have some in your
collection, I'd love to hear about
00:22:03.043 --> 00:22:04.983
your watch collection overall.
00:22:04.994 --> 00:22:08.804
But, but give us kind of the Panerai
101 for people that might not be all
00:22:08.804 --> 00:22:10.363
that familiar with the brand yet.
00:22:10.644 --> 00:22:13.453
Calvin: Well, uh, you have
three basic categories.
00:22:13.464 --> 00:22:13.494
Okay.
00:22:13.504 --> 00:22:17.374
You have the Radiomir, which
typically has the wire lugs.
00:22:17.983 --> 00:22:23.513
You have the Luminor, which is a
much, I don't know if you'd call
00:22:23.513 --> 00:22:25.013
it sturdier, but it's definitely…
00:22:25.013 --> 00:22:26.283
it's got solid lugs.
00:22:26.284 --> 00:22:26.633
It's, uh- It's
00:22:26.633 --> 00:22:27.424
David: tougher looking.
00:22:27.473 --> 00:22:28.233
Calvin: It i- it is.
00:22:28.233 --> 00:22:32.553
It's definitely more solid and
masculine, if you wanna call it that.
00:22:33.214 --> 00:22:38.094
And then you have the Submersible,
which is your classic dive watch.
00:22:38.413 --> 00:22:41.833
There are, again, so many options
with those because you can get
00:22:42.133 --> 00:22:47.333
different kind of composites and
colors on the dials, on the bezel.
00:22:47.383 --> 00:22:49.403
You have just a lot of opportunities.
00:22:49.633 --> 00:22:53.143
We do a lot of straps for the
people with the Submersibles-
00:22:53.563 --> 00:22:53.743
David: Yeah
00:22:53.744 --> 00:22:54.993
… Calvin: but also on every other one.
00:22:54.994 --> 00:23:00.603
And I personally like watches
like the, uh, the Radiomir 183.
00:23:01.833 --> 00:23:03.143
It's a beautiful watch.
00:23:03.183 --> 00:23:06.123
It's, it's accessible for a lot of people.
00:23:06.563 --> 00:23:13.123
Uh, you can get a nice example, uh, on
the secondary market for 3,000, $4,000.
00:23:13.123 --> 00:23:13.423
David: Yeah.
00:23:13.474 --> 00:23:15.723
Calvin: And it's a great
way to get to know Panerai.
00:23:16.543 --> 00:23:18.413
I encourage people to study.
00:23:18.953 --> 00:23:23.653
There, there's just so much
literature and so many fun groups.
00:23:23.653 --> 00:23:30.524
I mean, paneristi.com has been around
for 25 years, and they do amazing things
00:23:30.524 --> 00:23:34.983
not only f- with the watch community,
but, but just they support each other.
00:23:34.983 --> 00:23:36.373
It's, it's an amazing thing.
00:23:36.763 --> 00:23:38.514
But getting off the
subject a little there.
00:23:38.573 --> 00:23:41.763
The PAM423 is another one
that I absolutely love.
00:23:41.763 --> 00:23:48.293
It's got a power reserve on the front, and
it just… to me, it, it just speaks to
00:23:48.293 --> 00:23:53.788
me in the fact that it's a, it's a dark
dial- Panerai dials, what they call black
00:23:53.818 --> 00:23:57.838
to me are more of a charcoal- Mm … if
that makes a difference, a graphite.
00:23:58.278 --> 00:23:58.558
David: Yeah.
00:23:59.438 --> 00:24:02.158
Calvin: So they're not as sharp.
00:24:02.198 --> 00:24:06.078
They have a m- more mellow feel
to them from that perspective.
00:24:06.078 --> 00:24:09.828
They have a certain vintage look
because they have the khaki colored,
00:24:09.878 --> 00:24:13.268
in many cases- Yeah … they'll have
the khaki colored indices and numbers.
00:24:13.708 --> 00:24:19.618
So though it really lends itself, those
watches, especially the, the khaki
00:24:19.668 --> 00:24:23.268
numbers and indices, to the warmer colors.
00:24:23.868 --> 00:24:29.538
So it… Both of those watches, to
me, are s- are watches that are, that
00:24:29.538 --> 00:24:33.987
are affordable and a great way to
get started in the Panerai journey.
00:24:33.987 --> 00:24:39.007
You know, both, both, uh, of course,
one ha- the Radiomir has the wire lugs,
00:24:39.048 --> 00:24:40.648
which is a little more complicated.
00:24:40.648 --> 00:24:44.427
You have to kinda watch a video
or s- or get training from
00:24:44.427 --> 00:24:45.568
something, but, someone- Yeah
00:24:45.848 --> 00:24:49.107
because it certainly is not
your typical strap change.
00:24:49.118 --> 00:24:50.898
It, it'll- Right … it'll
take you a few minutes.
00:24:51.177 --> 00:24:56.177
And then on, on the, the Luminors,
you have the nice screw, and it
00:24:56.177 --> 00:24:59.648
just, you screw it right through
there, right through the, the strap
00:24:59.648 --> 00:25:03.807
into the, the other lug, and it's
just, it's such a solid feeling.
00:25:03.927 --> 00:25:06.637
You screw that in, and
it's, it's just ready to go.
00:25:06.897 --> 00:25:08.357
Your strap feels solid.
00:25:08.847 --> 00:25:12.438
It's ju- it's just a wonderful,
rugged look and feel.
00:25:13.088 --> 00:25:17.637
David: Now, with the Luminor, and I guess
with, with maybe m- a- almost all of them,
00:25:18.077 --> 00:25:21.147
the name Luminor obviously means light.
00:25:21.188 --> 00:25:25.508
They have this crazy lume that's almost
like, you know, you turn on a light
00:25:25.508 --> 00:25:27.687
switch or you turn on, like, a neon sign.
00:25:28.298 --> 00:25:31.707
Is it as amazing in person as
the videos that we see online?
00:25:31.717 --> 00:25:31.727
I
00:25:32.417 --> 00:25:33.057
Calvin: think so.
00:25:33.107 --> 00:25:34.598
It's something I really look for.
00:25:34.598 --> 00:25:38.657
I mean, it's, uh, in the old days,
it was completely radioactive.
00:25:38.997 --> 00:25:42.827
So, uh, you know, today, they've, they've,
uh, tempered that down a little bit.
00:25:42.827 --> 00:25:48.998
But I fi- I fi- I find that the, um,
that actually there are so many options
00:25:49.008 --> 00:25:52.717
and so many variations, but yes, in
general, the lumes are fantastic.
00:25:53.158 --> 00:25:53.418
David: Yeah.
00:25:53.427 --> 00:25:59.137
Calvin: And, uh, y- again, for the divers
and, at, at least originally, I, I frankly
00:25:59.137 --> 00:26:06.537
don't know a whole lot of people who take
their 100-meter $25,000 watch diving.
00:26:06.807 --> 00:26:07.087
David: Right.
00:26:07.477 --> 00:26:08.658
Calvin: I don't personally.
00:26:09.027 --> 00:26:09.427
David: Right.
00:26:09.427 --> 00:26:09.797
Right.
00:26:10.128 --> 00:26:12.187
Calvin: Um, there, there are people
that, uh, you get out and swim, and
00:26:12.188 --> 00:26:13.287
you can snorkel and things like that.
00:26:13.298 --> 00:26:13.758
David: Sure.
00:26:14.027 --> 00:26:19.618
Calvin: But for the most part, my guys
like, my watch clients, like leather.
00:26:19.938 --> 00:26:20.258
David: Yeah.
00:26:20.447 --> 00:26:21.328
Calvin: They prefer leather.
00:26:21.667 --> 00:26:25.917
But they will wear a rubber strap and,
and, uh, Panerai makes some wonderful
00:26:25.917 --> 00:26:29.058
ones, and there are some aftermarket
ones that are very well made as well.
00:26:29.197 --> 00:26:30.198
David: Well, it's funny.
00:26:30.238 --> 00:26:36.218
I think one of the reasons that folks
like me buy leather straps and rubber
00:26:36.218 --> 00:26:42.197
straps is simply the fact that you can't
find some of the cool colors in leather.
00:26:42.197 --> 00:26:42.457
Exactly.
00:26:42.457 --> 00:26:47.447
When they come to you, it's like you
can find any color under the sun in this
00:26:47.447 --> 00:26:54.266
beautiful, handcrafted, artisanal leather
put together by, you know- People who
00:26:54.266 --> 00:26:56.396
are world-class at, at what they do.
00:26:56.396 --> 00:27:00.576
So if, if, if people have,
are listening and they've been
00:27:00.586 --> 00:27:02.406
driven away from, again, leather.
00:27:02.406 --> 00:27:03.706
Oh, yeah, black, brown.
00:27:03.706 --> 00:27:04.466
Oh, let's go crazy.
00:27:04.496 --> 00:27:05.615
Maybe there's a white one.
00:27:05.626 --> 00:27:05.646
Mm-hmm.
00:27:05.655 --> 00:27:08.035
Maybe, you know, maybe
there's, like, a, a yellow one.
00:27:08.036 --> 00:27:09.205
We're going really nuts here.
00:27:09.775 --> 00:27:14.215
All the colors of the rainbow-
Sure … if you go to Calvin and team.
00:27:14.376 --> 00:27:18.795
Become available to you, and, uh,
not just for Panerai, but of course,
00:27:18.825 --> 00:27:20.906
Panerai specialists, Panerai experts.
00:27:21.165 --> 00:27:22.866
What else is in your collection, Calvin?
00:27:22.866 --> 00:27:24.336
What else is in your watch box?
00:27:24.945 --> 00:27:25.895
Calvin: Besides Panerai?
00:27:25.936 --> 00:27:26.286
David: Yeah.
00:27:26.615 --> 00:27:27.245
Calvin: Chopard.
00:27:27.245 --> 00:27:30.475
I, I'm a big fan of motorsport.
00:27:30.475 --> 00:27:30.876
Mm-hmm.
00:27:30.876 --> 00:27:32.025
Primarily F1.
00:27:32.425 --> 00:27:32.645
David: Yeah.
00:27:32.685 --> 00:27:35.565
Calvin: So just about every
watch I have has some kind
00:27:35.565 --> 00:27:38.930
of connection to- motorsport.
00:27:39.250 --> 00:27:39.540
Yeah.
00:27:39.540 --> 00:27:43.440
I have a Chopard, uh, Monaco Historique.
00:27:43.960 --> 00:27:49.040
I have a Super Fast, um, a
Chopard Super Fast, which is huge.
00:27:49.329 --> 00:27:54.639
So it's a wonderful watch, and frankly,
from the, from the, uh, the movement
00:27:54.760 --> 00:27:57.140
side, they are unbelievably accurate.
00:27:57.749 --> 00:28:01.250
And I just, again, they've got that
sporty, they look great on a rally
00:28:01.250 --> 00:28:06.359
strap, perforations, the, the graduated
holes, whatever you wanna do, they
00:28:06.360 --> 00:28:09.480
just, they look fantastic on those,
and I love making those strap, or
00:28:09.480 --> 00:28:10.780
having those straps made rather.
00:28:11.149 --> 00:28:11.369
David: Yeah.
00:28:11.420 --> 00:28:12.719
Calvin: I have a Rolex.
00:28:12.909 --> 00:28:16.089
It's a, a very basic, uh, Day-Date.
00:28:16.210 --> 00:28:18.479
It's the first ac- Swiss
watch that I bought.
00:28:18.989 --> 00:28:19.409
Yeah.
00:28:19.409 --> 00:28:23.589
Uh, I have a Carrera, uh, reissue,
and I have a Monaco reissue from
00:28:23.589 --> 00:28:25.899
the early, late '90s, early 2000s.
00:28:25.909 --> 00:28:26.429
David: Yeah.
00:28:26.929 --> 00:28:28.500
Calvin: And, uh, I have some YEMS.
00:28:29.609 --> 00:28:30.059
Oh, nice.
00:28:30.059 --> 00:28:30.720
I really like YEMA.
00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:35.249
I, I've just absolutely, their,
their customer service is wonderful.
00:28:35.249 --> 00:28:38.580
They're open seven days
a week, 24 hours a day.
00:28:39.019 --> 00:28:42.189
I've had a couple of issues,
uh, like anybody will have.
00:28:42.539 --> 00:28:42.969
David: Sure.
00:28:43.059 --> 00:28:45.919
Calvin: You just open your phone,
send them a message, and they're,
00:28:46.169 --> 00:28:47.629
they're right back to you in minutes.
00:28:47.919 --> 00:28:48.159
How about that?
00:28:48.159 --> 00:28:54.559
And my, one of my favorite watches
is a YEMA Rally Graf Mario Andretti.
00:28:54.980 --> 00:28:55.330
David: Mm.
00:28:55.649 --> 00:29:01.079
Calvin: They made… This was a, a watch,
uh, that was made to commemorate his,
00:29:01.120 --> 00:29:04.400
uh, 1969 win at the Indianapolis 500.
00:29:04.719 --> 00:29:07.679
They made 1,969 of them,
and I was lucky- Nice
00:29:07.749 --> 00:29:08.179
enough to get one.
00:29:08.629 --> 00:29:09.890
And it's an automatic.
00:29:10.249 --> 00:29:16.420
Uh, it looks a lot like the, uh, watch
that he actually used in that race.
00:29:16.429 --> 00:29:16.449
Yeah.
00:29:16.489 --> 00:29:20.569
And there's an interesting story
that he, he was not sponsored.
00:29:20.569 --> 00:29:26.029
He was not, uh, he was not given
any commercial anything, really.
00:29:26.029 --> 00:29:28.800
I mean, he didn't receive a, a
back- any backing or whatever.
00:29:28.919 --> 00:29:31.289
He was just walking down the
street, saw this watch, and
00:29:31.289 --> 00:29:32.280
said, "Wow, that's cool." Yeah.
00:29:32.579 --> 00:29:33.720
And bought it.
00:29:34.039 --> 00:29:38.789
And so years later, YEMA was like, "Wow,
this is really a feather in our hat." So
00:29:38.789 --> 00:29:41.269
they started, they started making these.
00:29:41.269 --> 00:29:45.550
And so they, they make a quartz version,
but I'm really proud of that watch.
00:29:45.599 --> 00:29:49.189
Uh, it's, it's certainly not the
most expensive watch, but it has a,
00:29:49.249 --> 00:29:53.189
a really good movement in it, and
it's just, to me, classic, and it
00:29:53.190 --> 00:29:54.819
pairs so well with so many things.
00:29:55.609 --> 00:29:57.819
David: Hey, David Newman here
with a quick commercial break.
00:29:57.819 --> 00:30:01.199
Have you seen our social media
channels that have video snippets
00:30:01.210 --> 00:30:02.819
from our favorite interviews?
00:30:02.850 --> 00:30:07.170
Check us out on TikTok,
Instagram, and YouTube.
00:30:07.179 --> 00:30:09.140
Now back to the episode.
00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:14.100
Well, as we're landing the plane,
I've got two final questions for you.
00:30:14.100 --> 00:30:17.330
The final, final question is where
can people go to connect with
00:30:17.330 --> 00:30:22.840
you and Lusso Straps and get all
the scoop on what's available?
00:30:22.859 --> 00:30:27.729
And then, uh, before we get to that,
my fin- my pre- my, uh, penultimate
00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:33.092
question, my second to last question
is- If we were to look at just the
00:30:33.092 --> 00:30:38.202
world of watch straps in general, right?
00:30:38.202 --> 00:30:39.522
'Cause people have the watch.
00:30:40.872 --> 00:30:47.152
I, I would say if you have never
changed out straps on your watch,
00:30:47.152 --> 00:30:52.132
whatever kind of watch it is, could be
a $50 watch, could be a $50,000 watch.
00:30:52.451 --> 00:30:57.742
If you've never changed the straps
on that guy, you have maybe missed
00:30:57.742 --> 00:31:00.171
out on 50% of the enjoyment.
00:31:00.172 --> 00:31:02.521
So that's, that's my
closing thought to people.
00:31:02.901 --> 00:31:06.351
Calvin, what's your closing thought
just about the world of Panerai,
00:31:06.362 --> 00:31:11.191
the world of Lusso straps, the
world of strap fashion in general?
00:31:12.248 --> 00:31:15.988
Calvin: I find that over time
the market has really shifted.
00:31:16.508 --> 00:31:19.448
It's not just the major manufacturers.
00:31:19.888 --> 00:31:25.468
It's gotten to a point where there
are niche, other niche makers, and I
00:31:25.468 --> 00:31:29.797
just find that fascinating that you
can change so much with a watch strap.
00:31:30.168 --> 00:31:30.268
Yeah.
00:31:30.277 --> 00:31:34.877
I think it's, uh, it's, it's just
something that I, I look forward to.
00:31:34.888 --> 00:31:36.137
I get excited about it.
00:31:36.158 --> 00:31:39.547
I look forward to the interaction.
00:31:39.547 --> 00:31:42.997
I think I like that more than anything,
is dealing with, with the customer.
00:31:43.308 --> 00:31:46.717
By the way, if you ever get a
strap made, photos are the best.
00:31:47.067 --> 00:31:50.318
Send me a photo to… or send this
one, I want this color, I want this
00:31:50.328 --> 00:31:51.987
sh- Yeah … this thread, whatever.
00:31:52.337 --> 00:31:53.247
That's very helpful.
00:31:53.247 --> 00:31:58.717
And so it, it, people who've never
changed a strap, there are videos.
00:31:59.218 --> 00:32:00.567
They can contact me.
00:32:00.567 --> 00:32:03.468
I'm happy to go through the process
with them because of course there
00:32:03.468 --> 00:32:05.548
are no spring bars with a, a Panerai.
00:32:05.558 --> 00:32:10.128
But we do a lot of, a lot of different
things to help our, our clients, and
00:32:10.137 --> 00:32:14.007
we have a lot of new customers, not
just, you know, they might want quick
00:32:14.008 --> 00:32:15.637
release spring bars, or they don't.
00:32:16.017 --> 00:32:16.227
Yeah.
00:32:16.227 --> 00:32:21.027
Or there's different things out
there that help install things
00:32:21.028 --> 00:32:22.257
or whatever the case may be.
00:32:22.757 --> 00:32:26.767
Honestly, most of, most
of, uh, our clients go to
00:32:28.007 --> 00:32:28.017
David: YouTube.
00:32:28.028 --> 00:32:28.538
Mm.
00:32:28.657 --> 00:32:31.687
Calvin: There's so many wonderful
videos out there by some very
00:32:32.187 --> 00:32:37.798
talented people who have an ability
to show you how to do something.
00:32:38.058 --> 00:32:40.487
And to me, I'm a visual, visual person.
00:32:40.877 --> 00:32:41.097
David: Yeah.
00:32:41.098 --> 00:32:43.878
Calvin: And once somebody shows
me how to do something, then I'm
00:32:43.878 --> 00:32:46.077
able to take it and make it my own.
00:32:46.077 --> 00:32:46.247
Absolutely.
00:32:46.477 --> 00:32:49.467
But sometimes with something like
that, someone saying, "Well, compress
00:32:49.488 --> 00:32:51.107
this pin and slide it in here."
00:32:51.517 --> 00:32:51.667
David: Right.
00:32:51.717 --> 00:32:52.827
Calvin: For me, that's difficult.
00:32:53.007 --> 00:32:53.027
Yeah.
00:32:53.037 --> 00:32:57.947
And I just find that in general,
people are opening their eyes.
00:32:58.007 --> 00:33:01.498
I mean, it's a three plus
billion dollar industry, and it
00:33:01.498 --> 00:33:03.238
was not like that 20 years ago.
00:33:03.558 --> 00:33:07.748
And at, the projections are almost, oh,
five, five and a half billion dollars
00:33:07.748 --> 00:33:11.707
by 2030, 2035, something in those range.
00:33:11.848 --> 00:33:12.477
In that range.
00:33:12.477 --> 00:33:15.337
So what you're, what you
see is a lot of growth.
00:33:15.367 --> 00:33:20.787
There's gonna be more niche markets out
there, so go after what you want and don't
00:33:20.797 --> 00:33:23.487
settle for what is necessarily out there.
00:33:23.497 --> 00:33:23.517
Yeah.
00:33:23.727 --> 00:33:24.908
Contact that person.
00:33:24.908 --> 00:33:29.747
Contact us and say, "Hey, Lusso Straps,
this is exactly what I'm looking for.
00:33:29.747 --> 00:33:30.708
I need it smaller.
00:33:30.708 --> 00:33:31.377
I have a small wrist.
00:33:31.377 --> 00:33:33.797
I need it larger." We get
a lot of those requests.
00:33:33.807 --> 00:33:33.827
Yeah.
00:33:33.837 --> 00:33:35.878
I have a nine, nine-inch wrist.
00:33:36.217 --> 00:33:36.337
Ooh.
00:33:36.497 --> 00:33:36.627
Okay?
00:33:36.937 --> 00:33:40.607
We're, we're gonna make you a
really big strap, but, or, or small.
00:33:40.607 --> 00:33:42.867
I mean, there, I'm, we've got six
and a half inch wrists, and there
00:33:42.867 --> 00:33:44.188
are people smaller than that.
00:33:44.538 --> 00:33:44.958
David: Yeah.
00:33:45.178 --> 00:33:50.457
Calvin: And it's just nice to have
one that's made for you and have it
00:33:50.517 --> 00:33:52.488
the way you want it and have it fit.
00:33:52.538 --> 00:33:56.028
Because there's a lot of things that
you, you have a beautiful watch,
00:33:56.277 --> 00:33:58.147
but y- the strap just doesn't fit.
00:33:58.407 --> 00:33:58.697
David: Right.
00:33:58.837 --> 00:34:01.688
Calvin: And it doesn't look right,
and it's not exactly what you want.
00:34:01.688 --> 00:34:04.798
"Oh, I wish I had this," or, "I
wish it had this kind of buckle,"
00:34:04.798 --> 00:34:05.457
or whatever the case may be.
00:34:05.458 --> 00:34:05.738
Right.
00:34:05.747 --> 00:34:05.767
Yeah.
00:34:06.187 --> 00:34:07.077
Let's do that.
00:34:07.702 --> 00:34:11.152
Let's make it perfect for you and
make you really enjoy your watch.
00:34:11.522 --> 00:34:12.272
David: Yes.
00:34:12.282 --> 00:34:13.002
So good.
00:34:13.002 --> 00:34:13.522
So good.
00:34:13.722 --> 00:34:17.031
Well, Calvin, where can people go
to get connected and stay connected
00:34:17.032 --> 00:34:20.362
to you, Luso Straps, website, links?
00:34:20.362 --> 00:34:22.302
What, what should go in
the show notes for people?
00:34:22.891 --> 00:34:26.132
Calvin: Well, lusostrap.com
is the primary place.
00:34:26.242 --> 00:34:26.561
David: Mm-hmm.
00:34:26.581 --> 00:34:30.112
Calvin: Um, i- if we have, uh, if
we're running some kind of promotion,
00:34:30.322 --> 00:34:31.712
it's always on the front page.
00:34:32.051 --> 00:34:32.231
David: Yeah.
00:34:32.262 --> 00:34:35.401
Calvin: And we do run those from time
to time, so I would, uh, certainly
00:34:35.511 --> 00:34:36.862
encourage people to check that out.
00:34:37.381 --> 00:34:39.641
We have straps available, pre-made straps.
00:34:39.891 --> 00:34:40.772
They're all handmade.
00:34:40.772 --> 00:34:42.371
They're just some that we have in stock.
00:34:42.641 --> 00:34:42.882
David: Yeah.
00:34:42.891 --> 00:34:46.342
Calvin: If they tickle someone's fancy
right off the bat, they can order those.
00:34:46.721 --> 00:34:49.572
Uh, they can contact me through
the website, through chat.
00:34:49.761 --> 00:34:55.351
Uh, make myself available on chat
at all times, and also on Instagram.
00:34:56.281 --> 00:34:58.162
We're, we're on WatchCrunch.
00:34:58.232 --> 00:35:02.311
We're on a lot of different formats
like that, that have a, have a good
00:35:02.311 --> 00:35:04.831
contact with the, with the customer.
00:35:05.441 --> 00:35:07.161
I'm not a hard seller at all.
00:35:07.351 --> 00:35:11.494
Uh, most of our Customers
come from word of mouth
00:35:11.944 --> 00:35:12.154
David: Yes
00:35:12.184 --> 00:35:15.384
Calvin: And we lo- we love that because
then that says, "Hey, we're happy, and
00:35:15.384 --> 00:35:21.763
we, we're willing to put our reputation on
the line, uh, in order to, you know, make
00:35:21.763 --> 00:35:25.014
sure that the next customer is happy."
And it just, it just makes me feel good.
00:35:25.383 --> 00:35:25.833
Yes.
00:35:25.864 --> 00:35:29.263
Uh, I'm, I'm more in this business to
make people happy, and there's nothing
00:35:29.263 --> 00:35:33.213
better than when someone sends me a
wrist shot after they've gotten their
00:35:33.214 --> 00:35:37.314
new strap, and they're just over the moon
because they finally got the watch strap
00:35:37.314 --> 00:35:39.074
that complements their watch the best.
00:35:39.614 --> 00:35:40.674
David: Absolutely.
00:35:40.743 --> 00:35:41.533
I love that.
00:35:41.564 --> 00:35:44.813
And so I, I will need
one of your lime greens.
00:35:44.853 --> 00:35:46.503
I will need some purples.
00:35:46.524 --> 00:35:50.533
We need to talk after this,
and, uh, totally fantastic.
00:35:50.893 --> 00:35:56.003
As you were mentioning this, it, it
struck me, this is like people that just
00:35:56.003 --> 00:36:00.223
have bought off-the-rack clothing, and
they've never gone to a tailor, right?
00:36:00.224 --> 00:36:03.853
They've never had a custom-made
jacket or suit or pair of slacks.
00:36:04.843 --> 00:36:09.784
Once you've experienced this, that
it fits you, your personality, your
00:36:09.794 --> 00:36:14.513
physiology, in this case, your wrist,
your size, the, the size of watch that
00:36:14.513 --> 00:36:18.903
you're putting it on, you're never gonna
go back to an over-the-counter strap.
00:36:18.903 --> 00:36:20.683
I mean, sorry, folks, you, you can't.
00:36:20.933 --> 00:36:23.833
You're now a Lusso
Straps customer for life.
00:36:24.233 --> 00:36:25.824
You know, Calvin's really sorry.
00:36:25.863 --> 00:36:27.953
I'm really sorry, but that's the deal.
00:36:27.954 --> 00:36:28.933
Am I right or no?
00:36:29.403 --> 00:36:30.584
Calvin: You're absolutely right.
00:36:30.623 --> 00:36:34.023
It's just once, once you have
that, it's really hard to go back.
00:36:34.083 --> 00:36:39.143
I mean, it's, it's like, uh, probably
like luxury cars or a luxury watch- Yeah
00:36:39.143 --> 00:36:40.414
or whatever the case may be.
00:36:40.543 --> 00:36:43.453
You have one, and then it's,
it's just hard to go back and-
00:36:43.924 --> 00:36:44.284
David: Yeah
00:36:44.343 --> 00:36:45.183
… Calvin: have something else.
00:36:45.183 --> 00:36:50.923
I mean, because, again, y- we might
be twice what a cheap watch band is.
00:36:51.233 --> 00:36:51.683
David: Yeah.
00:36:51.933 --> 00:36:54.384
Calvin: And when I say cheap, I
don't mean necessarily inexpensive.
00:36:54.384 --> 00:36:56.313
There are good inexpensive watch straps.
00:36:56.564 --> 00:36:56.764
Yeah.
00:36:56.764 --> 00:37:01.923
But what I, what I find in a lot of
cases is simply they're just poorly made.
00:37:02.013 --> 00:37:02.554
They don't fit.
00:37:02.783 --> 00:37:02.843
Yeah.
00:37:03.064 --> 00:37:08.513
They're made for whatever watch is out
there, and people try to mate them to
00:37:08.513 --> 00:37:10.344
their watch, and it's just not the same.
00:37:10.344 --> 00:37:15.163
And, and for most people, a watch
is a huge, can't really call it
00:37:15.163 --> 00:37:18.174
an investment 'cause it's not
gonna typically come up in value.
00:37:18.513 --> 00:37:18.683
Right.
00:37:18.683 --> 00:37:23.444
But it, it's a huge layout of
money, and for most of us anyway,
00:37:23.454 --> 00:37:24.933
who, who have the addiction.
00:37:25.504 --> 00:37:27.586
And- You deserve that.
00:37:27.756 --> 00:37:31.086
I really th- For sure And, and once,
once you have a custom strap and see
00:37:31.086 --> 00:37:34.935
the difference it makes, then you're
like, "Okay, I want that, but I want
00:37:34.936 --> 00:37:39.396
it in this color, and I want it in this
typical, in, in this specific leather."
00:37:39.806 --> 00:37:40.046
David: Yeah.
00:37:40.046 --> 00:37:44.576
Calvin: And you just become a connoisseur,
and you, you tell other people, and
00:37:44.616 --> 00:37:48.925
that's how, really how we, we meet
people and, and, and gain new customers.
00:37:49.665 --> 00:37:50.586
David: That's tremendous.
00:37:50.616 --> 00:37:52.726
Well, Calvin Smith, you are a rock star.
00:37:52.726 --> 00:37:55.515
Thank you for being with us
and sharing all of this wisdom.
00:37:55.866 --> 00:38:00.535
And, uh, folks listening, definitely
check out the links in the show notes.
00:38:00.825 --> 00:38:03.085
Pop over to lusostraps.com.
00:38:03.376 --> 00:38:08.316
Check out Calvin's social media,
Instagram, et cetera, and,
00:38:08.316 --> 00:38:12.516
uh, get your first Luso strap,
'cause you're never going back.
00:38:12.536 --> 00:38:13.766
You're never going back.
00:38:14.016 --> 00:38:15.215
Calvin, thank you again.
00:38:15.516 --> 00:38:16.185
Calvin: Thank you very much.
00:38:16.185 --> 00:38:16.816
I appreciate it.
00:38:18.935 --> 00:38:21.575
David: And that wraps up
another episode of Watch Smarts.
00:38:21.575 --> 00:38:26.465
Listen, if you love this show, if you
love watches, subscribe, download,
00:38:26.485 --> 00:38:30.326
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00:38:30.326 --> 00:38:35.105
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