Sept. 22, 2026
025: The Horological Hitchhiker and the Human Side of Collecting with JD Tyler
Apple Podcasts 
Spotify 
Podcast Addict 
PocketCasts 
Amazon Music 
Pandora 
Castbox 
PlayerFM Get the FREE WatchSmarts Beginner Buyer's Guide
David Newman welcomes JD Tyler, the creative force behind the Redhead Horology newsletter, to explore the psychological depths of watch collecting. JD shares his transition from a childhood fascinations with Scooby-Doo and Mickey Mouse to developing a "healthy" way to interact with the hobby through storytelling. He introduces a unique framework for collectors, categorizing them as horological hoarders, hunters, or hitchhikers, while admitting his own tendency to "hitchhike" by stumbling into meaningful pieces rather than chasing corporate hype. Together, they discuss the "hedonic treadmill" of high end acquisition and the "Red Bull effect" where marketing shapes our desires for watches we do not actually need. From the vintage charm of a $200 Timex Draper to the utility of a $150 Veyer field watch, JD emphasizes that a collection should be a curated reflection of one's authentic lifestyle and personal history.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 : The Birth of Redhead Horology
- JD explains his desire to move away from mindless consumption toward a more human-centered watch hobby.
- How his background in theology and religion informs his focus on the stories we attach to mechanical objects.
02:08 : Hoarders, Hunters, and Hitchhikers
- JD breaks down his three-part framework for identifying your personal collecting style.
- Why he identifies as a "hitchhiker" who prefers watches that cross his path organically rather than through a targeted hunt.
04:36 : The Hedonic Treadmill
- A discussion on why hitting a milestone like buying a Rolex often fails to provide long term satisfaction.
- Identifying the "spare moment consumption" habit of scrolling watch content while waiting in line for coffee.
07:11 : Affordable Vintage Vibes
- Why JD recently picked up a Timex Draper to scratch the itch for a 1960s casual dress aesthetic.
- Discussing the specs of the Draper, including its mechanical Miota movement and era-appropriate mineral crystal.
10:30 : Decor vs. Utility
- David reveals his "office decor" trick for justifying a collection of over 100 affordable watches.
- The psychological benefit of displaying watches in a case like fine china rather than feeling pressured to wear them all.
11:46 : Socially Acceptable Jewelry
- Exploring the theory that watches are one of the few pieces of jewelry men feel comfortable wearing in certain cultures.
- How the explosion of visual social media has turned horology into a massive marketing apparatus.
15:30 : Sourcing the Stories
- JD shares his "secret sauce" for newsletters, including writing months of content in advance to maintain quality.
- Retelling the story of Zak Brown from McLaren F1, whose racing career started by selling a pair of Cartier watches.
26:02 : Advice for New Collectors
- Why JD believes beginners should stop chasing brands and start looking for personal meaning in their pieces.
- A staunch defense of quartz movements and why they do not deserve the "snobbery" often found in the hobby.
33:42 : The Red Bull Effect
- How branding can make an "objectively horrible" product successful by attaching it to an adventurous lifestyle.
- The importance of distinguishing between the "zeitgeist" and your own actual daily preferences.
- Your collection should be a reflection of your own life story rather than a curated catalog of corporate marketing.
==========
FREE GUIDE: Buy Your First Great Watch Without Getting Burned
Download the WatchSmarts Beginner Buyer's Guide »
- Know exactly what matters (and what doesn’t) before you spend a dollar
- Avoid the 10 common mistakes that cost beginners thousands
- Find a great watch that fits your life, your style, and your budget
- Skip the jargon, the snobbery, and the “collector nonsense”
- Get a simple decision framework that makes buying easy and obvious
WEBVTT
NOTE
This file was generated by Descript
00:00:00.178 --> 00:00:02.078
JD: I wrote something up on
Watch Crunch the other day.
00:00:02.078 --> 00:00:05.568
It was like you're either a,
um, horological hoarder, a
00:00:05.568 --> 00:00:08.177
horological hunter, or a hitchhiker.
00:00:08.177 --> 00:00:10.798
And I was like, "I'm a hitchhiker."
I just love those kinds of things.
00:00:10.878 --> 00:00:16.257
David: Welcome to Watch Smarts, where
smart people get smarter about watches.
00:00:16.518 --> 00:00:17.877
I'm your host, David Newman.
00:00:18.107 --> 00:00:19.317
Let's jump right in
00:00:30.880 --> 00:00:37.080
JD: I've kind of been writing online
for six or seven years now, and then,
00:00:37.330 --> 00:00:41.239
uh, Redhead Horology is kind of my
newest newsletter that I launched,
00:00:41.910 --> 00:00:46.690
and it purely came out of a desire
to have a healthier way to interact
00:00:46.690 --> 00:00:51.059
with the hobby of watch collecting
and being a watch enthusiast because
00:00:51.180 --> 00:00:55.769
I've been in, I've been into watches
since my, since I was a little kid.
00:00:55.769 --> 00:00:57.629
I remember my first Scooby-Doo watch.
00:00:57.830 --> 00:01:01.830
I remember getting a Mickey Mouse
watch at a trip to Disney World.
00:01:01.869 --> 00:01:05.579
I remember my dad bought his
first Seamaster, uh, 300.
00:01:06.139 --> 00:01:10.560
And so, so, uh, watches have always been
an interest of mine, and then it kinda
00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:14.400
fell off in college and then came back
around the last, you know, few years.
00:01:14.999 --> 00:01:17.809
But watch media is insane now.
00:01:17.850 --> 00:01:19.870
Like with you, there, there's
Watch Crunch, which is
00:01:19.870 --> 00:01:20.779
where you and I connected.
00:01:20.780 --> 00:01:23.509
There's YouTube channels
and Instagram channels.
00:01:23.979 --> 00:01:27.749
And so my hobby, my interest in
watches became one of consumption.
00:01:28.009 --> 00:01:33.019
I didn't like that, and so I already
was very active writing online.
00:01:33.139 --> 00:01:33.859
Loved that.
00:01:33.859 --> 00:01:38.070
So I was like, "What if I found a way to
write about watches from a human angle?"
00:01:38.090 --> 00:01:42.999
So a lot of my writing at Redhead Horology
has to do with the human side of watch
00:01:42.999 --> 00:01:46.779
collecting, so the stories behind the
pieces, why we're drawn to pieces, our
00:01:46.779 --> 00:01:49.110
histories with pieces, things like that.
00:01:49.389 --> 00:01:53.230
David: Take me back to before you
started the newsletter What were
00:01:53.230 --> 00:01:59.650
some of the, uh, the unhealthy either
consumption habits or purchasing habits?
00:01:59.650 --> 00:02:03.499
'Cause of course we always like to
buy watches and acquire watches.
00:02:03.800 --> 00:02:07.260
I think one of your articles said…
Am I right that one of the early
00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:14.250
introductory articles said it's either
about acquisition or consumption, and
00:02:14.250 --> 00:02:15.579
that both of those- Yeah, I think so.
00:02:15.579 --> 00:02:17.290
Yeah … were kind of the path to madness.
00:02:17.529 --> 00:02:21.319
So what, what were your acquisition
and consumption habits before
00:02:21.320 --> 00:02:22.959
you started the newsletter?
00:02:23.660 --> 00:02:24.040
JD: Yeah.
00:02:24.049 --> 00:02:25.810
I, so, uh, you might have noticed this.
00:02:25.869 --> 00:02:29.149
I, I love frameworks and
I love visual things.
00:02:29.209 --> 00:02:31.029
I also love a good alliteration.
00:02:31.169 --> 00:02:34.259
So I wrote something up on
Watch Crunch the other day.
00:02:34.259 --> 00:02:37.170
It was like, "You're either a, um,
horological hoarder, a horological
00:02:37.170 --> 00:02:41.870
hunter, or a hitchhiker." And I
was like, "I'm a hitchhiker." I
00:02:41.870 --> 00:02:42.959
just love those kinds of things.
00:02:42.959 --> 00:02:48.490
So when it comes to acquisition or
consumption, some people, they're
00:02:48.490 --> 00:02:54.149
just always, you know, acquiring,
acquiring new pieces, and, you know,
00:02:54.180 --> 00:02:55.609
that's really, really expensive.
00:02:55.939 --> 00:02:58.799
And some people… I know people
who do that, and they have the, the
00:02:58.799 --> 00:03:00.260
bandwidth to do that, and that's great.
00:03:00.599 --> 00:03:04.810
But sometimes I worry that a lot of people
who come into the hobby think, "Oh, the
00:03:04.810 --> 00:03:09.599
only way to meaningfully engage with this
hobby is to just buy a lot of watches and
00:03:09.610 --> 00:03:11.629
buy a lot of really expensive watches."
00:03:11.779 --> 00:03:17.429
And, like, I can't regularly go out and
drop, you know, a couple grand on a watch.
00:03:17.459 --> 00:03:20.329
That's- Yeah … just for me personally,
that's fiscally irresponsible.
00:03:20.900 --> 00:03:25.609
And then it's also this, like, hedonic
treadmill of, "Oh, once I get this
00:03:25.610 --> 00:03:27.159
Speedmaster, I will have arrived.
00:03:27.189 --> 00:03:30.619
Once I get this Rolex, I will have
arrived." But then you get it, and then
00:03:30.619 --> 00:03:32.119
you're like, "Okay, well, what's next?"
00:03:32.489 --> 00:03:35.079
So you're just on this treadmill
of, of acquiring watches.
00:03:35.639 --> 00:03:39.790
And then the consumption piece is
similar, but it's just like, you
00:03:39.790 --> 00:03:42.779
know, every… And this is… I'm
more guilty of the consumption piece.
00:03:42.779 --> 00:03:48.169
Like, oh, I'm sitting in line to get
coffee, or this morning I went and
00:03:48.169 --> 00:03:50.140
got a haircut, 8:30 this morning.
00:03:50.189 --> 00:03:53.719
I'm sitting there waiting on my
barber, and I had to, like, mentally
00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:57.009
choose not to get my phone out, 'cause
if I got my phone out, I would be
00:03:57.009 --> 00:03:58.990
scrolling Substack or looking at…
00:03:59.029 --> 00:04:02.289
You know, reading a watch
newsletter or looking at Instagram.
00:04:02.300 --> 00:04:06.230
Like, that's consumption to me is
like all these spare moments, uh,
00:04:06.239 --> 00:04:10.119
are just spent on watch content
or fill-in-the-blank content.
00:04:10.369 --> 00:04:13.710
And I don't think that's healthy,
and I think it makes you… It
00:04:13.819 --> 00:04:15.790
makes the hobby way less enjoyable.
00:04:15.899 --> 00:04:20.450
Um, so I think those are two of the
common pitfalls, uh, that we fall into.
00:04:20.589 --> 00:04:24.980
Fortunately, in my collection, I haven't
actually bought a lot of my watches.
00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:27.149
Like, most of my pieces have been gifts.
00:04:27.349 --> 00:04:32.389
So as far as the acquiring goes,
I, I think that hasn't been
00:04:32.389 --> 00:04:33.830
too much of an issue for me.
00:04:34.119 --> 00:04:36.299
My wife might disagree, but
she's not here right now.
00:04:36.789 --> 00:04:36.809
Yeah.
00:04:37.649 --> 00:04:40.780
But it's the consumption piece
that I, that I, that I can
00:04:40.780 --> 00:04:42.089
struggle with, like a lot of people
00:04:43.106 --> 00:04:46.756
David: So man, we could do an, and there's
like two or three topics that you just
00:04:46.765 --> 00:04:51.316
brought up that we can do an entire
show just on those two or three topics.
00:04:51.325 --> 00:04:53.566
So we'll do a little bit, we'll
have a little sampler, we'll have
00:04:53.566 --> 00:04:58.205
a little smorgasbord visiting
each of these little main dishes.
00:04:58.216 --> 00:04:59.096
Um- David, you
00:04:59.135 --> 00:05:00.856
JD: have the perfect podcast voice.
00:05:00.975 --> 00:05:01.925
David: Oh, thank you.
00:05:01.926 --> 00:05:04.320
It's just, uh, the gift of
nature, the gift of DNA.
00:05:04.320 --> 00:05:04.615
It's
00:05:04.615 --> 00:05:05.025
JD: great.
00:05:05.225 --> 00:05:05.786
David: Thank you.
00:05:05.985 --> 00:05:09.705
It's, it's funny that you say this, JD,
because sometimes people say, "Dude,
00:05:09.705 --> 00:05:11.415
when do you turn that voice off?"
00:05:11.416 --> 00:05:12.866
It's like, I never turn it off.
00:05:12.885 --> 00:05:14.846
You can ask my wife, you can ask my kids.
00:05:14.885 --> 00:05:16.966
Th- this is what it is, you know?
00:05:16.966 --> 00:05:17.185
I believe it.
00:05:17.185 --> 00:05:21.685
I'll, I'll, I'll go into Starbucks
and I'll say, "I'd like an Americano
00:05:21.695 --> 00:05:26.246
with room." And they go, "You
have a great voice." And I'm like,
00:05:26.616 --> 00:05:27.960
"Okay, thank you." That's serious.
00:05:27.960 --> 00:05:28.235
Yeah.
00:05:28.235 --> 00:05:28.975
Thank you.
00:05:29.356 --> 00:05:31.605
I could have been tall,
dark, and handsome, but no,
00:05:31.635 --> 00:05:32.966
great voice is what I get.
00:05:32.975 --> 00:05:33.765
That's okay.
00:05:33.765 --> 00:05:34.365
It's okay.
00:05:34.365 --> 00:05:37.426
Life is not fair, it's all good,
but thank you for the compliment.
00:05:37.895 --> 00:05:41.445
So I wanna talk about, 'cause
you did bring up two or three
00:05:41.445 --> 00:05:43.036
really amazing things there.
00:05:43.676 --> 00:05:44.905
Expensive watches.
00:05:44.926 --> 00:05:47.455
People have to buy a lot
of expensive watches.
00:05:47.555 --> 00:05:50.766
I personally, I own over 100 watches.
00:05:50.786 --> 00:05:51.926
I counted them.
00:05:52.496 --> 00:05:59.545
It's a problem, but I own one and only
one, quote unquote, "expensive watch," and
00:05:59.545 --> 00:06:01.825
it's a Rolex and I got it back in 2015.
00:06:01.865 --> 00:06:03.105
It was a special occasion.
00:06:03.106 --> 00:06:05.476
It's a meaningful milestone.
00:06:05.945 --> 00:06:10.196
The rest of the watches, I
mean, you know, people need to
00:06:10.196 --> 00:06:12.846
know brands like Timex, Seiko,
00:06:15.155 --> 00:06:16.465
Bulova, Casio.
00:06:16.475 --> 00:06:18.085
These are great watches.
00:06:18.396 --> 00:06:24.005
You can spend 30 bucks, you can spend
50 bucks and get one of the iconic
00:06:24.015 --> 00:06:28.666
watches that people instantly recognize
and they go, "Oh, I love that watch.
00:06:28.666 --> 00:06:29.626
That's a great piece.
00:06:29.626 --> 00:06:33.055
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." Yes, of
course, you can go out and buy a Rolex
00:06:33.055 --> 00:06:36.495
Daytona if you have, you know, unlimited
wealth and then the next week you buy
00:06:36.496 --> 00:06:39.955
an Omega, and the next week you buy a
Patek, and the next week you buy who
00:06:39.955 --> 00:06:44.095
knows what. But you put your finger on
it, right? Those people have unlimited
00:06:44.095 --> 00:06:49.205
resources and probably each one of those,
what might be a lifelong, uh, dream and a
00:06:49.205 --> 00:06:53.315
lifelong purchase for you and me, f- to,
to them it's like, "Oh, that's Tuesday.
00:06:53.366 --> 00:06:57.405
That's Tuesday." So there is that
hedonic treadmill that you talk about.
00:06:57.985 --> 00:07:03.195
Do affordable watches play into your
landscape these days in any way?
00:07:03.946 --> 00:07:05.006
JD: As far as what
00:07:05.025 --> 00:07:07.445
David: I wear or- As far as you
collecting them or- Yeah … admiring
00:07:07.455 --> 00:07:11.745
them or, you know, would you pick
up like a, you know, an $80 Timex
00:07:11.745 --> 00:07:13.955
watch if the aesthetics spoke to you?
00:07:15.118 --> 00:07:23.118
JD: You know, it's funny you mentioned
Timex 'cause I just bought a Timex Draper.
00:07:23.147 --> 00:07:24.358
I don't know if you've seen that one.
00:07:24.368 --> 00:07:24.468
Mm-hmm.
00:07:24.478 --> 00:07:31.697
So my, um, my wife got me a Seiko
Skyliner from the '60s, um, that I've
00:07:31.698 --> 00:07:36.677
been restoring and love it, but I'm having
some issues servicing the movement 'cause
00:07:36.677 --> 00:07:37.897
I like to work on these things myself.
00:07:38.587 --> 00:07:43.367
And so I needed, n-I need… I didn't
need, I really wanted something to kinda
00:07:43.368 --> 00:07:48.107
scratch the itch of the Skyliner, which
is more of like a '60s kinda casual
00:07:48.107 --> 00:07:52.808
dress watch that I could wear kinda
throughout the workday and stuff, um,
00:07:52.997 --> 00:07:54.848
while I was trying to fix the Skyliner.
00:07:54.877 --> 00:07:59.718
And so the Timex Draper, it's,
uh, it retails for, like, 270.
00:08:00.397 --> 00:08:04.278
Timex gives out coupons like,
like nobody's business, so I
00:08:04.278 --> 00:08:07.607
think I paid $220 or $30 for it.
00:08:07.607 --> 00:08:08.877
It's gonna be here in, like, a week.
00:08:09.138 --> 00:08:09.428
David: Yeah.
00:08:09.457 --> 00:08:14.837
JD: But it, it is a gorgeous s-
vintage '60s-inspired design.
00:08:14.848 --> 00:08:16.388
It has a Miyota movement.
00:08:16.848 --> 00:08:20.377
For $200, it's a Miyota movement,
70-hour power reserve, uh, you
00:08:20.377 --> 00:08:21.667
know, 40-hour power reserve.
00:08:21.677 --> 00:08:22.927
It has mineral…
00:08:22.927 --> 00:08:26.258
It even has mineral crystal, which
people don't like, but if you're
00:08:26.268 --> 00:08:28.977
trying to have a '60s era kind of vibe-
00:08:29.207 --> 00:08:29.487
David: Yeah … a
00:08:29.487 --> 00:08:31.848
JD: mineral cryst… Like, they didn't
have sapphire crystals back then.
00:08:31.848 --> 00:08:36.387
So, you know, that to me, I was just…
I've been looking for something and
00:08:36.387 --> 00:08:41.057
I didn't wanna spend a lot, and,
uh, that really scratched that itch.
00:08:41.057 --> 00:08:44.788
That's, to me, that's a very
affordable, really cool piece.
00:08:44.788 --> 00:08:47.817
We'll see how I like it, but from
a spec- Yeah … sheet and just
00:08:47.817 --> 00:08:49.138
looking at it, it's really great.
00:08:49.298 --> 00:08:54.988
And then one of my other favorite
watches is a Mayer S7 field watch.
00:08:55.237 --> 00:08:57.167
It's like $150 watch.
00:08:57.177 --> 00:08:57.197
Yeah.
00:08:57.467 --> 00:08:58.087
I love it.
00:08:58.097 --> 00:09:01.757
Some- sometimes I'll wear it more
than my Tudor Pelagos, just because,
00:09:01.767 --> 00:09:07.008
especially in the summer, it's just
a perfect, perfect summer watch.
00:09:07.137 --> 00:09:14.786
Um- Yeah … so yeah, I would say- Smaller
watches like that do play a role to me,
00:09:14.815 --> 00:09:18.276
but I hesitate to buy them because I
don't want to have a bunch of watches
00:09:18.295 --> 00:09:21.476
that are competing for time on my wrist.
00:09:21.476 --> 00:09:21.506
Sure.
00:09:21.626 --> 00:09:25.915
I want to have a few… A
smaller collection where, um,
00:09:25.925 --> 00:09:28.986
the pieces are meaningful and I-
Yeah … actually wear them all.
00:09:29.165 --> 00:09:30.126
Um, but that's just me.
00:09:30.175 --> 00:09:31.265
You know, everybody's different.
00:09:31.905 --> 00:09:35.405
David: Quick commercial break here
to ask you, have you seen all of the
00:09:35.405 --> 00:09:39.995
cool resources, downloads, and guides
waiting for you at watchsmarts.com?
00:09:40.155 --> 00:09:41.055
Go check it out.
00:09:41.115 --> 00:09:42.015
You'll love it.
00:09:43.945 --> 00:09:45.486
So here is my trick.
00:09:45.486 --> 00:09:50.805
Here's how I have basically deluded
myself into the collection that I have.
00:09:51.315 --> 00:09:53.396
You'll see these watches behind me.
00:09:53.856 --> 00:09:57.536
So these are, like, you know,
between 30 and 100 bucks usually.
00:09:57.595 --> 00:10:00.595
A lot of eBay, a lot of,
you know, used, secondhand.
00:10:01.225 --> 00:10:04.935
Uh, people say, "Well, you're not gonna
wear all those watches. Like, what's
00:10:04.935 --> 00:10:07.195
wrong with you?" It's like, it's decor.
00:10:07.445 --> 00:10:09.325
It's office decor.
00:10:09.615 --> 00:10:11.035
So if you put it in a vertical- Yes
00:10:11.045 --> 00:10:14.835
case like this and you display
them, it's like people display
00:10:15.096 --> 00:10:16.866
china in a china cabinet.
00:10:16.876 --> 00:10:20.935
They display… You know, if they
collect Pez dispensers, they're not
00:10:20.935 --> 00:10:23.036
gonna eat Pez out of the Pez dispenser.
00:10:23.036 --> 00:10:27.555
They're gonna display the Pez
dispensers or the Disney characters.
00:10:28.005 --> 00:10:32.085
But I wanna go back to this
obsessive consumption, and it's a…
00:10:32.126 --> 00:10:35.016
This is a genuine question I,
I don't know the answer to.
00:10:35.626 --> 00:10:39.065
I'm only victim to this in
our world, in the watch world.
00:10:39.655 --> 00:10:41.665
Let's say you're a jigsaw puzzle fan.
00:10:42.086 --> 00:10:46.936
Do you obsessively watch
videos and YouTubes and look at
00:10:46.936 --> 00:10:49.205
Substack for jigsaw puzzle stuff?
00:10:49.486 --> 00:10:52.775
If you're a car enthusiast,
is it as bad with cars?
00:10:53.115 --> 00:10:55.415
I think for some reason, watches…
00:10:56.005 --> 00:10:59.795
And maybe it's because it's such
a vast variety of watches, right?
00:10:59.795 --> 00:11:01.105
The world is so big.
00:11:01.545 --> 00:11:04.515
Do you have other hobbies, for
example, where this consumption
00:11:04.516 --> 00:11:07.755
thing is not really a problem,
like cooking or anything like that?
00:11:07.766 --> 00:11:08.486
Travel?
00:11:09.294 --> 00:11:10.394
JD: Yeah, no, it's just this
00:11:10.664 --> 00:11:12.014
David: It's just this, right?
00:11:12.314 --> 00:11:12.894
What's up with that?
00:11:12.894 --> 00:11:12.954
I
00:11:12.954 --> 00:11:13.774
JD: don't know, I don't know.
00:11:14.064 --> 00:11:14.434
I don't know.
00:11:14.514 --> 00:11:21.103
Part of me wonders if some of it has
to do with, generally speaking, I,
00:11:21.103 --> 00:11:24.013
I… This is all very contextual, but
I think generally speaking, you know,
00:11:24.024 --> 00:11:28.264
men aren't typically known for being
into jewelry, like quote, unquote.
00:11:28.264 --> 00:11:28.543
True.
00:11:28.554 --> 00:11:31.414
Like, that, that's a stereotype that's
probably… I live in the South,
00:11:31.423 --> 00:11:32.903
that's definitely true where I live.
00:11:33.333 --> 00:11:33.623
David: Yeah.
00:11:33.964 --> 00:11:40.543
JD: And I think on the one hand, watches
are one of the few socially acceptable
00:11:40.544 --> 00:11:42.434
pieces of jewelry a man can wear, right?
00:11:42.443 --> 00:11:42.663
True.
00:11:42.663 --> 00:11:44.323
It's like a watch or a wedding band.
00:11:44.774 --> 00:11:45.054
David: Yeah.
00:11:45.084 --> 00:11:50.233
JD: And then secondly, I think that
with the rise of like s- social media,
00:11:50.244 --> 00:11:55.483
watch- watches are such a visual thing,
too, that you just have all of these
00:11:55.544 --> 00:12:00.253
content creators and all of these
photographers that are just posting
00:12:00.253 --> 00:12:03.683
pictures constantly everywhere, and
they have all these brands that are
00:12:03.693 --> 00:12:09.034
just pumping money into influencers
that it just seems like it's exploded.
00:12:09.053 --> 00:12:10.593
And so it's a- Yeah … visual thing.
00:12:11.013 --> 00:12:14.813
If you have all this desire for jewelry,
maybe you don't even realize it as a man,
00:12:15.353 --> 00:12:18.663
but it's just kind of pent up and then the
watch comes along, it's like it's socially
00:12:18.663 --> 00:12:21.703
acceptable and just you just go crazy.
00:12:22.063 --> 00:12:22.093
Right.
00:12:22.103 --> 00:12:22.243
I don't know.
00:12:22.713 --> 00:12:25.713
I have no, you know, I have no
research to back that up, but
00:12:25.713 --> 00:12:28.113
it, it's, it's my working theory.
00:12:28.764 --> 00:12:33.174
But I, I do think that influencers
and like Instagram and watches being a
00:12:33.174 --> 00:12:41.873
visual thing and just the amount of money
that, you know, the brands are giving to
00:12:41.873 --> 00:12:45.623
marketing right now is just crazy, and
I think that really shapes our desires.
00:12:45.764 --> 00:12:46.084
David: Yeah.
00:12:46.084 --> 00:12:46.704
No, you're right.
00:12:46.704 --> 00:12:47.073
You're right.
00:12:47.073 --> 00:12:48.884
It's kind of a, a cycle, right?
00:12:48.893 --> 00:12:51.303
That the, the more we
consume, the more we desire.
00:12:51.303 --> 00:12:54.514
The more we desire, the more we buy,
which just fuels the machine to do
00:12:54.514 --> 00:12:56.233
round two, round three, round four.
00:12:56.993 --> 00:13:00.293
So JD, you've got several
different newsletters.
00:13:00.313 --> 00:13:05.033
You said that Redhead Horology is
your latest, but you've been in the
00:13:05.033 --> 00:13:07.004
newsletter business for quite a while.
00:13:07.023 --> 00:13:12.194
Tell us about how that whole Substack
newsletter thing came to flourish.
00:13:13.013 --> 00:13:13.283
JD: Yeah.
00:13:13.283 --> 00:13:13.943
Well, it's funny.
00:13:13.943 --> 00:13:17.614
So Substack is a huge, huge thing now.
00:13:17.654 --> 00:13:18.623
It's growing a lot.
00:13:18.704 --> 00:13:23.963
But I remember about five years
ago, it was, no one knew about it.
00:13:24.223 --> 00:13:27.223
There wasn't Substack Notes, which
is essentially like a Twitter feed.
00:13:27.773 --> 00:13:30.324
It was just like a newsletter software.
00:13:30.823 --> 00:13:34.923
And I'd, up, up until that point, I'd
done some writing online for different,
00:13:35.053 --> 00:13:40.209
different publications and- I really
wanted to write more, and my, actually
00:13:40.209 --> 00:13:45.449
my brother, I, I distinctively remember
him mentioning it to me like, "Hey,
00:13:45.449 --> 00:13:46.870
there's a Substack thing you should try."
00:13:46.970 --> 00:13:50.439
And I was like, "No." Then he sent me
an email about it, and I was like, "No."
00:13:50.550 --> 00:13:53.869
And so I owe him a lot of credit for
this, but it's, 'cause eventually I was
00:13:53.869 --> 00:13:58.999
like, "Okay, I'll do it." So I started
one, it was on Christian spiritual
00:13:59.010 --> 00:14:03.019
formation, and so that, that's kind
of like my background, my education,
00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:06.259
my master's degree is in theology, my
undergraduate degree is in religion.
00:14:06.260 --> 00:14:09.119
And so I started that one five years ago.
00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:09.939
I still write it.
00:14:10.020 --> 00:14:14.489
And then about a year and a half ago,
you know, I was like, "This is great,
00:14:14.489 --> 00:14:17.610
but I have other things I wanna write
about." You know, I don't wanna, you know,
00:14:17.610 --> 00:14:20.799
just kind of like watches, like, I have
different interests and I like writing.
00:14:20.800 --> 00:14:25.120
So I wanted to, to write to people
beyond just people in, you know,
00:14:25.120 --> 00:14:28.439
who, who are, you know, their
religious affiliation is Christian.
00:14:28.539 --> 00:14:30.130
I wanna write to more
people than just that.
00:14:30.130 --> 00:14:34.669
So I launched a newsletter called The
Flourishing Factory, which is stories,
00:14:34.669 --> 00:14:38.099
lessons, and frameworks to help
people cultivate a flourishing life.
00:14:38.319 --> 00:14:40.389
And really the target
audience there is me.
00:14:40.449 --> 00:14:45.539
Like, I think that for a long time I felt
what a lot of people feel in our modern
00:14:45.540 --> 00:14:49.580
world, just distracted, disconnected from
their values, don't feel like they have
00:14:49.580 --> 00:14:53.759
a lot of agency, feel like they wanna
be more creative, but don't know how.
00:14:53.949 --> 00:14:57.820
I w- I share a lot of stories and
frameworks and things, um, to that
00:14:57.829 --> 00:15:02.769
end to feel more aligned, less
fragmented, more present, more creative.
00:15:03.199 --> 00:15:06.589
And that newsletter has really,
really taken off in the last year.
00:15:06.680 --> 00:15:09.939
It's like I get annually 10,000 readers.
00:15:10.039 --> 00:15:14.199
Monthly it's a couple thousand, and so
it's just really, really been really
00:15:14.199 --> 00:15:16.229
cool to watch the traffic on that one.
00:15:17.229 --> 00:15:21.159
And that one I schedule out, you
know, the secret sauce to newsletters
00:15:21.289 --> 00:15:24.109
is, well, one, write good stuff.
00:15:24.109 --> 00:15:26.369
So I take the craft of
writing really seriously.
00:15:26.379 --> 00:15:28.229
I practice it, I study it, I do it a lot.
00:15:28.229 --> 00:15:28.449
Yeah.
00:15:28.539 --> 00:15:31.410
Two, you know, people all the
time are like, "How can you write
00:15:31.410 --> 00:15:33.439
a newsletter every week?" But
it's like I schedule things out.
00:15:33.439 --> 00:15:37.209
So I'm sche- it's a weekly newsletter
that I'm, I'm writing for August and
00:15:37.210 --> 00:15:41.870
September right now, and it's- Yeah
… you know, July 3rd, um, or July 2nd.
00:15:42.499 --> 00:15:44.289
Yeah, so I already kind
of had that muscle.
00:15:44.309 --> 00:15:46.079
Things are scheduled out way in advance.
00:15:46.209 --> 00:15:49.800
And then the idea of Redhead Horology
came along just a couple months
00:15:49.800 --> 00:15:53.479
ago actually, and I thought, "Well,
dang, I wanna start w- writing about
00:15:53.479 --> 00:15:58.289
watches more," but I don't wanna just
write about new releases, you know,
00:15:58.390 --> 00:16:00.069
and new specs and things like that.
00:16:00.179 --> 00:16:04.332
I wanna write about The best part
of watch collecting, which are the
00:16:04.332 --> 00:16:06.752
stories that we attach to these things.
00:16:06.791 --> 00:16:07.112
Like-
00:16:07.141 --> 00:16:07.492
David: Yeah
00:16:07.512 --> 00:16:10.352
… JD: almost every watch I wear,
including the one I'm wearing right
00:16:10.352 --> 00:16:14.852
now, has a story attached to it,
and everyone has a story like that.
00:16:14.901 --> 00:16:18.181
And so… And I love telling stories.
00:16:18.181 --> 00:16:19.561
I love writing stories.
00:16:19.612 --> 00:16:24.362
And so out of that kind of desire and that
experience, Redhead Horology was born.
00:16:25.161 --> 00:16:29.102
And, you know, similar to my secret
sauce, I have, before I even launched
00:16:29.102 --> 00:16:32.512
it, I collected stories from other
people, wrote some of my own, and I,
00:16:32.512 --> 00:16:35.411
I have the first six months worth,
worth of content already written.
00:16:36.031 --> 00:16:39.431
So, and the reception has been
really, really incredible.
00:16:39.972 --> 00:16:41.891
David: And that's released
weekly or bi-weekly?
00:16:41.891 --> 00:16:42.482
How often is
00:16:42.482 --> 00:16:42.661
JD: it?
00:16:42.672 --> 00:16:43.801
It's, it's bi-weekly.
00:16:43.801 --> 00:16:44.701
Yeah, mm-hmm.
00:16:44.781 --> 00:16:46.661
David: So every two weeks
there's something new.
00:16:47.132 --> 00:16:47.352
JD: Yep.
00:16:47.391 --> 00:16:48.881
Every two weeks there's something new.
00:16:48.972 --> 00:16:54.781
You know, yesterday I shared the
story of my Tag Heuer, which actually
00:16:54.781 --> 00:16:56.471
belonged to my wife's grandfather.
00:16:56.501 --> 00:16:59.181
I found it in a box of his stuff.
00:16:59.882 --> 00:17:04.621
Uh, one of my first pieces was, there's
a, a gentleman who unfortunately
00:17:04.621 --> 00:17:09.861
lost his daughter to suicide a,
a couple years ago, and he really
00:17:09.861 --> 00:17:12.031
wanted a watch to remember her by.
00:17:12.102 --> 00:17:16.682
And so he wound up with his Zenith El
Primero, um, that chronograph movement
00:17:16.712 --> 00:17:18.291
that was in the original Daytona.
00:17:18.431 --> 00:17:22.592
And unbeknownst to him, he loves the
watch 'cause it reminds her, him of
00:17:22.592 --> 00:17:25.851
his daughter, but unbeknownst to him,
you know, when I was writing this, this
00:17:25.861 --> 00:17:30.752
post about it, the actual, uh, Zenith
marketing, I know you're a marketing
00:17:30.752 --> 00:17:37.101
guy, David, the Zenith marketing for the
El Primero is about how it's, it's the
00:17:37.102 --> 00:17:39.252
kind of watch that connects generations.
00:17:39.461 --> 00:17:39.871
David: Yes.
00:17:39.882 --> 00:17:44.441
JD: So one of the, one of the main
marketing pieces is a guy, he's wearing
00:17:44.441 --> 00:17:47.772
the watch, the Zenith, and his daughter's
little hand is, like, touching it.
00:17:47.772 --> 00:17:53.441
And I was like, man, what, what a perfect
watch to remember, and this content,
00:17:53.571 --> 00:17:55.181
text for him to remember his daughter by.
00:17:55.301 --> 00:17:55.641
Um-
00:17:55.641 --> 00:17:56.241
David: Yes.
00:17:56.271 --> 00:17:57.481
JD: Oh, my God … so
just stories like that.
00:17:57.501 --> 00:17:58.421
It's just incredible.
00:17:58.831 --> 00:18:00.762
David: Incr- that really,
really is amazing.
00:18:01.071 --> 00:18:03.031
Where, now where do you
source these stories?
00:18:03.031 --> 00:18:07.511
Or how do you connect with people
who have interesting stories,
00:18:07.691 --> 00:18:12.361
um, like either in real life or
online or Facebook or WatchCrunch?
00:18:12.361 --> 00:18:15.401
Or how do you, how do you keep your
finger on the pulse of people that
00:18:15.411 --> 00:18:17.241
have interesting watch stories?
00:18:17.942 --> 00:18:21.092
JD: One, I have my own kind
of stories, so that helps.
00:18:21.102 --> 00:18:21.482
Start with-
00:18:21.512 --> 00:18:21.912
David: Sure
00:18:21.922 --> 00:18:22.962
… JD: start with myself.
00:18:23.502 --> 00:18:27.542
Two, um, I have friends with
stories, so I'll ask them.
00:18:27.672 --> 00:18:33.832
Like, like my friend, uh, Jamie, who you
should have on this podcast, um, he has
00:18:33.852 --> 00:18:39.702
an incredible story that he shared on his
YouTube channel about his Rolex Submariner
00:18:39.711 --> 00:18:42.792
and the connection with his dad, and I
asked him for permission to share that.
00:18:42.792 --> 00:18:45.491
I haven't published it yet, but I
asked permission from him to share it.
00:18:45.552 --> 00:18:47.212
He lives where I live in Birmingham.
00:18:47.291 --> 00:18:51.312
And, um, and then there's a lot of
people on Watch Crunch that I've kind of
00:18:51.361 --> 00:18:54.262
connected with or have interacted with
my stuff, and I've just reached out.
00:18:54.262 --> 00:18:57.521
I'm like, "Hey, do you have a good
story?" And same thing on Substack.
00:18:57.711 --> 00:18:59.601
And then sometimes there's just
kind of stories and things that
00:18:59.602 --> 00:19:03.161
I've, I've, I've read along the
way that, you know, I'm retelling.
00:19:03.161 --> 00:19:09.821
Like, I, I just wrote something about
Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren F1's
00:19:09.821 --> 00:19:15.362
racing team, has this fascinating story
of he went on Teenage Wheel of Fortune
00:19:15.362 --> 00:19:20.441
or something, and he won a his and hers
pair of Cartier watches that he then
00:19:20.441 --> 00:19:26.091
sold to a pawn shop so he could buy
his first go-kart to start cart racing.
00:19:26.222 --> 00:19:29.081
And that kind of, you know, obviously
changed the tr- trajectory of his
00:19:29.082 --> 00:19:30.292
life because it got him into racing.
00:19:30.292 --> 00:19:35.961
And so I don't know that he's a watch guy,
but, you know, you have the, the, the CEO
00:19:36.241 --> 00:19:41.342
of McLaren F1 Racing, really his journey
into racing starts with a pair of Cartier
00:19:41.372 --> 00:19:43.211
watches when he was, like, 14 years old.
00:19:43.641 --> 00:19:46.781
It's just a cool story, and I just
randomly- Yeah … heard, heard him say
00:19:46.781 --> 00:19:51.711
it on a podcast and immediately Googled
it and, and, you know, crafted a s-
00:19:51.942 --> 00:19:54.281
crafted that story into a, an article.
00:19:54.931 --> 00:19:57.121
David: I will tell you, it's funny
because I was poking around just
00:19:57.122 --> 00:20:00.612
talking about Substack in general
now, but also your newsletter.
00:20:01.061 --> 00:20:04.601
I was … You know, because y-
I'm … I started out on the Redhead
00:20:04.681 --> 00:20:08.392
Horology site, and then of course,
I click through on your name, and
00:20:08.392 --> 00:20:10.431
then there's your other newsletters.
00:20:10.972 --> 00:20:16.111
So I came across, you have a fantastic
article about when to quit, right?
00:20:16.111 --> 00:20:19.211
There's the quitting article, and then
later you followed up with the Jerry
00:20:19.211 --> 00:20:26.482
Seinfeld article about when he quit, which
cost him personally, like, $100 million.
00:20:27.771 --> 00:20:32.342
To quit at the top, they were gonna pay
him $100 million to do another season.
00:20:32.672 --> 00:20:38.941
He said, "No, we're done. I've drawn the
finish line." And the big insight on that
00:20:38.952 --> 00:20:43.731
from you was you take a lot of the stress
and a lot of the heartache out of things
00:20:43.952 --> 00:20:46.162
when you draw the finish line in advance.
00:20:46.842 --> 00:20:47.901
And I thought that was- Yeah
00:20:47.911 --> 00:20:48.471
profound.
00:20:48.471 --> 00:20:51.441
I mean, I thought that was
profound, profound, profound.
00:20:51.762 --> 00:20:54.851
And many other things, but, uh,
those are the ones that kind of
00:20:54.851 --> 00:20:57.781
just jumped out at me and gave
me a big hug through the screen.
00:20:58.531 --> 00:21:00.101
JD: Well, uh, thank you.
00:21:00.202 --> 00:21:01.071
Thank you for reading that.
00:21:01.081 --> 00:21:04.252
I- Yeah … those are older, older
articles too, so even I was like,
00:21:04.252 --> 00:21:07.242
"When to quit, when to quit," and
then that kind of jogged my memory.
00:21:07.411 --> 00:21:07.841
David: Right.
00:21:07.982 --> 00:21:11.311
JD: I, I, I'm really encouraged
that that was encouraging to you.
00:21:11.421 --> 00:21:17.782
And, you know, I will say just anecdotally
You know, there are so many instances
00:21:17.851 --> 00:21:21.391
of people staying in positions too long.
00:21:21.401 --> 00:21:21.421
Yeah.
00:21:21.631 --> 00:21:25.552
Doing things too long, and you kind
of start to stagnate, and then just,
00:21:25.591 --> 00:21:26.702
it just creates a lot of problems.
00:21:26.702 --> 00:21:31.552
So I think that, yeah, just m- deciding
ahead of time, you know, when's the…
00:21:31.651 --> 00:21:33.062
what game are you playing?
00:21:33.451 --> 00:21:36.472
Or as Warren Buffett would say,
"What scorecard are you using?"
00:21:36.541 --> 00:21:37.001
David: Yeah.
00:21:37.101 --> 00:21:38.411
JD: And then when's the game over?
00:21:39.351 --> 00:21:43.972
You know, if, if you start a new
job, you know, okay, that's great.
00:21:44.341 --> 00:21:46.881
How do you know when,
when it's over, you know?
00:21:46.921 --> 00:21:46.941
Yeah.
00:21:46.961 --> 00:21:50.231
Or at least what are the milestones
where you're gonna stop, take a breath,
00:21:50.232 --> 00:21:52.091
and reevaluate, you know, things.
00:21:52.101 --> 00:21:54.792
So- Yeah … yeah, I think knowing
when to quit is really important,
00:21:54.941 --> 00:21:56.111
and knowing when not to quit.
00:21:56.121 --> 00:21:58.912
But usually people stay in
things longer than they should.
00:21:59.441 --> 00:22:02.582
David: Well, getting back to watches,
I wanna just ask you a little bit
00:22:02.582 --> 00:22:06.171
about your personal taste and your
collection and things like that.
00:22:06.171 --> 00:22:10.841
And I guess the first way to ask is when
you're out and about, what is it that
00:22:10.841 --> 00:22:12.991
makes you stop and look twice at a watch?
00:22:12.991 --> 00:22:15.821
What do you notice first, or
what, what jumps out at you?
00:22:16.752 --> 00:22:20.321
JD: I'm drawn towards more
kind of classic styles.
00:22:20.351 --> 00:22:20.591
Sure.
00:22:20.591 --> 00:22:22.121
I like simplicity.
00:22:22.551 --> 00:22:24.871
I dislike bulky watches.
00:22:25.191 --> 00:22:29.042
I dislike busy watches, so if the
desi- if the dial is just really
00:22:29.042 --> 00:22:30.971
busy, a lot of things going on.
00:22:31.271 --> 00:22:34.281
That's why I struggle with
chronographs for that reason.
00:22:34.881 --> 00:22:38.511
If my dad is listening to this,
sorry, Dad, he, he loves chronographs.
00:22:38.601 --> 00:22:41.051
But, uh, in general, I like, I like his.
00:22:41.051 --> 00:22:44.121
But in general, I kind of struggle with
them, um, just 'cause there, there's
00:22:44.121 --> 00:22:45.311
just a lot going on with the dial.
00:22:45.322 --> 00:22:46.331
There is, for sure.
00:22:46.331 --> 00:22:47.215
You're involved with different things.
00:22:47.215 --> 00:22:49.061
And, um, so I'm drawn towards simplicity.
00:22:49.091 --> 00:22:51.181
I like n- I don't… I like no date.
00:22:51.651 --> 00:22:52.581
No day, no date.
00:22:52.591 --> 00:22:52.611
Yeah.
00:22:52.621 --> 00:22:53.972
Like, just simple dials.
00:22:54.052 --> 00:22:56.732
David: Also, just be- I'm also
increasingly no day, no date,
00:22:56.752 --> 00:22:57.981
'cause it's just clutter.
00:22:58.871 --> 00:22:59.461
JD: Yeah.
00:22:59.461 --> 00:23:02.272
So that, that Timex Draper I
mentioned, that was the one thing
00:23:02.301 --> 00:23:04.132
is it, it actually is a day-date.
00:23:04.351 --> 00:23:04.571
David: Yeah.
00:23:04.572 --> 00:23:04.601
I
00:23:04.601 --> 00:23:06.841
JD: was like, "Oh, man, I
just wish it was nothing."
00:23:06.851 --> 00:23:07.621
Like, I just wish it was-
00:23:07.621 --> 00:23:08.211
David: Yeah
00:23:08.451 --> 00:23:11.131
… JD: but you can't have w-
everything you want in life, so.
00:23:11.171 --> 00:23:11.982
David: That's true.
00:23:12.011 --> 00:23:12.581
That's true.
00:23:12.841 --> 00:23:16.511
As far as beginning watch collectors,
for the folks that are listening to
00:23:16.511 --> 00:23:20.301
us, and they're just… maybe they got
their first kind of serious watch, or
00:23:20.301 --> 00:23:24.391
they got bit, you know, God, God bless
them, they got bitten by the collecting
00:23:24.391 --> 00:23:26.931
bug, but they're early in their journey.
00:23:27.191 --> 00:23:32.982
What is something in your experience that
beginners focus on that doesn't actually
00:23:32.982 --> 00:23:35.232
matter, that they should just let go of?
00:23:36.152 --> 00:23:38.431
JD: Well, one I would say, kind of
mentioned earlier, like, you don't
00:23:38.441 --> 00:23:41.461
have to spend an exorbitant amount of
money to find something meaningful and
00:23:41.461 --> 00:23:44.072
enjoyable, especially with micro brands.
00:23:44.131 --> 00:23:45.111
I mean, good Lord.
00:23:45.232 --> 00:23:48.501
Uh, I'm wearing a Vejer right now,
which is one of my favorite, you
00:23:48.501 --> 00:23:52.729
know, independent micro brands,
and it's just- Yeah, you just don't
00:23:52.729 --> 00:23:53.854
have to spend thousands of dollars.
00:23:53.914 --> 00:24:00.334
Uh, two, similar to that, similar to that,
like don't chase brand, which we all fall
00:24:00.334 --> 00:24:02.074
for, and I could talk a lot about that.
00:24:02.084 --> 00:24:04.214
But don't chase brand too much.
00:24:05.043 --> 00:24:07.873
Three, try to find something
that is meaningful to you.
00:24:07.884 --> 00:24:14.094
My friend has to go to Japan once a year
for work, and he just went to Tokyo,
00:24:14.324 --> 00:24:16.913
and he was like, "You know, this is
it. I'm gonna, I'm gonna get a Grand
00:24:16.914 --> 00:24:21.913
Seiko. Like, I'm gonna do it, and this
is gonna be my first really nice watch."
00:24:21.973 --> 00:24:24.583
And, and that seems like I'm
contradicting my first point,
00:24:24.593 --> 00:24:26.063
but it was meaningful to him.
00:24:26.473 --> 00:24:26.673
David: Yeah.
00:24:26.674 --> 00:24:27.843
JD: He works for a Japanese company.
00:24:27.843 --> 00:24:31.033
He goes to, uh, Japan once a year.
00:24:31.383 --> 00:24:34.853
Candidly, a Grand Seiko in Tokyo
is cheaper than a Grand Seiko here.
00:24:35.124 --> 00:24:35.503
So that's-
00:24:35.534 --> 00:24:35.924
David: Yeah
00:24:36.023 --> 00:24:36.314
… JD: get it.
00:24:36.363 --> 00:24:37.683
And it's just meaningful to him.
00:24:38.233 --> 00:24:44.123
And then finally, I would say like, I
think people get really into movements.
00:24:44.793 --> 00:24:46.643
That's just, that's not me personally.
00:24:46.643 --> 00:24:49.203
Like, if you are absolutely
in love with a watch and it's
00:24:49.203 --> 00:24:51.863
a quartz watch, get, get it.
00:24:51.973 --> 00:24:52.283
Like-
00:24:52.343 --> 00:24:52.683
David: Yeah
00:24:53.203 --> 00:24:54.774
… JD: uh, at the end of
the day, it's a tool.
00:24:55.073 --> 00:24:59.243
Its function is to tell time,
and it's also a piece of fashion.
00:24:59.793 --> 00:25:04.580
And if it's a good-looking watch,
you're attracted to it If you're
00:25:04.580 --> 00:25:05.590
like, "Oh, it's not a quartz.
00:25:05.590 --> 00:25:07.740
I really want a mechanical
watch or an automatic.
00:25:07.980 --> 00:25:11.240
I really wanna be a serious quote
unquote collector." I, I just
00:25:11.240 --> 00:25:14.470
think, I don't know, there's just,
there's a place for everything,
00:25:14.470 --> 00:25:16.089
and I think quartz gets a bad rap.
00:25:17.069 --> 00:25:21.370
David: Without getting you drawn back
into the consumption cycle, but you, but
00:25:21.370 --> 00:25:25.290
you did mention that you are, you know,
you love to consume in, i- information
00:25:25.290 --> 00:25:26.569
and you want to keep that in check.
00:25:27.370 --> 00:25:31.950
Are there good blogs or magazines
or podcasts or YouTube channels,
00:25:32.030 --> 00:25:36.539
uh, that you recommend to newer
folks getting into watches?
00:25:36.540 --> 00:25:40.359
Obviously they're gonna go to Red
Head Horology, 'cause they have to.
00:25:40.360 --> 00:25:41.139
They need to.
00:25:41.139 --> 00:25:41.750
They should.
00:25:41.750 --> 00:25:42.989
It's gonna be great for them.
00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:43.060
Thank you.
00:25:43.450 --> 00:25:49.649
But are there other, other media that you
recognize and respect and would recommend
00:25:49.649 --> 00:25:52.229
to someone who's early in their journey?
00:25:52.610 --> 00:25:54.529
JD: Uh, well, this podcast obviously is-
00:25:54.659 --> 00:25:55.581
David: Oh, obviously … a great
00:25:55.581 --> 00:25:55.852
JD: place
00:25:55.852 --> 00:25:56.394
David: to start.
00:25:56.394 --> 00:25:56.936
Of course.
00:25:56.936 --> 00:25:57.478
Thank you.
00:25:57.478 --> 00:26:02.459
JD: Yeah, I, I think, uh, and I feel like
I, I'm, I'm being a little too critical.
00:26:02.459 --> 00:26:05.829
I, I, I love, you know, there are
YouTube channels that I love and I'm
00:26:05.829 --> 00:26:09.309
always watching and, you know, there is
something about the written medium though
00:26:09.310 --> 00:26:11.559
that I think forces you to slow down.
00:26:11.689 --> 00:26:15.219
You know, uh, Cameron Weiss
of Weiss Watches, he has a
00:26:15.219 --> 00:26:17.199
Substack, which is really cool.
00:26:17.209 --> 00:26:17.229
Yeah.
00:26:17.240 --> 00:26:18.089
He's up in Nashville.
00:26:18.090 --> 00:26:19.090
He's his own brand.
00:26:19.719 --> 00:26:25.529
Sam Koval has The Sunday Reserve,
and Sam is really putting a lot
00:26:25.529 --> 00:26:26.879
of energy and effort into it.
00:26:26.929 --> 00:26:32.269
And he talks a, it, it, it's watches
and kind of like men's fashion, but
00:26:32.350 --> 00:26:35.549
he was kind enough to feature some of
my writing in it a couple weeks ago.
00:26:36.299 --> 00:26:40.089
And yeah, I think his stuff
is really great as well.
00:26:40.089 --> 00:26:40.569
That's great.
00:26:40.569 --> 00:26:44.560
And then, yeah, I, no, all the
YouTube channels that come to
00:26:44.560 --> 00:26:46.420
mind are the usual suspects.
00:26:46.810 --> 00:26:49.749
My friend Jamie that I mentioned
earlier, his channel I think is
00:26:49.749 --> 00:26:55.439
called RNG Watch, and his YouTube,
his main YouTube channel is RNG Gamer.
00:26:56.129 --> 00:26:59.749
He i- it's on, like, vintage,
I hope I get this right, but
00:26:59.749 --> 00:27:01.750
it's, like, vintage video games.
00:27:01.849 --> 00:27:02.009
David: Oh,
00:27:02.009 --> 00:27:02.439
JD: sure.
00:27:02.539 --> 00:27:05.999
And he, he has like 500,000 followers
or subscribers, something crazy.
00:27:06.709 --> 00:27:08.029
And then he just started a watch channel.
00:27:08.029 --> 00:27:08.869
It's growing a lot.
00:27:08.919 --> 00:27:10.539
And he's got some great stuff too.
00:27:10.749 --> 00:27:13.509
But yeah, th- th- th- that's
what, that's what comes to mind.
00:27:14.329 --> 00:27:16.529
David: Hey, David Newman here
with a quick commercial break.
00:27:16.529 --> 00:27:19.909
Have you seen our social media
channels that have video snippets
00:27:19.919 --> 00:27:21.540
from our favorite interviews?
00:27:21.549 --> 00:27:26.070
Check us out on TikTok,
Instagram and YouTube.
00:27:26.070 --> 00:27:27.849
Now back to the episode.
00:27:29.309 --> 00:27:32.309
Well, we have two pieces of business,
two final pieces of business
00:27:32.309 --> 00:27:33.780
here as we're landing the plane.
00:27:34.059 --> 00:27:38.969
One is our lightning round, which
is just five super quick A or B
00:27:38.979 --> 00:27:43.549
kinds of questions, and then I will
ask you after that for any final
00:27:43.559 --> 00:27:45.489
thoughts or parting words of wisdom.
00:27:45.490 --> 00:27:49.759
But are you ready for the lightning
round question number one?
00:27:50.259 --> 00:27:50.970
JD: Let's do it.
00:27:51.089 --> 00:27:51.599
David: Okay.
00:27:51.659 --> 00:27:53.359
Strap or bracelet?
00:27:56.709 --> 00:27:56.813
Yes Good answer.
00:27:56.813 --> 00:27:57.939
Vintage or modern?
00:27:58.760 --> 00:27:59.330
JD: Yes.
00:27:59.399 --> 00:28:00.050
I like them all.
00:28:00.080 --> 00:28:00.750
Depends on
00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:01.110
David: what I'm wearing.
00:28:01.110 --> 00:28:01.879
Oh, this is gonna be tough.
00:28:01.899 --> 00:28:02.909
You're a tough customer.
00:28:03.060 --> 00:28:05.449
One great watch or five good ones?
00:28:06.300 --> 00:28:07.669
JD: One great watch, easily.
00:28:08.090 --> 00:28:10.359
David: Buy new or hunt for pre-owned?
00:28:10.750 --> 00:28:11.909
JD: Oh, pre-owned, 100%.
00:28:12.360 --> 00:28:14.759
David: And then I think you already
answered this in our previous part of
00:28:14.770 --> 00:28:19.779
the conversation, but design-wise, loud
watch or more quiet, reserved watch?
00:28:20.069 --> 00:28:21.899
JD: Oh, way more quiet.
00:28:21.939 --> 00:28:22.309
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:28:22.309 --> 00:28:23.370
David: Way more quiet.
00:28:23.419 --> 00:28:24.139
Excellent.
00:28:24.149 --> 00:28:25.199
That's the lightning round.
00:28:25.209 --> 00:28:25.549
You did it.
00:28:25.590 --> 00:28:26.149
You got an A+.
00:28:26.570 --> 00:28:27.750
Totally fantastic.
00:28:28.179 --> 00:28:33.239
So JD Tyler, w- uh, final words
of wisdom, any final thoughts for
00:28:33.239 --> 00:28:35.230
folks listening before we wrap up?
00:28:36.149 --> 00:28:40.370
JD: Yeah, actually, uh, one
thing, actually two, two things
00:28:40.419 --> 00:28:42.259
that I think are worth sharing.
00:28:42.800 --> 00:28:46.499
I mentioned I feel like
people can be hoarders.
00:28:46.539 --> 00:28:48.119
They have these massive collections.
00:28:48.139 --> 00:28:48.469
David: Yeah.
00:28:48.479 --> 00:28:52.669
JD: Um, you, you mentioned you have 100,
you know, you know, to each his own.
00:28:52.789 --> 00:28:55.199
Some people are hunters, like
they'll really geek out and they're
00:28:55.199 --> 00:28:57.269
like, "I'm gonna figure out what
my next watch is. I'm gonna like
00:28:57.269 --> 00:28:58.049
look at all these specs-" Yes
00:28:58.049 --> 00:29:01.879
"watch all these reviews, and this is
the one. It's gotta be perfect." And
00:29:01.879 --> 00:29:03.829
then I call myself, like a hitchhiker.
00:29:04.119 --> 00:29:07.829
So my collection, I just kind
of stumble into watches, right?
00:29:07.829 --> 00:29:11.590
Like I would tend towards being a
hunter, but I kind of have to like
00:29:11.600 --> 00:29:15.589
take a step back and be like, I buy
watches as they kind of come my way.
00:29:15.739 --> 00:29:17.439
I'm wearing this Veyrer Meridian.
00:29:17.479 --> 00:29:17.939
I love it.
00:29:17.960 --> 00:29:22.469
It was a gift from a former boss for,
uh, an accomplishment and, you know,
00:29:22.469 --> 00:29:25.389
kind of came my wa- he didn't let me
pick it out, but it kind of came my way.
00:29:25.609 --> 00:29:31.309
Um, my Tudor Pelagos, you know, I bought
from a former client of mine, 'cause
00:29:31.309 --> 00:29:34.749
we were on a call and he saw me wearing
this Veyrer and he thought it was a sub,
00:29:35.469 --> 00:29:36.839
and I was like, "No, it's not a sub."
00:29:36.879 --> 00:29:39.529
And then he was like, "Oh, I've got
this Tudor that I never wear and the
00:29:39.530 --> 00:29:42.769
crystal's busted. I'll, I'll, you
know, I'll sell it to you." So he sold
00:29:42.769 --> 00:29:46.490
it to me for well under market value.
00:29:46.619 --> 00:29:51.376
I had to fix it, but, you know- If
I were to go to the Tudor boutique
00:29:51.376 --> 00:29:53.066
today, I wouldn't buy a Pelagos.
00:29:53.476 --> 00:29:53.726
David: Yeah.
00:29:53.756 --> 00:29:57.806
JD: But it just kind of fell
into my lap, you know, and I
00:29:57.806 --> 00:29:58.656
couldn't- You were hitchhiking
00:29:58.656 --> 00:29:59.246
pass up the opportunity.
00:29:59.246 --> 00:30:02.356
I was hitchhiking, s- so I was
on the road and that… and my
00:30:02.356 --> 00:30:03.476
thumb was out, and that came up.
00:30:04.166 --> 00:30:08.936
So, you know, that's an option too for
a lot of people, like, just be open.
00:30:09.376 --> 00:30:09.596
David: Yeah.
00:30:09.636 --> 00:30:10.416
JD: Look around.
00:30:11.326 --> 00:30:12.365
Things just happen.
00:30:12.365 --> 00:30:15.405
Watches just kind of come into your life.
00:30:15.456 --> 00:30:16.335
It just happens.
00:30:16.536 --> 00:30:17.116
David: Yeah.
00:30:17.185 --> 00:30:21.555
JD: And so th- that, and then
another thing too is, you know, I'll
00:30:21.556 --> 00:30:26.896
say that really think through what
your preferences are, and I love…
00:30:27.186 --> 00:30:30.205
You know, since you read The Flourishing
Factory now, I don't think this
00:30:30.466 --> 00:30:33.006
is… This will be published in the
next month or so it's scheduled,
00:30:33.015 --> 00:30:35.176
but I wrote something on Red Bull.
00:30:35.615 --> 00:30:39.535
So yeah, Red Bull started in Thailand,
I think it was Thailand, and it
00:30:39.536 --> 00:30:43.555
was kind of a popular energy drink
for truck drivers to stay awake.
00:30:43.795 --> 00:30:44.045
David: Yeah.
00:30:44.095 --> 00:30:49.095
JD: And the owner of Red Bull,
or he acquired it or something,
00:30:49.205 --> 00:30:52.125
wanted to expand Red Bull to kind
of Europe and then eventually the
00:30:52.126 --> 00:30:57.225
US, and in all the blind taste tests
everyone said it tasted like piss.
00:30:57.325 --> 00:30:59.255
Like, it, it tasted atrocious.
00:30:59.566 --> 00:30:59.706
Yes.
00:30:59.706 --> 00:31:03.706
So all the market research said,
"Don't expand Red Bull. Don't sell it."
00:31:04.306 --> 00:31:07.526
And then this guy, whose name I can't
remember, was like, "Well, let's do it
00:31:07.526 --> 00:31:13.016
anyways, but let's just invest heavily
in the brand of Red Bull. Let's tie
00:31:13.016 --> 00:31:18.885
it as an energy drink to, you know,
BMX cyclists and people racing in F1
00:31:18.945 --> 00:31:23.475
and parachute skydivers jumping out of
airplanes, and if you're cool, if you're
00:31:23.475 --> 00:31:25.025
adventurous, Red Bull's your drink."
00:31:25.435 --> 00:31:29.745
So even though it objectively tastes
horrible, it is this multi-billion
00:31:29.745 --> 00:31:32.775
dollar brand because it's been
attached to the kind of person you
00:31:32.776 --> 00:31:34.795
wanna be, which is like marketing 101.
00:31:35.315 --> 00:31:35.605
David: Yeah.
00:31:35.626 --> 00:31:37.755
JD: But that's what's
happening with watches, too.
00:31:37.895 --> 00:31:42.305
You know, I remember when the new
Longines, uh, the new Hydroconquest came
00:31:42.306 --> 00:31:46.845
out, like, uh, two or three months ago,
which is a killer watch, by the way.
00:31:46.905 --> 00:31:48.675
So I'm not hating on, on them at all.
00:31:49.365 --> 00:31:53.485
But all of a sudden, I, you know, I, I'm
super satisfied with my dive watches.
00:31:53.495 --> 00:31:54.955
I've got this Fare, I've got my Pelagos.
00:31:54.955 --> 00:31:59.136
The last thing I need is a dive watch,
but you go on, you go on Instagram,
00:31:59.276 --> 00:32:04.775
YouTube, Substack, everywhere, all the
new Hydroconquest, new Hydroconquest,
00:32:04.806 --> 00:32:08.905
'cause Longines is sending out these
watches ahead of the release to all these
00:32:08.905 --> 00:32:11.915
influencers, and on the same day they're
all releasing their videos about it.
00:32:12.306 --> 00:32:15.326
All of a sudden you're like, "Oh, I need
a, I need the Hydroconquest. I need,
00:32:15.326 --> 00:32:16.845
I need to sell something and buy it."
00:32:16.845 --> 00:32:17.205
David: Yeah.
00:32:17.205 --> 00:32:17.565
But
00:32:17.565 --> 00:32:22.940
JD: it, it's that Red Bull effect,
like- It w- where our preferences
00:32:23.130 --> 00:32:28.070
are so shaped by the branding and
marketing apparatus that we are, you
00:32:28.070 --> 00:32:30.680
know, just swimming in that we don't
even- Yeah … fully realize it.
00:32:30.700 --> 00:32:33.550
So I, I think, I would say to
a lot of people just figure
00:32:33.550 --> 00:32:35.320
out what's authentically you.
00:32:35.330 --> 00:32:35.350
Yeah.
00:32:35.530 --> 00:32:37.409
What do you actually like?
00:32:37.810 --> 00:32:40.080
What works with your lifestyle?
00:32:40.420 --> 00:32:44.899
Some people, you know, a dress watch,
that wouldn't really work with their
00:32:44.900 --> 00:32:49.290
lifestyle 'cause they're, um, you
know, they're contractors or something.
00:32:49.379 --> 00:32:49.659
David: Yeah.
00:32:49.759 --> 00:32:50.930
JD: But you might have watched
all their content and be
00:32:50.930 --> 00:32:51.929
like, "I need a dress watch."
00:32:51.949 --> 00:32:52.839
It's like, but you'll never wear it.
00:32:52.839 --> 00:32:53.649
You won't really like it.
00:32:53.779 --> 00:32:58.880
I, I work in a, a kind of a f- you know,
semi-formal office environment with a
00:32:58.880 --> 00:33:03.599
lot of financial advisors and, and wealth
advisors, so I wear a suit jacket a lot.
00:33:04.390 --> 00:33:05.329
I could wear a dress watch.
00:33:05.360 --> 00:33:07.439
It would blend in with
my lifestyle, you know?
00:33:07.439 --> 00:33:07.709
David: Yeah.
00:33:08.049 --> 00:33:09.379
JD: Uh, I have a small child.
00:33:09.439 --> 00:33:14.150
The dive watch fits in great with that
because I can wear it to work and then I
00:33:14.150 --> 00:33:19.020
can, you know, make a… I can switch the
bezel to be like, "Oh, my, my daughter
00:33:19.020 --> 00:33:21.740
went to sleep 10 minutes ago," so I
can track how long she's been asleep.
00:33:21.750 --> 00:33:21.780
Right.
00:33:21.789 --> 00:33:23.379
I do this every day, you know?
00:33:23.789 --> 00:33:25.129
It fits my lifestyle.
00:33:25.369 --> 00:33:28.909
So, you know, just think through your
lifestyle and your actual preferences
00:33:28.969 --> 00:33:33.529
and just try to separate the two of,
like, what's really truly authentically
00:33:33.789 --> 00:33:38.409
my lifestyle and my interests and my
preferences, and what is, like, maybe
00:33:38.410 --> 00:33:39.330
a little bit too much of the zeitgeist-
00:33:40.289 --> 00:33:40.549
David: Yeah
00:33:40.549 --> 00:33:41.149
JD: shaping me.
00:33:41.490 --> 00:33:45.579
And then expand that beyond watches
and just think about that generally
00:33:45.579 --> 00:33:48.720
in your life and you'll- Yeah … kind
of notice things like that everywhere.
00:33:49.179 --> 00:33:51.139
David: I think there is another column.
00:33:51.149 --> 00:33:53.360
It's the anti-zeitgeist column.
00:33:53.360 --> 00:33:55.539
Like, stop drinking the Kool-Aid, people.
00:33:56.239 --> 00:33:57.649
JD: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:33:57.719 --> 00:34:01.240
There's guys like you, David, who work
in marketing and, and all this thing.
00:34:01.749 --> 00:34:03.280
David: It's all, it's all our fault.
00:34:03.289 --> 00:34:03.309
Yeah.
00:34:03.319 --> 00:34:07.909
It's all the marketing industry
has done this crazy psychological
00:34:07.919 --> 00:34:09.610
mind tricks to everybody.
00:34:10.450 --> 00:34:11.579
JD: But- Yeah, it's great.
00:34:12.419 --> 00:34:13.130
We all do it.
00:34:13.700 --> 00:34:15.699
David: Well, JD Tyler,
thank you for being with us.
00:34:15.700 --> 00:34:19.229
You are a total rock star, and I
appreciate you sharing your wisdom.
00:34:19.739 --> 00:34:20.419
JD: Thank you, David.
00:34:20.599 --> 00:34:22.479
This, this was immensely fun.
00:34:24.659 --> 00:34:27.280
David: And that wraps up
another episode of Watch Smarts.
00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:32.180
Listen, if you love this show, if you
love watches, subscribe, download,
00:34:32.199 --> 00:34:36.040
leave us a rating or review on
your favorite podcast platform, and
00:34:36.040 --> 00:34:40.799
check out all the free resources
waiting for you at watchsmarts.com.
NOTE
This file was generated by Descript
00:00:00.178 --> 00:00:02.078
JD: I wrote something up on
Watch Crunch the other day.
00:00:02.078 --> 00:00:05.568
It was like you're either a,
um, horological hoarder, a
00:00:05.568 --> 00:00:08.177
horological hunter, or a hitchhiker.
00:00:08.177 --> 00:00:10.798
And I was like, "I'm a hitchhiker."
I just love those kinds of things.
00:00:10.878 --> 00:00:16.257
David: Welcome to Watch Smarts, where
smart people get smarter about watches.
00:00:16.518 --> 00:00:17.877
I'm your host, David Newman.
00:00:18.107 --> 00:00:19.317
Let's jump right in
00:00:30.880 --> 00:00:37.080
JD: I've kind of been writing online
for six or seven years now, and then,
00:00:37.330 --> 00:00:41.239
uh, Redhead Horology is kind of my
newest newsletter that I launched,
00:00:41.910 --> 00:00:46.690
and it purely came out of a desire
to have a healthier way to interact
00:00:46.690 --> 00:00:51.059
with the hobby of watch collecting
and being a watch enthusiast because
00:00:51.180 --> 00:00:55.769
I've been in, I've been into watches
since my, since I was a little kid.
00:00:55.769 --> 00:00:57.629
I remember my first Scooby-Doo watch.
00:00:57.830 --> 00:01:01.830
I remember getting a Mickey Mouse
watch at a trip to Disney World.
00:01:01.869 --> 00:01:05.579
I remember my dad bought his
first Seamaster, uh, 300.
00:01:06.139 --> 00:01:10.560
And so, so, uh, watches have always been
an interest of mine, and then it kinda
00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:14.400
fell off in college and then came back
around the last, you know, few years.
00:01:14.999 --> 00:01:17.809
But watch media is insane now.
00:01:17.850 --> 00:01:19.870
Like with you, there, there's
Watch Crunch, which is
00:01:19.870 --> 00:01:20.779
where you and I connected.
00:01:20.780 --> 00:01:23.509
There's YouTube channels
and Instagram channels.
00:01:23.979 --> 00:01:27.749
And so my hobby, my interest in
watches became one of consumption.
00:01:28.009 --> 00:01:33.019
I didn't like that, and so I already
was very active writing online.
00:01:33.139 --> 00:01:33.859
Loved that.
00:01:33.859 --> 00:01:38.070
So I was like, "What if I found a way to
write about watches from a human angle?"
00:01:38.090 --> 00:01:42.999
So a lot of my writing at Redhead Horology
has to do with the human side of watch
00:01:42.999 --> 00:01:46.779
collecting, so the stories behind the
pieces, why we're drawn to pieces, our
00:01:46.779 --> 00:01:49.110
histories with pieces, things like that.
00:01:49.389 --> 00:01:53.230
David: Take me back to before you
started the newsletter What were
00:01:53.230 --> 00:01:59.650
some of the, uh, the unhealthy either
consumption habits or purchasing habits?
00:01:59.650 --> 00:02:03.499
'Cause of course we always like to
buy watches and acquire watches.
00:02:03.800 --> 00:02:07.260
I think one of your articles said…
Am I right that one of the early
00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:14.250
introductory articles said it's either
about acquisition or consumption, and
00:02:14.250 --> 00:02:15.579
that both of those- Yeah, I think so.
00:02:15.579 --> 00:02:17.290
Yeah … were kind of the path to madness.
00:02:17.529 --> 00:02:21.319
So what, what were your acquisition
and consumption habits before
00:02:21.320 --> 00:02:22.959
you started the newsletter?
00:02:23.660 --> 00:02:24.040
JD: Yeah.
00:02:24.049 --> 00:02:25.810
I, so, uh, you might have noticed this.
00:02:25.869 --> 00:02:29.149
I, I love frameworks and
I love visual things.
00:02:29.209 --> 00:02:31.029
I also love a good alliteration.
00:02:31.169 --> 00:02:34.259
So I wrote something up on
Watch Crunch the other day.
00:02:34.259 --> 00:02:37.170
It was like, "You're either a, um,
horological hoarder, a horological
00:02:37.170 --> 00:02:41.870
hunter, or a hitchhiker." And I
was like, "I'm a hitchhiker." I
00:02:41.870 --> 00:02:42.959
just love those kinds of things.
00:02:42.959 --> 00:02:48.490
So when it comes to acquisition or
consumption, some people, they're
00:02:48.490 --> 00:02:54.149
just always, you know, acquiring,
acquiring new pieces, and, you know,
00:02:54.180 --> 00:02:55.609
that's really, really expensive.
00:02:55.939 --> 00:02:58.799
And some people… I know people
who do that, and they have the, the
00:02:58.799 --> 00:03:00.260
bandwidth to do that, and that's great.
00:03:00.599 --> 00:03:04.810
But sometimes I worry that a lot of people
who come into the hobby think, "Oh, the
00:03:04.810 --> 00:03:09.599
only way to meaningfully engage with this
hobby is to just buy a lot of watches and
00:03:09.610 --> 00:03:11.629
buy a lot of really expensive watches."
00:03:11.779 --> 00:03:17.429
And, like, I can't regularly go out and
drop, you know, a couple grand on a watch.
00:03:17.459 --> 00:03:20.329
That's- Yeah … just for me personally,
that's fiscally irresponsible.
00:03:20.900 --> 00:03:25.609
And then it's also this, like, hedonic
treadmill of, "Oh, once I get this
00:03:25.610 --> 00:03:27.159
Speedmaster, I will have arrived.
00:03:27.189 --> 00:03:30.619
Once I get this Rolex, I will have
arrived." But then you get it, and then
00:03:30.619 --> 00:03:32.119
you're like, "Okay, well, what's next?"
00:03:32.489 --> 00:03:35.079
So you're just on this treadmill
of, of acquiring watches.
00:03:35.639 --> 00:03:39.790
And then the consumption piece is
similar, but it's just like, you
00:03:39.790 --> 00:03:42.779
know, every… And this is… I'm
more guilty of the consumption piece.
00:03:42.779 --> 00:03:48.169
Like, oh, I'm sitting in line to get
coffee, or this morning I went and
00:03:48.169 --> 00:03:50.140
got a haircut, 8:30 this morning.
00:03:50.189 --> 00:03:53.719
I'm sitting there waiting on my
barber, and I had to, like, mentally
00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:57.009
choose not to get my phone out, 'cause
if I got my phone out, I would be
00:03:57.009 --> 00:03:58.990
scrolling Substack or looking at…
00:03:59.029 --> 00:04:02.289
You know, reading a watch
newsletter or looking at Instagram.
00:04:02.300 --> 00:04:06.230
Like, that's consumption to me is
like all these spare moments, uh,
00:04:06.239 --> 00:04:10.119
are just spent on watch content
or fill-in-the-blank content.
00:04:10.369 --> 00:04:13.710
And I don't think that's healthy,
and I think it makes you… It
00:04:13.819 --> 00:04:15.790
makes the hobby way less enjoyable.
00:04:15.899 --> 00:04:20.450
Um, so I think those are two of the
common pitfalls, uh, that we fall into.
00:04:20.589 --> 00:04:24.980
Fortunately, in my collection, I haven't
actually bought a lot of my watches.
00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:27.149
Like, most of my pieces have been gifts.
00:04:27.349 --> 00:04:32.389
So as far as the acquiring goes,
I, I think that hasn't been
00:04:32.389 --> 00:04:33.830
too much of an issue for me.
00:04:34.119 --> 00:04:36.299
My wife might disagree, but
she's not here right now.
00:04:36.789 --> 00:04:36.809
Yeah.
00:04:37.649 --> 00:04:40.780
But it's the consumption piece
that I, that I, that I can
00:04:40.780 --> 00:04:42.089
struggle with, like a lot of people
00:04:43.106 --> 00:04:46.756
David: So man, we could do an, and there's
like two or three topics that you just
00:04:46.765 --> 00:04:51.316
brought up that we can do an entire
show just on those two or three topics.
00:04:51.325 --> 00:04:53.566
So we'll do a little bit, we'll
have a little sampler, we'll have
00:04:53.566 --> 00:04:58.205
a little smorgasbord visiting
each of these little main dishes.
00:04:58.216 --> 00:04:59.096
Um- David, you
00:04:59.135 --> 00:05:00.856
JD: have the perfect podcast voice.
00:05:00.975 --> 00:05:01.925
David: Oh, thank you.
00:05:01.926 --> 00:05:04.320
It's just, uh, the gift of
nature, the gift of DNA.
00:05:04.320 --> 00:05:04.615
It's
00:05:04.615 --> 00:05:05.025
JD: great.
00:05:05.225 --> 00:05:05.786
David: Thank you.
00:05:05.985 --> 00:05:09.705
It's, it's funny that you say this, JD,
because sometimes people say, "Dude,
00:05:09.705 --> 00:05:11.415
when do you turn that voice off?"
00:05:11.416 --> 00:05:12.866
It's like, I never turn it off.
00:05:12.885 --> 00:05:14.846
You can ask my wife, you can ask my kids.
00:05:14.885 --> 00:05:16.966
Th- this is what it is, you know?
00:05:16.966 --> 00:05:17.185
I believe it.
00:05:17.185 --> 00:05:21.685
I'll, I'll, I'll go into Starbucks
and I'll say, "I'd like an Americano
00:05:21.695 --> 00:05:26.246
with room." And they go, "You
have a great voice." And I'm like,
00:05:26.616 --> 00:05:27.960
"Okay, thank you." That's serious.
00:05:27.960 --> 00:05:28.235
Yeah.
00:05:28.235 --> 00:05:28.975
Thank you.
00:05:29.356 --> 00:05:31.605
I could have been tall,
dark, and handsome, but no,
00:05:31.635 --> 00:05:32.966
great voice is what I get.
00:05:32.975 --> 00:05:33.765
That's okay.
00:05:33.765 --> 00:05:34.365
It's okay.
00:05:34.365 --> 00:05:37.426
Life is not fair, it's all good,
but thank you for the compliment.
00:05:37.895 --> 00:05:41.445
So I wanna talk about, 'cause
you did bring up two or three
00:05:41.445 --> 00:05:43.036
really amazing things there.
00:05:43.676 --> 00:05:44.905
Expensive watches.
00:05:44.926 --> 00:05:47.455
People have to buy a lot
of expensive watches.
00:05:47.555 --> 00:05:50.766
I personally, I own over 100 watches.
00:05:50.786 --> 00:05:51.926
I counted them.
00:05:52.496 --> 00:05:59.545
It's a problem, but I own one and only
one, quote unquote, "expensive watch," and
00:05:59.545 --> 00:06:01.825
it's a Rolex and I got it back in 2015.
00:06:01.865 --> 00:06:03.105
It was a special occasion.
00:06:03.106 --> 00:06:05.476
It's a meaningful milestone.
00:06:05.945 --> 00:06:10.196
The rest of the watches, I
mean, you know, people need to
00:06:10.196 --> 00:06:12.846
know brands like Timex, Seiko,
00:06:15.155 --> 00:06:16.465
Bulova, Casio.
00:06:16.475 --> 00:06:18.085
These are great watches.
00:06:18.396 --> 00:06:24.005
You can spend 30 bucks, you can spend
50 bucks and get one of the iconic
00:06:24.015 --> 00:06:28.666
watches that people instantly recognize
and they go, "Oh, I love that watch.
00:06:28.666 --> 00:06:29.626
That's a great piece.
00:06:29.626 --> 00:06:33.055
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." Yes, of
course, you can go out and buy a Rolex
00:06:33.055 --> 00:06:36.495
Daytona if you have, you know, unlimited
wealth and then the next week you buy
00:06:36.496 --> 00:06:39.955
an Omega, and the next week you buy a
Patek, and the next week you buy who
00:06:39.955 --> 00:06:44.095
knows what. But you put your finger on
it, right? Those people have unlimited
00:06:44.095 --> 00:06:49.205
resources and probably each one of those,
what might be a lifelong, uh, dream and a
00:06:49.205 --> 00:06:53.315
lifelong purchase for you and me, f- to,
to them it's like, "Oh, that's Tuesday.
00:06:53.366 --> 00:06:57.405
That's Tuesday." So there is that
hedonic treadmill that you talk about.
00:06:57.985 --> 00:07:03.195
Do affordable watches play into your
landscape these days in any way?
00:07:03.946 --> 00:07:05.006
JD: As far as what
00:07:05.025 --> 00:07:07.445
David: I wear or- As far as you
collecting them or- Yeah … admiring
00:07:07.455 --> 00:07:11.745
them or, you know, would you pick
up like a, you know, an $80 Timex
00:07:11.745 --> 00:07:13.955
watch if the aesthetics spoke to you?
00:07:15.118 --> 00:07:23.118
JD: You know, it's funny you mentioned
Timex 'cause I just bought a Timex Draper.
00:07:23.147 --> 00:07:24.358
I don't know if you've seen that one.
00:07:24.368 --> 00:07:24.468
Mm-hmm.
00:07:24.478 --> 00:07:31.697
So my, um, my wife got me a Seiko
Skyliner from the '60s, um, that I've
00:07:31.698 --> 00:07:36.677
been restoring and love it, but I'm having
some issues servicing the movement 'cause
00:07:36.677 --> 00:07:37.897
I like to work on these things myself.
00:07:38.587 --> 00:07:43.367
And so I needed, n-I need… I didn't
need, I really wanted something to kinda
00:07:43.368 --> 00:07:48.107
scratch the itch of the Skyliner, which
is more of like a '60s kinda casual
00:07:48.107 --> 00:07:52.808
dress watch that I could wear kinda
throughout the workday and stuff, um,
00:07:52.997 --> 00:07:54.848
while I was trying to fix the Skyliner.
00:07:54.877 --> 00:07:59.718
And so the Timex Draper, it's,
uh, it retails for, like, 270.
00:08:00.397 --> 00:08:04.278
Timex gives out coupons like,
like nobody's business, so I
00:08:04.278 --> 00:08:07.607
think I paid $220 or $30 for it.
00:08:07.607 --> 00:08:08.877
It's gonna be here in, like, a week.
00:08:09.138 --> 00:08:09.428
David: Yeah.
00:08:09.457 --> 00:08:14.837
JD: But it, it is a gorgeous s-
vintage '60s-inspired design.
00:08:14.848 --> 00:08:16.388
It has a Miyota movement.
00:08:16.848 --> 00:08:20.377
For $200, it's a Miyota movement,
70-hour power reserve, uh, you
00:08:20.377 --> 00:08:21.667
know, 40-hour power reserve.
00:08:21.677 --> 00:08:22.927
It has mineral…
00:08:22.927 --> 00:08:26.258
It even has mineral crystal, which
people don't like, but if you're
00:08:26.268 --> 00:08:28.977
trying to have a '60s era kind of vibe-
00:08:29.207 --> 00:08:29.487
David: Yeah … a
00:08:29.487 --> 00:08:31.848
JD: mineral cryst… Like, they didn't
have sapphire crystals back then.
00:08:31.848 --> 00:08:36.387
So, you know, that to me, I was just…
I've been looking for something and
00:08:36.387 --> 00:08:41.057
I didn't wanna spend a lot, and,
uh, that really scratched that itch.
00:08:41.057 --> 00:08:44.788
That's, to me, that's a very
affordable, really cool piece.
00:08:44.788 --> 00:08:47.817
We'll see how I like it, but from
a spec- Yeah … sheet and just
00:08:47.817 --> 00:08:49.138
looking at it, it's really great.
00:08:49.298 --> 00:08:54.988
And then one of my other favorite
watches is a Mayer S7 field watch.
00:08:55.237 --> 00:08:57.167
It's like $150 watch.
00:08:57.177 --> 00:08:57.197
Yeah.
00:08:57.467 --> 00:08:58.087
I love it.
00:08:58.097 --> 00:09:01.757
Some- sometimes I'll wear it more
than my Tudor Pelagos, just because,
00:09:01.767 --> 00:09:07.008
especially in the summer, it's just
a perfect, perfect summer watch.
00:09:07.137 --> 00:09:14.786
Um- Yeah … so yeah, I would say- Smaller
watches like that do play a role to me,
00:09:14.815 --> 00:09:18.276
but I hesitate to buy them because I
don't want to have a bunch of watches
00:09:18.295 --> 00:09:21.476
that are competing for time on my wrist.
00:09:21.476 --> 00:09:21.506
Sure.
00:09:21.626 --> 00:09:25.915
I want to have a few… A
smaller collection where, um,
00:09:25.925 --> 00:09:28.986
the pieces are meaningful and I-
Yeah … actually wear them all.
00:09:29.165 --> 00:09:30.126
Um, but that's just me.
00:09:30.175 --> 00:09:31.265
You know, everybody's different.
00:09:31.905 --> 00:09:35.405
David: Quick commercial break here
to ask you, have you seen all of the
00:09:35.405 --> 00:09:39.995
cool resources, downloads, and guides
waiting for you at watchsmarts.com?
00:09:40.155 --> 00:09:41.055
Go check it out.
00:09:41.115 --> 00:09:42.015
You'll love it.
00:09:43.945 --> 00:09:45.486
So here is my trick.
00:09:45.486 --> 00:09:50.805
Here's how I have basically deluded
myself into the collection that I have.
00:09:51.315 --> 00:09:53.396
You'll see these watches behind me.
00:09:53.856 --> 00:09:57.536
So these are, like, you know,
between 30 and 100 bucks usually.
00:09:57.595 --> 00:10:00.595
A lot of eBay, a lot of,
you know, used, secondhand.
00:10:01.225 --> 00:10:04.935
Uh, people say, "Well, you're not gonna
wear all those watches. Like, what's
00:10:04.935 --> 00:10:07.195
wrong with you?" It's like, it's decor.
00:10:07.445 --> 00:10:09.325
It's office decor.
00:10:09.615 --> 00:10:11.035
So if you put it in a vertical- Yes
00:10:11.045 --> 00:10:14.835
case like this and you display
them, it's like people display
00:10:15.096 --> 00:10:16.866
china in a china cabinet.
00:10:16.876 --> 00:10:20.935
They display… You know, if they
collect Pez dispensers, they're not
00:10:20.935 --> 00:10:23.036
gonna eat Pez out of the Pez dispenser.
00:10:23.036 --> 00:10:27.555
They're gonna display the Pez
dispensers or the Disney characters.
00:10:28.005 --> 00:10:32.085
But I wanna go back to this
obsessive consumption, and it's a…
00:10:32.126 --> 00:10:35.016
This is a genuine question I,
I don't know the answer to.
00:10:35.626 --> 00:10:39.065
I'm only victim to this in
our world, in the watch world.
00:10:39.655 --> 00:10:41.665
Let's say you're a jigsaw puzzle fan.
00:10:42.086 --> 00:10:46.936
Do you obsessively watch
videos and YouTubes and look at
00:10:46.936 --> 00:10:49.205
Substack for jigsaw puzzle stuff?
00:10:49.486 --> 00:10:52.775
If you're a car enthusiast,
is it as bad with cars?
00:10:53.115 --> 00:10:55.415
I think for some reason, watches…
00:10:56.005 --> 00:10:59.795
And maybe it's because it's such
a vast variety of watches, right?
00:10:59.795 --> 00:11:01.105
The world is so big.
00:11:01.545 --> 00:11:04.515
Do you have other hobbies, for
example, where this consumption
00:11:04.516 --> 00:11:07.755
thing is not really a problem,
like cooking or anything like that?
00:11:07.766 --> 00:11:08.486
Travel?
00:11:09.294 --> 00:11:10.394
JD: Yeah, no, it's just this
00:11:10.664 --> 00:11:12.014
David: It's just this, right?
00:11:12.314 --> 00:11:12.894
What's up with that?
00:11:12.894 --> 00:11:12.954
I
00:11:12.954 --> 00:11:13.774
JD: don't know, I don't know.
00:11:14.064 --> 00:11:14.434
I don't know.
00:11:14.514 --> 00:11:21.103
Part of me wonders if some of it has
to do with, generally speaking, I,
00:11:21.103 --> 00:11:24.013
I… This is all very contextual, but
I think generally speaking, you know,
00:11:24.024 --> 00:11:28.264
men aren't typically known for being
into jewelry, like quote, unquote.
00:11:28.264 --> 00:11:28.543
True.
00:11:28.554 --> 00:11:31.414
Like, that, that's a stereotype that's
probably… I live in the South,
00:11:31.423 --> 00:11:32.903
that's definitely true where I live.
00:11:33.333 --> 00:11:33.623
David: Yeah.
00:11:33.964 --> 00:11:40.543
JD: And I think on the one hand, watches
are one of the few socially acceptable
00:11:40.544 --> 00:11:42.434
pieces of jewelry a man can wear, right?
00:11:42.443 --> 00:11:42.663
True.
00:11:42.663 --> 00:11:44.323
It's like a watch or a wedding band.
00:11:44.774 --> 00:11:45.054
David: Yeah.
00:11:45.084 --> 00:11:50.233
JD: And then secondly, I think that
with the rise of like s- social media,
00:11:50.244 --> 00:11:55.483
watch- watches are such a visual thing,
too, that you just have all of these
00:11:55.544 --> 00:12:00.253
content creators and all of these
photographers that are just posting
00:12:00.253 --> 00:12:03.683
pictures constantly everywhere, and
they have all these brands that are
00:12:03.693 --> 00:12:09.034
just pumping money into influencers
that it just seems like it's exploded.
00:12:09.053 --> 00:12:10.593
And so it's a- Yeah … visual thing.
00:12:11.013 --> 00:12:14.813
If you have all this desire for jewelry,
maybe you don't even realize it as a man,
00:12:15.353 --> 00:12:18.663
but it's just kind of pent up and then the
watch comes along, it's like it's socially
00:12:18.663 --> 00:12:21.703
acceptable and just you just go crazy.
00:12:22.063 --> 00:12:22.093
Right.
00:12:22.103 --> 00:12:22.243
I don't know.
00:12:22.713 --> 00:12:25.713
I have no, you know, I have no
research to back that up, but
00:12:25.713 --> 00:12:28.113
it, it's, it's my working theory.
00:12:28.764 --> 00:12:33.174
But I, I do think that influencers
and like Instagram and watches being a
00:12:33.174 --> 00:12:41.873
visual thing and just the amount of money
that, you know, the brands are giving to
00:12:41.873 --> 00:12:45.623
marketing right now is just crazy, and
I think that really shapes our desires.
00:12:45.764 --> 00:12:46.084
David: Yeah.
00:12:46.084 --> 00:12:46.704
No, you're right.
00:12:46.704 --> 00:12:47.073
You're right.
00:12:47.073 --> 00:12:48.884
It's kind of a, a cycle, right?
00:12:48.893 --> 00:12:51.303
That the, the more we
consume, the more we desire.
00:12:51.303 --> 00:12:54.514
The more we desire, the more we buy,
which just fuels the machine to do
00:12:54.514 --> 00:12:56.233
round two, round three, round four.
00:12:56.993 --> 00:13:00.293
So JD, you've got several
different newsletters.
00:13:00.313 --> 00:13:05.033
You said that Redhead Horology is
your latest, but you've been in the
00:13:05.033 --> 00:13:07.004
newsletter business for quite a while.
00:13:07.023 --> 00:13:12.194
Tell us about how that whole Substack
newsletter thing came to flourish.
00:13:13.013 --> 00:13:13.283
JD: Yeah.
00:13:13.283 --> 00:13:13.943
Well, it's funny.
00:13:13.943 --> 00:13:17.614
So Substack is a huge, huge thing now.
00:13:17.654 --> 00:13:18.623
It's growing a lot.
00:13:18.704 --> 00:13:23.963
But I remember about five years
ago, it was, no one knew about it.
00:13:24.223 --> 00:13:27.223
There wasn't Substack Notes, which
is essentially like a Twitter feed.
00:13:27.773 --> 00:13:30.324
It was just like a newsletter software.
00:13:30.823 --> 00:13:34.923
And I'd, up, up until that point, I'd
done some writing online for different,
00:13:35.053 --> 00:13:40.209
different publications and- I really
wanted to write more, and my, actually
00:13:40.209 --> 00:13:45.449
my brother, I, I distinctively remember
him mentioning it to me like, "Hey,
00:13:45.449 --> 00:13:46.870
there's a Substack thing you should try."
00:13:46.970 --> 00:13:50.439
And I was like, "No." Then he sent me
an email about it, and I was like, "No."
00:13:50.550 --> 00:13:53.869
And so I owe him a lot of credit for
this, but it's, 'cause eventually I was
00:13:53.869 --> 00:13:58.999
like, "Okay, I'll do it." So I started
one, it was on Christian spiritual
00:13:59.010 --> 00:14:03.019
formation, and so that, that's kind
of like my background, my education,
00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:06.259
my master's degree is in theology, my
undergraduate degree is in religion.
00:14:06.260 --> 00:14:09.119
And so I started that one five years ago.
00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:09.939
I still write it.
00:14:10.020 --> 00:14:14.489
And then about a year and a half ago,
you know, I was like, "This is great,
00:14:14.489 --> 00:14:17.610
but I have other things I wanna write
about." You know, I don't wanna, you know,
00:14:17.610 --> 00:14:20.799
just kind of like watches, like, I have
different interests and I like writing.
00:14:20.800 --> 00:14:25.120
So I wanted to, to write to people
beyond just people in, you know,
00:14:25.120 --> 00:14:28.439
who, who are, you know, their
religious affiliation is Christian.
00:14:28.539 --> 00:14:30.130
I wanna write to more
people than just that.
00:14:30.130 --> 00:14:34.669
So I launched a newsletter called The
Flourishing Factory, which is stories,
00:14:34.669 --> 00:14:38.099
lessons, and frameworks to help
people cultivate a flourishing life.
00:14:38.319 --> 00:14:40.389
And really the target
audience there is me.
00:14:40.449 --> 00:14:45.539
Like, I think that for a long time I felt
what a lot of people feel in our modern
00:14:45.540 --> 00:14:49.580
world, just distracted, disconnected from
their values, don't feel like they have
00:14:49.580 --> 00:14:53.759
a lot of agency, feel like they wanna
be more creative, but don't know how.
00:14:53.949 --> 00:14:57.820
I w- I share a lot of stories and
frameworks and things, um, to that
00:14:57.829 --> 00:15:02.769
end to feel more aligned, less
fragmented, more present, more creative.
00:15:03.199 --> 00:15:06.589
And that newsletter has really,
really taken off in the last year.
00:15:06.680 --> 00:15:09.939
It's like I get annually 10,000 readers.
00:15:10.039 --> 00:15:14.199
Monthly it's a couple thousand, and so
it's just really, really been really
00:15:14.199 --> 00:15:16.229
cool to watch the traffic on that one.
00:15:17.229 --> 00:15:21.159
And that one I schedule out, you
know, the secret sauce to newsletters
00:15:21.289 --> 00:15:24.109
is, well, one, write good stuff.
00:15:24.109 --> 00:15:26.369
So I take the craft of
writing really seriously.
00:15:26.379 --> 00:15:28.229
I practice it, I study it, I do it a lot.
00:15:28.229 --> 00:15:28.449
Yeah.
00:15:28.539 --> 00:15:31.410
Two, you know, people all the
time are like, "How can you write
00:15:31.410 --> 00:15:33.439
a newsletter every week?" But
it's like I schedule things out.
00:15:33.439 --> 00:15:37.209
So I'm sche- it's a weekly newsletter
that I'm, I'm writing for August and
00:15:37.210 --> 00:15:41.870
September right now, and it's- Yeah
… you know, July 3rd, um, or July 2nd.
00:15:42.499 --> 00:15:44.289
Yeah, so I already kind
of had that muscle.
00:15:44.309 --> 00:15:46.079
Things are scheduled out way in advance.
00:15:46.209 --> 00:15:49.800
And then the idea of Redhead Horology
came along just a couple months
00:15:49.800 --> 00:15:53.479
ago actually, and I thought, "Well,
dang, I wanna start w- writing about
00:15:53.479 --> 00:15:58.289
watches more," but I don't wanna just
write about new releases, you know,
00:15:58.390 --> 00:16:00.069
and new specs and things like that.
00:16:00.179 --> 00:16:04.332
I wanna write about The best part
of watch collecting, which are the
00:16:04.332 --> 00:16:06.752
stories that we attach to these things.
00:16:06.791 --> 00:16:07.112
Like-
00:16:07.141 --> 00:16:07.492
David: Yeah
00:16:07.512 --> 00:16:10.352
… JD: almost every watch I wear,
including the one I'm wearing right
00:16:10.352 --> 00:16:14.852
now, has a story attached to it,
and everyone has a story like that.
00:16:14.901 --> 00:16:18.181
And so… And I love telling stories.
00:16:18.181 --> 00:16:19.561
I love writing stories.
00:16:19.612 --> 00:16:24.362
And so out of that kind of desire and that
experience, Redhead Horology was born.
00:16:25.161 --> 00:16:29.102
And, you know, similar to my secret
sauce, I have, before I even launched
00:16:29.102 --> 00:16:32.512
it, I collected stories from other
people, wrote some of my own, and I,
00:16:32.512 --> 00:16:35.411
I have the first six months worth,
worth of content already written.
00:16:36.031 --> 00:16:39.431
So, and the reception has been
really, really incredible.
00:16:39.972 --> 00:16:41.891
David: And that's released
weekly or bi-weekly?
00:16:41.891 --> 00:16:42.482
How often is
00:16:42.482 --> 00:16:42.661
JD: it?
00:16:42.672 --> 00:16:43.801
It's, it's bi-weekly.
00:16:43.801 --> 00:16:44.701
Yeah, mm-hmm.
00:16:44.781 --> 00:16:46.661
David: So every two weeks
there's something new.
00:16:47.132 --> 00:16:47.352
JD: Yep.
00:16:47.391 --> 00:16:48.881
Every two weeks there's something new.
00:16:48.972 --> 00:16:54.781
You know, yesterday I shared the
story of my Tag Heuer, which actually
00:16:54.781 --> 00:16:56.471
belonged to my wife's grandfather.
00:16:56.501 --> 00:16:59.181
I found it in a box of his stuff.
00:16:59.882 --> 00:17:04.621
Uh, one of my first pieces was, there's
a, a gentleman who unfortunately
00:17:04.621 --> 00:17:09.861
lost his daughter to suicide a,
a couple years ago, and he really
00:17:09.861 --> 00:17:12.031
wanted a watch to remember her by.
00:17:12.102 --> 00:17:16.682
And so he wound up with his Zenith El
Primero, um, that chronograph movement
00:17:16.712 --> 00:17:18.291
that was in the original Daytona.
00:17:18.431 --> 00:17:22.592
And unbeknownst to him, he loves the
watch 'cause it reminds her, him of
00:17:22.592 --> 00:17:25.851
his daughter, but unbeknownst to him,
you know, when I was writing this, this
00:17:25.861 --> 00:17:30.752
post about it, the actual, uh, Zenith
marketing, I know you're a marketing
00:17:30.752 --> 00:17:37.101
guy, David, the Zenith marketing for the
El Primero is about how it's, it's the
00:17:37.102 --> 00:17:39.252
kind of watch that connects generations.
00:17:39.461 --> 00:17:39.871
David: Yes.
00:17:39.882 --> 00:17:44.441
JD: So one of the, one of the main
marketing pieces is a guy, he's wearing
00:17:44.441 --> 00:17:47.772
the watch, the Zenith, and his daughter's
little hand is, like, touching it.
00:17:47.772 --> 00:17:53.441
And I was like, man, what, what a perfect
watch to remember, and this content,
00:17:53.571 --> 00:17:55.181
text for him to remember his daughter by.
00:17:55.301 --> 00:17:55.641
Um-
00:17:55.641 --> 00:17:56.241
David: Yes.
00:17:56.271 --> 00:17:57.481
JD: Oh, my God … so
just stories like that.
00:17:57.501 --> 00:17:58.421
It's just incredible.
00:17:58.831 --> 00:18:00.762
David: Incr- that really,
really is amazing.
00:18:01.071 --> 00:18:03.031
Where, now where do you
source these stories?
00:18:03.031 --> 00:18:07.511
Or how do you connect with people
who have interesting stories,
00:18:07.691 --> 00:18:12.361
um, like either in real life or
online or Facebook or WatchCrunch?
00:18:12.361 --> 00:18:15.401
Or how do you, how do you keep your
finger on the pulse of people that
00:18:15.411 --> 00:18:17.241
have interesting watch stories?
00:18:17.942 --> 00:18:21.092
JD: One, I have my own kind
of stories, so that helps.
00:18:21.102 --> 00:18:21.482
Start with-
00:18:21.512 --> 00:18:21.912
David: Sure
00:18:21.922 --> 00:18:22.962
… JD: start with myself.
00:18:23.502 --> 00:18:27.542
Two, um, I have friends with
stories, so I'll ask them.
00:18:27.672 --> 00:18:33.832
Like, like my friend, uh, Jamie, who you
should have on this podcast, um, he has
00:18:33.852 --> 00:18:39.702
an incredible story that he shared on his
YouTube channel about his Rolex Submariner
00:18:39.711 --> 00:18:42.792
and the connection with his dad, and I
asked him for permission to share that.
00:18:42.792 --> 00:18:45.491
I haven't published it yet, but I
asked permission from him to share it.
00:18:45.552 --> 00:18:47.212
He lives where I live in Birmingham.
00:18:47.291 --> 00:18:51.312
And, um, and then there's a lot of
people on Watch Crunch that I've kind of
00:18:51.361 --> 00:18:54.262
connected with or have interacted with
my stuff, and I've just reached out.
00:18:54.262 --> 00:18:57.521
I'm like, "Hey, do you have a good
story?" And same thing on Substack.
00:18:57.711 --> 00:18:59.601
And then sometimes there's just
kind of stories and things that
00:18:59.602 --> 00:19:03.161
I've, I've, I've read along the
way that, you know, I'm retelling.
00:19:03.161 --> 00:19:09.821
Like, I, I just wrote something about
Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren F1's
00:19:09.821 --> 00:19:15.362
racing team, has this fascinating story
of he went on Teenage Wheel of Fortune
00:19:15.362 --> 00:19:20.441
or something, and he won a his and hers
pair of Cartier watches that he then
00:19:20.441 --> 00:19:26.091
sold to a pawn shop so he could buy
his first go-kart to start cart racing.
00:19:26.222 --> 00:19:29.081
And that kind of, you know, obviously
changed the tr- trajectory of his
00:19:29.082 --> 00:19:30.292
life because it got him into racing.
00:19:30.292 --> 00:19:35.961
And so I don't know that he's a watch guy,
but, you know, you have the, the, the CEO
00:19:36.241 --> 00:19:41.342
of McLaren F1 Racing, really his journey
into racing starts with a pair of Cartier
00:19:41.372 --> 00:19:43.211
watches when he was, like, 14 years old.
00:19:43.641 --> 00:19:46.781
It's just a cool story, and I just
randomly- Yeah … heard, heard him say
00:19:46.781 --> 00:19:51.711
it on a podcast and immediately Googled
it and, and, you know, crafted a s-
00:19:51.942 --> 00:19:54.281
crafted that story into a, an article.
00:19:54.931 --> 00:19:57.121
David: I will tell you, it's funny
because I was poking around just
00:19:57.122 --> 00:20:00.612
talking about Substack in general
now, but also your newsletter.
00:20:01.061 --> 00:20:04.601
I was … You know, because y-
I'm … I started out on the Redhead
00:20:04.681 --> 00:20:08.392
Horology site, and then of course,
I click through on your name, and
00:20:08.392 --> 00:20:10.431
then there's your other newsletters.
00:20:10.972 --> 00:20:16.111
So I came across, you have a fantastic
article about when to quit, right?
00:20:16.111 --> 00:20:19.211
There's the quitting article, and then
later you followed up with the Jerry
00:20:19.211 --> 00:20:26.482
Seinfeld article about when he quit, which
cost him personally, like, $100 million.
00:20:27.771 --> 00:20:32.342
To quit at the top, they were gonna pay
him $100 million to do another season.
00:20:32.672 --> 00:20:38.941
He said, "No, we're done. I've drawn the
finish line." And the big insight on that
00:20:38.952 --> 00:20:43.731
from you was you take a lot of the stress
and a lot of the heartache out of things
00:20:43.952 --> 00:20:46.162
when you draw the finish line in advance.
00:20:46.842 --> 00:20:47.901
And I thought that was- Yeah
00:20:47.911 --> 00:20:48.471
profound.
00:20:48.471 --> 00:20:51.441
I mean, I thought that was
profound, profound, profound.
00:20:51.762 --> 00:20:54.851
And many other things, but, uh,
those are the ones that kind of
00:20:54.851 --> 00:20:57.781
just jumped out at me and gave
me a big hug through the screen.
00:20:58.531 --> 00:21:00.101
JD: Well, uh, thank you.
00:21:00.202 --> 00:21:01.071
Thank you for reading that.
00:21:01.081 --> 00:21:04.252
I- Yeah … those are older, older
articles too, so even I was like,
00:21:04.252 --> 00:21:07.242
"When to quit, when to quit," and
then that kind of jogged my memory.
00:21:07.411 --> 00:21:07.841
David: Right.
00:21:07.982 --> 00:21:11.311
JD: I, I, I'm really encouraged
that that was encouraging to you.
00:21:11.421 --> 00:21:17.782
And, you know, I will say just anecdotally
You know, there are so many instances
00:21:17.851 --> 00:21:21.391
of people staying in positions too long.
00:21:21.401 --> 00:21:21.421
Yeah.
00:21:21.631 --> 00:21:25.552
Doing things too long, and you kind
of start to stagnate, and then just,
00:21:25.591 --> 00:21:26.702
it just creates a lot of problems.
00:21:26.702 --> 00:21:31.552
So I think that, yeah, just m- deciding
ahead of time, you know, when's the…
00:21:31.651 --> 00:21:33.062
what game are you playing?
00:21:33.451 --> 00:21:36.472
Or as Warren Buffett would say,
"What scorecard are you using?"
00:21:36.541 --> 00:21:37.001
David: Yeah.
00:21:37.101 --> 00:21:38.411
JD: And then when's the game over?
00:21:39.351 --> 00:21:43.972
You know, if, if you start a new
job, you know, okay, that's great.
00:21:44.341 --> 00:21:46.881
How do you know when,
when it's over, you know?
00:21:46.921 --> 00:21:46.941
Yeah.
00:21:46.961 --> 00:21:50.231
Or at least what are the milestones
where you're gonna stop, take a breath,
00:21:50.232 --> 00:21:52.091
and reevaluate, you know, things.
00:21:52.101 --> 00:21:54.792
So- Yeah … yeah, I think knowing
when to quit is really important,
00:21:54.941 --> 00:21:56.111
and knowing when not to quit.
00:21:56.121 --> 00:21:58.912
But usually people stay in
things longer than they should.
00:21:59.441 --> 00:22:02.582
David: Well, getting back to watches,
I wanna just ask you a little bit
00:22:02.582 --> 00:22:06.171
about your personal taste and your
collection and things like that.
00:22:06.171 --> 00:22:10.841
And I guess the first way to ask is when
you're out and about, what is it that
00:22:10.841 --> 00:22:12.991
makes you stop and look twice at a watch?
00:22:12.991 --> 00:22:15.821
What do you notice first, or
what, what jumps out at you?
00:22:16.752 --> 00:22:20.321
JD: I'm drawn towards more
kind of classic styles.
00:22:20.351 --> 00:22:20.591
Sure.
00:22:20.591 --> 00:22:22.121
I like simplicity.
00:22:22.551 --> 00:22:24.871
I dislike bulky watches.
00:22:25.191 --> 00:22:29.042
I dislike busy watches, so if the
desi- if the dial is just really
00:22:29.042 --> 00:22:30.971
busy, a lot of things going on.
00:22:31.271 --> 00:22:34.281
That's why I struggle with
chronographs for that reason.
00:22:34.881 --> 00:22:38.511
If my dad is listening to this,
sorry, Dad, he, he loves chronographs.
00:22:38.601 --> 00:22:41.051
But, uh, in general, I like, I like his.
00:22:41.051 --> 00:22:44.121
But in general, I kind of struggle with
them, um, just 'cause there, there's
00:22:44.121 --> 00:22:45.311
just a lot going on with the dial.
00:22:45.322 --> 00:22:46.331
There is, for sure.
00:22:46.331 --> 00:22:47.215
You're involved with different things.
00:22:47.215 --> 00:22:49.061
And, um, so I'm drawn towards simplicity.
00:22:49.091 --> 00:22:51.181
I like n- I don't… I like no date.
00:22:51.651 --> 00:22:52.581
No day, no date.
00:22:52.591 --> 00:22:52.611
Yeah.
00:22:52.621 --> 00:22:53.972
Like, just simple dials.
00:22:54.052 --> 00:22:56.732
David: Also, just be- I'm also
increasingly no day, no date,
00:22:56.752 --> 00:22:57.981
'cause it's just clutter.
00:22:58.871 --> 00:22:59.461
JD: Yeah.
00:22:59.461 --> 00:23:02.272
So that, that Timex Draper I
mentioned, that was the one thing
00:23:02.301 --> 00:23:04.132
is it, it actually is a day-date.
00:23:04.351 --> 00:23:04.571
David: Yeah.
00:23:04.572 --> 00:23:04.601
I
00:23:04.601 --> 00:23:06.841
JD: was like, "Oh, man, I
just wish it was nothing."
00:23:06.851 --> 00:23:07.621
Like, I just wish it was-
00:23:07.621 --> 00:23:08.211
David: Yeah
00:23:08.451 --> 00:23:11.131
… JD: but you can't have w-
everything you want in life, so.
00:23:11.171 --> 00:23:11.982
David: That's true.
00:23:12.011 --> 00:23:12.581
That's true.
00:23:12.841 --> 00:23:16.511
As far as beginning watch collectors,
for the folks that are listening to
00:23:16.511 --> 00:23:20.301
us, and they're just… maybe they got
their first kind of serious watch, or
00:23:20.301 --> 00:23:24.391
they got bit, you know, God, God bless
them, they got bitten by the collecting
00:23:24.391 --> 00:23:26.931
bug, but they're early in their journey.
00:23:27.191 --> 00:23:32.982
What is something in your experience that
beginners focus on that doesn't actually
00:23:32.982 --> 00:23:35.232
matter, that they should just let go of?
00:23:36.152 --> 00:23:38.431
JD: Well, one I would say, kind of
mentioned earlier, like, you don't
00:23:38.441 --> 00:23:41.461
have to spend an exorbitant amount of
money to find something meaningful and
00:23:41.461 --> 00:23:44.072
enjoyable, especially with micro brands.
00:23:44.131 --> 00:23:45.111
I mean, good Lord.
00:23:45.232 --> 00:23:48.501
Uh, I'm wearing a Vejer right now,
which is one of my favorite, you
00:23:48.501 --> 00:23:52.729
know, independent micro brands,
and it's just- Yeah, you just don't
00:23:52.729 --> 00:23:53.854
have to spend thousands of dollars.
00:23:53.914 --> 00:24:00.334
Uh, two, similar to that, similar to that,
like don't chase brand, which we all fall
00:24:00.334 --> 00:24:02.074
for, and I could talk a lot about that.
00:24:02.084 --> 00:24:04.214
But don't chase brand too much.
00:24:05.043 --> 00:24:07.873
Three, try to find something
that is meaningful to you.
00:24:07.884 --> 00:24:14.094
My friend has to go to Japan once a year
for work, and he just went to Tokyo,
00:24:14.324 --> 00:24:16.913
and he was like, "You know, this is
it. I'm gonna, I'm gonna get a Grand
00:24:16.914 --> 00:24:21.913
Seiko. Like, I'm gonna do it, and this
is gonna be my first really nice watch."
00:24:21.973 --> 00:24:24.583
And, and that seems like I'm
contradicting my first point,
00:24:24.593 --> 00:24:26.063
but it was meaningful to him.
00:24:26.473 --> 00:24:26.673
David: Yeah.
00:24:26.674 --> 00:24:27.843
JD: He works for a Japanese company.
00:24:27.843 --> 00:24:31.033
He goes to, uh, Japan once a year.
00:24:31.383 --> 00:24:34.853
Candidly, a Grand Seiko in Tokyo
is cheaper than a Grand Seiko here.
00:24:35.124 --> 00:24:35.503
So that's-
00:24:35.534 --> 00:24:35.924
David: Yeah
00:24:36.023 --> 00:24:36.314
… JD: get it.
00:24:36.363 --> 00:24:37.683
And it's just meaningful to him.
00:24:38.233 --> 00:24:44.123
And then finally, I would say like, I
think people get really into movements.
00:24:44.793 --> 00:24:46.643
That's just, that's not me personally.
00:24:46.643 --> 00:24:49.203
Like, if you are absolutely
in love with a watch and it's
00:24:49.203 --> 00:24:51.863
a quartz watch, get, get it.
00:24:51.973 --> 00:24:52.283
Like-
00:24:52.343 --> 00:24:52.683
David: Yeah
00:24:53.203 --> 00:24:54.774
… JD: uh, at the end of
the day, it's a tool.
00:24:55.073 --> 00:24:59.243
Its function is to tell time,
and it's also a piece of fashion.
00:24:59.793 --> 00:25:04.580
And if it's a good-looking watch,
you're attracted to it If you're
00:25:04.580 --> 00:25:05.590
like, "Oh, it's not a quartz.
00:25:05.590 --> 00:25:07.740
I really want a mechanical
watch or an automatic.
00:25:07.980 --> 00:25:11.240
I really wanna be a serious quote
unquote collector." I, I just
00:25:11.240 --> 00:25:14.470
think, I don't know, there's just,
there's a place for everything,
00:25:14.470 --> 00:25:16.089
and I think quartz gets a bad rap.
00:25:17.069 --> 00:25:21.370
David: Without getting you drawn back
into the consumption cycle, but you, but
00:25:21.370 --> 00:25:25.290
you did mention that you are, you know,
you love to consume in, i- information
00:25:25.290 --> 00:25:26.569
and you want to keep that in check.
00:25:27.370 --> 00:25:31.950
Are there good blogs or magazines
or podcasts or YouTube channels,
00:25:32.030 --> 00:25:36.539
uh, that you recommend to newer
folks getting into watches?
00:25:36.540 --> 00:25:40.359
Obviously they're gonna go to Red
Head Horology, 'cause they have to.
00:25:40.360 --> 00:25:41.139
They need to.
00:25:41.139 --> 00:25:41.750
They should.
00:25:41.750 --> 00:25:42.989
It's gonna be great for them.
00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:43.060
Thank you.
00:25:43.450 --> 00:25:49.649
But are there other, other media that you
recognize and respect and would recommend
00:25:49.649 --> 00:25:52.229
to someone who's early in their journey?
00:25:52.610 --> 00:25:54.529
JD: Uh, well, this podcast obviously is-
00:25:54.659 --> 00:25:55.581
David: Oh, obviously … a great
00:25:55.581 --> 00:25:55.852
JD: place
00:25:55.852 --> 00:25:56.394
David: to start.
00:25:56.394 --> 00:25:56.936
Of course.
00:25:56.936 --> 00:25:57.478
Thank you.
00:25:57.478 --> 00:26:02.459
JD: Yeah, I, I think, uh, and I feel like
I, I'm, I'm being a little too critical.
00:26:02.459 --> 00:26:05.829
I, I, I love, you know, there are
YouTube channels that I love and I'm
00:26:05.829 --> 00:26:09.309
always watching and, you know, there is
something about the written medium though
00:26:09.310 --> 00:26:11.559
that I think forces you to slow down.
00:26:11.689 --> 00:26:15.219
You know, uh, Cameron Weiss
of Weiss Watches, he has a
00:26:15.219 --> 00:26:17.199
Substack, which is really cool.
00:26:17.209 --> 00:26:17.229
Yeah.
00:26:17.240 --> 00:26:18.089
He's up in Nashville.
00:26:18.090 --> 00:26:19.090
He's his own brand.
00:26:19.719 --> 00:26:25.529
Sam Koval has The Sunday Reserve,
and Sam is really putting a lot
00:26:25.529 --> 00:26:26.879
of energy and effort into it.
00:26:26.929 --> 00:26:32.269
And he talks a, it, it, it's watches
and kind of like men's fashion, but
00:26:32.350 --> 00:26:35.549
he was kind enough to feature some of
my writing in it a couple weeks ago.
00:26:36.299 --> 00:26:40.089
And yeah, I think his stuff
is really great as well.
00:26:40.089 --> 00:26:40.569
That's great.
00:26:40.569 --> 00:26:44.560
And then, yeah, I, no, all the
YouTube channels that come to
00:26:44.560 --> 00:26:46.420
mind are the usual suspects.
00:26:46.810 --> 00:26:49.749
My friend Jamie that I mentioned
earlier, his channel I think is
00:26:49.749 --> 00:26:55.439
called RNG Watch, and his YouTube,
his main YouTube channel is RNG Gamer.
00:26:56.129 --> 00:26:59.749
He i- it's on, like, vintage,
I hope I get this right, but
00:26:59.749 --> 00:27:01.750
it's, like, vintage video games.
00:27:01.849 --> 00:27:02.009
David: Oh,
00:27:02.009 --> 00:27:02.439
JD: sure.
00:27:02.539 --> 00:27:05.999
And he, he has like 500,000 followers
or subscribers, something crazy.
00:27:06.709 --> 00:27:08.029
And then he just started a watch channel.
00:27:08.029 --> 00:27:08.869
It's growing a lot.
00:27:08.919 --> 00:27:10.539
And he's got some great stuff too.
00:27:10.749 --> 00:27:13.509
But yeah, th- th- th- that's
what, that's what comes to mind.
00:27:14.329 --> 00:27:16.529
David: Hey, David Newman here
with a quick commercial break.
00:27:16.529 --> 00:27:19.909
Have you seen our social media
channels that have video snippets
00:27:19.919 --> 00:27:21.540
from our favorite interviews?
00:27:21.549 --> 00:27:26.070
Check us out on TikTok,
Instagram and YouTube.
00:27:26.070 --> 00:27:27.849
Now back to the episode.
00:27:29.309 --> 00:27:32.309
Well, we have two pieces of business,
two final pieces of business
00:27:32.309 --> 00:27:33.780
here as we're landing the plane.
00:27:34.059 --> 00:27:38.969
One is our lightning round, which
is just five super quick A or B
00:27:38.979 --> 00:27:43.549
kinds of questions, and then I will
ask you after that for any final
00:27:43.559 --> 00:27:45.489
thoughts or parting words of wisdom.
00:27:45.490 --> 00:27:49.759
But are you ready for the lightning
round question number one?
00:27:50.259 --> 00:27:50.970
JD: Let's do it.
00:27:51.089 --> 00:27:51.599
David: Okay.
00:27:51.659 --> 00:27:53.359
Strap or bracelet?
00:27:56.709 --> 00:27:56.813
Yes Good answer.
00:27:56.813 --> 00:27:57.939
Vintage or modern?
00:27:58.760 --> 00:27:59.330
JD: Yes.
00:27:59.399 --> 00:28:00.050
I like them all.
00:28:00.080 --> 00:28:00.750
Depends on
00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:01.110
David: what I'm wearing.
00:28:01.110 --> 00:28:01.879
Oh, this is gonna be tough.
00:28:01.899 --> 00:28:02.909
You're a tough customer.
00:28:03.060 --> 00:28:05.449
One great watch or five good ones?
00:28:06.300 --> 00:28:07.669
JD: One great watch, easily.
00:28:08.090 --> 00:28:10.359
David: Buy new or hunt for pre-owned?
00:28:10.750 --> 00:28:11.909
JD: Oh, pre-owned, 100%.
00:28:12.360 --> 00:28:14.759
David: And then I think you already
answered this in our previous part of
00:28:14.770 --> 00:28:19.779
the conversation, but design-wise, loud
watch or more quiet, reserved watch?
00:28:20.069 --> 00:28:21.899
JD: Oh, way more quiet.
00:28:21.939 --> 00:28:22.309
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:28:22.309 --> 00:28:23.370
David: Way more quiet.
00:28:23.419 --> 00:28:24.139
Excellent.
00:28:24.149 --> 00:28:25.199
That's the lightning round.
00:28:25.209 --> 00:28:25.549
You did it.
00:28:25.590 --> 00:28:26.149
You got an A+.
00:28:26.570 --> 00:28:27.750
Totally fantastic.
00:28:28.179 --> 00:28:33.239
So JD Tyler, w- uh, final words
of wisdom, any final thoughts for
00:28:33.239 --> 00:28:35.230
folks listening before we wrap up?
00:28:36.149 --> 00:28:40.370
JD: Yeah, actually, uh, one
thing, actually two, two things
00:28:40.419 --> 00:28:42.259
that I think are worth sharing.
00:28:42.800 --> 00:28:46.499
I mentioned I feel like
people can be hoarders.
00:28:46.539 --> 00:28:48.119
They have these massive collections.
00:28:48.139 --> 00:28:48.469
David: Yeah.
00:28:48.479 --> 00:28:52.669
JD: Um, you, you mentioned you have 100,
you know, you know, to each his own.
00:28:52.789 --> 00:28:55.199
Some people are hunters, like
they'll really geek out and they're
00:28:55.199 --> 00:28:57.269
like, "I'm gonna figure out what
my next watch is. I'm gonna like
00:28:57.269 --> 00:28:58.049
look at all these specs-" Yes
00:28:58.049 --> 00:29:01.879
"watch all these reviews, and this is
the one. It's gotta be perfect." And
00:29:01.879 --> 00:29:03.829
then I call myself, like a hitchhiker.
00:29:04.119 --> 00:29:07.829
So my collection, I just kind
of stumble into watches, right?
00:29:07.829 --> 00:29:11.590
Like I would tend towards being a
hunter, but I kind of have to like
00:29:11.600 --> 00:29:15.589
take a step back and be like, I buy
watches as they kind of come my way.
00:29:15.739 --> 00:29:17.439
I'm wearing this Veyrer Meridian.
00:29:17.479 --> 00:29:17.939
I love it.
00:29:17.960 --> 00:29:22.469
It was a gift from a former boss for,
uh, an accomplishment and, you know,
00:29:22.469 --> 00:29:25.389
kind of came my wa- he didn't let me
pick it out, but it kind of came my way.
00:29:25.609 --> 00:29:31.309
Um, my Tudor Pelagos, you know, I bought
from a former client of mine, 'cause
00:29:31.309 --> 00:29:34.749
we were on a call and he saw me wearing
this Veyrer and he thought it was a sub,
00:29:35.469 --> 00:29:36.839
and I was like, "No, it's not a sub."
00:29:36.879 --> 00:29:39.529
And then he was like, "Oh, I've got
this Tudor that I never wear and the
00:29:39.530 --> 00:29:42.769
crystal's busted. I'll, I'll, you
know, I'll sell it to you." So he sold
00:29:42.769 --> 00:29:46.490
it to me for well under market value.
00:29:46.619 --> 00:29:51.376
I had to fix it, but, you know- If
I were to go to the Tudor boutique
00:29:51.376 --> 00:29:53.066
today, I wouldn't buy a Pelagos.
00:29:53.476 --> 00:29:53.726
David: Yeah.
00:29:53.756 --> 00:29:57.806
JD: But it just kind of fell
into my lap, you know, and I
00:29:57.806 --> 00:29:58.656
couldn't- You were hitchhiking
00:29:58.656 --> 00:29:59.246
pass up the opportunity.
00:29:59.246 --> 00:30:02.356
I was hitchhiking, s- so I was
on the road and that… and my
00:30:02.356 --> 00:30:03.476
thumb was out, and that came up.
00:30:04.166 --> 00:30:08.936
So, you know, that's an option too for
a lot of people, like, just be open.
00:30:09.376 --> 00:30:09.596
David: Yeah.
00:30:09.636 --> 00:30:10.416
JD: Look around.
00:30:11.326 --> 00:30:12.365
Things just happen.
00:30:12.365 --> 00:30:15.405
Watches just kind of come into your life.
00:30:15.456 --> 00:30:16.335
It just happens.
00:30:16.536 --> 00:30:17.116
David: Yeah.
00:30:17.185 --> 00:30:21.555
JD: And so th- that, and then
another thing too is, you know, I'll
00:30:21.556 --> 00:30:26.896
say that really think through what
your preferences are, and I love…
00:30:27.186 --> 00:30:30.205
You know, since you read The Flourishing
Factory now, I don't think this
00:30:30.466 --> 00:30:33.006
is… This will be published in the
next month or so it's scheduled,
00:30:33.015 --> 00:30:35.176
but I wrote something on Red Bull.
00:30:35.615 --> 00:30:39.535
So yeah, Red Bull started in Thailand,
I think it was Thailand, and it
00:30:39.536 --> 00:30:43.555
was kind of a popular energy drink
for truck drivers to stay awake.
00:30:43.795 --> 00:30:44.045
David: Yeah.
00:30:44.095 --> 00:30:49.095
JD: And the owner of Red Bull,
or he acquired it or something,
00:30:49.205 --> 00:30:52.125
wanted to expand Red Bull to kind
of Europe and then eventually the
00:30:52.126 --> 00:30:57.225
US, and in all the blind taste tests
everyone said it tasted like piss.
00:30:57.325 --> 00:30:59.255
Like, it, it tasted atrocious.
00:30:59.566 --> 00:30:59.706
Yes.
00:30:59.706 --> 00:31:03.706
So all the market research said,
"Don't expand Red Bull. Don't sell it."
00:31:04.306 --> 00:31:07.526
And then this guy, whose name I can't
remember, was like, "Well, let's do it
00:31:07.526 --> 00:31:13.016
anyways, but let's just invest heavily
in the brand of Red Bull. Let's tie
00:31:13.016 --> 00:31:18.885
it as an energy drink to, you know,
BMX cyclists and people racing in F1
00:31:18.945 --> 00:31:23.475
and parachute skydivers jumping out of
airplanes, and if you're cool, if you're
00:31:23.475 --> 00:31:25.025
adventurous, Red Bull's your drink."
00:31:25.435 --> 00:31:29.745
So even though it objectively tastes
horrible, it is this multi-billion
00:31:29.745 --> 00:31:32.775
dollar brand because it's been
attached to the kind of person you
00:31:32.776 --> 00:31:34.795
wanna be, which is like marketing 101.
00:31:35.315 --> 00:31:35.605
David: Yeah.
00:31:35.626 --> 00:31:37.755
JD: But that's what's
happening with watches, too.
00:31:37.895 --> 00:31:42.305
You know, I remember when the new
Longines, uh, the new Hydroconquest came
00:31:42.306 --> 00:31:46.845
out, like, uh, two or three months ago,
which is a killer watch, by the way.
00:31:46.905 --> 00:31:48.675
So I'm not hating on, on them at all.
00:31:49.365 --> 00:31:53.485
But all of a sudden, I, you know, I, I'm
super satisfied with my dive watches.
00:31:53.495 --> 00:31:54.955
I've got this Fare, I've got my Pelagos.
00:31:54.955 --> 00:31:59.136
The last thing I need is a dive watch,
but you go on, you go on Instagram,
00:31:59.276 --> 00:32:04.775
YouTube, Substack, everywhere, all the
new Hydroconquest, new Hydroconquest,
00:32:04.806 --> 00:32:08.905
'cause Longines is sending out these
watches ahead of the release to all these
00:32:08.905 --> 00:32:11.915
influencers, and on the same day they're
all releasing their videos about it.
00:32:12.306 --> 00:32:15.326
All of a sudden you're like, "Oh, I need
a, I need the Hydroconquest. I need,
00:32:15.326 --> 00:32:16.845
I need to sell something and buy it."
00:32:16.845 --> 00:32:17.205
David: Yeah.
00:32:17.205 --> 00:32:17.565
But
00:32:17.565 --> 00:32:22.940
JD: it, it's that Red Bull effect,
like- It w- where our preferences
00:32:23.130 --> 00:32:28.070
are so shaped by the branding and
marketing apparatus that we are, you
00:32:28.070 --> 00:32:30.680
know, just swimming in that we don't
even- Yeah … fully realize it.
00:32:30.700 --> 00:32:33.550
So I, I think, I would say to
a lot of people just figure
00:32:33.550 --> 00:32:35.320
out what's authentically you.
00:32:35.330 --> 00:32:35.350
Yeah.
00:32:35.530 --> 00:32:37.409
What do you actually like?
00:32:37.810 --> 00:32:40.080
What works with your lifestyle?
00:32:40.420 --> 00:32:44.899
Some people, you know, a dress watch,
that wouldn't really work with their
00:32:44.900 --> 00:32:49.290
lifestyle 'cause they're, um, you
know, they're contractors or something.
00:32:49.379 --> 00:32:49.659
David: Yeah.
00:32:49.759 --> 00:32:50.930
JD: But you might have watched
all their content and be
00:32:50.930 --> 00:32:51.929
like, "I need a dress watch."
00:32:51.949 --> 00:32:52.839
It's like, but you'll never wear it.
00:32:52.839 --> 00:32:53.649
You won't really like it.
00:32:53.779 --> 00:32:58.880
I, I work in a, a kind of a f- you know,
semi-formal office environment with a
00:32:58.880 --> 00:33:03.599
lot of financial advisors and, and wealth
advisors, so I wear a suit jacket a lot.
00:33:04.390 --> 00:33:05.329
I could wear a dress watch.
00:33:05.360 --> 00:33:07.439
It would blend in with
my lifestyle, you know?
00:33:07.439 --> 00:33:07.709
David: Yeah.
00:33:08.049 --> 00:33:09.379
JD: Uh, I have a small child.
00:33:09.439 --> 00:33:14.150
The dive watch fits in great with that
because I can wear it to work and then I
00:33:14.150 --> 00:33:19.020
can, you know, make a… I can switch the
bezel to be like, "Oh, my, my daughter
00:33:19.020 --> 00:33:21.740
went to sleep 10 minutes ago," so I
can track how long she's been asleep.
00:33:21.750 --> 00:33:21.780
Right.
00:33:21.789 --> 00:33:23.379
I do this every day, you know?
00:33:23.789 --> 00:33:25.129
It fits my lifestyle.
00:33:25.369 --> 00:33:28.909
So, you know, just think through your
lifestyle and your actual preferences
00:33:28.969 --> 00:33:33.529
and just try to separate the two of,
like, what's really truly authentically
00:33:33.789 --> 00:33:38.409
my lifestyle and my interests and my
preferences, and what is, like, maybe
00:33:38.410 --> 00:33:39.330
a little bit too much of the zeitgeist-
00:33:40.289 --> 00:33:40.549
David: Yeah
00:33:40.549 --> 00:33:41.149
JD: shaping me.
00:33:41.490 --> 00:33:45.579
And then expand that beyond watches
and just think about that generally
00:33:45.579 --> 00:33:48.720
in your life and you'll- Yeah … kind
of notice things like that everywhere.
00:33:49.179 --> 00:33:51.139
David: I think there is another column.
00:33:51.149 --> 00:33:53.360
It's the anti-zeitgeist column.
00:33:53.360 --> 00:33:55.539
Like, stop drinking the Kool-Aid, people.
00:33:56.239 --> 00:33:57.649
JD: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:33:57.719 --> 00:34:01.240
There's guys like you, David, who work
in marketing and, and all this thing.
00:34:01.749 --> 00:34:03.280
David: It's all, it's all our fault.
00:34:03.289 --> 00:34:03.309
Yeah.
00:34:03.319 --> 00:34:07.909
It's all the marketing industry
has done this crazy psychological
00:34:07.919 --> 00:34:09.610
mind tricks to everybody.
00:34:10.450 --> 00:34:11.579
JD: But- Yeah, it's great.
00:34:12.419 --> 00:34:13.130
We all do it.
00:34:13.700 --> 00:34:15.699
David: Well, JD Tyler,
thank you for being with us.
00:34:15.700 --> 00:34:19.229
You are a total rock star, and I
appreciate you sharing your wisdom.
00:34:19.739 --> 00:34:20.419
JD: Thank you, David.
00:34:20.599 --> 00:34:22.479
This, this was immensely fun.
00:34:24.659 --> 00:34:27.280
David: And that wraps up
another episode of Watch Smarts.
00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:32.180
Listen, if you love this show, if you
love watches, subscribe, download,
00:34:32.199 --> 00:34:36.040
leave us a rating or review on
your favorite podcast platform, and
00:34:36.040 --> 00:34:40.799
check out all the free resources
waiting for you at watchsmarts.com.
