The Grey NATO – Ep 113 – The Isolation Tapes // May Q And A
Published on Thu, 28 May 2020 06:00:27 -0400
Synopsis
This episode is a Q&A session where Jason Heaton and James respond to voice memo questions sent in by listeners. Topics covered include recommendations for affordable bronze watches, motivation behind watch collecting, water resistance requirements, acquiring a modern watch alongside a vintage collection, gear storage tips, and picking the ultimate adventure watch. The hosts share their thoughts and personal experiences on these subjects in an engaging discussion format.
Links
Transcript
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| Jason Heaton (Host) | Hello and welcome to another episode of the Graynado. It's a Hodinkee podcast, a loose discussion of travel, diving, driving, gear, and most certainly watches. This is episode 113 and it's kindly brought to you by our colleagues over at the Hodinkee shop, and we'll take a short ad break later in the show. James, here we are again. Another week goes by. We were just talking about how our days kind of blend together. |
| James (Host) | Yeah. Has it been a week? Has it been several years? Has it been five minutes? You know, I don't know. I feel like I just edited last, uh, you know, episode one 12 and, uh, I had, I had myself a little five day extra long holiday, uh, which was nice. So, you know, with the American Memorial Day, uh, I was able to kind of sandwich on a couple other floater days that I had and just kind of check out for five days. So That was pretty nice. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Oh, that's great. Yeah. And it looks like you got outside a bit. |
| James (Host) | I did. Yeah. I kind of went for my first recreational activity, outside activity in quite a long time. Found a park here in Toronto. There's several fairly large kind of inner city parks. Yeah. But this one's exceptionally large, and I'm definitely not going to give it away because I hope to exploit it a few more times before it gets really busy. But on a Friday morning, we didn't see more than maybe another 20 people. We weren't within 100 feet of anyone else, really. Wow. Aside from the parking lot, which is nice. And, uh, got to, you know, kick around in a river and, uh, kind of climb around in ravines and that kind of thing. And yeah, it was, it was really nice just to be outside and get a bit of a sunburn and, you know, have the, uh, have the front panels off the Jeep and just kind of go for a cruise. It was, uh, it was a nice day. Yeah. Almost feels normal, doesn't it? It does. Yeah. It almost, it almost does. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Until you see a person from a distance and they're eyeing you warily. |
| James (Host) | Uh-huh. Yeah, everyone's a little shady for sure. Yeah, right. Other than that, I did a little bit of just light maintenance on the Jeep. I had one of these cell phone holders. And there's nowhere in if you have a lot of vehicles to have nowhere to put your phone, probably intentionally at a certain point. Yeah. But there's certainly nowhere to put the phone in the Jeep, even if you just wanted to, say, have glanceable navigation. Um, the Jeep has a navigation system, but I mean, you've, you've dealt with these older ones. Uh, they're just, they're just hopeless. Um, so sometimes I can just use the audio. Like if I have a pretty rough idea of where I'm going in the city, I can just use the audio prompts. Um, but I did have a, uh, car holder mount, you know, that does the suction cup thing. |
| Unknown | Yeah. |
| James (Host) | I ended up taking this old, um, the, the phone holder that didn't work. And, uh, and just modified it so that it would, that, you know, there's a, there's actually like, um, a mount point on the dash of the Jeep, um, under the front, this little high dash pocket, there's like a bolt or a screw, I guess. Um, and a lot of other phone systems use this screw as like a really secure point to mount, uh, a phone holder, or, or, you know, if you're carrying radios and big tablets for off-road navigation, they make these rail systems that mount into these points so that it doesn't matter if you're smashing the Jeep around on rocks and stuff, everything kind of stays where it should be. Yeah. So I took this broken thing, I removed the spring and the suction cup and the rest. And what was left was kind of like a dome with a mounting point and like a big hole where I could put this screw. Oh yeah. Okay. And then I just cut away a bunch of the plastic with a Dremel, which is like my favorite thing to do is you can mod anything with a Dremel for five bucks or whatever, five dollars worth of a cutting tool. One of the handiest tools to have if you're, if you kind of like doing some DIY stuff. But so I cut away a bunch of the plastic to get it low enough that the screw would thread. And then I just tighten the screw down and it's rock solid. So that was kind of my, my successful little bit of automotive manufacturing for the week. But so now I have the ability to, you know, know where I'm going in the Jeep, rather than just kind of saying, well, it's West until I get to the DVP and then I'll, I'll pull over and figure out the next part or something. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Well, that reminds me, I got a, I have a similar, similar, but very analog version of that coming up a project. I acquired this dash instrument stopwatch out of a RAF plane. It was made by CWC back in the, probably the 1980s. And it used to be fitted into Harrier jump jets and a number of British fighter jets. And it's just one of these classic, I think it was even based on a Hoyer Monte Carlo comes on a mounting plate with four screw holes. It's a stopwatch and I want to put it in the Land Rover, but there isn't really a great spot. You know, I need like a flat piece of blank dash to put it. So I'm trying to solve kind of, The truck is still in the shop. I should have it back probably by the time this show airs with the new springs and the overdrive, etc. Oh, nice. But when it comes back, I want to figure out how to mount this thing on the dash so that I can even remove it easily if I don't want it sitting in there all the time or whatever. But yeah, I think I'll probably have to have some sort of an L-shaped bracket fabricated that I can then screw into the underside of the top part of the dash or something. But we'll see. I'm sure when I get the truck back, it'll be easier to eyeball it and do some measuring and stuff. But I'm certainly not a metal fabricator. Someone suggested I approach Carl at Gas Gas Bones because he seems to be doing a lot of this kind of stuff these days. Not a bad idea. And you know, he's British. He probably has, there's probably a neighbor with a Land Rover he can stroll over and eyeball, but we'll see. |
| James (Host) | Yeah, no, good idea. So speaking of British gear, I was able to finally source, you know, we'd been talking a little bit about Hi-Fi and speakers and that kind of thing becoming kind of a background hobby while I'm spending this much time at home. |
| Unknown | Yeah. |
| James (Host) | And on a recent episode, it's hard to remember because weekly episodes, I can't remember how long ago I mentioned, but I recently picked up a set of Wharfdale speakers, which are British speakers and was kind of hunting for a specific amp from a company called NAD. Yeah. And I was able to find one this past weekend. I got not so much lucky as much as just general tenacity. prevailed. But after finding a lot of pretty wishy-washy, beat up, sort of abused examples going for more money than they were worth on Craigslist. Yeah. I started following a little bit more carefully the Toronto posts on this Hi-Fi trading forum, Canadian Hi-Fi trading forum. And I came across what was arguably the one that I really wanted, which is an NAD. It's a C320BEE. So those who want the back story, I can make it pretty quick. It's a British hi-fi firm that made kind of big waves in the late 70s because they produce an amp called the 3020. And it was kind of the first time that a lot of the general build quality and amplification technology from true hi-fi systems was suddenly made at a more accessible price point. And so it was an integrated amplifier from the late 70s. And then where you hear BEE in the one that I have is it's designed by this guy Bjorn Erik Edvardsson. So you see BEE, the initials, his initials on a lot of NAD amplifiers that look a certain way or have certain philosophies. I really adore the way they look. The 3020 was a fine looking amp. The 320 is a much better looking amp. It's very simple. It's kind of Apple, Dieter Rams, Certainly, you know, Edwardson-esque. And yeah, I'm thrilled. It's so far running beautifully. The example I got had its remote and it had its user manual and all that stuff. And this would have been from the early 2000s, maybe 2002, 2003, when this amp was made. And then actually since, obviously since the 70s, but sometime in the 90s, they actually were purchased by a company that's based just outside of Toronto. So NAD is now in some manner based in Pickering, although they were fairly well known for having their manufacturing done in China, which is how you would get the price point that they're able to hit in the 70s. It's just one of those interesting things. I figure anyone with some level of love of watches would find at least something interesting in these sorts of stories. They built an entire name, a name that exists on one watch or one amp in the late 70s. And there's lots of brands that managed to do similar things, right? Yeah. Especially in the 70s. So yeah, I'm thrilled. It sounds incredible. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | So what are you playing on it? Do you connect a turntable to it or a DAC or what's the? |
| James (Host) | No, so I'm running a Chromecast audio, which is the discontinued streaming music streaming platform from Google Home or what's now called Google Nest. Yeah. So I bought a handful of those when they were discontinued. I've had one of them fail, so I am now using all that I own. I'll probably start hoarding more of them. But the fun thing about those is they're not only tiny, but they're very flexible in terms of what can be cast to them. Like a lot of things still use the technology behind Chromecast. So I use Tidal to get access to the highest quality recordings. I, as much as I respect people and their love and their collection of vinyl, I went down that road briefly. I gave it a good, a good once over. And I found not only the act of like getting up and flipping the vinyl, but the, the, the amount of work that had to go into protecting everything. Um, I found an entirely, uh, off putting, uh, would be the easiest way of saying I did just didn't speak to me one bit at, at all. It felt very much like, uh, pocket watches or something like that. It was on the fringe of something that I understood, but it was all just so non-user friendly, non-intuitive. And then when you get something like Tidal, which is master quality, if you have the ability that you can't stream master to a Chromecast, so you have to go with a higher end, but I can still get what's called what's their hi-fi, which is a lossless a lossless setup. And so I basically go from that into a little DAC from a company called Fio, which I believe I mentioned in the previous episode. You can find that in the show notes, like a cheap DAC. I'll be in the market for a higher end DAC at some point. And then that goes directly to the receiver. And then I don't, I mean, there's lots of options for what you can do, but I just leave it on one input. I kind of set the volume in one place and then you control the rest from your phone. So you pick what you want to listen to. You pick the volume from your phone. You can even do some EQ controls from within the Chromecast if you wanted to, like if that was important. But the Chromecast is really the trick for these things. It's the same way I put music to the KEFs, to my kind of more modern listening space with the KEF LSX and a big sub. Although the KEFs have streaming and everything built into them, the Chromecast is just so simple. And the technology is so easy to understand and organize. And then I can make all of these speakers part of a home array. so they can all play the same song if I want. |
| Unknown | Oh, okay. |
| James (Host) | So there's lots of kind of little pluses there, but so far I'm thrilled. It sounds incredible. I think it would sound better with another DAC, something a little bit more intensive, and otherwise it's nicely matched aesthetically with the Warfdales, and they're fairly efficient speakers, so it makes the most out of an efficient amp like the 320. So I'm thrilled with this. It's certainly a fun thing. I don't know what I'm gonna do with some of my free time that was going to Craigslist. But yeah, I guess that's how things are. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | That'll be next week. It'll be onto a new rabbit hole, I suppose. Find something else for sure. Jeep bits. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So what's on your wrist this week before we jump into our big main topic today? |
| James (Host) | Yeah, we got a ton of questions to get to, but I can buzz through this. This is the watch that most people listening will know. It's my Sylvania Skin Diver. It's been a while. Yeah, it has been for sure. And I found that the Oris LE with Hodinkee kind of took the same spot on my wrist. Yeah. I typically wear both of them on a vintage tropic strap, which is literally perfect on a light dive watch from the era. But yeah, this is running like an absolute champ and looks great. Really fun watch. I'll put a photo or something up on Instagram. So Those who don't know it can kind of get an idea of it, but it's just a simple, like, 60s skin diver. Of course, this one has Sylvana printed on the dial, but as we know and we've talked about at some length on previous episodes, a skin diver is like a loose concept. Cases were made by a few people, dials by a few people, hands by a few people, and a lot of them were just kind of, I ordered this from here and that from there and that from there, and put it all together, and the name brand is on it. And you see them from everyone from bigger brands like Aquastar to, yeah, brands like Sylvania |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Many others. Yeah. I love brands like that. It's that era. It was like that era's micro brand. Absolutely. So many that watches that kind of did the off the shelf part compilation and put kind of some unique hands on it or something like that. I think that's it's a trend we're still seeing. I think that's really cool. Speaking of micro brands, I'm wearing my Unimatic U1B. So the Unimatic's naming conventions are a little obscure. This is the one with the sterile matte bezel, black bezel with the single pip. And then it has that sort of tan tinted loom. It wasn't their first edition. I think it might've been the second go round for this U1. It's their, their dive watch. And it, I don't know, I've worn it for probably six days straight now and just absolutely love it. It's a, it's one of those things like probably you with the Sylvana, you know, you haven't worn something in a while and you pull it out and put it on and it's, give it a good week. And it's like, yeah, this is now I remember why I love this thing. |
| James (Host) | A lot of fun. Great summer watch. For sure. And so much of my time these days has just been with the with the Garmin. Oh, yeah. This is a nice kind of yin to the Garmin's yang. And yeah, it works well. But I like those unimatics and certainly they suit a certain style, which is fun. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Yeah. Well, we've got a big one today. This is our, I guess, our May Q&A episode. So we're trying to shoot for about one a month here during our isolation tapes series. And we're, we're pushing right up against the end of the month here, but, uh, we've got a huge crop of recordings. I don't know how many we'll get through today, but you know, we do our best. |
| James (Host) | We do have a ton. If anyone hasn't listened to one of these before, uh, basically we just ask that if you have a question for us, you record it into the voice memo app on your phone, keep it under a minute, ask a question is always great. And then, uh, send it to thegrenadoatgmail.com. Jason, you want to dig right into these? Yeah, sure. All right. So let's dive right in with Emil, who has a question about bronze watches. |
| Emil from the West Coast of Sweden | Hi guys. Emil here from the West Coast of Sweden. I'm out here on a little quarantine stroll and just thought of a question for you. I'm not really a gold watch kind of guy, but I think I can get away with a bronze watch. Could you recommend any good affordable bronze watches that you come across? Would really appreciate your input. Love your show. Thanks. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Well, thanks, Emil. Good question. I've kind of had the similar mindset that I haven't quite crossed the gold barrier yet, like James has here. But bronze, it kind of meets in the middle. I've dabbled a bit wearing a bronze watch. I tried out the AquaDive Bathyscaphe bronze diver, which is a big, heavy, chunky watch. And then I've tried on some other watches as well. But I think, to me, the best Best brand in the game these days, at least from my own personal taste, is probably Oris. I think Oris does a really nice job with bronze. The Carl Brashear stuff and then the Bico or Bicolor watches that they're doing with just a hint of bronze, you know, around the rim of the bezel. It really suits my tastes well. I think it goes well with the kind of vintage styling of the Diver 65 case. Helios has done nice bronze watches in the past. I'm not sure if they have future plans for that, but, uh, uh, keep an eye out for them. |
| James (Host) | Yeah. There's a handful on watch recon right now. So if you wanted to go under a thousand dollars, I would say the Seaforth bronze is a great choice. Uh, you know, you're going to find them around 800 bucks, maybe a bit more if they come with a little bit more, but they're available. You know, they made a, they made a fair number of them and they come in several different varieties. I think the bronze with the fumé dial, the gray fumé dial is a pretty special thing. It's a pretty cool looking watch. But it's also worth just Googling, you know, best budget bronze watches and see what you come up with because there's been like almost every brand, every micro brand you can think of has dabbled in bronze. So I would say a lot of these brands are like pretty well established, whether it's Hallios or otherwise. So pick a brand that seems to have a lot of people on Instagram who've got it. If it's somebody you've never heard of before, read a few reviews, But the bronze itself, unless you want to dig into the actual alloy so you know how it will age or scratch or things like that, then for the most part, I would just go with whatever kind of speaks to you. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Cool. All right, let's move on. Next one is coming from Drew. |
| Drew from Missouri | Hey guys, it's Drew from Missouri. I have a modest but respectable six watch collection, three relatively expensive watches and three watches probably $200 and below. I've always considered my collection to be for me and not really about getting attention from others. I seldom get a reaction or compliments on a watch I'm wearing anyway. But what I've noticed during this time of isolation is that I keep reaching for my inexpensive watches. I've worn some of the nicer ones a few times, but I find that I'm not motivated to wear the quote-unquote expensive stuff since I'm not going out and about and not seeing people. Which is leading me to question if having these more expensive watches is really for me after all. or if a higher percentage of the motivation for having them really does come down to wearing them in public on the chance others will notice and such. I wanted to get your take on the intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation of watch collections and how your collection might differ if your existence remained isolated. Thanks guys. |
| James (Host) | All right, thanks for that question, Drew. That's a good question. It's also similar to one that we had on a previous Q&A, just kind of wondering the merits of how we collect and why we collect and what some of these watches are for. And I think there's no way to make, you can't like build a collection or choose watches in a vacuum, especially now. You spend so much time or most of us spend so much time reading and kind of gauging group interest in watches. There's very few scenarios, especially if you're just getting into watches or if you're still into modern watches and things like that, like if that's kind of the direction that you're collecting is taken, there's very few scenarios in which that's done without some sort of public forum surrounding it. So while I think I would definitely buy watches that I think are cool and that's why I buy them, that cool factor is definitely informed by more than just my simple opinion or taste. So I think it would be loosely impossible for me to buy watches without any concept of how at least I believe they look on my wrist. Whether or not that's true is kind of a different factor, but how I believe that they would be perceived as my wearing them. That said, I don't think I could tell you the last time anyone noticed or said anything about a watch I was wearing, you know, kind of out in the wild. What do you think, Jason? |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Yeah, and I think part of it might be a bit of an evolution of your kind of collecting history. I've gone through similar situations in my years of being in the watch hobby. And that is, you know, let's say you're going to a local get together with other watch nerds. Do you, do you wear your kind of, you know, faded tropical dial Speedmaster that everyone's going to kind of ooh and ah over and want to pass around and look at, or if you wear your analog digital quartz Aqualand from Citizen from the eighties, which is arguably as cool, um, no one's going to care. Um, so, You know, I think a lot of it depends on the audience, I guess. If you're at home like we are so much these days, I tend to just not care and just wear what I think is cool and what I want to glance down at my wrist and see. Um, but you know, maybe it's the dirty little secret that we're all kind of wearing watches like, you know, like peacocks, you know, throwing, showing our feathers, uh, in the presence of others who have watches on their wrists as well. But, uh, you know, I think, I think what it comes down to is, You know, it's the ultimate confidence if you just wear the watch that you truly like to see in all venues and whatever you're in the mood to wear that particular day. |
| James (Host) | It is. Yeah. And it definitely, if you zoom out even a little bit, like not even outside of the general idea of humanity and like an alien taking a look at us and our watches or whatever, but even just like my parents, like it's, it's jewelry. Like that's what this is. That's what it comes down to. You're wearing it because it makes you happy, but there's also, it's essentially some sort of adornment on your person. Yeah. So, I mean, it is an interesting question and certainly we appreciate Drew writing in or calling in with that question. Up next, let's get one from Brandon. |
| Brandon Taylor from Fort Worth, Texas | Hello, my name is Brandon Taylor and I am from Fort Worth, Texas. My question goes to both of you guys. How many watches do you have in your collection and what is your favorite? Thanks for all the episodes and keeping us all entertained in this difficult time. Have a good day. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Well, thanks, Brandon. That's a super straightforward question. We really appreciate the 18-second recording. That's very concise. Interesting question. I haven't actually counted my collection. I have a lot of micro-brands, smaller brand watches that I've acquired over the years, and then kind of a core set of, I guess, vintage, more collectible things that I actually don't wear as much. So I'm not sure. It's in the double digits, but I've never actually taken a full inventory. Not a huge collection on my part. My favorite? Gosh, you know, sentimentally it's got to be my Rolex Submariner that I've talked about ad nauseam both here and on Hodinkee, but I don't reach for it as much as I do some others like a kind of a cool, funky, colorful Doxa or this Unimatic. And I wear my CWCs an awful lot, especially these days in the summer when I'm out, you know, just banging around doing stuff. But yeah, I'd have to, you know, take the easy answer and go with my 40th birthday Submariner. |
| James (Host) | James, what about you? In my case, the collection is about 10 watches. I probably have something like 15 to 20 watches in my care at any time, but some of those will be loaners. Some of them are watches that I really have no intention of keeping or really calling my own. I might own them for now, but it would be something that maybe would go to a sibling if it turns out they needed a watch. I have a couple very inexpensive digital watches that I wouldn't number among my collection proper. This is a weird way of explaining it. Like I have a case that holds 12 watches and I think it has one free spot right now because my SKX is still in New York. And I left it there when I came back in early March. But other than that, yeah, it'd be about 10 watches would be probably about my comfort zone. I think I have too many watches as it stands so that the zone could be smaller than that. And my favorite is also my Rolex, the Explorer II, White Dial 16, 570 that I got for my 30th. I wear it a lot. It would be definitely the last one I would love to see go. I have other watches that I enjoy wearing as much, but so far don't have the same sort of general meaning to me. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Alright, let's jump into our next question from Jason who has a question about Jules Verne Adventures. |
| Jason from Red Lion, Pennsylvania | Hey Jason, James, how you doing? Jason here from Red Lion, Pennsylvania. Long time listener of the show. Love everything you guys do. So my question for you, is which Jules Verne adventure would you most like to go on? What kind of kit would you take with you? And most importantly, which watch would be on your wrist? Thanks again, guys, for all that you do. Take care. |
| James (Host) | All right, Jason, thanks very much for that question. I don't want to start off by letting you down, but I've not read a single Jules Verne novel. I think my only crossover with his work would be what I think is an early Disney film for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Jason corrected me, I thought it was 10,000 leagues. They went quite a bit deeper, it would seem. So yeah, 20,000 leagues under the sea would be my pick because it's the only one I know. Obviously, they were hunting for a giant squid, if I remember correctly. I'm okay being wrong with that because I was probably about eight when I watched it. But yeah, I would take a great dive watch, maybe a Rolex Sub or a Doxa and a solid camera. I mean, you're going to spend a lot of time sitting, looking out a window, hoping to see some sort of mythical beast. A beast of the deep. So yeah, I would take a good camera, something with a really good low light performance, and see if there's any way of getting some light on the outside of that ship as well. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Yeah, good one. I'm in kind of the same boat. I'm not familiar with a lot of Jules Verne stuff. I had to actually Google the titles I knew of 20,000 Leagues and then Around the World in 80 Days. Ah, yeah, okay. I'm not terribly excited about ballooning in the stratosphere for 80 Days and my love for the sea. Uh, I also am going to opt for 20,000 leagues under the sea. And I think it's, uh, you know, it's kind of a timely title. I, I should probably read it or revisit some form of that story given, uh, what's in the news these days with so many people exploring the deep. Um, and I would certainly take a Rolex sub, uh, to mark the occasion, not that you really need the water resistance. Um, and if you do, you're, you're in deep trouble. Um, and you know, I, I remember reading about James Cameron's trip to the Mariana's trench and he made a point of, you know, wearing a a wool watch cap and like a sweater or something because it gets fairly cold inside the capsule. Um, so I'd probably do that and then certainly take a camera because guessing I'm not going to be getting there an awful lot and you certainly want to record what you see. So those are our answers. Pretty similar. |
| James (Host) | All right, Jason, thanks very much for that question. And we'll move on to one from Michael. |
| Michael 'MC Seabird' from New Orleans | Hi guys. This is Mike from new Orleans. My hooding key username is MC Seabird. Really enjoyed the podcast and the Q&A, so I thought I'd offer a question. This question stems from Jason's birthday post, his 50th birthday post, as well as a comment he's made on a prior podcast about how, as he's gotten older, he's been able to enjoy watches from afar or in other people's wrists and hasn't necessarily felt the need to purchase them. So I'm curious from Jason's perspective and from James, with that perspective in mind, what are the things about a watch nowadays that push you over the edge and make you pull the trigger and make you feel like you need to have it? I hope you're able to answer my question and as always, great job on the podcast. Really enjoy listening. Bye. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Well, thanks a lot, Mike, for that question. Um, it's a good one as well. And you know, I think I have kind of reached a piece in, in my watch collecting life, uh, that in which I'm okay seeing watches on other people's wrists and appreciating them rather than having to acquire them. That was a real, uh, borderline problem in the early years, you know, you'd see something and it just became this sort of frenzy of flipping and buying and selling. And I think, um, earlier also I had more hangups about maybe the importance of a watch or the collectability or, you know, going back to the earlier question about, are you wearing watches for yourselves or for others? I think now I, I kind of just don't care as much anymore. I just, I want to wear watches that I like and I have most of the watches that I truly like I own and I can just kind of wear one day to the next. I think if there's a new one that comes along that I just have to have, it's usually based on less around the importance of the watch, the brand, you know, the collectability of it or anything like that. Now it's back to what I first loved about watches in the first place and that is, you know, the color of them or the shape or how they look on your wrist or are they fun. A good example would be this recent Seiko Analog Digital, they're calling it the safarney it's the safari colored uh so-called arnie analog digital diver that just came out about a week or so ago and i saw some early photos on instagram and through a press release and boy i love that watch i mean i love it i don't know how much it's going to be probably a you know five hundred dollar watch six hundred dollar watch who knows but i would love that watch and i'd probably wear it a ton um but it doesn't tick a lot of those boxes you know it's cheap it's quartz it's uh kind of funny colored, not very versatile for, for, you know, the clothes you wear and that sort of thing, but it just does it for me. I think it's just a really neat watch. And I think, you know, James and I have both gone on record with our quirky tastes and our love of kind of strange watches. And that's definitely one of them. So I think it's just comes down to fun. And a lot of times it's, it's color or an obscure feature or some sort of just fun thing about it. So yeah, that's, that's where I come down on that. |
| James (Host) | Yeah, in my case, I would say that it would take a lot now for me to pull the trigger on almost anything. I just, you know, I have a lot of watches. They're all ones that I enjoy. I have too many to wear. You know, this is probably the first time I've had the Sylvania on my wrist in six months. I could definitely do with just a couple. I would say that for one to speak to me, especially if we're talking about tool watches or that sort of thing, it has to fill a void that maybe I encountered years ago and moved around like with this new Zen U50. I've always wanted a U1. I just didn't, I'll never have the wrist for a U1. Uh, so there, there, there could be a, a move to try and try and add a U50 or at least experience a U50. The other thing is, is Jason and I get to speak from a pretty privileged position of being able to borrow watches if we want to. Uh, so if there's something that we want to see, something that we're interested in, Even this Carbon Doxa, that piece went up this week. If you missed my write up on that, I did get a chance to spend a week with that watch. And I would say that probably scratched about 80% of the itch. And the rest I can get from looking at the photos. And if one happens to, you know, make itself available in the market in a way that works and the stars kind of align, I could see having one of those, but it's not something where I'm willing to, you know, forego. that amount of money. And, you know, we talked about the, the currency scenario in Canada and everything else. So just, you know, it's a weird, it would be a weird time to buy a watch like that, uh, or a watch of, of any type. And, and I think, uh, for me, it just, you know, it would have to kind of fill a void. And Jason, Jason represent, uh, Jason mentioned Seiko and Seiko has the new SPB stuff, which is again, smaller. It's a smaller expression of a watch that I appreciated until I put it on my wrist. And I think, you know, as watches kind of, Every now and then they make a model that really suits maybe taste that you've already developed and now it's the right size or a size you've always developed and it's developed into a look that you really like. That's how I would probably find my next watches. It would just kind of fill some sort of a void. Yeah. No, good one. All right. Next up, let's hear from Jake, who has a question about ultra high-end tool watches. |
| Jake from Singapore | Hey, Jason and James. I hope you're both keeping well. This is Jake and I'm sending this message from Singapore. My question is in regards to what I would call ultra high-end tool watches. So, you know, watches that are built for adventure, but in most cases are way too valuable for their owners to actually consider using for the purposes that they were designed for. My mind goes straight to Jason's articles about the million dollar RM25 he went hiking with, among others. And my question is really in two parts. First of all, does it bother you that, you know, with all the design and engineering that goes into these watches, that they'll almost certainly never realize their potential? And secondly, if money were no object, what would be your ultimate adventure watch and where would you want to take it? Thank you guys so much for all you do with the podcast. I'm a big fan and I look forward to the next episode. Take care. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Well, thanks for that, Jake. Um, yes, it does bother me actually. Um, but I'm not sure if it's because the watch won't experience what it was ultimately designed for. And I actually don't even know if these watches were designed for that or if they were just sort of over-engineered as kind of a demonstration purposes. But what does kind of bother me is that people are kind of hesitant to wear these valuable and beautifully made things for actually going out and doing stuff with. And, you know, I understand the rationale for not doing that, but I would love to see more watches on wrists, you know, in, you know, Instagram photos of people out, you know, hiking and diving and riding bikes and that sort of stuff with cool watches on rather than You know, I'm just sort of showing them off, so to speak. The fact is, though, watches don't really have much use as a modern tool. Even for timekeeping on an expedition or an adventure, a G-Shock or a simple quartz diver is more than adequate. And I think, you know, I've gone on record as saying that I review dive watches while diving more as an act of nostalgia or just for fun. Or maybe it's because if a brand plans to call a watch a dive watch, at least one person should probably hold them to hold them to that and hold them accountable and try it as it's intended. So, um, yeah, I'd love to see more high-end watches. I'm not sure about a million dollar Richard meal. That's a bit, uh, a bit extreme. Um, in terms of your other question about my ultimate adventure watch and where I would take it at this point, I think that watch probably is one that I own. Um, again, going back to my Submariner, uh, it just works so well in so many scenarios and where I would like to take it. I've got a few, Dive spots on my bucket list, I'd still like to get over to the Red Sea and dive the Thistle Gorm before it just rusts into the seabed there. I'd also like to get up to Scapa Flow up in Scotland and dive some of those World War I German wrecks. Truk Lagoon would be pretty awesome as well. I guess those are all kind of shipwreck related, but that's sort of what I gravitate towards, but I'd love to take my Rolex to any one of those places. James, what's your take on this? |
| James (Host) | Yeah, I mean, I think that a lot of it is... The idea of a super high-end tool watch actually being a tool is non-existent. I mean, these are suggestions of brand philosophies. These are technological showcases. These are fun collector items, which is basically what... These are the oddities. These are the... They're a bit like automatons from a previous... It's a trinket of fascination to a certain extent, and certainly the fact that these watches are being made just speaks to the fact that there is someone who will buy them. And I don't think there's a lot more going on there than that. It is a technological show house, which I adore. Obviously, I love super high-end supercars as well, and hypercars. Those are all really fun, but they bear very little in similarity to um uh you know a simple suv or a reliable family car or minivan or anything like that it's a whole different world and it's more about the existence of the object than its application often and uh and i think there's there's time and a space for that and obviously they do pretty well um i i don't really uh see the personal appeal in some of the really high-end stuff that just because it typically doesn't seem that wearable Jason has more experience with things like some of the Richard Mill stuff. The lightweight, racy Richard Mill stuff is incredible, super wearable. You wouldn't even know it's on your wrist. And you can spend a million dollars on something like that. But some of the really giant, you know, the Stallone one with the water purification tablets and such, you know, I'm not sure, Jason, is that especially wearable when you're out on the trail? No, not terribly. Yeah. So, I mean, the other side of it is that there are some really great stuff. And if we're talking about ones that we would probably appreciate to have on wrist during an adventure. I would go for an AP Royal Oak Offshore Diver. I think that that certainly qualifies as very high-end in my book. It's not a re-shard mill, but it is a sporty, kind of big, chunky dive watch. Give me that and give me two months to go up and down the Baja Peninsula, and I'll do some diving, might try my hand at surfing, do a little bit of off-roading, some camping, that sort of thing. And yeah, I think a watch like that, maybe a cooler, one of the cool boutique versions in the bright colors. I thought some of those were super fun when they came out three, four years ago. So yeah, Jake, thanks very much for that question. And if you've got any high-end tool watches at your disposal, be sure to put them to some use. Next up, we'll take one from Miguel. |
| Miguel from Atlanta, Georgia area, originally from the Dominican Republic | Hey guys, my name is Miguel. Calling from the Atlanta, Georgia area. Originally from the Dominican Republic. Huge fan since day one. My question is, have you guys considered bringing back some sort of TGN swag? Some collaboration with maybe some other brands? Combination of NATO straps, stickers. It'll be something nice to bring back. Thank you for everything you guys have done and wish you the best for the next 100 episodes. |
| James (Host) | Hey Miguel, thanks very much for, uh, for calling in with your question and for your loyal, uh, listenership of the show, Jason, I really appreciate it. As for swag, I would say the easy answer is absolutely, but we don't really have a timeline. Jason and I found the fulfillment of the supporter bundles to be problematic from a time management, uh, sort of endeavor and especially, you know, right now you're not traveling so much, but in a normal sphere of our operation, there's a lot of travel going on. So you really have to time when these can come in and out and supporting the bundles and getting the stock and putting them in the right place and figuring out how to price it. So I think the answer would absolutely we would love to offer more swag. We'd love to do more supporter bundles. We'd love to do all that kind of stuff. It's just a question of shoring up the right partners as far as fulfillment and customer service and that sort of thing, because we, We don't want to do it now that the show has a little bit more scale than it did previously. We don't want to do it and then let down half of you because it takes forever to ship them or the wrong shipments go out. Like, we're writers and photographers and, you know, happenstance podcasters. We're not customer service professionals or, you know, fulfillment professionals and that sort of thing. So as long as we could do it right, That'd be great. And I don't want to introduce headaches into my workflow or Jason's workflow or, or to any of you, uh, who, you know, assuming at this point have a pretty positive, uh, relationship with, uh, what Jason and I do. So as long as everything could be. A plus as far as the performance of, uh, of the product and how we get it to you, then certainly, uh, and it's something that we've been looking into for some time. So I would say, uh, stay tuned and thanks very much for the question. We can get onto another one from Neil. |
| Neil from Champaign, Illinois | Hi, James and Jason. This is Neil from Champaign, Illinois. I'd like to know what you think about the difference between the movements in the SKX007 versus the SRP777 as far as reliability, durability, and longevity. Thanks a lot for all you do. Bye-bye. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Uh, thanks for that one, Neil. Uh, much talked about, uh, topic, uh, on the forums and in comments and things on, on reviews of these watches. And I think, you know, neither James nor I are, are watchmakers. So, and I don't think the, the 4R36 movement that's in the SRP watches, uh, is necessarily been around long enough to probably comment too much on longevity. I think the SKX has probably proven itself out as a pretty, pretty durable, pretty long lived, movement, even with a lot of abuse and little maintenance just from anecdotal evidence. But I would say, you know, coming from Seiko and given their background and given that one probably evolved from the other, I'd say they're probably pretty equal in terms of those three criteria. I think if you had to give an edge to one over the other, it probably would be the SRP watch movement, the 4R36, because that can hack and hand wind and Um, just in my own experience, I don't have an SKX anymore, but, but my SRP 777, uh, that I've had for a couple of years now has been, you know, pretty, pretty accurate just from, you know, glances at the wrist and, you know, not these wide swings that I used to get with some SKXs that I used to own, but I think you'd be safe going with either of those movements. |
| James (Host) | Yeah, that's this, I have nothing to add, but that's exactly what I would say. Um, my experience with the 4R and the 6R movements is they're more accurate. I've never had a problem with the Seiko movement. I've had a couple of them serviced. It's all roughly the same. Great movements. I like the hacking, the hand winding, obviously, and the chance at better accuracy from the later generation movements. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | All right. Well, thanks for that, Neil. Let's jump into our next question from, coming from Greece, from Konstantinos. |
| Konstantinos 'Kostas' from Thessaloniki, Greece | Hi guys. This is Kostas from Greece and Thessaloniki in particular. I'm a big fan of Houdinki and the Great NATO. I am Koutsos Kappa in Instagram. we had some small discussions in the past. So, um, my question is pretty simple. I have it, let's say a small, decent collection of seven to eight watches. And I've always wondered, do I wind them every day to keep them running, to keep the oils running, or do I just wear the one I choose and leave them unwound, which is more efficient, let's say. Many thanks. I appreciate the reply and keep up the good work. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | James, what do you think? I see a parallel here with like storing a vintage car for a winter or something like that. What do you think about this? |
| James (Host) | I mean, I can tell you what I do. It's also one of those things where we could call up Jason Gallop and ask him. I don't wind any of my watches. I don't use a watch winder. I pick up a watch, it's dead. I shake it a few times or I give the crown a couple of spins and get it to start back up. I think if you were leaving it for a long, long, long period of time, like if your plan was to leave it in a safety deposit box or it's going to sit in a drawer for a decade, then you might be concerned about the lubrication breaking down. But otherwise, I mean, we're talking about a very specifically lubricated device. It's not like they just kind of open the back, pour some WD-40 in there and close it and hope for the best. There's several different lubricants used and they're designed to protect the watch for use. And I think they would have to sit for a very long time before it would matter, which is, I would also say to Jason's starting point, different than a car. Cars like being driven. Don't let your car sit. If it is going to sit for a long time, it has to be specifically prepped for it, just in case that little bit didn't go by. But if you want to keep your car running well, give it an Italian tune up every now and then, take it out, blow the cobwebs out. As far as watches, I recommend doing largely the same thing. If you've got six to eight watches, you could wear them every two weeks. There's no way sitting for two weeks is going to be a problem. I definitely, I wouldn't support, and I will eat crow if Gallop tells me otherwise in a future call, but I wouldn't support the idea of a regime where you're hand winding six or eight watches every 40 hours. I actually think that's more wear and tear on the watch. It's undo wear and tear on the crown and the crown threading versus lubricants doing exactly what they're meant to do, which is sit and wait until something starts moving. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Yeah, I would largely agree. I would say if you wanted to be really safe about it, and let's say you have an heirloom dress watch that you wear once a year or once every couple of years to the occasional wedding or something, you could take that out every once in a while and wind it or maybe, you know, maybe even wear it. And also, I think, and again, I'm speaking from zero watchmaking experience, but in addition to winding it, I think it might be helpful to pull the crown out and actually spin the hands around, maybe even adjust a date if it has that, just because, you know, we've seen examples with vintage watches that had radium for loom or whatever, like sometimes you'll get shadowing or you'll get some sort of stain, burn in or a stain on the dial or something. So I suppose just moving the hands every now and then might be something helpful. But again, we're talking, from from not much experience. And again, if we could approach one of our watchmaker friends and get a true read on that, if needed. |
| James (Host) | But yeah, I would say that, you know, watches are designed to be worn. So wear them. But if you have so many that some aren't being worn for significant periods of time, then maybe set up some sort of a little plan to wake them up every now and then. But otherwise, I can't imagine for six to eight watches that you wear frequently that it would make any difference. And I also don't think they should just be running all the time. Yeah. All right, so let's move on to one from Alex. |
| Alex from Unknown Location | Hey guys, thanks for the podcast. I've listened extensively to your discussion on the Garmin Fenix watch and it's used in the outdoors. And I was wondering if you've had any interaction with the Alpiner X watch brand and adventuring. I was also wanting your opinion on using digital watches for this type of outdoor adventuring. As I've previously had a Mudmaster that failed me at an inopportune time and have Switch now to just a standard Hamilton khaki field watch with some wrist strap, compass and thermometer. I carry a barometer and altimeter that are non-battery operated as a backup for my standard GPS that I use when I go out in the back and beyond. And I wanted to get your opinion on issues of reliability in mechanical versus digital equipment. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Well, thanks Alex for that. That's a great question and certainly one that has probably crossed our minds more than a few times. First of all, I did have a little bit of early experience with the Alpiner X from Alpina, but it was one of the really early editions that they had sent me to try out. I was doing a story for Men's Journal about kind of a roundup of high-end multifunction smartwatches. It was pretty slick. It worked pretty well with the app. I didn't really have time to test it in the backcountry or doing anything terribly adventurous, but having more recently used a handful of Garmin's like the Descent or the Instinct or the Phoenix, I'm afraid to say it doesn't really hold a candle to kind of the modern, you know, really super functional smartwatches that you're getting from say Garmin or Suunto. I think the analog digital function of the Alpiner was A neat attempt, kind of like what we like about Breitling's aerospace or the emergency or things like that. But I think if you really want the full functioning of a great backcountry watch, it would be something like a Garmin. In terms of reliability with mechanical and digital, I love your sort of Luddite approach of taking mechanical everything, you know, barometer and compass and thing. I think that's a really neat approach and skills that most people maybe don't have anymore. So hats off to you for doing that. And I agree that if you killed a Mudmaster, I can see why you're a little skittish about going digital. I'm a bit of an analog guy, so I support you there. |
| James (Host) | What about you? For me, with my experience, I broke a Rangeman, which is a similar task to breaking a Mudman, I suppose. But all I did was break the strap. I mean, the watch was still functioning just fine. I really like the flexibility of having the watch on wrist, but you definitely need backups. It's no different than maybe using a dive watch as the backup for your dive computer. You know, you could have a battery failure, you could have a leak, you could have something simple, you could have any sorts of things if you're talking about backcountry, hiking, camping, adventuring, that sort of thing that could compromise the watch. And what you want is at least the two or three things that can get you home. So I always liked carrying a backup compass, the altimeter. I've never carried an altimeter aside from the ones in the watch, and most of that was just kind of like stat tracking. I'd get back from a hike and say like, oh, I did 3,000 meters or something like that. And yeah, I would say that I don't go into the backcountry enough these days, you know, the backcountry around Toronto. to really weigh it out one way or another. But if I was spending a lot of time, you would want those backups for sure. So I think it's kind of a both, but with some consideration on both sides. The big thing with something like the Garmin, which Jason and I talk about a lot, is if you're out for a while, you have to charge it, especially if you're using it to actively track your GPS versus some of the ones that do more of a breadcrumb. There's a bunch of different GPS modes in them. So then you're charging them, which means you're now carrying a battery of some sort and a cable, obviously. So it just depends on kind of what suits your methodology. If you can do all of your backcountry adventuring with the analog gear, then I think a simple watch that has ABC functionality would just give you a little bit of a backup. Maybe a storm warning on a rapidly falling barometer or something like that, there could be some handy elements there, but sounds like you've got it covered either way, Alex. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Great. Well, let's move on to one from Matt that I think is a good one for you, James. Let's give him a listen. |
| Matt from Long Island, New York | For sure. Hey James and Jason, this is Matt from Long Island, New York. I'm calling in for some watch advice. I'm looking to purchase a new Diver to add to the collection, and I've been stuck between two watches for a while. The Aorus Diver 65 and the new Doxa Sub 200. I know you guys have both talked about them on the podcast, but it's been tough to actually make a decision between the two. I have small wrists, so that in consideration. Wasn't sure if either would be better off. Anyway, just curious what your preferences would be and appreciate all the help and the content you guys have been putting out these past few weeks, especially given the circumstances. So stay safe guys. Cheers. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Well, thanks for that, Matt. James, I'm going to turn it over to you. You've actually had firsthand experience with both of these watches, so I want you to take it on. |
| James (Host) | So I think the thing to start with is there's a huge price delta between these two watches. It's more than double the money. I mean, you buy the Doxa directly from Doxa watches is $990 on a bracelet. And the Oris is going to be anywhere from about $2200 to $2300. That's with a model on a bracelet. It's a little bit more if you want to go with the Bico ones or different versions, but I think there's a lot to really like there. Between the two, I mean, if you have the budget and you really like the Oris, the Oris is a nicer watch. It also, I think, wears better on a smaller wrist. There's also a 36 millimeter version, which is worth considering depending on how small your wrist actually is. You know, I'm currently wearing a 36 millimeter dive watch. I have a seven inch wrist and I think it's a great fit, but it may not be the proportions that you want. Luckily with Oris, isolation and quarantine aside, Oris is a brand that you can see in stores, probably local to where you live in Long Island. And I think between the two, they're both very similar watches, but the Oris wears a little lighter, a little thinner, a little bit more like a vintage watch. And the Sub 200 wears a little bit more like an Omega from 10 years ago. So you get a really lovely watch in the Dockster and great value. And if you'd like to save $1,000, I don't think you're going to be disappointed, but it is two millimeters larger. It's considerably, it wears quite a bit thicker, whether the measurements may not support that, but you do get more water resistance. So there's a give and take there. I think something like the sub 300 is a better direct comparison because we're now pushing into $1,900. And at that point, I would, I would have a much harder time because I really love the way the 300 looks and I have a 65 that I adore. So, uh, if, if you have the budget, I think you'd love the 65. It'll also be the easiest for you to try on in person and experience before you commit to that, uh, to that fund. If you want to keep it under a thousand dollars, I think you can do really well with the sub 200. It's a sweet watch in a bunch of different colors. It just, uh, it wears a little bit chunkier than the Orison, uh, with this sort of, you know, kind of like modern skin diver format, I think the kind of lightweight presence is part of the charm of the Oris. So that's what I think. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | All right. Well, thanks, Matt. Let's move on to Samjit, who has a question about water resistance. |
| Samjit from Guadalajara, Mexico | Hello, James and Jason. This is Samjit from Guadalajara, Mexico. I want to congratulate you for your show. I've been a fan for a long time, and I find your way of thinking very close to mine. So my question is regarding 30 meters or less water resistant watches. What do you think about them? Do you ever consider buying one? The question is because I'm struggling with the idea of not liking them and to accept the fact that those aren't for me. Actually, when I read a watch article, the first thing I see is the water resistance. And if it's below 50 meters, I lost total interest of it. I like rough functional watches and I also like to wear them at formal occasions. and I don't find useful the non-resistant ones. Keep up the good work and thanks for all the great episodes. Gracias y saludos. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Well, thanks for that question, Samjit. I would say if you have a specific criteria about watches that you're interested in and it happens to be a water resistance rating, stick to it. I tend to agree with you that other than maybe a vintage watch that you really want, like a Speedmaster or a dress watch, For me, everything else needs to be kind of ready to fall in a swimming pool on my wrist. I like to kind of be prepared with what's on my wrist in terms of any weather or any scenario that might come up. I know that's a little far-fetched, a little strange, but I mean, that's what, that's what I do. And so I would agree with you, but you know, 30 meters is nothing to sniff at. I mean, I think you could reliably, you know, maybe even take a dip in a pool with something like that or go out in the rain without too much trouble, as long as it's been tested. I think the first generation of the Breitling Emergency was rated to either 30 meters or 50. And I seem to recall Bear Grylls putting his through some pretty gnarly stuff in and out of rivers and jumping out of helicopters into the ocean and that sort of thing. So if he's anything to go by, chances are it survived. But yeah, I think if you have a criteria that you like, whether it's the size of a watch or the color of the dial or the water resistance, you know, stick with it. |
| James (Host) | Yeah, for me outside of dive watches, I don't pay a lot of attention to water resistance. Um, but I would, I would find it weird to be buying an everyday watch that, that was 30 meters and presumably without a screw down crown. I've pretty much, uh, moved my entire collection aside from vintage pieces, uh, to watches with good water resistance and a screw down crown sports watches, basically. So yeah, when you see the 30 meters on some of them, it's, it's, uh, it's, uh, it can seem out of place. And if it seems out of place, then, um, I absolutely agree with the general assessment that, uh, maybe it's not worth your consideration, certainly for your collection. If you like, uh, if you like to wear your watch and yeah, anything from a pool to, uh, you know, a really humid day can be tough on a, on a vintage watch. So I'm sure it would be fine on a 30 meter watch, but, uh, these things are as they are. And, and I can't, I can't argue the idea that that proper dependable water resistance, a hundred meters with a screw down crown, et cetera, is, uh, is Hi guys, Adam from Denmark here. |
| Adam from Denmark | Loving your show, range of topics and diversity. That's just fantastic. Now I've been grappling with a little problem for some time now. I'm basically a vintage watch guy. I love my vintage pieces as Speedmaster, the original Aura 65, you know, from the sixties, uh, several cycles such as the Willard and 6306 Turtle, you know, the original one. But I've been thinking a lot about having a watch as well. That is brand new that you've bought from new. You have until you're not here or you hand down to your kids, all that, giving it life, you know, but I'm a teacher. I don't make millions. Um, I've got a thing for the new Omega Seamaster 300 in white dial version. Um, but I can't figure out what to do. Would you guys sell some of your vintage pieces, sacrificing them to get the new one? Would you save for a considerable amount of years? Uh, what would you do? Would you stick to vintage as the appeal might be bigger? Would you want that one you can, you know, bring to life yourself or what would you do? Thanks guys, cheers, bye. |
| James (Host) | Hey Adam, so this is a great question. Thanks very much for, you know, we'll call it calling in again with it. We appreciate it. I think this is a fun one. I also think that this is, just as a quick recommendation, this is a good chance to do the box strategy. If you have a wide array of vintage watches, put them kind of at, maybe not all at the same time, you'll probably want to wear something. We'll pick a few of them at a time, put them back in their box, put them back on the shelf or in your closet or whatever, and just see how long it takes you to really pull them back out. And if that's a while, then maybe you're fine flipping a few to get the Seamaster. And if it's a day or two and you're like, no, I actually really want that 6309, I'm going to wear that for the next couple of days. then maybe that's not time to let that watch go but sometimes that can be kind of a clarifying factor as to whether you're done with a watch or when you're seeing them all on the table you're kind of feeling like I can't live without any of these. There's always those kind of two different sides to it but I always support saving for something because it gives you time to learn and maybe even develop tastes that will prevent you from buying something that wasn't going to work in the first place. So definitely saving is a great choice. And then if you get to the point where you're really quite sure that you want the Seamaster, then try and identify a couple of those vintage ones that maybe you don't need anymore and make the swap. That makes sense to me. And I like the idea of a mostly vintage collection with that one or two go-to modern watches that you could throw on and just kind of wear. And certainly the Seamaster is an incredible watch. What do you think, Jason? |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Yeah, I totally agree. And I think, you know, this is definitely a financial budget decision depending on, you know, a lot of factors, but also, you know, how attached you are to your vintage pieces. So I like this sort of box test that James mentioned. And I also agree that, you know, having vintage pieces that you just kind of enjoy looking at and wearing day to day is great. But I think, you know, you had submitted another question that will kind of roll into this one about whether or not to pressure test and and take your vintage watches diving. And I think, um, while I say that that can be done and I've done that, uh, I also think that having that one modern piece that you create your own adventures on, whether it's diving or, you know, swimming the English channel or whatever it might be with your new sea master, um, that becomes your growing vintage piece that you pass down in 20, 30 years that will have those, your own stories embedded in it. But, uh, Yeah, I think saving is a good, a wise bit of advice, and I fully support that. So thanks for that and for your other question. |
| James (Host) | Yeah, and one last thing I would add to that, Adam, is if you're considering other options, definitely take a look at that, the U50, the Zinn that we've mentioned before, as it's roughly the same proportions as like a 2000s 2254 Seamaster. And I think it would complement an otherwise vintage collection really well, because it's so starkly modern. Um, and it's a nice size and obviously it's never going to let you down being a Zen dive watch made of submarine steel. So, uh, always a good option there. And if you're, if your heart's set on a white dial Seamaster, you're certainly not going to hear Jason or I talk you out of it. That's a killer watch. So thanks again for that question. Next up, let's hear from Imad about gear storage. |
| Imad from Sri Lanka, living in Australia | Hey Jason. Hey James. Imad here from Sri Lanka, living in Australia now. Um, to start off, I must say congrats on 110 episodes now. And great job. I was introduced to the Grey Nato through the Hodinkee podcast and really glad I was introduced as such. My question to you guys is obviously with how much traveling and adventuring you guys do, especially Jason, you guys must be having a lot of gear. How do you guys go about storing that gear at home while you're not say out in the field and caring for that gear over time, especially Living in North America, I presume you guys have different gear for different seasons. So for each season, I presume you guys don't use gear for some seasons of the year. So when you're not using gear, where do you store it and how exactly do you store it? And just as a part two to that as well, how exactly do you guys store watches? Again, Jason, we know you have a lot more watches than James does. So how do you store watches when they're at home? Do you have certain watches as a rotation or do you just have them wherever and wear them whenever? Again, thanks a lot. Good luck. Cheers. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Well, good one, Imad, and thanks for calling in. Ayubowan to you, my limited singhala. You talked about gear storage, and indeed I have a basement full of this stuff, accumulated over years of trying different sports through all seasons. Um, I used to be a bit more haphazard about it, but now I, I'm trying to be a bit more organized. I've got some shelf units in the basement with, uh, sort of these plastic bins that have lids and I keep, uh, dive regulators and, um, you know, various dive gear in those on, on one shelf and the fins are kind of stacked on top. And, um, and then another, uh, shelf unit is, is holding camping gear. I've got a workbench with a lot of cycling stuff, helmets and things on shelves, and then another area for ski stuff. And, you know, one thing I'm not very good at is off-season maintenance. You know, when ski season's over, usually they say to put a coating of storage wax on, scrape off the old wax, you know, get them tuned up before the next season. I'm the kind of guy who, with most of my gear, other than, you know, giving it a quick rinse or cleaning it off, I just sort of put it on the shelf and pick it up the next time. With the exception of dive gear, you know, life support stuff that you might have to have serviced or lubricated or check gaskets and that sort of thing. In terms of watches, I don't do anything particularly special with them. I have a couple of canvas or various types of watch rolls that I just sort of store my watches and I do try to sort of group them in terms of I have one watch roll where I just keep vintage pieces and then another one where I've got kind of my more modern stuff, the stuff I wear more often. And then I keep a handful of maybe the more valuable stuff in a bank box that I don't wear as much. But, uh, yeah, nothing, nothing too, too sophisticated there. Um, but, uh, yeah, that's, that's kind of my regimen here. James, how about you? Where do you keep all your stuff? |
| James (Host) | Uh, so it depends on the stuff, camera gear and like more fragile technology lives essentially on a bunch of shelving around my desk. Um, I've, drastically downsized my camera kit since moving to Leica. Uh, so a lot of it is one backpack essentially, and that includes, uh, laptops and, and probably even some recording gear and everything else. So it, it, it's really not that much gear when you're talking about, um, camping or dive gear. Those are the other two that I get into. I have a storage unit where I keep those sorts of things all cleanly organized. Um, so the dive gear is actually really simple to care for, keep it dry, keep it out of the sun. Obviously try not to put weight on any of it. So are you shelving to do all that? Exposure suits need a little bit more care Obviously so they don't dry out but a big thing the big problem with a lot of that is UV More so than just general air. So make sure you pack things correctly and then as far as camping gear just respect the difference between storage and Usage so if you have a really nice sleeping bag It should have come with two bags the big one in the small one. So when you pack it to go backpacking, it goes in the tiny one where it's fully compressed and that down is jammed and crammed into every little available bit of space. But if you're putting it in the garage for any amount of time really, air it out and then put it in the large sack so that the down is protected. It's just some of that storage stuff is also tantamount to caring for it. But yeah, shelving as far as backpacks and everything, they hang on nails in the storage unit. It's not super complicated. It's also the scenario where I keep most of the stuff for the Jeep soft top and that. But yeah, so no big specific thing. When it's time to get back into diving, hopefully later this year, I'll go through a full service for all of the regulator and everything as it's been quite a while. And it's just been sitting in a nylon bag for that span of time. And then I'll probably do a pretty thorough inspection of everything from the exposure side as well, just to make sure that I haven't cracked a seal or something on the dry suit. But otherwise, most of it, yeah, just taking a lot of care when you're putting it away and making sure that it's put away in a manner that preserves it for the next time you need it. But in my case, that's a relatively small storage unit and a whole lot of shelving that's covered in cameras and lenses and that sort of thing. Um, as far as watches, I have, I have pretty simple. I have kind of a couple, uh, storage, uh, cabinets that hold things like boxes and paperwork and knickknacks or watches that I almost never touch. Like I have, because they were given to me like as gifts or, or they have some other sentimental value, but it's not something I'm going to wear. Uh, I have a few watches like that, but the main core collection of things I wear, I have housed in a waterproof case. So I bought a Nanuk 910, which is a Canadian brand competitor to something like a Pelican, but they're quite a bit cheaper. They also have that kind of pick and pull foam. So I bought the 910, which reliably holds easily 12 large watches and leaves you kind of two spaces for straps or tools or the rest of it. So you can really keep a decent collection. In a scenario where if I want to take this and leave it at a friend's place, they can watch on it when I'm traveling, so I don't leave all the watches kind of unprotected at home, then it makes it really easy to move them from one place to another. So yeah, I highly recommend that strategy if it works for you. Thanks very much for that question, Ahmad, and good luck storing your gear and even better luck using it. Next up, we have one from Andrew. |
| Andrew from Los Angeles | Hey, Jason and James. This is Andrew calling in from Los Angeles. I'm currently wearing a ZIN 556i and a grey NATO in honor of the show. I've really enjoyed the weekly format. It's always great to get more grey NATO in our lives. Unfortunately, for someone like me, I'm interested in even more grey NATO. And I was wondering what from the archive you'd consider as some of your favorites slash, you know, greatest hits. What is worth taking a second listen to? or even a first listen to if you're a newer listener. Thanks for all you do, and hope to see you guys come down to LA once life returns to normal. Cheers. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Thanks for that one, Andrew, and thanks for being a loyal listener. And yeah, so greatest hits, I hadn't really considered that, but I think off the top of my head, we should do like a greatest hits list at some point, just our favorites. But I think off the top of my head, The film club episodes are popular and I think they're really fun for us to do. I think you can probably hear our enthusiasm for these. We've done any number of series. So we've done film clubs, we've done at least one book club, we've done our collection inspections. We probably have too many of these kind of ongoing segments. But I do think that those are usually pretty concise, pretty tight, pretty enthusiastic episodes. Um, but I would recommend going back, listening to all our film club episodes, because there's some good content there. We've done some good interviews. Interviews are kind of a hit and miss thing where, you know, they might not get a lot of plays. Maybe if a certain segment of the audience isn't interested in a certain topic, they might skip that one. But I think it brings in kind of a dynamic, different voice to, to our usual mix of topics. And we've done some good ones. James did a great interview with the photographer and mountaineer Corey Richards. Uh, I got a chance to talk to Paul Skirfield from Skirfa watches. That's a great one. Was really educational about saturation diving and his small watch brand. And then, uh, I also got a chance to talk to Nims Perja who did the project possible, uh, just insane mountaineering, uh, feat, uh, just last year. Um, so just off the top of my head, I would say film club interviews and just kind of look for some of our kind of segments, ongoing segment pieces. |
| James (Host) | Yeah. And I would, I would add in episode 61, Don't Do That With Your Watch, was a pretty good one. Episode 68, What Watch Should I Get? People seem to like that one. It seems to still get played quite a bit, so that's probably a good one if you happen to have missed it. Episode 42 with Jason Lim from Hallios. You're not going to meet a more thoughtful, or sweeter perspective on the watch industry and watch enthusiasm than Jason. I mean, we know that from his watches, but it's, uh, he's not a guy that often goes on record. So that one's worth checking out. Um, episode 38 does in-house matter. I think that was pretty early in the show. You know, that's more than two years ago at this point. And, uh, that one I think is also, uh, also worth taking a look at and selfishly, uh, episode 35 was my report from Clipperton. Uh, and I think that one, I was always surprised that like, I mean, nobody knows what Clipperton is when they see the title. Uh, but I think that 135 would be, uh, would be worth a listen, especially if you're feeling a little cooped up as it's a pretty, pretty, pretty big adventure. But Andrew, that's a great question. And we appreciate a chance to literally toot our own horns on that one. So, uh, yeah, if you're, if you're listening to show, there's a lot, a lot of back episodes all on Spotify, uh, SoundCloud, Apple, you know, all the spots now. So, much appreciated, Andrew. And let's dig into another one, this one from a guy named Drew. |
| Drew from London | Hello, James. Hello, Jason. My name is Drew and I'm talking to you from sunny London, where I'm currently in isolation like most of the country and most of the world. I've been a Green Ato and a Dinky listener slash reader for just under two years, loving every moment. Really appreciate the work that you guys put in. Thank you very much for that. My question is that if you were stranded on a desert island and you could only have three pieces of gear, one is a wristwatch, the second is a tool, and the third is something to just make you feel good at the end of the day, maybe a bottle of whiskey or maybe a good book, what would those three things be and why? Thank you guys once again for your work. And yeah, speak to you soon. |
| James (Host) | Okay, Drew, thanks very much for this question. This is actually one that we had on a recent Q&A and we did a recent episode on it, which is episode 102. So I think we can probably buzz pretty quickly through this as it's something we've covered pretty extensively in the last few months. Jason, what do you think? |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Well, if we're going for watch tool and let's call it a luxury item, got to go with the Submariner. It's got the piece that I like to build memories on and it's proven super reliable, it's got a great reputation so I know it's not going to fail me, a knife of some sort or a blade so that I can fashion it into a spear for killing my dinner or fish or whittling or cutting or cooking, that sort of thing. And then I think I changed this from last time, I don't remember what my answer was for a luxury item. This time I'm going to go with lots of paper and a pen because I think, you know, if I say a book, you'll be, you could go crazy kind of reading the same book for years on end. I think, uh, lots of paper and, and, you know, like a Fisher space pen with, with a few, uh, refills, ink refills, I think would, you know, you can doodle, you can draw, you can write a book, you can write your memoirs or your last will and Testament. Uh, so, um, those are going to be my choices. |
| James (Host) | Oh man, a paper and writing implement is a super strong choice. I like that. Really, really smart. For me, it'd be a watch. If I'm on a desert island, I assume that means I'm in and out of the water for fun and for sustenance. So it would be, give me a Doxa Sub 300 Pro. Something that'll look cool when they eventually come and find me all covered in sand and tanned, tanned way up with this bright orange watch on my wrist. And then, yeah, a really solid fixed knife, fixed blade knife. would be an easy choice as far as a tool. And then as far as another item. Hmm. Yeah. Jason's really got me with the pen and paper. Um, that's a good choice. I like that one a lot. I also, uh, something, I think something with like a very difficult, a learning curve, like give me a boomerang and no, no YouTube channel to teach me how to do it. I would just have to like, cause it's technically a weapon. So maybe if I got good enough, it would, it would be a value. Um, but yeah, I like the idea of like a boomerang. Um, just because I think the learning curve would be so harsh that I would try it and be like, this is dumb. I'm going to be rescued in a couple of days. I'm not going to learn how to use this dumb boomerang. And then a week later I'd be like, well, they're still not here and I, I need something to do. So I'd start hucking this boomerang around and it would frustrate me. I'd stop again and a month later and you'd have this really fun time-lapse of me throwing boomerangs, you know, five feet and then 10 feet and then, you know, having it come back and then be really surprised and have nobody to celebrate with. And yeah, I think a boomerang, something, just something with like a really ridiculously long learning curve. Yeah. |
| Unknown | Yeah. |
| James (Host) | Something to perfect. Yeah, right. So yeah, solid question, Drew. Much appreciated. And if you haven't gotten to it, be sure to check out episode 102, which is all about our desert island picks. You know, this is and that that would have been the, you know, right, right before the virus and such kind of kicked off and we went to weekly episodes. So let's what do you think, Jason, we do one more? |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Yeah, let's do one more. This is a good one from from Steve. All right. Let's hear it. |
| Steve from Delray Beach, Florida | Hi, guys. It's Steve at Delray Beach, Florida. I wanted to compliment you on another terrific podcast, number 111. I know we spent a lot of time listening to your take on a variety of tutor divers. So here's my question. If you had your choice, what would be the one tutor that you would choose for your own personal collection? Hope to get a good answer. Looking to buy one. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Thanks. All right, Steve, thanks for sending that one in. This is a pretty easy one for me if I had to choose one tutor. I didn't have to think too long about this one. |
| James (Host) | Yeah, me neither. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | I would go with the Pelagos LHD. So the left side crown version with that slightly tan tinted lume, a little bit of red writing. I think it's just such a dynamic, fantastic, almost perfect dive watch. That's my pick. Easy answer. |
| James (Host) | Super easy for me to blue Pelagos. I mean, push comes to shove. I think it's a killer case. The titanium makes all the difference on, on that, the kind of chunky case that the tutors have. And I love that blue I've dove with it. I think it's super fun. I adore the rubber. So yeah, Pelagos for each of us, different, very different Pelagos as they I've actually, you know, we've had them side by side. They're very different watches. Yeah. But there's something so like aviation grade, um, vacation watch about the blue one. It really screams like purpose and the blue is this really great color and they match it really well with the rubber strap. So I think that's the direction I would go. I mean, it's a one watch killer for sure, the Pelagos. So a huge thank you to Steve and everyone else who sent in their voice memo Q&A questions. If you sent one in and you didn't hear it on this episode, it's because there was about a half dozen that we simply don't have time to get to. We don't really like breaking an hour and a half on these episodes, and this one's going to break right through that without too much of a sweat. So if you sent in a question recently, just in the last few days, last week or so, We weren't able to get to them, but we will for the June episode of Q&A, which will be the last episode in June, four episodes from this one. Should you have your own question for us, simply record it into the voice memo on your phone, send that file to thegraynadoatgmail.com and we will get it in an episode at some point. We really appreciate it. It's about time for final notes, but I think Jason has an ad break for us first. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Yeah, you know, this episode once again is brought to you by the Hodinkee Shop. And the fact is, you know, podcasts like TGN and Hodinkee Radio, as well as the daily content you're seeing over on hodinkee.com, are supported in large part from the Hodinkee Shop. And so while you can enjoy the free articles, the videos, the podcasts that you find here and at hodinkee.com, if you do feel compelled to support us, a great way to do that is by shopping at the Hodinkee Shop. And I think it's really a win-win since the shop has so much great stuff to choose from and all budgets from pens and straps and books to watches from a number of great brands as well as the vintage pieces. So, you know, if you need a little bit of horological retail therapy or you're looking for a cool gift to get somebody, you can at least feel good about the fact that you're also supporting us and everyone at Hodinkee while you're doing that. So thanks again to the Hodinkee shop for supporting this episode and all of our isolation tapes. and be sure to check out shop.hodinkee.com. |
| James (Host) | How about final notes? Yeah, I can go first. Mine's actually kind of a weird one. One of my favorite automotive programs online, certainly as far as podcasts go, is the smoking tire. I will mention this at the top that if you're used to listening to the Grenado with your kids or possibly sensitive ears, the smoking tire is maybe not the right Uh, the right one that there is some bad language and that sort of thing. So that bothers you. I mentioned it at the top, but what we have here is an episode of the smoking tire there. They've of course moved. They've of course, moved almost exclusively to zoom style interviews. So they're, they're doing tons of these really great interviews lately. And, um, and while Matt is a, like the, the show's host is a big character and a really friendly dude who I've had a chance to meet a couple of times. He always has great questions. He's very curious. And he had on Kevin Singer. of Zinger cars. Now, Zinger is known if you're kind of nerdy about car stuff, because what they're doing is essentially creating a 3D printed hypercar. But the technology is so far ahead of what you might expect. And not only will I include the link to this episode where you get to hear Kevin speak about how they, how he thinks about producing pieces for cars and cars in general and the future of EVs. It's a really like genuinely fascinating Um, look at the automotive industry and sustainability in a way that's really just like data driven. Like he has, he has a very set way of thinking about the life cycle of EVs isn't better than the life cycle of gas powered vehicles, et cetera, et cetera. Obviously, there's all sorts of politics and everything tied up in this, but I found the chat to be really, really interesting from a manufacturing standpoint, from a technology standpoint, and from kind of a predictive standpoint of everything from the viability of rapid prototyping to the idea that you could make a car based on software versus forms and kind of cookie cutter parts that have to be moved around an entire brand. I adored this. He did a really great video with, um, I believe it was with top gear in the UK with their YouTube channel, where they go over, you can actually see the car and you can see these. It's like a 20 by 20 space that once it ramps up, it has all these robot arms that are printing things can print several cars. Uh, the, the numbers are really incredible. I, I could, I could kind of gush about this for a bit. Cause I think the technology is really, really remarkable, but, uh, either, either check out the smoking tires, chat with Kevin Zinger or check out the, uh, the YouTube video that kind of goes in depth on the car itself. Both, I think, are really, really fascinating looks at an absolute next generation way of thinking about producing. I mean, conceivably, it's not just cars. It could be houses, it could be appliances, it could be anything. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | Wow. Very cool. Yeah. 3D printing is fascinating. For sure. Wow. Awesome. All right. Well, my final note is a pretty quick one. It comes from a listener of ours named Andreas who sent this over a few weeks back. It is a website that's actually it was produced by Seiko and it's it's just Seiko-design.com and it's called Buy Seiko Watch Design and it's it's just a collection of interesting articles about the history of Seiko watch design from kind of those quirky weird alien looking watches that they made back in the 90s. Some of the kinetic stuff some watches I'd never even heard of. There's one called the Air Pro, which I just a really strange, strange watch as well as, you know, the more familiar stuff that we all like, the Seiko five sports pieces, the, uh, they go into a little bit of depth about the nicknames, you know, that everybody's given the divers, the turtle, the samurai, the, um, the tuna can, et cetera, uh, on up to, to grand Seiko stuff. Um, the Alpinist, And these are like interviews with actual Seiko designers and watchmakers that kind of really take an angle of, you know, they're looking at really the design aspect of it more so than the watchmaking side of it. So, you know, even if you have no interest in the kind of mechanics of the watch, but you're more interested in just, you know, where did that curve come from? What was the inspiration for the shape of hands or the markers on these watches? You really get an inside perspective from a brand that for many has been a bit of a black box. You know, you, you kind of see this great stuff coming out and it's like, where did this come from? A lot of, a lot of other brands, you know, you hear a lot from the designers, um, but not so much with Seiko. And I think this website's a great sort of peek into that. So thanks Andreas for sending that over and, uh, yeah, check it out. It's really cool. |
| James (Host) | Yeah. It's such a cool site. I can't, I can't support this enough. I think it's a really interesting take on talking about your brand through a number of avenues that people probably already understand. So it's just a nicely made site, which I appreciate at this point because that's not always the given anymore. Yeah. I mean, I guess it was never the given, but when, when you see something that's just kind of nice to navigate and be around, it's a, it's an added plus. So yeah, Seiko dash design.com. And, uh, I would say largely my suggestion is to check out Zinger cars, but I really liked that, uh, that conversation they had with, uh, Matt and, uh, Zach at the smoking tire. So. So all of that is in the show notes and for everything else, as always, thank you so much for listening. You can hit the show notes via hoodinkee.com or the feed for more details. You can follow us on Instagram at Jason Heaton, at J.E. Stacey, and you can follow the show at The Graynado. If you have any questions for us, please write thegraynado at gmail.com and please keep sending in those voice memos. You can subscribe and review wherever you find your podcasts. And don't forget that music throughout is siesta by Jazzar via the free music archive. |
| Jason Heaton (Host) | And we leave you with this quote from E.E. Cummings who said, |