The Grey NATO - 163 - Cory Richards And The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Everest

Published on Fri, 01 Oct 2021 11:21:35 -0400

Synopsis

This episode of the Graynado podcast features an interview with Corey Richards, a National Geographic photographer, alpinist, and Vacheron Constantin ambassador. Corey discusses his involvement in creating the new Overseas Everest watch collection and reflects on his personal journey over the past few years. He talks about working on a mental health memoir, shifting his focus from mountaineering to writing and filmmaking, and learning to prioritize relationships and personal growth. Corey also shares insights on the nature of time, trust, and his role as a brand ambassador for Vacheron Constantin. The conversation touches on themes of creativity, self-discovery, and the evolving perspectives that come with age and experience.

Transcript

Speaker
Jason Heaton Hello and welcome to a surprise episode of the Graynado. It's a loose discussion of travel, adventure, diving, driving gear, and most certainly watches. And today it's my huge pleasure to present a special episode featuring a chat with none other than TGN alum, Corey Richards. For those of you who might've missed episode 85, Corey is an amazingly talented photographer with National Geographic, as well as being an alpinist, athlete, speaker, mental health advocate and an ambassador with Vacheron Constantin, where he helped create a couple of the coolest watches announced this year, their new overseas Everest collection. A big thanks to Vacheron Constantin for making this chat possible and to Corey for being such a good sport and coming on the show for a second time. Corey, welcome back to the show. It's a treat to have you on again. How are you doing?
Corey Richards I'm great, man. Thanks for having me back. I think we were in Brooklyn last time.
Jason Heaton Yeah. And are you in Manhattan now?
Corey Richards Now I'm in Manhattan. I'm at the new Vacheron boutique, the flagship of the Americas.
Jason Heaton With the newly opened exhibit as well.
Corey Richards Yeah. So I'm surrounded by, oddly enough, I'm surrounded by huge images that I've taken through my career. And honestly, I've never, ever seen my pictures this big. So it's kind of a I mean, it's odd that after 20 years of taking 22 years of being a professional photographer, I'm seeing images this this big for the first time.
Jason Heaton Yeah, that's fantastic. Really, really cool. And so that's part of a new kind of presentation at the boutique in in Manhattan. We'll put the show notes. We'll put the details to that in the show notes. If you're in and around Manhattan, you should definitely swing by. I saw the images in a press release that went out yesterday. The space looks incredible. The photos, like you said, are just massive. I remember there were some pretty big ones where we were in Brooklyn for the last time we recorded, which was episode 85. But it's super fun to see anything that big, especially your work, which has a scale to it that I always appreciate.
Corey Richards Yeah. I guess for me, it takes it to another level because you get to dive into the details. all of a sudden an image becomes more of an experience than simply a reminder or a placeholder of time and history. And, and so, um, it's been interesting too, because as, as we've talked about, I mean, the, the title of the show is the spaces between, which really is about, um, what we, what we learn and discover when we explore, which is that so much of life is, is indefinable. We try to put, you know, boxes around things and definitions around all of our life. And right. Uh, we try to live in black and white. And what we discover is that most of, most of the spaces between while all of them are occupied by gray. And at the same time, what's so kind of cool about this is that as I've talked over the concept is that in essence, you know, photography is really a means of time travel, right? Like it, it takes one 2000th of a second to, to take a photograph, but then you get to revisit that for. an infinite amount of time. I mean, until humans no longer exist and the files go away, but I mean, it's just really fascinating.
Jason Heaton Yeah, no, I absolutely agree. And I think there's a, there's a good photography undercurrent that I'd like to get to, uh, but we should probably start with why we're lucky enough to have you on the show again, which is some new, really, really cool watches. These are watches I'm super excited about. And the response in, in kind of among our audience has been huge, you know, a sporty titanium watch now, based on a great prototype now made in a limited run and a very popular thing. But what do you think of the new pieces? Where do you, where do you, I assume you had some input on them, so you must probably like them quite a bit.
Corey Richards I love them. I love the, I mean, there's so much to love about these watches. And you know, when I was on Everest in 2019, I wore the dual time model. And right now I'm wearing the chronograph, which you know, I love them both. And specifically, one of the things that I love is that, you know, it is this elegance that's meant to be worn. I mean, I'm a person who has always believed that, uh, you can have both, you can have refinement, you can have craftsmanship, you can have, um, elegance and that can be infused with and, uh, worn alongside utility. And so for me, this is the greatest expression of sort of the highest level of, of time pieces, right? Because it's not something that you just, take out for a special occasion and then have to put away in a box. It's something that you wear daily. And I mean, to me, that's just very exciting. I think it's a step forward in a lot of ways.
Jason Heaton And now that you've done the prototype and you took that out into one of the toughest places in the world and tried to do something unbelievably difficult and really persevered through a lot of challenges, now you've seen the two new models. Do you have a favorite between the Chronograph and the Dual Time? now that the whole kind of ethos has had a couple years to settle in?
Corey Richards I mean, for me, the dual time is still where my, I mean, I love them both. They're both beautiful, but dual time to me is where my heart is. And, and the reason is, is the same, same reason that I told you about in our first episode is that, that, that, that second time window, you know, that, That gives me a, and I, and I refer to it as a window very specifically because it's a window into the entire other existence that I have. So when I'm out on assignment, I can look back through that window, um, into the existence of the rest of my life, whether it's loved ones, whether it's things left unsaid or left undone or things that I'm so proud of that I have said and done. Um, it is a reminder that there's more to, this life and this existence than what is right in front of my face necessarily. And it's so easy to get drawn into big aspirations and big goals and be single-minded and narrow focused. Uh, but in fact, you know, we are really just whatever we do. It's importance is, is really reflected in and felt by the people in the community that our lives are a part of. So that dual time model to me is what I, I absolutely love and resonate with the most for sure.
Jason Heaton We all watched as the prototype, your beloved, was auctioned away in support of the National Geographic Society, which is great. And I thought it hit a really remarkable number, you know, low six figures there. And for this one, were you able to get a dual time that they're not going to auction away? Do you have one that's got your name on it?
Corey Richards Well, I'll say this, I'm wearing one right now. Actually, what I'm wearing right now, it's the prototype of the chronograph. So what's interesting about this one is that it really is, it's not a one of one in the same way that the, uh, the one that was auction was, but because it's a prototype, it doesn't have like, it doesn't have the engraving on the counterweight. Um, so it's, this one is also pretty special and that, you know, who knows if it, who knows if it'll end up with me, but I do love it. And I love wearing
Jason Heaton And on a bracelet, which isn't common to the production spec either.
Corey Richards Right. Yeah. I changed the bracelet out to the steel bracelet, which I don't know. It's one of the things that I love. Again, you can class it up. You can make it sporty. I love the textile bracelet, but when I was out here for this event, I wanted to class it up with my steel bracelet.
Jason Heaton That's awesome. Yeah. So it's been a while since we chatted back in 2019. The world has changed quite a bit since, since we sat in Brooklyn. How's the last couple of years been for you? How's it been for your, for your art and your process?
Corey Richards Well, you know, it's, I mean, it has been transformative and it's, I think it has been for so many of us, um, artists, especially, you know, I've taken a big, uh, opportunity and, and risk in sort of reassessing how I want to tell stories, what I want to do with, um, with the experiences I've had moving forward and how I want to roll those into, uh, to, to more experiences and more opportunities, but I've taken, um, you know, pretty hard reset with, with climbing for a moment anyway. Um, and, and photography in some ways, because photography as, as, as a career sort of evaporated for a moment. And so I've been writing and I'm working on a book and, um, I'm really excited for that to come out and it's going to be, you know, I'd say a year to 18 months. Um, but it's, uh, really is it's a, it's a mental health memoir that, that really exposes my journey. I mean, cause arguably my greatest exploration has been one of mental health and mental wellness, uh, balanced against adventure and exploration in a more terrestrial context. So, I've been really focusing on that. I've been focusing more on moving into film. Um, and yeah, it's, uh, it's all happening and it feels of course, like it's happening way too slow and nothing's working, but I'm sure in, in five years I'll look back and go, wow, that happened so fast.
Jason Heaton There's a blur. Yeah. And how do you, this is my apologies if I missed one. Um, is this your first book?
Corey Richards I would say in, I published one other, very limited self-published one other, you know, very limited run. Uh, there was a, it was just a picture book of, of images I'd made of a, it was a portrait project in Boulder, Colorado. But, um, this is my first big book.
Jason Heaton How are you enjoying the process?
Corey Richards I hate it.
Jason Heaton Um, yeah, I could, I could, uh, yeah.
Corey Richards I really, I do love it. Um, and I hate it because it really does demand a certain amount of introspection. It demands a lot of honesty. It demands a lot of reevaluation of the stories that I've told, um, and how I tell those stories. And specifically because it is a mental health memoir, it's about as much as it's about climbing or, or, or exploration, which that occupies some space in it. It's about, um, bipolar disorder. It's about divorce. It's about, you know, addiction and, um, when we start to talk about all of those things and put them in the context of a life, it becomes kind of painful. Uh, and, and we have to, or at least I have to reexamine the stories that I've told over the years and sort of my creation story and, and, and question myself at times about like, well, is that, you know, how does that really feel? Is that really honest? Um, and those, the answers are sometimes not the ones that we want.
Unknown Right.
Corey Richards But those are the ones that need to be written.
Jason Heaton Right. Would you say that the process of finding honesty through words and chapters and an eventual book is contextually a lot different than finding it in a photograph or creating it in a photograph?
Corey Richards In some ways, it's very different. You know, the creation of a book and the creation of a photograph. But in other ways, it's very similar, right? The final product is, in essence, identical. because they are, it's an expression of storytelling. One is only words and one is only visual. And so they are, in some ways they're opposed as well, which is actually very much one of the things that I'm exploring within the book is that, you know, there is no real black and white in this world. It's all very much a matter of shades of gray. And in the way that, you know, making a photograph is instantaneous, writing a book is a long laborious process, right? But in the way that they, they're evocative and they lead you through a series of emotions, um, they're very similar. A photograph might haunt you for your entire life. And in the same way, a book can, can move you and, and, you know, spur you into action or thought or a mode of expression that changes your trajectory as well. So, They share a lot and they're very different. But the process, I think, is when taken in context of the final product, the process can be somewhat similar. But in the action of it, it's very, very different.
Jason Heaton Right. And I guess the other side of it is less so with something that you're creating and putting out in the world, although I guess the context could change over time. I get this with movies. It's the easiest way. If I saw something in my teens and I maybe loved it, the context, if I watch it now, is way different because I'm not the same person. And and these things that I might have held dear or or I mean, the easy one that always comes to my mind is like Fight Club. Like that was a religion. Oh, yeah. When I was in my late teens. Yeah. And now if I watch it now, it's almost hard to stomach some of the tone. Yeah. And the viewpoints are so pessimistic and so downtrodden and so end of end of action versus the start. And it's weird how that thing hasn't changed at all. It's the exact same thing. Right. The movie. they didn't add or change it. I didn't learn something about somebody from the movie and it changed the context. It's just what it is. And I changed and the world changed kind of on its heels. It's a, it's an interesting thing to kind of consider writing a book about something very personal and knowing that the context of that, of your perspective, even just yours, let alone your audience, but your perspective will change even in the years following making the book.
Corey Richards And, and isn't it fascinating to, right about that very process in it where you're talking about, where you're leaving room for the evolution of not your recollection, but the evolution of your, um, your interpretation of things. And that changes over time. You know, we, we move through these, uh, very emotionally driven periods in our lives and in culture and society. We jump all on board with one thought process or one way of interpretation. And then a few years later, more information comes or a lived experience changes us. And our interpretation of something that we were adamant about at one point has entirely shifted and we have made room for something entirely different. And so, you know, writing in that way or even photography, to your point, like there is, you know, there's so much that changes in us. And I love the analogy of watching a film. Nothing changed in Fight Club. You changed. And so the way you experience it now is entirely different. And that is a beautiful, beautiful thing. And it's also beautiful that art can stand at the center and stay constant while the rest of us move in a dynamic way in and around what and how we create and what we've experienced in the world.
Jason Heaton I also wonder, whether it's photography or writing a book or even helping to work with a watch brand in designing or offering feedback on a watch, and we can get to what it's like to be an ambassador for a watch company like Vacheron, because I'm very curious, but do you find the process to be combative when you're trying to be very honest or cathartic, or does it vacillate kind of between the two?
Corey Richards it vacillates between being combative and being cathartic. And they can honestly, I would even say that it doesn't vacillate between the two. They can exist concurrently. It can be both combative and cathartic. It can be both painful and peaceful.
Jason Heaton Is it the idea that it's like the first thing you should do in the morning is the thing you want to do least just pick that fight and get after it.
Corey Richards You pick that fight and get after it. And if the resistance is so is so strong, maybe that's where you need to turn your attention. Rather than doing the thing, examine, why do I not want to do the thing? Where's the resistance coming from? Because there's information there as well. So yes, if you don't want to go for a run in the morning, or you don't want to go to the gym in the afternoon, whatever it happens to be, yes, it's important that we do that thing. But perhaps more important that can change that combativeness is is the examination of why it feels so hard to do it and potentially giving ourselves some information around that.
Jason Heaton Yeah. It reminds me of, um, I don't, I don't know if you're a fan. I'm my assumption from what I know of you is that you are a fan of the Stoics, but in the more modern context, you know, Ryan holiday wrote a fantastic book called the obstacle is the way I recommend it to pretty much everyone. It's a go-to gift book. Um, you can read two or three pages of it. You could sit down and read the whole thing. And there's always little tidbits that just kind of, It's a little tweak to the way that your brain is used to thinking about not just hardship, but even just the way that we approach things that seem hard, not necessarily scary or dangerous, like some of the things that you do and have done with your life, but even just things that are like, it's easier if I just ignored this, but my life isn't better with it being ignored.
Corey Richards Right. And again, I mean, Ryan makes that point in a beautiful way. And I guess I'm really echoing some of what he says, though, that The obstacle, we often think of the obstacle as the thing, but oftentimes the obstacle is the resistance to the thing. The thing has very little to do with what we're actually resisting. What we're resisting is something emotional or what's causing the resistance to something emotional. It's an association. And so the deeper we can get into those weeds and understand why am I resisting this? What's causing that? What does that actually feel like in my felt sense in my body? That's when we start to overcome it because we give room for the resistance. And again, like it's not to say, let the resistance pull over, you know, exactly to his point, the obstacle, the resistance is the way to turn into that and begin to understand it. And that will illuminate all of the, you know, that'll bring to light everything that's, that's causing it. And then you can move forward into the action without any, maybe not without resistance, but, but with a greater understanding and potentially reduced resistance.
Jason Heaton So you're working on a book You've got this stuff going with Vacheron. What else is on the horizon for you? What are you looking forward to? Where are you kind of extracting joy from the calendar?
Corey Richards Well, you know, I'm learning to be a... This is such an ethereal, weird answer. I turned 40 this year.
Unknown Okay.
Corey Richards I'm learning for the first time because I've put some of my bigger aspirations in terms of athletically aside, and I'm not so driven towards um, making pictures in the same way that I was for so long. Yeah. I'm learning how to be a good partner. I'm learning what partnership and relationship actually means and looks like I'm learning how to caretake without being codependent and learning, you know, how to argue without blowing up. I mean, it sounds very silly, but when you live an isolated solitary life, that's fueled by, or not fueled by, but as informed by, mental health, singular minded devotion to the pursuit of goals. It leaves very little room for the development of interpersonal communication and, and relationship. And honestly, I'm a beginner in all of that. So, but I'm, but I'm loving the process.
Jason Heaton So these days, no, no big, um, no plan to return to Everest necessarily more. Yeah. And do you think that it's, Do you think the context with which you look at huge projects like that has changed or it's the context with which you look at kind of everything?
Corey Richards Uh, yes.
Jason Heaton Like in, in, in, in defining this sort of slowdown or pause that you were talking about for some of the mountaineering or, or even in some ways the photography, is it just that the book has eaten up enough time that it can be a hundred, it can be your space for that sort of drive or you don't feel the need in the same way?
Corey Richards Right now, the book is is sucking the air out of the room in a good way. And I also don't need that, that same sort of relentless pursuit in a way that I needed it before. And part of that is is just based in and I'm going to talk about this in the book is based on my own healing. Because so much of that that pursuit as much as it was beneficial and as much as there was amazing content and stories that came out of it, a lot of it was driven by woundedness. And so when you heal that, it doesn't mean that your creativity goes away. It just means that it might find a different outlet. And right now it's finding a way out through writing. And that's not to say that I'm leaving photography behind or leaving climbing behind. It just means that I'm in a place of evolution. For sure. I mean, it's, it's impossible not to come back to it. I'm obsessed with time. As much as I'm obsessed with time pieces, I'm obsessed with the actual passage of time because it's the only way that we really have to measure what a life looks like. And in essence, what I'm, what I'm also understanding is that, um, what a life looks like as per our earlier conversation is informed by what we've experienced in that life. And so I, you know, this whole process of now there's this watch that memorializes this very monumental um attempt and an effort in my life that was sort of the the capstone to a lifetime of pursuit of these very dangerous and lofty goals in the mountains um is is sort of it's meta in that I you know I'm looking at how that's memorialized and it's literally memorialized with something that tells me that It's just a moment and time continues to tick on. And that to me is, I don't know, I geek out on this stuff, you know, I mean, I geek out on reading books about what time actually is in the human brain and how it doesn't exist outside of that really. And so, so I think it's, I think it's very, very interesting that at this moment in life, there's an actual physical time piece to point to that as a reminder that that moment has come and gone and is now ticking off.
Jason Heaton For sure. Yeah. No, the, the time thing is fascinating that you bring it up. I recently watched a movie from a couple of years ago. It's called the hummingbird project. I'm not sure if you've seen it with Jesse Eisenberg and it's really good. It's, it's about a guy that started a business to essentially make a straight line of fiber, like data line from the New York stock exchange to where the stocks are actually where the math is done for all the stocks in Kansas. Oh, wow. And the idea was that if they made a straight line, their computers would be a millisecond or two ahead of everyone else's. And they could actually be buying and selling to people who hadn't even made their buy or sell called yet. So the edge was worth hundreds of millions of dollars a month.
Unknown Wow.
Jason Heaton To be at. I think they wanted to be at 16 milliseconds instead of 17. Anyways, the movie's pretty good and Eisenberg's great and everything. So that's not really surprising. But towards the end, he asks a friend you know, if your life was only 14 milliseconds long and it was just done like that, would it feel any different than living for a hundred years? And the answer from his friend, which I won't give away because I think people should see it. But the answer from his friend aligns with this concept that that how we experience time also defines how long it feels, which is which is kind of an insane thing to consider. Right. But a really, really fascinating thing. You mentioned being a turning 40. What would what do you wish you could go back and tell 20 year old Corey? If you could if you could write something down in 20 year old, you would actually understand the context and and take that. You're allowed, you know, a tweet worth of a message tweet back to your 20 year old self. Because I think if I told myself anything 20 years ago, you know, nearly 20 year old James would say, well, I'm not listening to this guy. It's just yeah. But but imagine the context in which everybody was aligned and you could actually impart a piece of wisdom?
Corey Richards Oh, man. I mean, I mean, there's there's actually it's funny. There's there's real things that I would potentially talk to myself about or tell myself. And, you know, some of it might be related to mental health. Like, I think the thing that's been most illuminated to me recently is this idea of trust, just trust. Trust what's happening. Trust what's going on in the world. Trust yourself. Trust your family. Trust love. Trust, because it's so easy to become cynical and distrustful. And in the language of trauma, when we lose trust with our primary caregivers and things like that, we essentially feel like we, and I'm paraphrasing a quote here by Judith Herman, we feel as though we belong more to the dead than the living. Trust is life. Trust allows us to move freely through the world and, and, um, and know that, you know, it's not out to get us trust allows us to be playful and curious. Uh, and so I would tell myself to trust the process and that's a hard thing to do because, because we're angst ridden and guilt ridden and shame ridden half the time, you know, just, Oh my God, have I done it wrong? Just trust the process. It, you know, It all works out in the end. And if it's, you know, it's not okay, it's not the end.
Jason Heaton Yeah. That's, that's an interesting, yeah. Trust the process. Trust isn't, is an interesting thing that changes context throughout your life. I think trust. And I think the need for trust is like, it's a universal, it's like the need to speak or to, uh, to, you know, to have some way of contextualize, uh, what is for you and what isn't. And, uh, there's, there's something in that. So I, I certainly represent or I certainly respect that answer for sure.
Corey Richards Yeah. I mean, it's interesting because there's so much context that goes into, you know, like, and especially being a journalist to, to tell somebody who's suffering or living in a war zone to just trust. I mean, that's, that takes on a whole other trust, who trust, trust, what trust, who, you know? And so I, I really do mean that I don't want to speak to it from this, this lofty sort of privileged perspective, but trust is everything. Trust yourself. Um, trust your desires, trust your instincts, you know, trust is when we have that base level, we are secure. And what happens when we don't have that as we become insecure and then we're acting out of fear. And so I do think it's a transcendent message, but I don't want people to misinterpret it for some sort of like, Oh, just trust that everything will be okay. You know, like that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying trust.
Jason Heaton Right. And, and try and understand what that means to you, which And it's a lot easier to say than I think this is what people are digging at with a lot of what they do in their lives, for sure. To go in a somewhat lighter direction, even just for a moment, let's talk about what it is to be an ambassador. This is a question that I got immediately after our last chat was like, James, you had an interesting conversation about all sorts of risk and death and time and the rest of it. But like none of us know, none of us know what it's like. I don't know what it's like to be an ambassador. Like, what is it like to be an ambassador, especially for a a really serious old school kind of traditional watch brand like Vacheron. Did it start in 2019 and it's been kind of ongoing since?
Corey Richards Actually, it actually started, I think, in 2017. I think it's been almost, yeah, I think it's been five years now. You know, it's a hard thing to answer because what is it like? You know, in truth, I mean, it feels as natural as breathing to me. It doesn't feel like, uh, there's anything abnormal or odd or extra special or extraordinary about it. Um, it, I feel, and I mean this in, in, in with absolute 100% off the authenticity that this is the most, uh, mutually aligned. and beneficial relationship with any brand that I've ever had. And for me, this feels more authentic than anything that I've ever done in the commercial space because we have genuine shared values. But what does it feel like? I mean, it feels great to, to, to walk into, into the, you know, in Geneva, you'd go in and you're, you're, You're talking to the watchmakers, we're designing the watch. I mean, that feels spectacular. It's a beautiful experience to see how it's all made, to have your input come to life and be worn in such a tremendous, beautiful manifestation of craftsmanship. Yeah, that feels great. But at the end of the day, what it really feels like is I'm Corey, and this is just what I'm doing. And I don't know, you know, there's no other real answer for it.
Jason Heaton I guess it wouldn't make any sense for a brand to come to an ambassador and be like, Hey, we really like you, but we'd also like to change you.
Corey Richards Right. Right. And the other thing is that like, you know, what's very different about this relationship, at least the way I experienced it, is that Vacheron has chosen very specifically to work with a handful of individuals that aren't, I mean, Vacheron could go to, to, to, you know, Chris Hemsworth or whoever, and choose to have a partnership with them and they would be honored and thrilled to do it. But the nature of that partnership would be transactional, right? So it's a very different kind of relationship. I feel like my relationship with them is not transactional, but mutually informed and curious and engaged and supportive of the mission of each other. Which is very different than wrapping a watch around your hand and holding it for a photo because you're an A-lister, right? Yeah.
Jason Heaton Yeah. So what was your, what was your involvement in designing the overseas Everest line or having some involvement in the design of that line?
Corey Richards Well, I mean, as much as I could be, I was, I was involved from the ground up, right? There's certain elements of watch design that I know nothing about because that's not where.
Jason Heaton Leave it to the designers. Yeah. And the engineers and yeah.
Corey Richards Let them do what they do. But as far as the aesthetic and the design of what was needed, what was essential, what wasn't, what were the, how did we want to build this in terms of its weight, its functionality, its utility? We talked at length about that all the way down to the detailing of, you know, on the bracelet, the subtle pops of orange and little things like that, that really, you know, bring it to life. So a lot of that was a lot of the aesthetic, which is something I really care about, obviously, through photography and the expression of visual arts. The aesthetic was something that we discussed at length and something that I could have a huge amount of input on. The functionality, the movements and all that, that's left to the designers and the engineers.
Jason Heaton In many ways, especially with these watches being based on derivations of current designs. Yes. That's set in stone. But more specifically, the blue gray dial, I think is a huge, it's, it's a big change visually from the other one, despite being subtle, but it's like a kind of big, subtle, if that makes any sense. And then I think to continue the orange, so now you have orange, blue, gray, it's this like really fantastic color way. I think the watches are lovely. Like I, but we already did an entire show, which people got yesterday or will have gotten yesterday by the time this comes out about these watches. So, yeah, I always just curious because I think I've met some of the people who are, it's more of a transactional, they're a big name in a certain space and they show up to a party every now and then and occasionally do a Zoom call and that kind of thing. And I, you know, with your work and with your presence, it feels more like you're both trying to support each other's art, whether it's the art of watchmaking or in your case, the photography and now the book and so forth.
Corey Richards Well, what's really fascinating. So this whole exhibit, this, you know, this exhibition with the photography, You know, this was, we always wanted to do something with the, the Everest watch. Right. But when I went to Nepal this spring, I had a major reorganization of direction and I, and I, you know, it came on the heels of a major mental health moment in my life. And, and I called, I called the wrong and I said, look, man, I don't know that my utility is, is in physical terrestrial exploration anymore. And if that's not, if, if I'm no longer useful because I'm, I'm shifting that, you know, I, I understand. And I want to give you guys that option. And he, you know, his response was absolutely not. That's never been what we're interested in. We're interested in ethos. We're interested in the art behind we're interested in, you know, what your trajectory is and how you want to express that moving forward. So climbing is great, but let's, if that's, if you're ready to put that aside for a moment, then let's put it aside. What do you want to do? And, and, and this was the first thing where let's look, let's celebrate that for a second. Let's use 20 years of this to help push this, this incredible thing that we did together, this design that we're putting out into the world, our baby, and then let's move forward from there. And again, find new and different ways to celebrate the art that each is respectively creating. And so that's where the relationship lies. And that is what I think honestly makes it so unique.
Jason Heaton OK, so I want to be respectful of your time. You've got a busy day. You're in New York. You've got lots of great stuff to do, I'm sure. You know, we could do this for a long time and maybe we can do it again when the new book comes out, which sounds super exciting. I can't wait to read it. What we like to do when we end the shows usually and certainly with these kind of special singular episodes like this chat is offer up something from your life that you like a book, a movie, a song that you're really like a piece of content, something that someone can kind of sink their teeth into and maybe understand a little bit more about your perspective. Anything you might offer up one, two things could be whatever's on the mind.
Corey Richards You know, I just finished a really wonderful book by somebody who I'm very privileged to know. It was, it was a, it's, it's a, it's already been a very successful book, but I would, I would offer it up to people because it lent me such perspective on my own journey, um, and trying to unravel what's happened in my life. Um, and, and, and put that in the context of what happens all over the world on any given day. And it's a book called it's what I do, uh, by New York times, war correspondent, journalist, photojournalist, Lindsay Adario. Um, and, You know, as a man in this world, there's so much unseen privilege that I enjoy. And reading a book by one of the most preeminent, most talented photographers of our time that has a female perspective was really impactful for me. And it also spoke to parts of me that I could really resonate with, which is there's this innate, intrinsic draw to continue to create and tell stories that illuminate pieces and parts of the world that need to be seen and heard. And Lindsey does an amazing job of that. And it's a really touching book. So I'd encourage people to go read that.
Jason Heaton Fantastic. That's a great suggestion. And Corey, I can't thank you enough for sitting down on the show for a second time. It's a treat to see you. I'm a huge fan of your perspective and your work and You better believe I'll be pre-ordering the book when I see it hit some availability. So best of luck with your progress in writing that. And please know that anytime you want to come on and chat, we'd love to have you. It's such a treat, man.
Corey Richards Let's do it, man.
Jason Heaton And congrats, of course, on the watches. I think they're real winners.
Corey Richards Yeah. Thanks. And it's been an honor. It's been a pleasure. And I'm really grateful for you having me again. And I'm grateful for Vacheron for providing all these opportunities. Thank you for everything, man. It's been great.
Jason Heaton Thank you. Enjoy the day.
Corey Richards Later, brother. Take care.