Episode 123 - How to Wear a Tool Watch

Published on Wed, 03 Mar 2021 22:47:04 -0800

Synopsis

Andrew and Everett discuss the concept of "tool watches" - what defines a tool watch, how they wear them, and their personal picks for tool watches at different price points. They explore the origins of the term and how watch enthusiasts have created categories and hype around certain types of watches even when the original intended functionality may not be necessary. Ultimately, they conclude that all watches were originally tools and that the designation of "tool watch" is more about coolness factor, durability, and personal enjoyment rather than practical need.

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Transcript

Speaker
Andrew	Hello, fellow watch lovers, nerds, enthusiasts, or however you identify. This is 40 and 20, the Watch Clicker podcast with your host, Andrew. I'm a good friend, Everett. Here, we talk about watches, food, drinks, life, squeaky chairs, and other things we like. Everett, how are you?
Everett	I'm very good. Coming to you from the airplane hangar. Doing wonderful. Yeah.
Andrew	Yeah. This chair, it hasn't always been the squeaky. I think I'm just wearing it out.
Everett	You know, I think the squeak is amplified by the hard surfaces.
Andrew	There's maybe that, but it was also squeaky in the not in the in the previous studio.
Everett	Yeah, well, I mean, I mean, it probably has places to like. Grease it. I'm not going to do that. I mean, it's my chair and I'm not going to do it either, so y'all are going to deal with a squeaky chair. Yeah, how are you? I'm OK. I'm a little aggro tonight. I think maybe all day. I've just been aggro like things. I'm like, fuck off. Stop being fucking dumb all day. That's how I've been.
Andrew	I like this mood for me. Yeah. No, I like it on you. It's it's fun to see occasionally.
Everett	It's definitely been one of those days, though. I mean, so good.
Andrew	I'm good. But but aggro, it's especially fun for me as a younger brother. when like the buttons are already pushed and all I have to do is a little bit of tweaking to like really, really get it up and moving. So tonight's going to be fun. You think? Yeah, it's going to be fun. I mean, independent of of my little brother behaviors that may or may not. Are you going to take your pants off?
Everett	Obviously. OK, good. I agree.
Andrew	That's just that's part of the show now. We do an underwear check.
Everett	You should do that.
Andrew	Yep. Bacon strips.
Everett	We don't do wrist checks, we do draw checks.
Andrew	The occasional surprise week will be commando. Andrew, how are you? I'm well. I'm tired. We are plugging away on packing and getting ready to move because I am a serial planner. When things are not planned, I live in a state of horror. So half my house is packed and we're not moving for two weeks.
Everett	It's better than, it's better than the opposite.
Andrew	You know, it's, it's better until you need something like a measuring cup and it's not packed or it is packed and you go, fuck it. We're going to eyeball it. And fortunately, I mean, I do enough cooking with things that I can eyeball most, you know, neighborhood of most measurements. But today I needed a measuring cup and I got furious and I, I pulled out a box cutter and I was like, there's nine boxes of kitchen stuff. You're in there somewhere. And I almost started opening boxes. And I was like, what are you doing? Don't get like this.
Everett	Go get a Nalgene.
Andrew	Or just eyeball it. It doesn't have to be precise. It just has to be ish. But good. Yeah, you know, just plugging away. It's the waning hours of my weekend. So yeah. You work tomorrow. Yep. Womp womp. Back to the grind.
Everett	Womp womp. That's OK. I had to work today. And yesterday. It sucks.
Andrew	It sucks. It's been beautiful though. It has been so nice out. Today we had the windows and doors open in our house.
Everett	I think it was like 63 today.
Andrew	Yeah. Like this is, this is some spring weather right now, which is a bit of a bummer cause we didn't have any good winter weather. We didn't even have a good cold snap. I'm totally good with that. I want, I want some cold snaps. I want some ice. I want some treacherous road conditions and even maybe It's getting greedy here. I'd like to see some snow.
Everett	Opposite. I have always said I'm going to retire in Bora Bora because it's like between 68 and 73, 320 days of the year.
Andrew	And my guess is with $20,000, you could probably live comfortably for about 15 years.
Everett	I don't know if that's true. I think it's super expensive there, but yeah, I think so.
Andrew	Oh, it just sounded very exotic and inexpensive.
Everett	That's my guess. Speaking of exotic and inexpensive. Mmm. We're talking to my mom's here tonight. We are talking about watches. We're talking about watches because that's what we do from time to time for some time after we bemoan the lack of time to talk about watches. Yeah. We talk about watches and tonight we're going to talk today, I guess for you this Thursday morning. We're going to talk about tool watches. Not two, tool with an L. Tool. Yeah. How, how to wear a tool watch is the title of the episode, which is not misleading, but sort of a bit of a, uh, a bit of a play on the idea. Velcro strap, left thigh. A tool watch is one of these words, one of these phrases that gets used regularly. without anyone really knowing or agreeing what it means. Or caring. Or caring, right? Because what does it matter? But what is a tool watch? How do you wear a tool watch? How do you buy a tool watch? And furthermore, does the meaning have any significance today in the age of Apple watches and iPhones? And 316 steel. And 316L steel. Yeah. Exactly.
Andrew	I think I think Apple watches have changed what a tool watch is, and we watch people are unwilling to recognize it.
Everett	Or perhaps, uh, don't care to recognize it, right? Because that's two different things.
Andrew	I think unwilling. Perhaps. I think unwilling, but we can get there. First up, let's figure out what a tool watch is to us.
Everett	To us, right? That's an important caveat.
Andrew	We're the resident experts, so this will be canonized on the Wikipedia here shortly.
Everett	So to you, Andrew, then, why don't you start? What is a tool watch to you?
Andrew	So for me, a tool watch, it's got to have some, obviously some characteristics, right? Every category of watch has characteristics that make it such. And I think a tool watch is unique in that it's a classification Above a normal style of watch right a tool watch a pilot watch could fit in there a field watch a dive watch what I'm looking for is 100 meters of water resistance that is the number one priority because for a tool watch to be such It's got to be able to get wet The next is we got to have a durable case and these this is this is a step down in the way of importance Right. I like a resin case Hardened steel is a terrific option. You know, the way that Traska does their basically indestructible cases, their unscratchable steel. Yeah, or Zin or... Yeah, any number of manufacturers or titanium. With that being said, the steel that is being used in 99% of watches is more than sufficient to be considered next to indestructible. I've put some hate on some of my watches and have just the most minor little dings. Yeah. Which some people would refer to as patina, which actually makes watches cost more. So, you know, there's some, there's maybe some lost value in hardening that case too much. Next I want loom, you know, whether it be a quartz loom with a button press or some really good long life loom.
Everett	Some ability to see it in the dark.
Andrew	Yes. And I don't know if I need Swiss watch company, 20 layers of loom, right? There's, there's an in between that I'm, I'm, I'm willing to accept, but the ability to read it in the dark or in low light conditions, which kind of feeds into legibility. I want to be able to quickly read the dial, read the complications and know what I'm looking at. I don't want to have to study it or, or feel inclined to study it for that matter. And last up, and this is, this is I think the weirdest one on my list. I want to see an extra complication beyond the three hands. So four complications, if we're calling each hand a complication. Yeah. Which I think is fair to call each, each hand a complication. Yeah. But I want to see a fourth complication and whether that be a full chronograph complication, whether it be a timer bezel, whether, you know, take your pick on what the fuck it's going to be, but I want to see an extra complication, something that's taking it from a three hand watch to a tool functionality. Yeah. And that's it for me. That's, those are the big, the big things that, that power up points for me in the way of a tool watch.
Everett	I think, I think I, I basically just agree with you. Right. Uh, which is to say, I don't think there's anything wrong with your definition. When I was thinking about this, I kind of went back and spent a little time trying to figure out what's the origin of the term tool watch. And it's, it's like anything else, any other marketing term, right? It's sort of vague. Um, but, but really what it comes down to is at some point in time, watches were watches, right? You just had watches. And as people started to, recognize the utility of watches, they started making watches for specific tasks, right? And that is the origin of tool watches. So your first tool watches are divers watches, uh, and pilots watches sort of around the same time. You see people making watches with a specific function in mind. It is literally quite literally a tool to perform a certain task because the timekeeping aspects. of that task require a certain level, a certain form factor, right? So dive watches have to be legible and glowy and water resistant and pilots watches have to be big and, and sometimes come in configurations that could be strapped to your leg. Like you said, um, or you can manipulate them in gloves. That's right. That's right. So, so I think that's sort of where your complication requirement comes into play. And, and I, I think maybe I sort of agree with that, although I'm also comfortable with a more general definition of tool watch as it pertains to me when I'm going to use that term. I think probably what I really mean is a durable watch, something with a level of durability. Um, I, you know, we're sort of big fans of a hundred meters of water resistance. That's sort of the benchmark, right? 110 is actually our benchmark. That's right. 110 being the benchmark. Um, but yeah, I want to be able to read it in the dark if possible. Right. I want to, um, I want to be able to use it in some sort of condition. I think about, you know, army patrols, multi-day, you know, field exercises, or, or even perhaps an actual deployed combat environment, which I don't have experience in, and you do. Um, but I want to be able to have a functional timekeeping device in that sort of environment. That's sort of what I think about when I think about tool watches, but, but there's also that other piece of it, depending on what I'm doing, the definition could change. So, uh, I think it's fine for an entry level definition to sort of, or a threshold definition to start there.
Andrew	I deployed with a guy who wore the, um, one of the steel citizen ego drives with an all black dial. and just a single, it had like a fake diamond at the 12 o'clock, like very Movado looking citizen. He wore that for the entire deployment. It survived.
Everett	Yeah. Cause it's just a totally fine watch.
Andrew	Yeah. And it's ugly as sin, but, um, that's the watch he wore.
Everett	You should get like a Movado museum if you deploy again.
Andrew	Yeah, that was a, it was a weird choice, but yeah, that's what he wore. So that's my first pick for a tool watch.
Everett	Is this Citizen EcoDrive Movado? No.
Andrew	Oh. No, no, no. Yeah, so I think now we've hit on, and I don't think anyone out there is going to disagree with how we classify it.
Everett	It's uncontroversial.
Andrew	Yeah, and it's also been really broad. We've been so broad in our definition that any watch fits within this as long as it has some water resistance and hands. Like the Reverso, no watches could probably fit in this.
Everett	Yeah, I mean perhaps, right? And I think that there's probably a time and place where that was legitimately a tool watch, right? So I guess that maybe gets us into the more important part of this conversation, which is how do you wear a tool watch? For you, when you are thinking about a tool watch, what are you trying to achieve with that experience?
Andrew	Here's so and I think this is where the conversation really hits it is. There's only. Two or three watches in my watch box that don't solidly fit into this tool watch category. Right, like the Bambino doesn't.
Everett	The that's right at all. The Bambino is like the epitome of a non tool watch and the recraft non tool watch. And that's it.
Andrew	Yeah, thinking across it, I think that's it. I think those are the only watches that can't fit into this category. But I certainly don't wear but one of them. Well, two of them. Three. My Digitals. Like my Iron Man, my 5600, my F91 are the only watches I wear like two watches. And as I was going through this exercise and thinking about a tool watch, I'm looking at the Atlas because I'm wearing my Atlas today, and this is a perfect example of a tool watch. Sapphire crystal, great steel, super comfortable, super legible, good loom. I baby this thing. GMT complication. Yeah, it's got a fourth, like a complicated complication. And I baby this thing. I clean it like before I put it on, when I put it away, Just sometimes when I walk by, why don't I treat it in it? Is it, is, is it the dollar value for me that makes it not a tool watch? Like if I were, if I were making 10 times more money and this was just a throwaway purchase, could this be a tool watch? Cause I've seen people who are like, Oh yeah, my speed is my beater. That's what I wear. I wear it to the gym. I do this and that and that. I'm like the Speedmaster only has 50 meters of water resistance. What are you doing? But that's your beater. So for me, a tool watch is something I'm comfortable pushing the limits of. I'm comfortable with that watch failing and seeing where its failure point is. And I trust that I won't ever reach it, but like my physical flesh will fail before that watch does. Thoughts?
Everett	Yeah. You know, it's interesting because I have different things in my life. I've treated different ways, right? Uh, I remember right after I graduated law school, I had my first lawyer job and I went and bought a briefcase and I bought an expensive briefcase and I bought it used. Uh, it was in good shape, but it was used, but it was a big purchase for me at the time. And my wife said, so what's the plan? Are you going to like keep that nice for court? And at the time it hadn't even occurred to me. that I would be buying this thing, not to use it. Uh, and subsequently here I am, uh, 10 years later and I've used that briefcase every day. I mean, I use it every day. In fact, I had about a six month period where I had worn holes in the bottom and I'd broken some of the hardware and, and it was out of commission and I took it to the, the leather repair guy and they had it for six months. So that would, For 11 or 10 or 11 years at this point. That's the only time I haven't used I haven't used that briefcase. What do they do repair holes in the bottom? They lined it. They they stitched new leather on the bottom Yeah, and and he said do you want me to try to make aesthetic repairs? No, no, excuse me aesthetic repairs Debbie And he I said no, I want you don't do anything. Just make it work I've earned these. And it looks beautiful. You know, I've been, I've literally have been hit by a car wearing that briefcase. It's got big gouges on the side, um, from, from that accident. You know, it's, and, and there is a certain amount of pride in the, in the gouges and the wear and everything, but it's not, that's not really the point. I bought that briefcase to be a super nice functional thing that I was going to love. Right. It's not just about function. It's about a functional thing that I love and want to use. And for me, that briefcase was exactly that. It's beautiful. It's practical. And I just fucking love it, you know, and I love it more every year as it gets worn down and whatever. So, um, I think about tool watches the same way. You know, I, I want my tool watch to be something that is beautiful. effective, but also that I'm going to wear, right? So for, I think for you, when you talk about the Atlas, you didn't buy this to be a tool watch, you bought this to be sort of the cornerstone of your collection.
Andrew	And a watch that I love. I mean, I can, I like, as you're describing this, this briefcase, I obviously don't want to hurt this watch, but I want to be comfortable hurting this watch. Yeah. I'm just not there yet.
Everett	You're not there yet. That's right. That's right. And maybe you do get there someday, or maybe you don't, right? Maybe this stays sort of, but you've been wearing this thing every day.
Andrew	I mean, I didn't wear it much in February because we watch feasted.
Everett	Yeah.
Andrew	So about half the month I wasn't wearing it, but I wear it.
Everett	It's, it's, I don't know, four out of seven days that I wear a watch, you know, getting to the point where it starts to get worn, you know, maybe you get more comfortable there. Um, you know, I decided pretty early on with my Speedmaster that I was going to wear it. I'm not going to keep it in the box. I'm not going to take care of it. I'm going to throw it on the watch pile with the rest of the watches. Uh, and I do, right. I, you know, it's not something that I'm going to put on if I'm going to do gardening work, uh, or if I'm going to build something, but it's definitely got more of a, I'm going to wear it. Now, do I consider that a tool watch for myself? I'd say no, right. I've got other watches in my collection that fit that more, that are more appropriate for, for those kinds of things. But, um, you know, There's a piece of that there for me. The tool watch is the watch that I'm going to wear for doing the things that I need. I always love when you see like professional chefs or contractors or whatever wearing a sub, you know, because they bought that watch probably when they were a young professional and that's been their watch and they just fucking wear it, man. That is a tool watch in my mind. No, it definitely is. That is the watch that they bought to be beautiful. and attractive and something they're proud to have on their wrist, but also to do this hard thing that they do.
Andrew	I kind of liken it to a new car. Have you ever bought a car new off the lot? Never once. That's an uneasy feeling driving away because you're just like, I am saddled with years of debt. And you get it home and you vacuum it every week. I mean, you still like you take good care of your car. I mean, it's similar, but just It's just 25 years. It's just it's a slightly different sensation, but it's similar. You love the car you you and you put in way more effort to find your car than most people do finding a new car. But you vacuum it all the time. You wash it, you get it detailed, and then you get that first scratch that first like not like that first down the side scratch. And you're like, OK, there it is. And then the whole car and then the comforts there. I can't wash my truck anymore because there's so many such deep scratches that it looks like shit when it's not dirty.
Everett	Yeah. Are we? I mean, I think we're a little bit, uh, I think we're a little bit off of our agenda, which is fine, but is there something here that a watch might not start a tool watch, but then later become a tool watch? Are you suggesting that?
Andrew	Yeah, that's where I'm getting. I think, I think your comfort, your, your babying of it, that watch kind of grows up and comes into its own and becomes just one of the of the watches in your rotation and you get that first nick in the case or you get that first scratch on it and you're suddenly like it's it's been christened and now you can wear it as such now you're comfortable pushing it to its limits because basically the only watches that that are limitless are f91s and the reason they're limitless is because they cost nine dollars right like they're they're Supply-wise limitless. Yeah, everything else is like No, no, I mean obviously steel is treated different on manufacturing floors But I without being a scientist The the hardness that you're losing from poor manufacturing against gaining from good manufacturing is forgettable In the way of practicality like in the way normal people wear watches as a contractor that might matter Like then you should maybe be wearing a titanium watch. Yeah. But in the way of steel watches, I mean, I think they're all built equal. It's just our, our acceptance of putting them in danger.
Everett	Yeah. Well, and certainly right. You know, you get water resistance and you get tolerances and I'm talking pure materials. Yeah. Materials are exactly the same across these things.
Andrew	So that's how I use my tool watches. I don't.
Everett	Yeah, you don't, right? I think actually we're different in that regard. I think that you, um, you know, at some point I had suggested to you, I can't remember what watch it was, but I was like, you should wear that thing. Just wear that thing. Cop in that thing. Um, you know, put police in that thing. I guess. I don't know what the appropriate verb is there. Uh, but, and you were like, yeah, no, you know, and there's some other reasons for it.
Andrew	Yeah. There's a primary reason is I need loom on demand.
Everett	Yeah, that's right. But, But in any event, there was another aspect to that, which is like, I don't want to get this thing banged up, man, you should bang the shit out of that thing where, you know, and so maybe, maybe that's, maybe that's what it is. If you buy a watch with the intention of wearing it for something that where the risk is high. And in fact, probably certain that it's going to get mangled, maybe not mangled, but going to take damage. If that's the intention, then that's your tool watch.
Andrew	Yeah, I have assumed the risk already and that's why I bought it. Like a very purpose-driven tool purchase. Purpose-driven tool purchase. Yeah, that's the one. You know, I got some lug adapters for my 5600.
Everett	Yeah, you told me that. The J&Ks, right?
Andrew	Yeah, super good. I've got on a cheapest NATO elastic single pass. I love it. It's so good.
Everett	And is that with that, uh, cheapest NATO, can you do just a slide on?
Andrew	Yeah.
Everett	Yeah. That's great.
Andrew	Yeah. I love it. And it hasn't slid off. I was kind of worried they were going to, they were going to pop loose and to put us through, I've put them through their paces.
Everett	Nice. Yeah. Nice.
Andrew	Way better than the OEM strap.
Everett	And that, of course, is the epitome of a tool watch, right? The 5600. I guess it was the 5000 that gets advertised as being able to take a slap shot from a hockey stick. I don't want that, but yeah. But right, that is what that watch was created for.
Andrew	And it doesn't. It's got lume on demand and on elastic. It's so comfy.
Everett	Is that what you're wearing to work these days? Yeah.
Andrew	Primarily? Yeah. Lume on demand. The Iron Man doesn't have enough juice to power up its battery. Yeah. So next. Why? Why a tool watch? Why a 5600 as opposed to a SKX or take your pick. Why a purpose driven tool watch that is really But for some very specific circumstances, really not any better in performance.
Everett	Are you suggesting that the SKX is not a tool watch?
Andrew	No, no, no. What I'm suggesting is why would someone choose a 5600 or something of that ilk, a resin case sport watch as a tool watch, and why would we classify it higher on the tool watch hierarchy than an SKX?
Everett	I'll lead here if you don't mind. Uh, you know, at the risk of navel gazing here, I think that that is, uh, what makes us watch enthusiasts is that we don't want a 5,600 or an SKX. We want a 5,600 and an SKX and you know, we want all the tool, watch all the watches. Give me all the watches. Right? So You know, if forced to make a decision, you know, we, we play this game a lot, right? As podcast hosts, we play the game and just generally watch enthusiasts tend to play this game, this or that. Well, really the answer for me is always and, and right. And I don't mean that in a. I don't mean that in a jokey or suggestive way at all. I mean, it really just is. That's why I do this. I want to have both of those things and I perhaps want to have them for the same exact task. It's, do I feel like, do I feel like working on my car today while wearing my 5600 or while wearing my SKX? I don't know. Yesterday, I didn't know. And then today when I woke up, it was the 5600 and that's it.
Andrew	I want the choice.
Everett	I want the choice. And, and, and so whether or not, you know, I'm maybe not, going to do that same thing and put on my, you know, whatever dress or fancy watch, uh, definitely don't do it in the 63 because those crystals are prone to breaking. Well, that's funny, right? Cause I was thinking about that earlier when you were talking about the Bambino, I was like, Oh yeah, you know, the one watch I don't, I have, that's not a tool watch is my HK 1963. Whoa, actually it's, it is a tool. It's the most tool watch. You know, and I wear that thing as a dress watch, right? But, you know, so those, there really is that practical nature of the thing. So, yeah, I mean, it's, like I said, not to navel-gaze too much here, but it's hard for me to answer this question, why this versus that.
Andrew	Are you saying navel-gaze?
Everett	Yeah.
Andrew	Like look at my belly button?
Everett	Exactly.
Andrew	Okay. Did you notice that I showed you my belly button for a while?
Everett	I did notice that. Uh, you know, so, so there's that, there's that piece of this that I think is kind of almost silly for us to talk about. But, um, because I can't, I just can't put myself in that place when people talk about an exit watch or whatever. I'm like, I can't even fucking think about that because there's not, I'm not going to exit. I'm at, I am here because I want to keep entering. Yeah. I want to, I want to stay here. I don't want to go home. Yeah. Uh, there's no, you know, and to the extent I'm looking for an exit watch, it's probably saying something about my enthusiasm for the hobby, which is not to say if you're at home thinking about an exit watch, you're, you're no longer a good enthusiast. I mean, it's not a judgment, but the day that happens, I just fucking sell everything besides my speedy and stop thinking about watches.
Andrew	Yeah. Cause what an exit watch to me is like, Oh, I've made it. And the, there isn't a There isn't an end state. And for me, at least, there's not an end state. This is just a progressing journey, and eventually I die. It's fucking Pokemon, dude. Yeah. I've got to catch them all. And there's always new releases. That's right.
Everett	Just like Pokemon. Yeah. You got to get that holo. Yeah, I don't know enough about Pokemon.
Andrew	I got Mark out a box of Pokemon cards this week, and I thought he was going to die, like have a five-year-old heart attack. Yeah, yeah, he brought him over. And no, no, no, he got a new box. He got a box in the mail today. He got four from McDonald's on like Sunday. And those are the four he brought and showed me. Yeah.
Everett	Yeah. He got a box today. One of the neighbor kids, when Mark came over, one of the neighbor kids was like, Oh, I see you're strong in grass powers. And Kim and I both just basically fell out.
Andrew	We had to walk away cause it was very earnest, but it was like, you know, that same kid, uh, it was bringing in Jago shirt, uh, which I complimented him on. He cruised his bike up to me and he stopped. And he looked at me and he goes, nice watch. No, no, no. He goes, I like your watch. And then just rode away.
Everett	Was it the Atlas?
Andrew	Yeah.
Everett	Kid's got good taste.
Andrew	I was like, you do have good taste. That's a weird thing to say though. That's funny. Yeah. I thought that was pretty good.
Everett	So, so, so yeah, we need to get back to it. Yeah. Yeah. So, so what do you think about this topic with this versus that?
Andrew	I think, I think, I think that this versus that is, this weird self-licking ice cream cone that we as watch enthusiasts created the environment to exist. Right? All watches, as, as you said earlier, all watches evolved from just a watch. Like this is the watch that you had. You wore it when you did everything. And when you were a POW in Vietnam, you stored it in your ass until you came home. That was your watch. There weren't heirloom watches. There was. Well, there were. But it was because it was your dad's watch. It was the watch that he had, the watch that he wore. It was the gold watch he got when he retired. Take your pick, right? We're going to be the first people, the first kind of age of people to like be parsing out bits of our collection to our children. Hey, you get these six, you get these six, you get these six, or you guys can have a snake draft. Your call. Because people didn't do what we did. We live in this era of watch gluttony, and we're fully diving into it to such a degree that we have created an entire classification of watches called tool watches to justify getting cool watches with functionalities that we don't need, that we definitely want, and that we'll never properly use. A grill watch for me is a Breitling Navitimer LCD with a slide rule and we've talked several times on this show About having no fucking clue how to use a slide rule you almost bought Why am I a Nighthawk today, yeah With a slide rule you have no idea how to use it And I think even if you did know how to use it we'd have no you eat we Because I'd get shared custody You would have no practical application for using that side row because it computes such complicated things that you could never use it for. I don't think you could use it to measure to time soft-boiled eggs. Yeah, maybe not.
Everett	I mean, certainly you don't need to use it, but yeah, your point is a good one.
Andrew	So we've created this world and this hype and this excitement around things that we don't need. but that are cool, so as a result, we want. I have several dive watches. I've been diving exactly one time, and it was in a pool. I've scuba dived, or I've snorkeled before. That's not diving. You can snorkel on almost any watch you own. But I scuba dived in a pool a time. And I never intend to again, because I hated it. Made my mouth hurt afterward. I got very claustrophobic and I basically hyperventilated the entire time. It wasn't even a cool sensation. I was like, great, I'm wet. But I have a bunch of dive watches because I like them and they're fucking cool. And I want deeper dive watches. I want a thousand meter dive watch. For no reason. So we create these things. We created the idea of a tool watch as enthusiasts. Well, the, you know, big marketing teams created the tool watch to sell to us. Yeah. Because all watches are tool watches, barring a few, a very specific few, some segments.
Everett	Yeah. It's almost more likely if you buy a watch today that it'll be a tool watch versus just a general purpose, but certainly in our community, certainly in the enthusiast community.
Andrew	I mean, shit, I bet even most fossils come with a 75 meters of water resistance allegedly. And if not, they, well, some are, they can get pretty expensive.
Everett	So, so, so with that as a pivot point, then with that as a pivot point, um, really what we want when we say the term tool watch is either something to be cool or something to be extremely practical. like lowest common denominator practicality with that ability to be able to get it bungled up and not stress about it.
Andrew	Yeah. But even the most expensive ones, you know, we were joking about that. Um, is it a sub or is it an op that sold for like $40,000 that had paint all over it?
Everett	Oh, I'm not sure. But yeah, you see this regularly. Yeah.
Andrew	Like that watch was a fucked up. And this guy went to Antiques Roadshow and was like, my dad was a painter and a contractor, and this was the watch he wore. You think it's worth anything? They're like, boy, we'll get you something out of this. Yeah. And they made a bucket load of money on a watch that was not functional. Say it again, not functional because it had been so fucked up over its lifespan. that just any, like just some asshole, just some dude wore and fucked up for however many years. Why not? Like, why is it? Why? I mean, I, after thinking about this, I'm going to start treating my Atlas more like a tool watch. I'm certainly not going to paint in it. I'm not going to do things to hurt it, but I'm not going to get scared of hurting it anymore. Cause I don't want to impede my enjoyment of these watches that I've sought out and I've gone on the hunt for to baby them and to keep them in the safe and look at them occasionally and go, sweet loom.
Everett	Well, and this is maybe an aside to the, you know, I think this whole sort of segue is an aside to the tool watch conversation, but yeah, I mean, that's always my fear, right? That I'm going to buy something I love. And then not wear it, right? You know, like the the Vietnam vet with the Daytona on Antiques Roadshow, right? His his dad, I think, or no, he had purchased that. And I thought it was his dad. I think he had purchased it when he was in the army, so many years ago. And had just decided at some point that it was too nice to wear. And that turned out to be a good economic position. But I remember thinking, well, it's so sad that you bought this cool watch and you never wore it.
Andrew	Yeah, he had a Daytona his entire life and never wore it. And then in the waning years of his life, they're like, oh yeah, here's three quarters of a million. Yeah, I think $750,000. Yeah, so here's three quarter million dollars.
Everett	Was it that much?
Andrew	I think so. It was a boatload. It was worth a half a million. Yeah. Right, I mean his kids are set up.
Everett	But sure, right? But you didn't actually enjoy this thing that you bought for the purpose of enjoying.
Andrew	He just made a really good investment.
Everett	Wow, he got lucky.
Andrew	Yeah, it was like buying GameStop ten years ago.
Everett	So, so yeah, right. I have that fear, right? That I'm going to buy something because I love it, but then not get any enjoyment out of it. So I'm going to wear my Speedmaster. I'm going to wear, you know, my more expensive watches. I always say the Speedmaster, cause that's the expensive one that I own. Um, you know, I'm going to wear these things and I'm going to enjoy them. And, and I may not use them all as quote unquote tools, but, but really the differentiation is just not there for me. I'm just going to wear my watches.
Andrew	How often do you run the chronograph on your Speedmaster?
Everett	Daily. I mean, when I'm wearing it.
Andrew	Oh, just playing with it? Or do you find things to time?
Everett	I time things at work all the time. It's probably why I am. It's probably why I'm sort of high on chronographs, because when I go to work and I don't have a chronograph, I have to do everything with the minute hand. So, you know, I either write down the time
Andrew	Oh, because you, yeah, that tracks, you build things that way. That's right.
Everett	So, but when I wear my Speedmaster, I just click it.
Andrew	Do you ever test your speedometer with it?
Everett	Yeah.
Andrew	That's my favorite part about wearing a chronograph when I'm driving.
Everett	Is the speedometer?
Andrew	I test my speedometer against it. I don't know if I'm testing the watch or the speedometer.
Everett	Do you remember? Oh, wow. That probably about a year ago, I told you that I was having trouble with my speedometer and I thought it was broken.
Andrew	Yeah.
Everett	And I had isolated what I thought it probably was. Um, well that's, there's these speedometer sort of regulators in the wheels and they're a pain in the dick. Um, and I thought that's what it was. And I thought I was going to have to get it fixed. And then something else later, the heater stopped working and someone said, well, you need to change your coolant or you need to fill your cooling. Your coolant's probably low. Well, Something happened when I filled the coolant that all these electrical systems that it started to be weird Came back and started working again, including my speedometer. I filled the coolant my Sorry you guys do you care about this you don't at all No, if your heater stops working in the winter first thing you need to do is check your coolant level Yeah, but also if your speedometer starts or stops working, I think that is unique to the LS 400 So yeah, I mean, I guess that's it. We, we, we both brought some, some watches to the table today. Some, some imaginary watches cause we don't actually have them.
Andrew	Yeah. We're not wearing them. You're wearing the Boktok.
Everett	I am wearing, yeah. So I modded, I remodded my modded Boktok with a, or what we're now calling the Doktok, I think. Or perhaps the Dostok, one of the two. Uh, but I got a, I got a, Doxa bezel for my, my Vostok and I just love it.
Andrew	I didn't realize that I hated the bezel before. I thought I really liked that watch. Yeah. I thought I really liked it. And now with the Doxa bezel, I'm like, Oh, it turns out I hate that bezel.
Everett	You know, the, the aesthetic just really matches anyway. I just love this thing, but yeah, this, this is a tool watch that I kind of don't wear. It's a tool watch. Although I did golf with it recently. That's tool watch, right?
Andrew	I'll accept that. I mean, Tiger has an entire sponsorship. Tiger had an entire sponsorship from a golf company because of their watches, so. You know what's going to be really impressive is when he comes back and wins a Masters after this. Yeah, because he's gonna. He like now has this weird obligation to sports fans the world over. To recover and win a Masters.
Everett	Yeah, we'll see. We'll see what happens.
Andrew	It just sucks for him, right? Like he knows that pressures on him now. Cause he's already had one heroic comeback.
Everett	So we've both brought two watches, imaginary watches to the table. Basically what we might get for a tool watch starting today, no collection constraints, not even any financial constraints, except for a big one, which is to say one of these would be for us right now, what would you actually buy to serve the purpose of tool watch? And the other being money, not an object. Yep. What do you buy to be a tool watch?
Andrew	For me. Do you want to lead? My first up is the DW 5600. In my mind, it is the perfect all day or day, every person tool watch. It's a perfect banger. It has a bazillion mods out there to make it exactly what you want it. The specs are right. The size is right. And you can find it damn near any color you want. And if you don't like the color, there's mods. Or you can paint it, because who cares? It costs $50. That's it for me. And you can spend like $15 and get a lug. Lug adapters. Lug adapters, because they're not reducers, they're extenders. Because I didn't like that. There's a bunch of companies that make like integrated lug hood things. for you to put aftermarket straps on, and I hated the look of them. And then when I finally found just these weird little adapters, they fit inside the lug and then have a 20, you can choose, you can go 18 to 22 millimeter spring bars. Yeah, they're cool.
Everett	And they work nice, really easy. What size did you go with? 20. 20, that's what I would go to.
Andrew	That's the majority of the straps that I have are 20.
Everett	And it looks, it looks right, it looks proportional and everything.
Andrew	Yeah, because the actual, the outside of the, hooded like integrated lug is 20 millimeters so it's flush.
Everett	I'm gonna go a little bit different path here and I'm gonna do so because I have a 5610. I love that watch although hilariously it's probably the watch that I do the least rigorous stuff in. Because it's white. Because it's white that's right so I have an interest in keeping it pristine but in any event I don't want a digital watch all that often, right? I run in that watch occasionally, but really it's kind of like a, uh, almost, I won't call it novelty, but special occasion watch. I'm going to go with something durable, but also attractive. Um, my gut is money being an object with this one. My gut is probably something like a Seiko monster. Um, something substantial, uh, with that tool aesthetic, um, you know, it's going to be a Seiko dive watch that put it that way. A sub $1,000 Seiko dive watch is what I'm going to buy. Um, and probably, you know, hopefully sub like $750 would be what I would target, but I'm going to buy something that I'm, that's going to look good if it gets banged up, um, is going to be able to withstand any sort of water conditions I could throw at it realistically. Probably that I have the ability to wear on metal or rubber, which is any watch really, but that's going to aesthetically, it's going to look right. Yeah. You know, and so psycho monster is the one that pops in my head, although I don't know that that's the one I would go with maybe even a turtle, um, or, or, or one of the mini turtles.
Andrew	Although I think the mini turtle or even the mini tuna are really good options in that world.
Everett	Yeah, that's right. I think that that's my gotta be cost conscious version though, because it, for me does everything you'd want to do. Now you don't have any other sort of complication, as you said, you do have the, the rotating dive bezel.
Andrew	I will accept a rotating dive bezel as an additional complication sufficient to call it a tool watch.
Everett	Yeah. You know, my only caveat to that, the only thing I think of is I'd really kind of like to have a chronograph because of the amount of time I time stuff. So I may look at one of these Anodigi tuna cases too. The Arnie? Yeah, something like the Arnie, exactly.
Andrew	Yeah, that's a good pick. So for my money's no object, I was torn right up into when we hit record.
Everett	Oh, really?
Andrew	Yeah. And I was torn between a couple of watches because I really liked the idea of a chronograph in your tool watch. Because it's such a great functionality that is indisputably a tool. And I also really like a chronograph function with a dive timer bezel. Because you're getting, you're doubling your timing capabilities. You can time a couple things without a split timer. And obviously you're a little limited, but you can time a couple different things simultaneously. And tools that do more than one thing are nice to have. That being said, that was my big tear. And the watch that I was torn with, I'm gonna cheat here and I'm gonna go with both. So the watches that I was torn between, yes, you may collect cookies. Too bad there's none for me. The watch that I was torn between for this money no object was the, or is the, Fortis? Official cosmonauts chronograph And it is $3,500 Ish not crazy expensive. No, it's it's 3150 in CHF that's Frank's right?
Everett	Yeah.
Andrew	Yeah Why is the CHF I couldn't tell you currency? Abbreviations are weird But this is my pick number one if money's no object. You know, $3,500 watch. It's a chronograph. It's got good water resistance. I want to say, I'm trying to scroll down. 200 meters of water resistance. It's a little big. It's a 44 millimeter case. The same stainless steel that everyone else uses. Sapphire crystal. I mean, this is a virtually indestructible watch with really great functionalities. A little busy, but it's also very attractive and it has all the things you could possibly ever want. Great water resistance, great material. It's attractive. It's comfortable. High quality. It's, it's the things it's, it's everything you need. And my other pick is the Rolex Explorer II. Significantly more money, but we all know exactly what we're talking about here. Yeah. Kind of the, not the original, but a very OG tool watch.
Everett	Yeah.
Andrew	Designed for the purpose of going out into the elements and surviving even if you don't.
Everett	Yeah, I think that's right. And you've got great functionality with that watch too, although.
Andrew	Not the same functionalities you're getting with a chronograph, but you're still getting the dive bezel. You're still getting that additional movement or that additional complication. You're getting something that's exceptionally attractive. You're also getting something that's going to have a lot of heritage that will not lose value unless you drill out the center on your drill press.
Everett	You shouldn't do that.
Andrew	Avoid it. And even then, there's still a good chance you'll recoup your expense.
Everett	Sold for parts.
Andrew	So those are my picks for money is no option tool watches. And I think, you know, between those, those three picks, I still think I'm going to get the most enjoyment out of a 5600 because they're fun. The others just aren't fun. At least for me right now, you know, if maybe if I could afford them, they would be more fun.
Everett	If it didn't feel like you were buying something that you had to take care of, that you had to pay for.
Andrew	Yeah, or like compromising college education for my children.
Everett	Yeah. Money, no object pick for me. It's easy. It's easy. I didn't have to think about it. As soon as we brought it up, I knew what the pick would be. And I think that I'm going to make a claim here and lots of people are going to disagree with me. In fact, people today have already disagreed with me, but what I think is the greatest tool watch on earth, I'm going to go with the Tudor Pelagos.
Andrew	You are wrong. You are so wrong for none reasons. I'm just angry.
Everett	You know, I think that in the world of quote unquote desk divers, um, there's all this. talk about water resistance and unnecessary functionality, right? Well, this is that.
Andrew	It's that. And it's ratcheted all the way up.
Everett	That's right. They've turned it up to 11. 500 meters of water resistance, helium escape valve, which is valuable to something like four people on the face of the earth.
Andrew	But to those six people, it's really valuable, right?
Everett	But they do it all in this totally modern, totally modern watch. There's nothing sort of throwback aesthetic to this, but yet it is a classic wristwatch. They wear fantastically. I think 42 millimeters is the case size on this, you know, uh, we'll have one for a long time. He, he had his, um, and I, and I think he wound up selling that for the blue Bay, right?
Andrew	Yeah.
Everett	He, he downgraded to the blue Bay and, and it looked great. You know, Will's got, I think, uh, not quite seven inch wrist. So pretty average size wrist, but it just looks from the ground and where it looks and where's great. Um, and, and I've got just a slightly bigger risk than that. I'm sure it would be totally complimentary to my risk. Uh, and it's just cool. I mean, that's the other thing. It's cool. It's just actually cool. It's, I'm not going to say, I'm not gonna use the word affordable, but in the grand scheme of this world, it's not the most unaffordable thing on earth. It's accessible.
Andrew	I would say coolness to affordability. It's really well placed on that XY axis. That's right. It's one of the most affordable, super cool, super heritage watches.
Everett	That's right. And Tudor's a great brand, obviously. We talk about, you know, you make the value. Well, sometimes there's just actually cool, and in this case, Tudor's just actually cool, right? You know, so you've got in-house movement, you've got everything you could possibly want out of just a watch, a horological thing, a part of your collection, but also with everything you could possibly want out of titanium case.
Andrew	Yep.
Everett	Titanium case. So it's not going to be heavy, but it's also going to be substantial just because of its size. Yeah. That's it for me.
Andrew	It's going to wear like a patina. Really cool. Cause that's what, that's something that I've really liked about seeing aged titanium cases. is they wear down. They lose their beveled edges, they lose their chamfers, they just, they wear out really cool. It's also perhaps the most attractive watch with a helium release valve and that kind of water resistance. Yeah, perhaps. Very often when you see a watch that has those two features, you're like, well, fuck.
Everett	And I think the thing I like the most about it is it is anti-anachronistic in terms of styling, right? There's so many watches in that space that are vintage styled or even just classic stagnant style. This is a totally modern 21st century dive watch that still looks classic. Yeah. You know, just timeless design. And I think it's great. And that's it. Forever and ever. Amen.
Andrew	And we've now classified the tool watch. It is a superfluous, that's a word I struggle with.
Everett	I think you've used it correctly.
Andrew	No, no, no.
Everett	I think you've said it correctly.
Andrew	Okay, that's what I struggle with. It is a superfluous.
Everett	Now you said it wrong.
Andrew	Superfluous. Superfluous? There's the one. Title that we give to watches. To either talk them up, talk them down, or convince ourselves to buy them. All watches are tool watches, wear them as such. Yeah. Love your watches. Wear your watches. Don't drop them on slabs. Other things. Unless you have anything else.
Everett	No, in fact, I'm so ready to not have anything else.
Andrew	I, in celebration of getting a garage, which I haven't had in many years, I've gone down the rabbit hole of how I'm going to utilize that space. Cause I have, I've had a shed in my backyard, which is wired and could be functionally used as a shop. But the problem is I didn't have a garage. So it was functionally my garage and my shop and also the place where things went to die. The storage. Yeah. Now that I've got a garage inbound, I'm inbound to a garage. Take your pick. Uh, I've been planning out the build to maximize the space for storage because we need that. space for a garage gym, because I want that back. But more importantly, and perhaps most importantly, the shop. And with that, for the last four years, I've been using sawhorses and one-inch plywood as my workbench. And now that I will have a garage, I can build a workbench. Yeah, a real, a real big boy. A real big boy workbench. And I was a little bit inspired by Will.
Everett	I would say maybe more than a little, right?
Andrew	No, because I was kind of in the workbench like what do I like? What kind of route do I go? Do I go just like a really standard style? Kind of the way that you built. We built your workbench out just like a melamine top or not a melamine top, but a. Yeah, it's like it's MDF or something. Yeah, but just an MDF top plywood framed out or a two by four framed out with plywood on top. Or do I go like all the way? And I was kind of dipping my toes into researching it. And I was like, ah, you know, and I saw Wills and I was like, oh, a butcher block would be cool. And I know there's like some really cool like woodworking style benches, which I don't need because I don't do a lot of woodworking. I do a lot of working in the shop, but I don't do a lot of like really specific woodworking. But in the spirit of excess and tinkering and doing something fun, I went down the hole today. Deep. And I finally settled on the workbench that you're going to help me build. And I'm going to do a Rubo inspired woodworkers bench. R-O-U-B-O. I'm going to make some alterations. For a little background, the Rubo bench was invented in the, or was created, kind of coined by a French woodworker André Jacob Rubeau in the 1700s from France. France. And he was this prolific woodworker. So prolific, in fact, they're still translating his works into English. And recently, the plans for his workbenches that have there's been photos of for years, but the plans have been translated into English and the reasoning and all the thinking and the ideology behind these benches are now available. So they're kind of the rage right now in the way of woodworking benches, but what they can, what it comes down to is all laminated legs, stretchers, tenions, and all kinds of other attachments, but a slab laminated top dog holes drilled and a couple, uh, and, and, and vice. And then typically a leg vice for all of your woodworking needs. I'm not going to do a split bench. I'm just going to do a single solid slab. So that's a little bit modified. I also don't think I'm going to do an end vise. I don't think I will ever have that need. And should I? It'll be fairly easy to add. That's what we're doing. We're going to do a Rubo workbench in my garage.
Everett	I'm excited. I'm excited too. Do you know what you're going to build this out of? What material?
Andrew	Southern yellow pine. Cool. Yeah. I don't think there's, I don't think the, I don't think the use of expensive or exotic or super hardwood benefit is going to be enough to justify the cost difference. Because for basically $200 in lumber, or $1,000 in lumber, I will get the same bench and the same paint stains The same hammer marks and the same saw marks will be in that benchtop.
Everett	Yeah.
Andrew	Because I'm not kind to my benchtop.
Everett	And you shouldn't be, right? No, because it's my workbench. It's a tool watch, right? Yeah. Yeah.
Andrew	I'm very excited for it. I exhausted my cell phone battery today on YouTube and articles. I had to plug it in before I came over. Just doing that. Just watching videos, learning, reading. Got real woodworking nerdy. Also in this, in this last, you know, couple of weeks of researching, I've decided I'm going to learn to turn pins.
Everett	Yeah. You, you mentioned that you mentioned that. What does that look like?
Andrew	A lathe and a bunch of fuck offs and wood blanks.
Everett	That sounds, are you going to get a mini lathe or are you?
Andrew	I'm just going to get a benchtop lathe. I think I'm going to get like a, like a 10 inch benchtop and they can, you can get them for like under 200 bucks and you can get a carbide chisel set meant for this purpose for, you know, under 70 bucks. And I think I'm just going to start getting some wood blanks and turn in pens.
Everett	It's the way to do it, right?
Andrew	Right. Cause worst case scenario is they suck and I'm, I'm out. Oh, great. I have some woodworking chisels and a lathe or it's super fun. And I just start turning out pens and I like give pens away at Christmas. Yeah. Yeah. Handmade gifts. People love that shit.
Everett	Can we also do stabilized wood in your garage?
Andrew	Like storage?
Everett	Yeah. Yeah. No. Like make stabilized wood. Can, can you buy a setup for me to stabilize wood in?
Andrew	Why can't we use it in your garage?
Everett	So I got another thing. Yours is bigger. I've had this other thing for about a month now for about a month. And it's the type of thing that I've spent a long time to a long time avoiding buying because it's just a boring ass purchase. But having spent the money. I am now daily nightly, I should say, exceedingly happy about my purchase.
Andrew	Did you buy a sleep number?
Everett	I didn't. You should. I'm going to. I've heard that recommendation as well. It's very similar, though. It's bedding. So I got a new down comforter. Oh, I got a new down comforter. We've had the same down comforter for something like 14 years.
Andrew	So you had a sheet with baffling.
Everett	That's right. That's right. You know, it was one of those things where It's like, this still works. It still does comforter things. Um, but you, you know, you don't realize what you're missing. So we went with a company called Riley, which, you know, it's really hard in 2021 to go on the internet and find credible information about things like comforters. Uh, because affiliate marketing is pervasive. There's a handful of brands that affiliate market really well. And effectively. And hard. And hard. And so, you know, this is, there's famous stories about mattresses, right? How these mattresses reviews are all basically bogus, right? And there's a couple of companies controlling the reviews and, uh, the story, you know, comforters are in that same boat. And so I did what I normally do. I started at the wire cutter, um, because I think that their reviews tend to be, although affiliate driven, they tend to be reliable, at least in my experience. Um, we purchased this comforter, it came in and I thought, well, this is not as thick as I expected it to be. And exactly. And, um, that was a concern. I got it and I kind of wanted it to be more pillowy and lofty. Um, but over the course of about a month, it has lofted. Oh, interesting. At least more than it was when we got it, you know, cause it's down. So the, the fibers relax once they're free to do so. Um, but it's, it's one of those things that every night when I crawl under it, I'm like, Oh, that's, I mean, literally every night I still am surprised when I crawl under it and it's light, but also warm. And it's just perfect. It's the type of thing where I should have bought this thing seven or eight years ago and avoid it. And I sleep better. I mean, literally sleep better. And just have had so much nicer time at night. So if you're a down comforter person, and not all people are down comforter people, which I think there's a couple of really important reasons why you might not want to buy a down comforter. We've made the decision to go with down because it's comfortable and good. We're willing to make that decision. With that said, if you're a down comforter person, I wholeheartedly recommend, no, I am not being affiliate supported by Riley, although perhaps I probably should. Everyone else is. The all season Riley down comforter.
Andrew	We might be buying one because we also need a new comforter. We're at like 10 years with our down comforter.
Everett	And we're a king size bed. Look, guys, this is not a cheap purchase. 500 bucks for a king size comforter.
Andrew	So we'll be buying a twin size for me.
Everett	And so it's, it's a big purchase, uh, but golly, if it's not worth it, just to really loved it. I need a weighted blanket. Yeah, we have one of those and I fucking hate it. How much do you hate it? Uh, enough to give it to you. You'd have to talk him out of it. Can I take it home tonight? Andrew, is there anything you'd like to add before we go?
Andrew	No, no, that's it for me, man.
Everett	Well, hey, thanks for coming over. It was fun.
Andrew	It was blast. I can't wait to move the studio across the street. Me too.
Everett	No more echo. And thanks you for joining us for this episode of 40 and 20. The Watch Clicker podcast. You can check us out on watchclicker.com. Every single episode, every single episode of the podcast can be found there as well as articles, reviews, blog posts, anything else you can find on our website. We've got it all, man. Check us out on Instagram at 40 and 20 at WatchClicker. At 40 and 20 or at WatchClicker. Yeah, they're different places. If you want to support us, you can do so at patreon.com slash 40 and 20. You guys, we love, love, love the support we've gotten from you guys. If you, if you, if you don't support and you just want to listen, that's fine. But if, if you're like, gosh, man, I've gotten so much joy out of these guys, these charming young fellows from Eugene, Oregon. Pop on in. You can give us a buck a month, any amount of money you want. It is a tremendous help. And don't forget to tune back in next Thursday for another hour of watches, food, drinks, life, and other things we like.
Andrew	Bye-bye.