Welcome to this Watch LIVE. Hi, I'm Lydia Winters. And I'm Boo Booy. It is Monday it is. I got a case of the Mondays. Oh, do you have a case of the Mondays? Yeah, actually it's funny because my mom had never seen Office Space and my brother brought it up when I was there. And I've. I don't know that I've ever seen my mom laugh so hard during the movie We and it was just amazing watching Office Space with my parents. When did that come? Out like 20 years ago, a long time ago.
I mean, I saw it as an adult. I never, I was too young when it came out. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I have a case of the Monday. Yeah. OK, so Angie Man asks, what is more important in your decision to buy a watch? Your heart or your head? Luckily she didn't ask your wallet because that one always. Gets the wallet should be more connected to your head. Yeah, it gets a big swift kick from the heart.
That's my answer. Here's the thing, like my first reaction was like, of course I used my head in this stuff like, and then I was like, no, if I used just my brain, just like, this is big. Your brain. Huge, massive brain right? Like this was just thinking with my head. Then I would wouldn't wear watches. I maybe I'd wear one watch ever. Like I'd just own one watch that I own OK.
And then every other watch I would be out like Wheeling and dealing, trying to buy and flip watches and make money off of them. That's true. Sinking my entire life into them financially and emotionally. Yeah, that's true. So we're going with it's all heart for us. All heart because the head is like, what you doing over there? You just stop, right? Yeah. Yeah, and I'm like. And the heart is like you. Shut it and the heart is like, shut it. Should we have a watch podcast?
Let's go deeper. Let's let's keep going. I like to think of myself as a pretty rational person. That's true. In general, I I think I'm considered a rational. Yeah, I like to think of myself as not that, no. Go ahead. But I use my brain right? Like I and I think I. Would like to clarify, I do use my brain since now we're just going rational. Is using of the brain OK? Go? Ahead, use my brain often.
OK, OK. Like I think so, but OK, I think when it comes to watches or, and I'll extend this to any kind of collecting that I do, which includes all the collecting I've done that I regret that it's all heart. Like it's only heart that there's nothing brain about it like that. To me as the collector that I have been, it's only about stories, connections, people. This with watches. It's like the romanticism is like this very historic technology that you wear on your
wrist. I almost said ancient technology, but maybe that's that's a little too. But it's a historic technology that we wear on our wrist. And I think that's a very romantic notion, but absolutely not just a purely rational 1. No, I do think though when I look at her question, what is more important in your decision to buy a watch, your heart or your head? So I think there's like in the decision to buy a watch, the
decision making is heart. But I do think and but I think for me then the just watch itself is heart for you. I think there is some of your head. Mine my head is not used in this process, but your head is used in terms of like. Technical. Aspects. Yes, exactly. Yeah, there are technical aspects that I can be amazed by or appreciate. And or be like this is a deal breaker. Water resistance, this is a deal breaker. Quick adjust quick. Adjust, although you may say that your only heart.
No, I know you've. Sold watches, actually the only watch you've only ever sold one watch, but like two. You OK, But your Omega you got rid of because it had a big old chunky bracelet and you were like, I don't like this big old chunky bracelet. Yeah. So that is a rational thought because if you were purely emotional. That was a portrayal of my heart. OK, OK, but I I also think that there's logic used in how I get rid of watch.
Yes, that's true. But also how we buy, I think it's more of like the end result is that like final decision goes to, goes to heart, but. Yes, of course. Throughout the process, you're going back and forth because if it was only heart like you said, you wouldn't you? Well, first of all, you would just buy anything and everything that you liked. Yeah. Which since we still have a house. That's true. And we haven't spent all of our money then our heart is not fully leading all the time.
Not all the time, yeah, but like when I so when I thought about like what are the aspects that I think about when buying a watch, right? Almost all of the ones that lead me to decide on that watch are heart, right? Because even things like design, color, style, like that kind of stuff that speaks to my heart, right? Like even like the the different cues that are put into a watch to evoke certain things, all what what are those are evoking is like evoking emotion. Yes, very.
Much so. So it's yeah. For me at least. I will admit that I am basically just a gigantic like Watch Heart. Yeah, but I think we use our heads a lot in the rationalization because then we go straight to like, why do I need this watch? Because there are many watches that I could have. So you're like going like the choices. But also I already have a lot of wonderful things, therefore my head needs to give me a good reason. Yes, yes, yes.
Yes, Why? Oh no. Not even a good reason, just a reason. Go to buy that watch. And in that moment, I don't probably fully admit to myself that, oh, this is just an all heart decision. Like to me, part of that rationalization is like, no, no, this makes sense. Yeah, I'm. Very smart. I'm very smart. And this is how we try to outsmart ourselves, which like that doesn't actually work. I don't believe, I don't think you can outsmart yourself.
It's like when I was younger, I used to, you know, this is just a trick that people use. And this is when, like, you didn't have a mobile phone that was connected to an atomic clock somewhere. Right. I would set my watch and my alarm clock forward 5 minutes because then it's like I'll always be 5 minutes early, but then you get used to that 5 minutes.
So then I have to set it forward 10 minutes and then after a while it'd be like at 20. And then I'm like OK now I just need to reset because this is not helping. Like I cannot outsmart myself. I just factor in what I know to be true. So the only way to do it would be to have someone. Else say it, yeah. But then you don't know. I wouldn't know, but you'd you'd end up finding out the first time you. Looked at any other, you can't outsmart yourself.
No, I feel like that's like weirdly loosey goosey of you that you were just setting it. I was like 17. OK, OK, well then then maybe you were that person. But it it is fun to think about like which is your primary like the starting of loving a watch. Is it more of this, you know, like in your head, like all this makes sense. This is so cool. This is so interesting.
Or is it that heart of just like, I guess in this case, we're talking about heart as just that pure emotional connection instantly with a watch. I do think that I, I guess actually I might now when I really stop to think about it, I might be the opposite way. I might be head first and then heart because typically I take a long time to really like something and I have to kind of convince myself. From like you learning that it exists. Yes, or like trying it on.
I need to like try it on, I need to think. I mean, if I think about like the colorful OP's as a very good example of like not interested, don't want it. Like heart was not in it at the beginning. Even trying it like trying on the turquoise the first time I was like the color is better than I thought like that was the the mean reaction. But then over time, the heart kind of start. Start. I don't know that that's him. I don't know. That's not Yeah. What is it?
That's still heart the whole time. Yeah. It's like in the beginning you're like, eh, and then you. Fall in love. Like it's just a slow burn. That's the same way I fell in love with you. And slow burn, slow burn. OK, we're in love, I guess. Actually, that's true. All heart. The next question Lazy bones 2O6 asks thoughts on customizing watches like Bamford watches type stuff, not Seiko mods. OK.
So I I believe then they're saying like more of the you buy it customized, not you're customizing it yourself, which is more like Seiko modding, you're doing it on your own. You can people who are. Doing it? Yeah, there's a. Lot of Seiko mods. I I would say probably just more people buy modded Seikos than modify them themselves. People don't do stuff anymore. Yeah right. Like this isn't the 1940s where everyone knew how to fix everything in their house.
Oh no, this is such a relevant now you're going off on a like a trail. I just think that. We've lost. People need to make things. I do think that people need to make things. I think we need to be able to repair things. But anyway, OK, OK, so. But to me, I still want to talk about both. OK, we can talk, I think about both, but there's actually I would say there's maybe like there's probably many different ones, but I would say there's like three different types in my mind.
So you have one is like fully like you customize your own watch and that's like a piece unique. So when we think of like the Maroon 5 Watt the Adam Levine watch. Do something like you. Take it to OH. You sorry you. Still, you're still taking it to someone you. Could do it yourself. Well, OK, I guess there's four
categories. OK, so the like the the expensive category of like you're taking it to like a high end customizer, whether they're like engraving the whole bracelet, which people do or they're changing out the dial or whatever. But it's like you end up with a one of one. Then you have more of this like what I would say like the Bamford type watches they're customizing but doing like. Choosing from a. Menu or like but a series of watches.
It depends. You can go to their website and you just pick exactly what you want and you click order. OK, there's it's a menu. There's a it's. Like it's, it's typically, you know, there's a bunch of these companies, they offer a bunch of options. So you may end up with a piece unique because if there's ten different color options on 10 different parts of the watch, like that offers you quite a bit of customizing, right? However, I wouldn't use all 10 colors.
But yeah, I guess I was thinking. More of the. Bamford collabs and that's different because that's not a custom. OK, OK, so, so there's still only four types if you one like you go. You take it to a customizing. And you know, you're getting a sort of one of one. Then there's the like. Choose from a. Choose from a menu of options. Design your own. Those are two similar things. Yes.
Then there's like getting mods. Yeah, like mods that are made either by someone else or they're like you're getting. Their mass produced mods. Yeah, and then the 4th one is you just start doing weird stuff to your own watch I. Didn't think which is. Pretty cool.
It's pretty cool, yeah. You're just like, you know what, I'm going to just start to it. It makes me think of like when my dad shows me watches at in back at home in Florida, he just pops off that case back and he's just, you know, like he's not customizing, but what he's doing is. But he doesn't treat it like it's so precious. And I think, OK, so number one, I love all four of those options. I think they're all cool.
But I also understand because I feel it too, why there's such a resistance to it these these days. And I, I think that like, I, I think it's very unfortunate that our modern culture and the watch industry is like obsessed with resale value. Yeah, yeah, it that's all. That's the only thing you can say is like I don't want you to customize it because it doesn't retain value. Yeah, Do you see it all the time on forums and all this stuff?
If anyone does anything to a watch, it's like, do you know that you just destroyed the resale value? And here's the thing. Do you know that you just paid double to have someone customize it? I mean, the money wasn't a thing. It's also like we the this is a fairly recent thing in human history is that these days we buy things and we don't intend to keep them that long, right? Like otherwise we'd just buy one watch and just use it your whole life and get it repaired and
and. If that's you right now, just leave this podcast. Just take your. One away. Take your one watch off, turn this off and save your life here. Just just save yourself. Just save yourself now. But OK. So it used to be you'd buy a thing and then you'd just keep it. So maybe you'd have to put a little more thought into what you want for a really long time. But I would say the modern day society. But then also watch collecting hobby is more about like buying things to use for a while.
Yeah. So then you need to think about that. You can resell them. Exactly. And so then if you don't buy something with the intention of keeping it forever or with the thought that you don't care about money, right, then yes, customization's very easy choice to make. The thing that holds you back is like, I might need to sell this or want to sell this and I will get more for it if it's not
customized. Unless it's one of those that you talked about where you're taking it to some high end customizer who might do this intricate engraving on the case. And that actually could add value to a watch because there are people who would value that, right? As opposed to just like maybe swapping out the dial and you get some different colors or like someone comes in and paints something on the dial. Like that is a customization that's probably not going to add a lot of value to a watch.
And so then resale value becomes a thing. But then it's also, are you talking about a Rolex or are you talking about just any watch? Yeah. I mean, I think The thing is, as long as you're not, I was going to say, well, I was going to say as long as you're not customizing someone else's watch, then everything like it's your own watch. Do what you want. But then I was like, wait a second, I have customized the watch for someone else. So have you?
Because if you engrave the case back, you can change it back. But a lot of customization you. Can undo. But a lot of customizations you can, there are some that you can undo. So there's also that factor. So sometimes you customize for someone else. I remember. And in that way it's. OK, a few years back I wanted to buy a Rolex OP and then buy an authentic Rolex, dial an extra 1, get it customized and then swap them out because then I could.
Just undo it, yeah. You could I could just undo it if I ever wanted to sell it. So it's one way as you can do certain customizations that can be undone. Like you said, engraving is is a great one because it's just. Like engraving on the case back, but if you engrave the whole bracelet with the I mean. But again, as there are a lot of things you could customize where you could undo them, yeah. But then there are customizations where you're like, no that. That now?
Destroys the watch, but it's not too far because it's your own, so again, it's totally fine if. It's your it's what you value and what you're trying to get out of it. As I get further into this hobby, like my brain part, you know, as we talked earlier, the brain doesn't have much say in this, but my brain part actually really wants less.
I feel like I've moved from the kind of newbie collector that I was for 10 years of just still trying to just figure out what I like and what I want to this next phase of super enlightened collector. Oh. Thank you. Thank you. To Mark chose 12 principles. We're now enlightened collector.
It was all thanks so much. But like I, I feel like I'm in a new phase where I will make decisions that can be more, it's hard to say permanent, but it's like that are more long lasting because you know, as when you get into anything, you change your mind a lot in the beginning because you're learning so much new information and so much changes.
And then as you learn more and more and more than you change less and less because there's less huge revelations, right, because you've gone through all those revelations. So I would say that now I'm getting closer and closer to the point where I'd be much more open to customizing a more expensive watch in an undoable way because I'm like, this is my watch and I'm going to keep it forever. So if I do this like that's totally fine.
Yeah, then you have to know that you like that style forever. I think that's the trickier part. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. That's tough. I mean. A lot of things about this, though, that are like percolating in my in my brain, maybe in my heart, who knows? That's a lot of. Percolation, I think in both places, but it around these kind of like things that I'm starting to think about as I'm getting deeper into collecting. I mean, OK with clothes, right? I bought a sewing machine. Mm hmm.
Because I wanted to be able to repair my own clothes. Yeah, right. People don't make things anymore the way they go so. Anyway, yes, that was part of my thinking is that we in this house we should be able to repair more things and clothing is I. Take advantage of this even if I. Have repaired quite a few articles of clothing for you, but when I've gone to do these repairs my. Enjoyment actually comes from customization, right? Like so I got into visible mending, visible repairs.
And so as opposed to just like trying to very quietly and invisibly repair things, I like to do things that actually change the design of the article of clothing. And so to me. Now the article's like, hey, I've been repaired. Yeah, basically, look at me.
What's been? Cool. Is that because it's so there for people to repair their own clothes and especially with visible menu, it's such a rare thing that when I wear these articles of clothing, which are usually my favorites, that's why they've worn out over the years. People are like, where'd you? Get Yeah, they look. Really. Cool. Cool, I'm going to post an image on the on our Instagram. Do I do? You have? Yeah, I. Think so? Any of my clothes. OK, Yeah.
Because it's really cool. They can be. I haven't done that much yet. Yeah, but. Let's not oversell it, but it's still. I'm already walking back on this. No, but it's. Still, it's still cool to repair things and to customize them. I also like customizing stuff. And so I think it's fun to think about a watch. I'm definitely not committing to this, but to think about a watch that perhaps might maybe be custom. Well, this morning I was talking on Instagram with Ken Arkin.
Right, Watches and said we we were talking about finishing on watches and I was like, you know, it would be really cool to take inspiration from the knife community and do like APVD or DLC, like black coated watch case, but then you tumble it so that it actually looks worn and they do that with knife blades and it looks so cool. But then you'd have to choose
the right kind of case. So I brought it over like, OK, maybe like the an older black Bay case, you know, the original black Bay because those slab sides give you so much room. It's like this big candle. So you'd really get to see the effect of the finish. So then it got me started to be interested in like, OK, what are ones I can do at home? Because I I know also for knives like acid etching, is this this really cool thing where you use acid to change how the metal
looks? O and now I'm thinking I want to do some of this type of mod. At home O. Acid etched watch cases, but it means I need it's going to be a little while it's. Going to be a little while. Yeah. Wow. Because I need all the tools to disassemble and reassemble and do it cleanly. You know, like, yeah. Oh, wait, there are 5 levels. I'm back to the five levels of customization. The fifth one is no. And you're just like, I'm a heart. That's a. Zero level, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Which is also totally. Fine, it's totally fine because it's not. For everybody. It is your watch and you get to decide what you do with it. Have a great day.