Welcome to this watch live. Hi, I'm Lydia Winters and today we're talking all about traveling with watches. It's man, my philosophy has really changed quite a bit. In traveling. No, OK. I guess I. Is the philosophy when you look back and you retroactively just say? Turn it into. This is what I probably was thinking. Yeah, I think that could be a philosophy. Right. I mean could. Isn't that what you have to do to make a philosophy is look at what people have been doing?
Maybe that's what you have to do. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, well. So you have it. OK You're going to share with us your retroactive philosophy today, and it is spurred on by a question from Dogs on Time. How many watches do you take with you while traveling? Oh, OK, so I've broken mine into three different timelines. Timeline one is when I had one steel sports watch and that was just my Rolex date, just it was
on an oyster bracelet. I now have a Jubilee for it, but at the time oyster bracelet, flat bezel, white dial, it's very like. It's pretty low key and I have worn it around the world and. That was. Like where I I I yeah, if I was going anywhere. I wore that watch, basically. You've owned that watch for 9 years now and it went everywhere. Yeah, it's been to Vietnam, Nepal, the US way too many times to count. Ibiza. Yeah. Yeah, just like you're up all over. Basically everywhere you went.
Everywhere I went, yeah, Japan, anywhere that I went, it was on my wrist. Which is probably how most watchers travel. Yes, and it it honestly it was a simpler time it. Was a simpler. Time. And it was a nice time. When I look back, I'm like, wow, it's so cool. That probably will be, well, OK. Yeah, that probably will be my only watch that has that type of mileage for sure, because all the rest, there's too many. So I I had a very different
experience during those years. So we used to travel. A lot. A lot. A lot. Around 35% of the year, Ish. To different places and yeah. For work. And during that time for me, I almost always traveled with three watches and that time being like the 2015 through 2018, yeah. That kind of blew my mind because if you would have asked me how many watches you traveled with, I would have said, oh, you only wore your Rolex Explorer 2 everywhere, but you didn't travel like you didn't have more
watches. Nope. But I always did, and I confirmed this last night. Did a little research, went back through old photos, and Yep, it was on my wrist most of the time because that was still my favorite. Watch. But then there'd be little appearances. So it used to be that I'd travel with my Explorer too, on my wrist. Like when you get on the plane, of course it's the GMT that's on your wrist.
And then in my backpack, in a little pouch, I would carry two additional watches and it was a Speedmaster Pro and a Nomos, either the Ahoya of the Orion, and that depended on what the trip was. OK.
Yeah. So, and this was mainly for trips that I would do business trips to the US then these were the three watches that would typically accompany me and I would trade out the different watches for the different meetings or yeah, what I was doing that day, yeah, that that would, would would decide which watches made it to the wrist. Yeah, and I would wear my date test. You would wear. That was my one watch all the
time, living the dream. But I actually think the reason I traveled with three was because this was in like early 2016. We were in New York. This is. So weird to think about. I it's so funny. I wish I had more photos there. OK, I'll let you describe it first. So in 2016, we just happened to be in New York on a work. Trip on a work trip, yeah. And on an in between day or in between time, we went to Chelsea Market and we're like, oh, there's like a watch thing happening here.
Yeah, And it was warning wounds. Wind up Watch. Fair. Yeah, it it it's so we didn't realize until like years later. Years later, we're like, oh wait, Warren and Wound wait, don't I have a case that has their name on it? Oh wait, yeah. So it took years to even know what warning one was. Because back then, we didn't read a lot. We didn't research a lot. I didn't read. No, we just owned the watch as we. Own I read other stuff, just not watch blog. You knew how to. Read.
Watch publications. I knew how. You're literate. Yes. We don't want to give people the wrong idea. But anyway, so we went there and I bought this little little canvas and leather watch pouch. Still have it. It's great, but because it held 2 watches it made me feel like I. Should have. 2 watches. Oh, that's really funny. And that's that's what created that habit for me. Of three watches. Of three watches prior to that, I would bring 2.
You would bring the Speedmaster and the yeah and the. And the Explorer two, OK, yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's, it's, it's funny how that mindset was set by just something I bought. Yeah, not for any philosophical reasons. Well, OK. But so then I like my second time frame was sort of getting into watches more. That's around that 2020 time.
We had given back and forth beautiful nomos and I would bring those on trips sometimes, but it was like, oh, if I was going to wear them on stage, IA lot of times wore my Tetra because it's so beautiful from you and it's the 27 karat gold.
And that watch I would bring additionally, but mainly I would wear the date just because it was easy, I could run around with it. And then in 2020 my Rolex was in for service and I bought the Tudor mini sub to take specifically to Vietnam. And then that was the only watch I brought because again, I was just like you wear one watch.
And especially so, I think this is part of my philosophy is like if you're traveling to multiple destinations and especially places maybe you haven't been before, I usually just wear the the one watch on my wrist. Which I understand, it's it's just a mentality thing. But for me it was the same thing. I bought the BB 58 specifically for going on that trip and then I brought the bracelet.
But since it does not have a quick adjust, I also brought a NATO because we were going somewhere hot and I knew that it would be uncomfortable. So that was my only watch for the trip. And it was true, because that trip was like a many, many. Men. Yeah, we went a lot of places. And then to me it just gets like cumbersome to have it. Actually, just it's more of like, it takes up mindspace of your like, oh, it's in my bag. The bag needs to stay on me. Oh, is it still in my bag?
Oh, I don't want to keep opening my bag and looking at, yeah. So for me, on a trip where I'm going multiple destinations, I really like to wear one watch. Yes. And I think that is a great way to do it. But then when we think about the times when we go on a trip where it's just one destination, you do see how it becomes easier. You know, obviously this is to people's comfort. Or like a hotel in Seattle and visiting my family, I bring a
lot more. Watches, so, OK, last year we we went to Seattle and we went to Florida and what did you bring on that trip? On that trip, I brought the celebration. This. Is when. Oh, but you had. Plans. Yeah. OK. So hold on. You're skipping ahead. So then on the Vietnam, which it was Vietnam. And then we were going, meeting up for a work trip in Japan. I bought another watch in Japan. Next time I go to Japan, I'm wearing no watches.
I'm buying all the watches like. We were just talking about this last weekend that we want to plan a whole big thing and make it just a trip to Japan. To Tokyo. And well. Yeah, maybe more places. Yeah, because we've only been to Tokyo. We've spent all of our Japan time in Tokyo, but we really want to do this trip and like make a whole production out of it. Like make a little mini documentary about going to Japan to buy watches. And picking which watches to buy?
It's. It's a very the amazing thing about being in Japan. It's not just about shopping for Seiko and Grand Seiko and other. It's everything. And so many special limited editions of big brands, yeah. It's because, like, there's a great culture of both collecting and of taking care of things in Japan. And so when we were there, I mean it. We. Didn't even.
Scratch the surface though. I went into like basically I followed you around to all the Grand Seiko places you want to see and I went in one store and then I bought an IWC 37 O 6 like I want that one. It was a really cool store, yes, it's called GMT. So then OK so pre Pandemic it was one watch and then even during during that first well I guess that was still pre pre. Then obviously during the Pandemic was when I really got into watches.
So I was buying more watches but had not many places to wear them. So then I think my post Pandemic Travel which was mostly like to see my family or work trips in the US then I wanted to bring all the watches. So this is where that this is like the middle part where it was just like watches, watches, watches. Which is the same as my collecting just like watches, watches. So I was bringing the watch I would wear on my wrist, plus 3 watches.
Yes, because you have a watch roll that holds 3. Watches. It's. The deluxe one that you got as a gift. So and I yeah, I really, but it was, it felt like it was being able to like show my family my watches after getting into it or like. Meet. Watches or meet up with watch friends. So it felt like just like having all of these watches with me. So typically it was like, OK, you know, I brought the GMT Master 2 because it's like super cool to show my family.
I I usually bring the Rolex date just now because my sister Mindy loves wearing it. So I let her wear it. So it's like, OK, that one goes in there. I think I brought a Cartier to show my mom. So again, it was like to show my family or friends, but it was that mindset of like, I want to have all the watches with me. After that, like now on the the most recent times I've traveled, I've been more towards let me just wear a watch on my wrist and maybe I'm going to buy something on the trip.
But if I just have one watch with me, it's a lot easier to deal with. Yeah. I also think there was a period of time when I remember you actually saying you'd miss your watches like that's why and part of that is because you were in a a heavy acquisition phase. Yes, so a. Lot of your watches felt new to you. Yeah. So maybe over time that will become easier. But when I looked back, I like I just went through photos, right? Old photos, big trips where I was going somewhere farther.
So when we went to Vietnam in 2017, Ecuador 2016, Sydney 2017, then I was a one watch person, even though many of those trips it was a one location. So it's like there's so many different. Variables you. Think about when when going on a trip that dictates what you bring. I mean, we've been talking about this because we plan to go to watches and wonders. For four? For three days. For three days, April 11th through 14th.
If you're there, let us know. Let us know, maybe we'll meet up. And so it's a hot topic of what to wear. It is. I think this is. But The thing is, it's really fun too. One thing I just realized is a lot of times even if I'm traveling with multiple watches, I still have like a primary watch. It's the watch I wear on the plane.
It's just the watch that I feel is like most represents whatever the trip is. So like in Florida it's been well, I guess I've been to visit my family quite a bit because I've taken the turquoise, the explorer, the celebrations. But each time like that was one of those O PS basically was the like primary and then I brought other watches with me. Yeah, So what is what are you thinking for your primary for
watches and wonders? I've been thinking about bringing only the Chopard skeleton because it's like just different. And you know, whenever you're around, like lots of watch nerds, you just want to have something that is cool and different, Yes. And so for me, I think that watch might be something that people would be interested to look at. I think that that's always the difficulty. And this is everyone who's seen every watch like this is a hard this is a tough crown. It's a tough crown.
I assume 'cause we haven't even been. No, but but you know, it's but you know a lot of the people who are there and you know that they've seen tons of watches. So again, it's similar to what we spoke about recently that you think about what you want to wear based on who you're going to see and what might be fun for them to see. And when you're going to to meet up with like people who are deep into watches, it's harder and harder to think of something
that they haven't seen. And our collections I wouldn't say are full of like. Rare gems. Yeah, that's fine. I feel very confident we can say there's not rare gems, but then there's gems. Makes sense because that's probably the rarest gem and it's brand new. I mean, it's a it's a vintage watch, but it's new to you. Yeah, I haven't even really worn it myself, so it would be super cool. It would be super cool to bring that.
I also think, again, when you think of like your location, a lot of times I'm like checking the safety in that area in Geneva. It's more about the fact that you like if you have too many watches, you look suspicious like you're bringing watches in. I'm not going to be Arnold Schwarzenegger here, yeah. Read accounts of people traveling with with their personal watches, but because they're traveling with so many that they they pay tax on it.
Yeah, And I'm kind of like, I don't want to have to even deal with it or think about it. So I might be a one watch lady for watches and wonders. I'm saying that now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But we'll see what happens in. Two months N.W.A that I'll announce sometime soon. That might be my watch. Oh, interesting suspense. It wasn't meant to be, I was going to say. And then I was like, wait, no one knows that I've I've bought that watch. Yeah, so it's a suspense.
So I guess it is suspense. Unintentional. I guess We'll leave you with a little suspense today, but tell us, what is your philosophy for travelling with watches? Has it changed a lot? Is it the same? What do you wear? What's like your go to? Oh, that's a lot of questions. That's. A. Lot. Do a full podcast on it and report back. This your podcast? Bye.