Just About Watches
There’s nothing very glamorous about us. Quite the opposite, really. Simply put, Just About Watches started as little more than a thought — an idea, a cause. The irony is, it might just as easily have been called “About Me,” which is where it started. After receiving a triple whammy in life: a heart attack, a stroke, and, as if that wasn’t enough, the news of a brain tumour. It was 2016. I wasn’t given a prognosis. No dramatic countdown, no six-month warning. Simple “watch and wait,” just the chilling ambiguity. And that’s what I did. For six long weeks, I lay recovering from a stroke with no known cause and no real answers. What I had was time. Time to think. To really consider — to contemplate about life itself, how meaningless money is without health and how tiny we are all in the grand scheme of things. I took a long, honest look at myself. What had I done with my life? Outside academia, and family business, there wasn’t much I could point to beyond a pretty sizeable collection of watches. That was mine. My quiet, lifelong passion.
I started to mentally give those watches out to family members. But I soon realised something — none of them really understood what these pieces were, much less what they meant to me. They wouldn’t appreciate them. Not properly. That’s when I grabbed my phone and began looking for others who might. I wasn’t on social media at the time. But as soon as I walked into that world, I was met with a wall of toxicity. Snobbery, one-upmanship. A complete lack of joy. And, the thing is, I had everything from Casio to Patek. I didn’t need to prove myself. I wasn’t there to compete. And for me, watch enthusiasm has never been about status — it’s always been about the feeling. That simple, unshakable joy. I’d been collecting since my grandfather gave me his old Raketa — “which, he swore, had been confiscated from a KGB operative in St Petersburg during the Cold War.” I never doubted him. He was my hero. But that’s a story for another day.
Back to the point. Against the backdrop of toxic “enthusiast” groups, I chose to build something better. Something gentler. Something real. A safe haven for those just addicted to watches and keen to spread that love — without judgment or ego. And that’s how Just About Watches was born. It took time for traction as with anything worthwhile. It wasn’t for everyone. Haters will always hate, but those that care will find one another. And, thankfully, the good ones — the true fans — far outnumbered the rest. We grew gradually but humbly and organically. And now, on all platforms, we’re above 250,000 strong. That’s not nothing. I won’t pretend that it’s always been easy — one needs many people to manage a community that size — but I’ve had help from some amazing people. Glenn Mayes, Ken Hamilton, Maggie, to name just a few. Of course, it almost goes without saying, I could have done nothing without my wife. The awesome moderation team we have, and too many supporters to mention.
Any group that helps people come together around a common passion, I’ll root for them. But I’ll tell you this — I do like to see us at the top of the list of activity and engagement. That matters more than numbers. Vanity’s one thing — sanity’s another. Currently, we’re at least twice as active as groups five times our size. Proof, of course, I’d say, that the vibe matters more than volume. So where did the magazine idea originate? Well, this was the logical next step. Building a community is one thing. But to continue it, to continue inspiring — that’s the real struggle. I started writing articles a long time ago, but only started publishing them on the group to spark conversation and put on display what I’d learned over decades of watch collecting. It was also gratifying. I’d returned to university later in life to study creative and professional writing. A dream, long buried, finally materialized. The feedback was prompt — and humbling. There’s something people can relate to with my prose.
Most people wondered why I didn’t produce a whole magazine. Well, I already knew there were some great publications. Hodinkee. Worn & Wound. They’ve set the bar high. But I discovered there was still room for something else. Something more conversational. Not obsessed with clever phrasing but more concerned with clarity. You won’t have to consult a dictionary to read our stuff. That’s my aim. Articles that just feel like we’re talking. No fluff, no nonsense. Exploring into the lore of brands, the watchmakers behind the magic, and the history of horology as a living, breathing craft. A lifelong bookworm myself after nearly half a century of reading, I’m not overly concerned with what to say.
What’s more important for me is to say things in a way that’s accessible, enjoyable, and honest. I welcome corrections. That’s the whole point of a community. We’re all still learning. I may branch out into watch reviews and the like — but at the moment, the plan is to focus on creating the content I’d want to read. And perhaps, you would as well.
That’s it. That’s Just About Watches. And I’m glad you’re here.
Learn more about our style of writing and storytelling by taking a cue from the image below and clicking here.
