Just About Watches
There’s nothing particularly glamorous about us. Quite the opposite, really. Just About Watches began as little more than a thought — an idea, a cause. The irony is, it could just as easily have been called About Me, because that’s where it started. Me, reflecting on life after being handed a triple whammy: a heart attack, a stroke, and then, as if that wasn’t enough, the discovery of a brain tumour.
It was 2016. I wasn’t given a prognosis. No dramatic countdown, no six-month warning. Just the chilling ambiguity of “watch and wait.” 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 did have was time. Time to think. To really think — about what life means, how meaningless money is without health, and how small we all are in the grand scheme of things. I took a long, honest look at myself. What had I done with my life? Outside of academia, there wasn’t much I could point to… except for a rather extensive watch collection. That was mine. My quiet, lifelong passion.
I began to mentally hand those watches out to family members. But I quickly realised something — none of them really knew what these pieces were, let alone what they meant to me. They wouldn’t appreciate them. Not properly. That’s when I reached for my phone and started searching for others who might.
I wasn’t on social media at the time. But once I stepped into that world, I was met with a wall of toxicity. Snobbery. One-upmanship. A complete lack of joy. And here’s the thing: I had everything from Casio to Patek. I didn’t need to prove myself. I wasn’t there to compete. I never was. 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 tale for another day.
Back to the point. Faced with the toxic landscape of so-called “enthusiast” groups, I decided to create something better. Something gentler. Something real. A safe haven for people who simply loved watches, and wanted to share that love — free of judgement or ego.
That’s how Just About Watches was born.
Like anything worthwhile, it took time to gain traction. It wasn’t for everyone. Haters will always hate, but those who care will always find each other. And thankfully, the good ones — the real enthusiasts — far outnumbered the rest. We grew steadily, humbly, and organically. Today, across all platforms, we’re over 250,000 strong. That’s not nothing. I won’t pretend it’s always been easy — managing a community that size is no small task — but I’ve had the help of incredible people. Glenn Mayes, Ken Hamilton, our outstanding moderation team, and too many supportive members to list.
Now, I’m a sucker for stats. I’ll cheer on any group that brings people together around a shared passion. But I’ll admit this — I do enjoy seeing us lead the field in terms of activity and engagement. That matters more than numbers. Vanity is one thing — sanity is another. Right now, we’re at least twice as active as groups five times our size. Proof, I’d say, that the vibe matters more than the volume.
So where did the magazine idea come from? Well, it was the natural next step.
It’s one thing to build a community. Keeping it alive, keeping it inspired — that’s the real challenge. I began writing articles simply to spark discussion and share what I’d learned over decades of watch collecting. It helped, of course, that I’d returned to university later in life to study professional and creative writing. A dream, long shelved, finally fulfilled.
The feedback was immediate — and humbling. People connected with the pieces. Many asked why I didn’t create a full-blown magazine. Now, I know there are some brilliant publications out there. Hodinkee. Worn & Wound. They’ve set the bar high. But I felt there was still a space for something different. Something more direct, more conversational. Less obsessed with clever phrasing and more focused on clarity. You won’t need a dictionary to read our stuff.
That’s my aim. Articles that feel like we’re just talking. No fluff, no nonsense. Deep dives into the history of brands, the watchmakers behind the magic, and the evolution of horology as a living, breathing craft.
Being a lifelong bookworm with nearly half a century of reading behind me, I’m not too worried about finding things to say. What matters more to me is saying them in a way that’s accessible, enjoyable, and honest. I welcome corrections. That’s the point of a community. We’re all still learning. I may eventually branch out into watch reviews and the like — but right now, the focus is on producing the kind of content I’d want to read. And I think, maybe, you would too.
That’s it. That’s Just About Watches.
And I’m glad you’re here.