With my last journal entry published in November, I figured now was as good a time as any to offer an update to my faithful readers. It’s been two years since the shop has closed for spring break and so we’ve all headed to distant parts to get a breather. One goes to Vegas, another to Phoenix and others parts unknown. My wife and I, after having waylaid our last trip to Mexico in 2020, decided that we had to go…. And here I am. Isla Holbox, on the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula is where we are spending the next week. Flip flops and not snow boots, t-shirts and not fleece. I’m all over it. Time to relax and gather thoughts and reflect on the past few months. 

We at the Last Wind-Up had a stellar fall season. Lots of vintage sport watches flying out the door, from Rolex and Breitling to Omega and Tag. I could not be more proud of my staff for making this all happen. The vintage watch market is about as hot as the new watch market. Some new models are selling for double retail! Who saw this coming? The resurgence of mechanical watches is outstanding. The dissemination of information about these watches is flowing through the internet at lightning speed.

And since the launch in July, my watch brand, DB, is selling beyond my expectation. With a total of 50 movements and 50 cases, there are about 20 pieces remaining. The response has been excellent and I could not be happier. Thanks for all your support as this enables me to continue to pursue my passion for designing functional and appealing watches for my clients. So, for those who follow this journal, there is another model in the works. I think this time off will give me the necessary inspiration to solidify the details, but I am leaning towards a more robust “field watch”. An automatic, three handed timepiece of similar 38mm size would be a great addition to the line-up. Graphics and other details are yet to be determined but keep an eye out for updates here or in the shop if you happen to stop by. After all, your input is greatly appreciated! 

With a two year hiatus from a vacation, thanks to Covid, I’m wondering more about the significance of “time off”. It is generally accepted that Americans tend to take fewer vacations than most developed countries. The Swiss, Germans and others take a month off. This must certainly have a beneficial effect on their work ethic. We could learn something from this method. 

I feel fortunate to be able to have time off to experience other places, people and their culture. Here on the tip of the Yucatan peninsula, I’ve had some time to eat some wonderful meals, spend time with my wife, see the beautiful island of Holbox and visit with the locals. 

As many of you know, I enjoy fishing and I am pleased to have landed my first tarpon ever, on a fly rod. It is not like fishing in Montana, this I can say for sure. These silver giants are stealth and easily spooked. My guide had near x-ray vision as he poled me around the mangroves and flats searching for the fish. We were hunting! Once located, the fly has to be presented with great elegance and dexterity. Too big of a splash and they are gone! I can vouch for that as it happened numerous times. I’m not used to throwing a line with a 9 weight rod, 40-60 ft out to the target (side casting). And setting a hook is not done the same way as one might on the Yellowstone or Madison rivers. I lost a substantial tarpon because of this lack of understanding as it launched into the air and dislodged the hook. But when that first one came to the boat after 3 magnificent leaps, I was ecstatic. 

So with only another day left of this glorious time off, I’d better stop working and take in the most of it. As always, thanks for reading my posts. Be well, stay healthy and keep in touch.  

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My last entry was in March… and I’m hearing more and more from my enthusiasts (J. Davis, noted), that I need to keep plugging away. So here is a slightly philosophical perspective on time … Analog vs Digital. After a nice fishing trip in eastern Washington with a watchmaker buddy of mine, his son and Oscar (of course), I had some time to think. Driving has a way of offering that time to ponder, especially if the radio is off, which it was for most of the 7 hour return journey to Bozeman.   

A number of years ago an elementary teacher came into the shop and saw a particular selection of analog watches, which we’ve sold for a number of years. Slap watches. One of the few pieces that I’ll stock from “over there”. She asked if she could get a discount for a bulk purchase. And after I inquired why, she informed me that she wanted to get one for each of her students to assist them with learning how to read analog time. Hallelujah! YES! 

Why am I so stuck on hands and numerals? Some of this may harken back to my college years as a philosophy major. Some of it may simply be the vocation that I’ve chosen. In an effort to blend the two, I’ve been one of those that simply likes to witness the passage of time being a fluid motion…. cyclical, not digital.  When the second hand on the watch passes a marker, you can visually see where it’s been and where it's heading. In the digital realm, once it passes, there is no reference to where it’s been. It is simply gone. 

When one looks at the pages of a calendar, it is clear that the days, weeks and years have passed. The year 2020 is behind us (thankfully), and 2022 is ahead. But there is something about the circular markings of a watch face that offer a better (optimistically speaking) chance to see the time ahead of us and the time thus past. From a digital perspective, those numbers just appear and then disappear in intervals that don't give us much perspective as to where they came from and where they are going. They are more like the calendar. Once they are there, then they are gone. Flip the yearly calendar over and after 12 months, in the bin it goes. But the face of a watch is different. 

A number of years ago, I was asked to be part of a panel with distinguished Montana State University professors. A former employee had arranged this and I was excited and nervous at the same time. It was to be held in an auditorium for the MSU Honors College. . The subject was time. The other speakers were an astrophysicist, the dean of the Honours College, a cultural anthropologist and me…. me, a  watchmaker.  The concept behind this venue was to offer an opportunity for the students to question the panel as to their perspective on time. Please understand that I felt completely and thoroughly outclassed from a scholastic perspective. But then I did have an employee who was also a philosophy professor to help calm my nerves. 

One of the most thought provoking concepts was this…. and I can assure you that it has been something you have experienced as well in one form or another.  Why is it that when one is, for example, on a date with an individual and it is going very well, that time seems to FLY by? But when the match is not such a great one, that time seems to drag on and on and on?  The same can be said of a day at work (or at least in my case). When things are happening and there are lots of customers, busy work etc., inevitably by mid afternoon, someone says, “is it really 3:00 in the afternoon?”

What exactly creates this juxtaposition in the perception of “keeping time”? A second is a second, a minute and hour are no longer or shorter than they were yesterday. Imagine if one day you thought a length of 12 feet was shorter than the day before? Our perception of that does not necessarily change, unless you caught a large fish and didn’t measure it. 

Regardless, there are only so many seconds in a minute, minutes in an hour and hours in a day. Make the best of all of them and hold fast the memories that you created.  When we were children, it took SO very long for Christmas or summer break to come and now, as adults, it seems to pass so quickly. 

My next entry, and I promise it will not be 4 months, will offer something about the new brand I’ve created. Some of the trials and tribulations that I experienced along the way, Covid included! 

Be well, stay healthy and keep ‘em ticking! 

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​So a friend of yours shows you his new cool watch. He tells you all about the details of the movement, the manufacturer, the history (if it’s vintage) and likely, the price paid. You try it on. It fits nicely and you like the look of it on your wrist. You are smitten. You now have an uncanny desire to buy your first cool watch.  Welcome to the world of watch collecting. It’s the horological rabbit hole and there’s lots to learn and enjoy along the way. 

When I first started out, my collection was equivalent to chambering a side-by-side shotgun with buck-shot and trying to hit a 12 inch target at 100 yards. So many watches I’d come across were cool. “That one could fit into my collection”, and somehow I would figure out a way to justify it. But isn’t that what collecting is all about? 

One of the first rules of collecting (if there really is one), is to collect what you like. If you spend too much for it but you still love it and it gets a lot of wrist time, then so be it. If you are collecting, it is not about turning a profit as much as it is acquiring for the sake of building a collection. If you are trying to flip watches, that’s a game with an entirely different set of rules. 

Within the spectrum of collecting what you like, also consider the budget. There are way too many blog threads about “how are you going to  (or will you) break the news to your partner about the holy grail watch you just picked up for a ridiculous price?” I’ve had customers who have asked me to ship their purchase to their friend’s house. I’ve had potential sales go south after great negotiation because the buyer saved spousal disclosure until the last minute. The hammer came down! I’m not about to give marital guidance here although I did make one addition to my personal collection this last year that was significant enough for me to broach with my wife. And, as supportive as she is, the watch has a new owner…. Me! 

I believe that with a regular self “check and balance”, a collection can be built relatively easily and offer the individual great enthusiasm and understanding. To put it another way, years ago I was captivated by American and Swiss wristwatches, those from the early 1900’s. These were essentially ladies pendant watches that  manufacturers repurposed, via a slight case redesign, into the first men’s wristwatch. I managed to assemble a group of 10-15 of these and I still have them. Some are humble, some wonderful works of art. The problem now is that they don’t get any exercise. Their diminutive size prevents me from strapping one to my wrist. Styles change. Needless to say, they continue to hold their place in my collection. There, I did it. I justified why I still own them. 

And so, there are other parameters that one might consider when assembling a collection. Firstly, don’t do what I did. Secondly, hone that collection into something that is cohesive and meaningful. Pre-civil war American pocket watches, steel Omega’s from the 1960’s, elaborate gold watches, watches with great provenance or independent watch brands. I have one customer who only collects one American watch manufacturer and mostly ones that are privately labeled for a jeweler. He clearly has the largest collection in the world of this manufacturer and yet still, the majority of his collection is privately labeled watches made by this company. 
Some other points to consider:  
Have a reputable place to verify and service your watches. Just yesterday, a local pawn shop owner brought in a Tag Heuer watch and it was completely fake. 
A reputable dealer of watches is also important, even if you purchased the watch elsewhere. 
Have some form of record keeping. Tragedy can strike and without some form of guidance, heirs will have nowhere to turn. As someone told me recently when speaking to his wife regarding his shotgun collection: “Honey, if I were to pass suddenly, please don’t sell my guns for what I told you I paid for them”. 

Happy collecting! 

This latest journal entry has been weighing on me for about 4 months. I’ve been wrestling with what to offer my readers. The current status of the world is in a virtual and literal tailspin and there does not seem to be an easy way to overcome the tribulations that have been laid in front of us. Political turmoil, a pandemic that has gripped the world in a way that has not been seen in over  100 years. As we try to adjust, each has come to a place where we question if our personal “adjustment” is enough or will have the right outcome. 

Within a mechanical watch, there are a number of ways to affect its performance and each has its benefits and shortcomings. So too are the effects on home-life. Our kids are trying to adjust to a new “normal” of being at home for the better part of what would be a normal school week. Our parents too have their own obstacles.  Work schedules have been adjusted to accommodate for a myriad of reasons. Just this past weekend, I was in the shop on a Sunday packing up a clock for a customer when one of my staff called to express his regrets that he would not be back to work the next day  as planned. He’d flown to Washington DC late last week to propose to his girlfriend (she said “Yes”),  and was delayed on return when  the pilot of his plane back to Bozeman had come down with Covid. He was on the next flight Monday morning. We learn to play the cards  we’ve been dealt. 

Sometimes I run across a watch that offers me similar issues. I refer to them as “problem children”. You think, upon first inspection, that this would be a simple service, clean, oil etc… only to find that there’s a proverbial rat’s nest of issues waiting for you. Sometimes this is what life deals you. Face it, work through it and don’t let it bring you down. We can, and should, overcome these obstacles. For without pot holes on life’s highway, there would be no way to learn and grow. 

As we enter the holiday season, there may appear to be little to be grateful for… but this is not necessarily the case. Look for the small wonders. Appreciate the subtleties that the world offers and embrace them. The great sunset, the good laugh of a joke or the kindness of a neighbor. We may have to dial our expectations down a bit this year… but that might be a good thing, and something to share with others. We’re all in this together.  

This morning I got a call at the shop from a familiar last name. I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to her directly, but I have spent a good deal of time with her husband. Vic had been a customer of mine for almost all of the 30 years I’ve had a business in Bozeman. A consummate gentleman and a modest and highly generous man to say the least. You could not “sell” him a watch, he bought it. He would not negotiate. And it became a custom for me to simply carve off a discount for him. He had an eye for the finer timepieces but wore them with the most modesty of anyone. 20+ years ago, I mentioned my birthday was around the corner. Vic said, meet me at the airport at 7:30. Without hesitation I agreed, and as usual, I was 5 minutes early. I was there only to be presented with a ride (in the front seat mind you) of his open cockpit bi-plane for a cruise around Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley. When he offered the instruction to take the stick (not a wheel), I never felt more at ease….albeit a little nervous having never flown a plane. He was an avid reader of watch journals and when he was finished with them he would bring them to the shop in a plastic bag for me to read and share with my customers. This was Vic.  I’ll miss him dearly. He called me from his assisted living home just two weeks ago to share a joke -he had a very dry, UNIQUE sense of humor- and I shared a joke with him, too. That’s how he was. Offer a laugh, get a laugh. There is nobody in my life that would offer BOTH of his hands to my one as a handshake and say “take care” like Vic. He meant it. 

It’s a short ride we’re on…. Make the most of what you have and cherish those who reach out to you and bring light into your life. You never know when they will no longer be there to offer their contribution.   

So from me to all of my readers and customers, be well, enjoy the small wonders that we’ve been given and take heart in the belief that with some minor adjustments, we will see it through. 

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all! 

Dave

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This may not have been one of the most fiscally responsible moves in my life, but then Richard was exceedingly fair with his price. The movement may have laid in a drawer for another 50-100 years as far as I can tell, but was something that needed to be done, despite the cost of labor. I just hope that some time down the road, this timepiece will be appreciated and cherished, not for what it is worth intrinsically, but for the fact that it was resurrected, found a beautiful sterling silver case to be housed in and was faithfully restored to a working historical timepiece once again. I trust that Jacques Alfred Jurgensen would approve. ​

Friction in the world of watches is problema numero uno. As the celebrated watchmaker Abraham Louis Breguet once said, “find me the perfect oil and I’ll build you the perfect watch”. Friction is all around us and it is how we address this occurrence that offers us the means to overcome obstacles. But friction will always be present, no matter how well the oils of lubrication can reduce the daily grind. It is best to accept, deal and persevere in an effort to achieve our goals, dreams and aspirations even amid the trials and tribulations (pandemic speed bumps) thrust upon us. 

My last entry in this journal was on January 31, 2020. The world has certainly changed a lot since then. Spring break was canceled and even the alternate “road trip” was waylaid. We saw this pandemic getting more severe and more wide spread nearly every day. Within a few short weeks, phrases like social distancing became an everyday part of conversation. Sanitizer, bleach and (WTH) toilet paper, became hot commodities. 

Now it is not my place to dismiss the importance of taking precautions, we all must - to a degree. And the dissemination of the information that the media has offered us, no less the POTUS and his staff, can be, and should be something left up to the individual to determine credibility and to then proceed with caution. 

There has probably been no time in the last century that the US and the world at some level has experienced this level of domestic friction. Being home-bound, away from work, dealing with domestic stresses….  Thank those teachers who offer us a respite from the daily grind of adolescent drama and somehow offer to nurture an education via remote learning. Cheers to the healthcare workers who jumped onto the front lines of this catastrophe. A huge thanks to the agility of the food service people who kept us nourished either with take-out or delivery. They deserve our thanks!  

I’d personally like to thank my customers, my staff and my wife. I’ve received orders for products during this shut-down from way out of state. I’ve had watches sent from across the country that were in need of repair. My staff was available when I could not take the bulk of the workload. My wife was there to let me attend to business as I needed to. 

In short, through all turmoil, there is friction, things that make us cringe, and we’d wish that there was an easier way to make them smoother. There is no magic lubrication that can relinquish this uneasiness other than human compassion, perseverance and dedication. A gemstone is just a rock until it is offered friction in an effort to polish it to perfection. Then and only then will the beauty of its true nature be revealed. 

Be well Bozeman and beyond. Stay healthy and share some compassion to those in need. The world will continue ticking, we’re just here to make sure you’re on time. 

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Over the last 30 years or so of being in this trade, I’ve found it interesting to observe the trends of watches and their size, going from small to large and possibly reverting back to a more wrist palatable size… thank goodness! 

Back in the day, and I’m speaking of WAY before my time, a gentleman of the 1850’s could be sporting a watch (in his vest pocket) of generous proportions, measuring roughly 2 1/2 inches in diameter and ¾ inches thick. It is no wonder that somewhere along the line, these watches garnished the derogatory term of  “turnips”. The bulge in the vest pocket was not quite so great as to elicit a greeting “happy to see you, too”...but these timepieces were robust, hefty and prior to the industrial revolution, mostly handmade. This was the style, manly.  
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Long about 1915 or so, WWI ushered in a new era. Genuine ingenuity spurred on by chance, necessity or a combination of both, created the wrist watch. Prior to this, a man would not be caught dead wearing a “bracelet watch” as it would have been deemed far too effeminate. But in matters of war, one must risk masculine persecution in an effort to save one’s personal hide! So, ladies pendant watches were adapted to be fitted with a strap and could be worn by soldiers in battle more effectively than stuffing a turnip into one’s uniform trousers. On the wrist, the timepiece proved to be more effective and accessible.
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