Episode Transcript
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Blake Rea (00:01):
Hello everybody,
welcome back to the Lonely Wrist
, where we explore watches justnot as objects, but as
reflections of people, cultureand design.
As always, I'm your host, blakeRay, and today we've got a
guest whose approach tocollecting is as much as it is
about curation as it is emotion.
I'm stumbling on words herebecause I'm so excited.
(00:22):
She's a creative director,design thinker and somebody who
really brings personality intothe world of horology.
You might know her fromInstagram, where she shares a
glimpse of her collection that'sbold, intentional and full of
stories.
Of course, by now, if you'veclicked on this, you know I'm
talking about Georgia Benjamin.
Welcome to the pod.
Georgia Benjamin (00:42):
Thank you so
much for having me.
I'm blushing.
What a lovely intro.
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm like blushing.
Blake Rea (00:46):
What a lovely intro,
thank you so much you can tell,
I practiced that a little bitright yeah, you did a great job.
Georgia Benjamin (00:51):
You did a
great job.
Blake Rea (00:51):
My ego is on fire,
thank you good, good as it
should be, as it should be.
Let's first jump into, like thebeginning, you know, not with
just watches, but you know, youlike, who is georgia benjamin
outside of the watch world.
Georgia Benjamin (01:04):
Yeah, of
course I know it's like where do
I even start with that?
I have lived in the States for11 years now, I think.
Outside of watches.
I work in tech, in design,which you think you mentioned.
I am a fitness junkie.
I travel all the time.
I have lived in many cities allover the US, so I have little
(01:25):
pockets of family everywhere.
But my family's originally fromLondon and I've always been
obsessed with design and designinfluence of different elements,
and in the last several yearsthat's very much manifested in
watches and it's become morethan an obsession, an absolute
lifestyle for me and I feel verygrateful for it.
Blake Rea (01:44):
It's weird how
watches can like, do that for
you.
They're like a gateway drug, ifwe can say that.
Um, but within the watchcommunity, like what was that?
Like gateway watch for you, notnecessarily like the first
watch that you bought, but likethe one that really got under
your skin it's a peculiar one.
Georgia Benjamin (02:05):
It's a omega
constellation pie pan from 63, I
believe.
It is with a black gilt dialand I've always loved the
constellation, especially thepie pan.
I think the design element toit is just so fantastic and I
bought it at my first ever swapmeet.
I didn't even know what a swapmeet was and it was in this like
dark dingy club in LA and I sawit and I'd never seen it in
(02:27):
Black Guild before and it justhad to be mine and that, the way
that watch spoke to me, the wayit's enabled me to have so many
sort of connections and friendsthrough being a.
I think they call them likeconstees, like people who become
obsessed with this just nicheof collection, of collecting,
but that was definitely.
Yeah, it's like, oh, you're aconsti, you're like there's I'm
(02:47):
probably butchering it andprobably everyone's like it's
not that word, it's somethingelse instead, but there's like a
nickname for constellationcollectors and people become
obsessed with this specificniche and I have two which I
don't know if that's anobsession, but I I definitely
want to learn more andexperience one.
I want the all gold, I need thesolid all gold pipe and it's on
, it's so beautiful have youjust just hasn't hasn't stumbled
(03:07):
upon the right one, or I havebut the.
The list of the watches that Iwant is like Santa's naughty
night list it's on it's forever.
So I'm like, how do Iprioritize what I want from this
list?
Blake Rea (03:19):
so it's on the list,
um, amongst many others, of my
wish list yeah, for me, like I,I ended up, I like almost 150
watches right now like way, waytoo many, way too many and no,
no, of course not how often doyou change your watch?
Georgia Benjamin (03:35):
sorry, I know
I'm not meant to be interviewing
you, but I'm so I'm 40 andeveryone's like 40 that's so
many, but you have 150 yeah,this is all fun, so fun, so I
have no idea.
Blake Rea (03:45):
But for me, like I've
been trying to like shrink down
and the shrinking down, I'vebeen using this app to track
like my watch wear, so like Ican't even tell you how I choose
, what I choose, but it's justall about the vibe for the day.
You know, yes, and so I don'twear a lot of them, you know,
(04:07):
and I'm ashamed to say it, buthere I am saying it's no shame.
Georgia Benjamin (04:08):
It's no shame
you buy them from like.
At least I buy my watches whenthey have like an emotional
connection with them so that,yeah, I can come and go, but I
think it's still so fun tocollect and also, like I've sold
one watch ever and it stillbreaks my heart a little bit, so
we don't have to get rid ofthem.
If we don't have to get rid ofthem, if you don't need to get
rid of them, just keep them.
Blake Rea (04:26):
Yeah, but I think
about like here it is like
rotting away in my collectionbut then it could be somebody
else's grail and I'm thatasshole.
That's like keeping it awayfrom them.
Georgia Benjamin (04:35):
Yeah, you are,
but it's also yours.
Blake Rea (04:38):
You spent the money
on it.
Georgia Benjamin (04:39):
You tracked it
down.
You could start putting them,selling them elsewhere.
But then like?
Would it bring you joy to?
I suppose twofold?
Would it bring you joy to giveit to someone else whose grail
it might be, but then would itbring you sadness to get rid of
it from your collection I've,I've started, I've started
giving some away, um, but alsosome of the watches that I've
acquired like they've been likegifts from brands, you know.
Blake Rea (05:02):
So some of them are
like, like some of my vintage
pieces, but then, um, like howcan I give a gift away, you know
?
Georgia Benjamin (05:08):
no, you can't
yeah, that's like the ultimate
asshole thing to do it is yeah,you can give it as a gift to
someone else maybe, but yeah,you can't bend.
Yeah, you can't.
Blake Rea (05:18):
It's just it's like
poor taste, almost yeah um, I've
done some research a little bitand I know you talked a lot
about like your santos galbi,like that has a real special
place in your story.
Uh, what particularly like drewyou to the galbi and what did
it represent when you brought itinto your collection?
Georgia Benjamin (05:37):
so this was
the first ever vintage watch
that I bought, probably likeeight years ago, before my even
collecting journey start.
Like I always loved, likevintage rings, and this watch
was like the watch that I neededto get and I think what drew me
to it is that when I likemoving to New York, seeing
creative directors in there,seeing like people of positions
of power that I really respectedor people who, like
(05:58):
professionally, I really reallyrespected, that had had
accomplished a lot, were wearingthis watch.
So it was more the, the senseof style, the sense of poise and
of accomplishment of the a lotwere wearing this watch.
So it was more the the sense ofstyle, the sense of poise and
of accomplishment of the peopleI saw wearing this that I was
like I want to grow up and belike that one day.
And it wasn't.
It was almost like I just don'tneed this pretty thing on my
arm.
It was almost like I want to bea point in my career and in in
(06:20):
where I deemed myself successfulenough to be worthy of wearing
this specific watch.
And I remember I could hardlyafford it the day I bought it
and it brought me so much joy.
I got it obviously vintage.
And then I was with one of myreally good friends, taylor, who
was visiting, and we went up tothe Cartier mansion afterwards
to get it resized and they gaveus champagne and it was like the
most wonderful day and mostwonderful experience and it's
(06:46):
just it.
Definitely I didn't buy anotherwatch for maybe about six years
after that because I thoughtagain I was done.
But that whole experience andthat whole sort of a sense of
accomplishment of being able toreally purchase something that
mattered so much to me orrepresented something so
significant to me, was reallyreally special.
Blake Rea (07:01):
Do you think about
watches like like I do as like
emotional markers, like you knowhow a certain song brings us
back to like a chapter in lifelike do watches do that for you
as well?
Georgia Benjamin (07:12):
they do, but I
was gonna say for 40.
It's hard to put them all toemotional different guys, but
150 is even harder.
But yes, I think watches Ishould is the wrong word but
watches should representsomething, so like an
accomplishment or like a annualbonus or whatever it might be,
or like a graduation.
They all obviously can meandifferent things, but I don't
(07:33):
think it ever has to have thatmuch of like an emotional
success to buy yourself like apresent.
I think sometimes it's like Iremember I bought a Audemars
Piguet Royal Oak two-tone onauction and just like on my
phone, and it was like a randomlittle.
I was like, oh my gosh, I justspent so much money, just like I
wasn't even thinking I was atcoffee or someone with and I
(07:54):
just bought this watch.
And that wasn't and it was awatch I really wanted.
Again it was on my shoppinglist for a while but it wasn't
because of something.
But I still remember that likewonderful frivolity and like
silliness about buying thiswatch which I wear so much and
it's one of my favorite pieces.
So I think, yes, they take meback to an emotional moment, but
they don't always represent anemotional accomplishment.
(08:15):
Does that make sense?
Blake Rea (08:17):
Yeah, yeah, no for
sure.
I know your day job is moreabout storytelling and user
experience, things like that.
You come from design, yes, butwhen you look at a watch, you
know what stands out to you aslike the first, what stands out
to you first from like a designstandpoint.
Georgia Benjamin (08:38):
Yeah, that's
actually a very good question
Because I do like I work in UXand I think about like the flow
or the experience of whateverdesign feature it might be.
So, like, if you're looking ata website, you go like top left
or bottom right and I think fora watch, you you kind of want to
see what the designer, whatstory the designer is saying.
So if they have a giant logo,are they just talking about the
(08:59):
brand moment?
If they have like a crazydiamond bezel, are they just
trying to focus on there?
So I feel like when it comes toUX design, you're really
telling the story of where youwant the user's eyes to go and
what sort of story you want totell in terms of them absorbing
and understanding their thing infront of them.
But with watches, I feel likeit's almost the same too.
So it varies, it like it varies.
If the dial has somethingreally unique on it, is that
(09:20):
where my eyes are drawn to first.
If there's like perfectsymmetry across the watch and
it's really balanced in terms ofdesign details, then my eyes
are probably flitting everywherebecause there's probably so
much to see.
That's not even waiting, and Ido think like Cartier do a
really good job of that.
That.
When nothing is too over thetop and everything is so
thoughtfully put together sothat your eyes sort of read it
as an entire story that justgets deeper and deeper as you
(09:42):
look.
So I think it's.
It's a mix, depending on kindof what the designer wanted to
show off at the time, but alsowhen there is like a perfect
harmony.
Blake Rea (09:49):
That's when, to me,
you have a real winner have you
started doing like going downthe rabbit hole of like, watch
designers and things like that,like, is there any particular
like designers that like you?
Every single piece that is justa banger that you just love, or
70s, piaget is is a absolutelike, amazing niche.
Georgia Benjamin (10:10):
But like
Gilbert Albert is and I'm
probably butchering his name, soI'm sorry for my French
speaking friends is was such anicon at the time and designed so
many incredible like integratedbracelets and concealed watches
and like also used a ton ofgold and I am a gold girly.
I love gold pieces.
Just, you can do so much withit too.
But I think, like Gilbert haspieces I've seen some like
(10:30):
amazing omega pieces andcreations that he's done.
Those are really, reallyspecial and also like the
variant of design and I think,like on the flip side, pierre
Cardin watches from the 70sthose are so angular and so
evocative of a specific timeperiod and like a specific style
of design at that at that time.
So I think I love it when adesigner has like a really
(10:53):
really strong identity that youlook at it at a glance and
you're like boom, this is, thisis incredible.
So I would say, like GilbertAlbert, the way that he's
created such amazing, amazing,intricate pieces which you just
don't really see as much inmodern design now, I think it
was an absolute icon at the time.
Yeah.
Blake Rea (11:09):
Yeah, I know it seems
like you really kind of spot
like those really bold, like theCartier, bangalore or I mean
you know watches that really arevisual storytellers.
Do you feel like watches now?
I mean they still kind ofbalance the form following
function?
I mean I know you primarily seethat in like Bauhaus and like
the Art Deco era, but watchesnow are becoming a little bit
(11:34):
more than practical tools.
They're becoming works of art.
I mean they have been for awhile, but more so now.
How do you feel like watchesbalance the two?
Georgia Benjamin (11:46):
I think I love
the movement that we're going
to.
I love that we're going to kindof form over function because
ultimately, we don't need towear watches like we don't need
them at all.
We have phones that areextremely accurate.
We have laptops that we're onall the time.
So this is, I feel like thereis a movement to people wearing
watches as a form ofself-expression, in a similar
way that women wear jewelry ormen anyone's wearing jewelry,
(12:07):
that you choose something tosort of special personal style.
Watches are the same and I think, yes, there's incredible
complications when it comes towatches, but like how many
people actually use theirchronograph to time things like
are you like boiling eggs andlike, let's go.
I like how many people actuallyknow how to use like the
incredible complications ontheir watches?
Or if you have some amazingperpetual calendar that's like
(12:27):
really hard to set, like do youreally take it to the boutique
to go and set if it's notaccurate?
So not calling people outbecause these complications
aren't wonderful, but I thinkthere is a move towards like
form and design and not only thebrand kind of tell, telling
personal their journey throughlike design expression, but also
that the customer is reallywanting something that's going
(12:48):
to be representative of them andtheir style.
So I think, like I saw you inGeneva a couple less than a
month ago and it was amazingLike you must've seen it too
like the incredible designinnovation that we got to see
this year, more so than previousyears, has been so exciting to
see.
So I think brands are reallyleaning in to having a really
(13:09):
strong design eye and kind ofcelebrating that, versus just
celebrating movements orcelebrating complications.
So it's a really exciting sortof move for me to see.
Blake Rea (13:19):
This one.
I promise you won't get anyheat for if you answer.
But as somebody who comes froma design background, if you
could redesign any referencevintage or modern what would you
choose and what would youchange?
Georgia Benjamin (13:33):
how are you
going to protect me from not
getting heat with this answer?
I mean you don't have to answer, you don't have to answer, I'm
not going to do anything, meanI'm not.
What would I?
What would I have?
Blake Rea (13:43):
maybe if you could
take two classical watches and
they could spin off something doyou know?
Georgia Benjamin (13:49):
what came to
mind is the sorry.
Blake Rea (13:53):
Give me one second oh
, you need some water for this
one.
Georgia Benjamin (13:58):
I'm not
drawing any drama whatsoever.
This might be a boring answer,but the Cartier Louis Cartier
Tank or Tank LC extra plait, theone that's got like a four
millimeter movement, like super,super thin, super, amazing
piece vintage.
And some of the Louis Cartiertanks have a incredible floral
guilloche dial which they don'treally do as much anymore.
(14:19):
But some of the vintage pieces.
I would probably have an extraplat tank lc with a red lacquer
dial on top of the guillochewhich would probably look a
little wild, but then maybepainted roman numerals on the
top of that, but it almost is.
Makes the fact that it's sothin like defunct because you'll
(14:39):
make a figure with the lacquer.
But I think no.
I've seen a cartier crash witha red lacquer dial and it was
insane.
So maybe my own extra plat witha red lacquer dial would be
epic cartier, if you'relistening.
Blake Rea (14:54):
Um, no, no, the tank
is such a good like platform for
I mean, you can pretty much doanything with it and, and
jokingly, like I would love tosee like a tank with like the um
, the lugs or I don't know, whatthe proper term for, but like
one in like white gold and onein like yellow gold and like
have like a transition and theneven have like maybe like a pie
(15:17):
pan style dial where, like itdips down right, it'd be crazy.
Georgia Benjamin (15:20):
Okay, you're
going extra with your design,
okay, this is I should have.
I should have.
You know, what about thecartier dice on bracelet.
That would be so epic, withsome sort of beaded element so
that has like enamel dicethroughout the bracelet, so it's
almost got like a.
Uh, I feel like it would haveto be almost like a gerald
genter, like comedic sort ofmickey mouse, but with this dice
and then dice along thebracelet it would just be.
(15:41):
That could be epic and matching, like earrings and necklace to
go with it too.
Please, full set.
Thank you very much that'd becrazy.
Blake Rea (15:48):
No, seriously I.
I know car.
People at car day listen tothis podcast, so get on it.
Um, let's talk about how youcurate a collection.
You know what factors, wouldyou say, weigh in most to
decision-making.
You know, other than likedesign heritage, you know
wearability, like what?
What do you think about beforeyou bring a new watch into Leap
(16:11):
Portfolio?
Georgia Benjamin (16:12):
I have to make
sure that it's not something
I'm buying because of a trend.
I think I'm very anti-buyingtrends in general, with clothing
and whatnot too, but it has tobe something that I I'm going to
think about this watch all thetime if I don't have it and I'm
going to, like, miss ittremendously.
So it has to have thatlongevity and it doesn't have to
have a gap in my collection,like I don't need anything more.
(16:33):
I would love everything more,but I don't need anything.
So I think it has to besomething that, oh, I'm going to
be able to wear this with to gohiking, to go to a ball, to go
to work.
I'm going to be able to.
I'm going to really miss it ifit's, if I don't have it in my
collection.
So I think, yes, often it isvery design forward.
Often there's a lot of like therarity element.
Is this something that's likenot too done?
This is something that's notlike trending.
(16:55):
But do I have this emotional,emotional connection with a
piece that I I can't livewithout it?
Basically, so, in fact, that,that, that lure, that lust
towards whatever it might bethat I can't live without have
you noticed that your tasteshave evolved over time?
Blake Rea (17:10):
like that that's the
weirdest thing to kind of
understand as a collector likeyour taste starts here and then
you end up here and then somehowin between the journey you end
up back to where you started andlike it's like this weird kind
of like vicious circle, likehave you noticed that?
Georgia Benjamin (17:25):
yeah, I've
noticed that I've become I've I
thought I've always been like agold galley, but I didn't
realize I'd become like so nichein that.
And I know when I meet newpeople in this space they're
like oh yeah, you like you'reobsessed with gold and I think I
am a little bit.
But I started with two-tone,then went sort of into straight
yellow gold, but now I'm likereally discovering rose gold and
I'm like rose looks so good onso many different skin tones too
(17:47):
.
But I, I think I've moved moreso towards, uh, watches that are
really indicative of jewelry,so like with amazing integrated
bracelets or with gem set insome sort of degree.
But I, I don't think I'm aparticularly girly girl but like
I have moved towards likerelatively feminine watches that
I think just make my heart singbecause they have so much, so
(18:09):
many elements when it comes todesign.
So that's kind of where I'vefallen in terms of my niche.
But hey, I'll wear a 5513 on aregular basis, like, give me a
big old, like chunky watch.
I'm here for it too.
So it depends on my mood thatI'm going to pick.
Honestly.
Blake Rea (18:24):
I'm here for it too,
so it depends on my mood what
I'm gonna pick.
Honestly, I've noticed, itseems like a lot of the pictures
that I've seen, or at least, asI've been homework and on your
Instagram particularly.
I've been following you for awhile, but it seems like the the
piece that sticks out to mefrom your collection is the
Piaget Polo that you have.
Georgia Benjamin (18:40):
I love it so
much.
I wore it yesterday.
It just it's like a braceletand it's fantastic and I think
what's so special about it isthat it's ultimately like a
luxury sports watch, which isjust mad.
So I think the contrast, oralmost the oxymoron, of having a
solid gold heavy watch that'stechnically a sports watch is
really comical to me.
So I love that sort ofsartorial moment.
(19:01):
But I also love the design ofit, like it is the most
beautiful integrated braceletthat like I've ever seen.
I managed to get mine maybe twoyears ago at this point and I
think they are just such suchspecial pieces and I would love
like more of the polo iterations, like I would love a two-tone.
I would love a gem set, like Iwould.
I would love a sort of aexpanding polo collection, even
(19:23):
modern.
I have I tried the modern in inthe white gold on in geneva
earlier this month and it is a.
It's a chunky boy it is.
It's very large on my littlewrists but I would I'll 100 wear
it.
Blake Rea (19:34):
Yeah, it's gorgeous
so now that we've kind of
understood how you bring stuffin, let's talk about how you
decide what not to collect,because you know, obviously,
like we see watches we'reexposed to watches almost every
day and restraint is a huge partof being, like, a thoughtful
collector.
I haven't shown much restraintand I mean you're it seems like
(19:57):
you're coming coming up slowlybehind me, but uh, but no, how
do you decide, like, what not tocollect?
Georgia Benjamin (20:04):
it's hard.
It's really.
It's really hard because youfind something you love and if I
find something I've not seenbefore, then I go on a crazy
deep dive.
But I've taught myself a trickof how to not impulsively buy.
And it's quite silly because itstill involves some purchasing.
But I normally would buy avintage book, like something
that's out of print containingthat that watch, so I can learn
(20:26):
more about it.
So, versus like finding, say,it's a vintage cartier online
and I've never seen anythingabout it before, I've not found
anything comparable.
I will find a vintage book thatit's got a photo, I've got an
illustration, got some historyin it, and I'll buy that and
then I'll learn about it.
So it will help.
It probably still makes mereally really the watch, but it
sort of satiates that need oflike.
Okay, I need to spend a littlebit of money on this and instead
(20:48):
I'm buying this vintage watch.
So I have some behind me butlike I have so many vintage
watch books, especially out ofprint ones, because there's like
not enough information aboutvintage watches and like online
we have some stuff.
Obviously a lot of it is likedying with the watchmakers of
the time, which like breaks myheart.
Blake Rea (21:04):
So I think sort of
reading as much as I can in old
print collateral is somethingthat like makes me very happy,
because then I can learn moretoo, and then it stops me from
buying as much yeah, for me Iknow this is probably like the
worst thing that you could everdo, but I particularly like put
it on the back burner where,like, I see a watch and I go
home I do a bunch of research,then like if I'm still thinking
(21:26):
about the watch within a certainperiod of time three months,
six months and then I'm like,okay, shit, I gotta go back and
buy that.
And then usually I'm screwedbecause it's like it's either
sold or it's like gone or like Ican't find another reference,
and particularly that thathappened to me with um.
Are you familiar with like theomega seamaster, like soccer
reference, yes, yeah, yeah.
(21:48):
So so that particularlyhappened like there, when I,
when I did my research, therewas like seven or eight
available for sale, like at thetime, and I saw one at a vintage
watch show and it comes.
There's one that comes to vegasevery year, um, looking forward
to the one.
It's coming out right aroundthe corner in June.
So I got to save some money,but no, it disappeared and then
(22:10):
I ended up finding another one.
So just somehow someway, ohgood.
Georgia Benjamin (22:14):
That's good.
Blake Rea (22:15):
And I brought it in
my collection.
And then you know, I'm the typeof guy where, like, I'll buy it
and then I'll send it off tothe brands to get restored.
You know, like, if it'sparticularly like if there's not
a patina or something that Icould care less about.
But more recently I just tookin the Bulgari Diagano which was
(22:36):
I don't think I know that.
Is it one of your?
Georgia Benjamin (22:38):
I'm going to
look it up, yeah.
Blake Rea (22:40):
Yeah, yeah, I can
show you after, but it was like
one of one of the like GeraldGinta, original Gerald Ginta,
bulgaris, and it's like it'slike a 35.
So it's like it's a littlesmaller size but beautiful
integrated bracelet and,ironically, as I started doing
research on it, it was the firstreal brand to have a mecha
(23:02):
quartz, so like the timekeepingfunction is all quartz powered,
but then the chronograph is allmechanical, so like.
When I took it in I was likewhat the like?
What the fuck like, why is thechronograph not working but it's
keeping time?
This is so weird.
And then, of course, when Iopened it up, I saw and the the,
(23:23):
the movement inside was one ofthose beautiful frederick pk
like 1570 cal, I mean, like, orI think it was 12, whatever, but
freaking beautiful, like goldand like I'll I'll definitely
send your picture of it please,I'd love to see.
Georgia Benjamin (23:39):
Oh, how long
did you have to send it off for
for it to get?
Blake Rea (23:41):
oh my oh my god,
bulgari is slow oh really it's
been gone for six months now.
I haven't seen it, yep and yousent you.
Georgia Benjamin (23:50):
You rather
send your pieces off to the
brands themselves versus sendingthem to like a watchmaker that
you use locally or whatnot.
Blake Rea (23:57):
Well, weirdly enough,
like living in Vegas, like it's
a turn in burn city, and so alot of people have that, that
transient mentality, even thewatchmakers they just think
about like volume in and out,you know, interesting yeah, so I
just wanted it to be done,right.
Yeah, especially with thatspecial caliber which you know I
(24:17):
mean they sold to a bunch ofdifferent brands.
Yeah, just super concernedabout finding parts.
And when I have done watcheswith um local watchmakers, like
I just did a a universal geneve,all, all gold gilt shadow yeah,
so nice tonu case, um and andanyways.
(24:39):
So he was like, as he wouldcomment, he would call me like
blake blake blake I ran intoanother problem, like I can't
find the parts and then I'm likeordering parts from like like
cyprus or like switzerland orlike it, and he's like holy.
She's like how do you get allthese parts?
I'm like just ebay you knowfinding them online everything
and uh, and ironically, likewhen he got it, he started
(25:02):
working on it.
Um, it needed like somethinglike, uh, like with like the
gear train, like the gear trainwas damaged, but then I had to
go source a gear for it and I'vegot the case.
Another case because the, themovement spacer, was missing so
I reached out to the seller andhe's like oh okay, send me a
whole new fucking case, like awhole brand new gold case, just
(25:25):
for the movement spacer.
That's all I asked him for.
That's so nice, I know supernice.
And then the gear train isright here.
Oh, my god, I love that.
Yeah, I need to take it back,but I'll send you a picture of
that one.
They're so good, it's like gold, gold to new case, super flat.
At the time.
It until 2004, 2005, it was thethinnest movement ever made
(25:49):
with a micro.
Georgia Benjamin (25:50):
I was gonna
ask if it's thin, because it's,
it's got the it's.
It's incredible to hear thatlike carry on.
I want to hear more about itit's?
Blake Rea (25:56):
yeah, it's the ug66,
is the, is the caliber, caliber.
And yeah, until I think it waslike Bvlgari or somebody came in
like it swooped in, but it wasthe thinnest movement until 2004
, 2005.
But no, I prefer to send itback to the brands in normal
circumstances, just because youknow.
(26:19):
It's like if I get it restoredhere, like you know, I think
about it a lot differently.
It's I have a hard timedeciding where it's gonna go.
Yeah, but you know, a lot oftimes the added benefit, like
I'll pay the same cost to thebrand and then I'll get like a
two-year guarantee or like what.
You know what I mean, like soit gives me that old watch but a
(26:40):
new watch feeling, yeahdefinitely so and I recently did
that with um.
so I did that with the.
The seamaster soccer went backto omega eight months.
Then I did the uh speed.
I've got a speedmaster mark ii,the vintage reference, yeah and
uh and yeah.
That took seven months to comeand that's the hardest fucking
(27:01):
thing, like just just waitingfor it.
I know Like you bought thisbeautiful thing and then you
want to wear it.
Well, in the case of those, Iactually wore them for a couple
months and then I was like, well, let me send them.
But no, no, and ironically, Ihave a Cartier Santos right now
at Cartier and I'm waiting forthat to come back.
(27:22):
It did, it came back and I hadissues, so I sent it back.
And so yeah, I'm going back andforth with them.
But but yeah, to me I mean, inVegas is weird because we don't
have really good watchmakers,like we have maybe one or two.
Georgia Benjamin (27:40):
We have a lot
of a lot of ADs there.
Good watchmakers, like we havemaybe one or two, we have a lot
of a lot of ad's though, likeall the boutique, all the hotels
have like like crazy, um, justcrazy uh retailers?
Blake Rea (27:49):
right, yeah, and they
do.
But um, like every single timeyou bring a watch to them, they
just send it back to corporateyes, yeah that's so.
It's like the watchmakers thatthat are here like they'll be
down to do like a battery changeor like you know, they'll be
down to regulate the watch, butit seems like it just always
goes back.
Georgia Benjamin (28:09):
Yeah, to the
manufacturer plus, like you can
do a battery change yourself.
No, oh, I know, yeah, so likeyeah, I don't need you for that,
like yeah.
Blake Rea (28:17):
But ironically, um,
my friend just purchased like a
certified pre-owned watch i'm'mnot going to say who like who,
where he purchased it from Big,big brand and and it was like
one of those like reissuePanerais, like they did a set
where it was like a black,ceramic or DLC or whatever and a
(28:37):
steel one.
They released a two set and youhad to buy them as a set.
Somebody split one up and soldit.
Okay, yeah, yeah, and a steelone, they.
They released a two set and youhad to buy them as a set.
Somebody split one up and sookay, yeah yeah and um, he
picked it up like stole it, butthen when he got it home um
certified, pre-owned, you knowmulti-year warranty, it just
stopped ticking on him oh, yeah,yeah I was like that's.
That's super weird, you know,because here they are kind of
(28:59):
like putting the stamp ofapproval on it like it's ready
to go, it's ready to wear, it'sready, ready for enjoyment weird
.
But they sent, he sent it backto the, to the boutique here,
and then, um, and then theyessentially like looked over it.
They're like I'll be able tosend it to the brand now oh,
that's annoying and you know,like, like I'm, I'm pretty sure
(29:20):
panerai is probably one of thoseslower, slower, slower to
service brands, Like some of theRichemont stuff, except for
Cartier Cartier does a reallygood job and they're really
quick.
But I just felt so bad becausehere he is in this, like this,
like love, you know this, likehoneymoon phase of a watch that
he just bought and I bought itwith him I was there with him.
Georgia Benjamin (29:44):
And now it's
gone.
For I know and I wish you got aloaner.
I know that who blow do thatsometimes and they do give you
like a not for sale loaner onthe interim.
But I think you need a if,especially if it's like your
first purchase, it's such a bigdeal that you might not have
other watches to wear in theinterim.
But if it's gone for like eightmonths, it's just you almost
forget about it.
You need something in theinterim, maybe.
Blake Rea (30:04):
Maybe you should get
him like a little fun swatch or
something in the meantime justto hold him over he has so many
watches oh fine, okay, he's fineno, we were, we were talking
about it and and I agree, Iagree it's like it's still right
, like still having itaccessible like is a huge
inconvenience.
You know, when I buy somethingused, I just I hopefully I buy
(30:26):
it at a price where I can justbudget for restoration or
service if it needs it.
Georgia Benjamin (30:31):
Yeah, but you
know like that's so hard to
budget because you never reallyknow what it actually needs.
Like I have a piaget dancer atthe moment where I tried to
change the battery and I canchange batteries on quartz
watches it's fine, but thebattery doesn't exist anymore
and it was.
It's such an old tiny batterythat they make the same size,
(30:54):
they make the same batteryvoltage and whatnot, but it's
smaller and slightly higher soit doesn't fit in the watch.
So Piaget are like we're goingto have to change the whole
movement on the inside and it'slike 500 ish.
It's not particularly expensive.
But in order for them to, forthe watch to actually work, I
now need to go and have a wholenew movement put in it and it's
like a lovely piece from the 80sand it I feel a little sad that
like it's so hard to readanyway, the dial is so small,
(31:16):
like do I even need it to beworking?
But then it feels very sillyfor me to have a watch that like
actually doesn't work at all.
So I am reluctantly holding offand giving it to pj so they can
send it off for me.
But I I know that I need to,but it's going to be a while for
them to keep it.
Blake Rea (31:29):
I know yeah, that's
one of those conflicting moments
that you have to decide.
You know, like, what's rightfor you collector um, I think I
don't know.
I know ap was doing that for awhile with some of their like
offshore chronograph movements.
Like, as they have the movement, you could come instead of
servicing it, you just pay tohave the movement swapped oh
(31:52):
nice yeah um, I mean a lot ofthat, yeah, a lot of the older
ap chronos had a lot of problemsum but, but no, I mean that's a
hard one I know I'm gonna do it.
Georgia Benjamin (32:04):
No, I'll do it
maybe next week.
I keep on putting it off.
It's like.
Blake Rea (32:07):
It's like with all my
watches and just looking this
sparkling evening like I'm sopretty but I don't work and I'm
like fine, I'll make sure you'refine so something I've actually
been super surprised to learnabout is brands actually like
they can see and like and giveyou some type of like time frame
guideline, you know?
Georgia Benjamin (32:24):
which I think
is so helpful.
Blake Rea (32:25):
Yeah, some, some
brands will say, oh, we don't
know.
But a lot of brands now they'vegotten it down to like a
science where they can say, heylook, it's going to be gone for
like six months.
And that's what bouldery did oh, that's really good that.
Georgia Benjamin (32:38):
It's good that
they give you a time frame and
I also think, in terms ofservicing, it's good that they
give you a heads up of what theyare going to do.
So I know that historically,there's like one brand that they
would take the watches and theywould come back with this
massive bill and you wouldn'teven know like what you like I
need to change the battery orneeded whatever the dial scratch
can have a new dial and youwould get this list for a couple
thousand dollars and you'd belike terrified, whereas now I
(32:59):
feel that they are a lot moretransparent about what they're
actually going to do.
So I think that's helpful andit builds trust and familiarity
with the brand.
But I think like being asupfront and transparent as
possible when you do sendsomething into the brands for
servicing.
It's needed to have that trustand rapport with the buyers.
So I hope that brands continueto do this.
Blake Rea (33:19):
I hope so, and it
seems like it's transitioning to
that.
But you know a lot of brandslike.
They're like oh, we can't tellyou anything about price until
it comes here, take a look andopen it up and I'm like, dude,
just give me like just some typeof like realistic marker.
Like, am I talking aboutspending like a couple thousand
dollars to get this service ormy couple hundred, you know?
(33:42):
Because, yeah, how I can see isgonna is gonna be a little
different if it's a couplethousand dollars, um, and then
the optionality too.
Georgia Benjamin (33:48):
Like do I need
to get everything?
Like here's a list of 10 thingsyou need done, like what's
gonna be?
Can I just do three or do Ineed to do all 10?
I think that's.
I remember I sent my mom my momhas a really old lady day just
um, that she's worn for longerthan I've been born and she
wears it every day and thebracelet is so stretched, it's
all gold, it's like completelyabout.
I don't know how it even stayson her wrist anymore.
(34:09):
But we took it in because it wasrunning really fast and they
were like, okay, well, we canonly service it if you get a new
bracelet.
And they gave us a really goodquote on the new bracelet too,
because they'll take the otherone back.
And my mom was like, absolutelynot this break, like it's part
of me.
This is the watch I wear everyday.
It's like a bracelet.
I don't want to give it back.
And they were so kind and theywere like fine, we'll, like
we'll leave the bracelet others,but if it breaks it's not our
responsibility.
But I thought it was so nice ofthem, or kind of them, to not
(34:32):
have to do the entire overhaulof the watch and just do the
movement which needed to belooked at.
So I I really hope that we cando sort of more of that rolex is
like that, like they're likecramming their bracelets down
customers throats.
Blake Rea (34:45):
It seems like and um,
and I had, I had um sent.
I purchased like a 36millimeter, 1601, like the most
common day, just probably in thehistory of date, just yeah, um,
and I sent it off and oh my god, it was beautiful.
It had like this, like slatepie pan dial like and just
(35:07):
beautiful, and I was.
I was looking so forward togetting it back from rolex and
rolex declined to service it.
You know why they didn'tspecify, they just said like
we're not giving a reason eitherusually they don't.
Usually they don't interestingyeah, oh yeah that's not what I
think you know like, based uponlike my over analytical, like
(35:30):
watch nerd brain, like now withthe, the cpo rolex program, like
they probably looked at theirparts inventory and said like,
oh, we don't have a lot of theseparts left and let's just save
them for this stuff, so that way, um, you know, like they can
just make more money.
I guess I don't know, it's justmy speculation yeah, that makes
(35:51):
sense.
But when the watch came back,like I was so disappointed in it
because, because I think aboutwatches like in a different way.
I think about watches in aweird way as like time machines,
like like they preserve thepast but they tell the future
right.
So, like I've noticed in aweird way, like if I've had a
(36:12):
particularly like negativeexperience wearing a watch, like
I grab it I tend to gravitatetowards not wearing it for some
reason.
Like, has that ever like?
Have you ever had that happen?
Georgia Benjamin (36:25):
Not in the
watch itself, but if I've had a
negative purchasing experience,it completely taints the watch
for me, like if purchasing iskind of interesting.
I think I'm very lucky to havea lot of good friendships with
dealers now that it's alwaysbeen really pleasant.
There's been like a handful ofoccasions where the buying
experience has been kind ofhorrid and they're like who is a
(36:45):
little girl coming to buy inthis watch and it's just like
not been very fun and thattaints the watch for me, which
is kind of unfortunate.
Like I wish it didn't, but Ialways have that sort of
negative emotion, emotionalassociation with it.
But I it happens less and less.
But when it's not when ithappens, it just makes me not
want to buy it.
But then I'm like I've wantedthis watch for so long but she
was mean or he was mean to me.
I'm like why would I go and buythis?
(37:05):
So, yeah, I hope that doesn'thappen.
Blake Rea (37:08):
I hope that doesn't
continue to happen no, yeah,
I've noticed too, like, but alsoinside of life.
Like, like I'm wearing a watchpurchase experience, perfect,
whatever, effortless but thensomething like tragic happens to
me in my life as I'm wearingthat watch and then I don't know
, maybe it's just, it's weird tome, but I think about that,
(37:29):
like, that's the type of like Iknow in a weird way, like that's
the ups and downs of life.
But like, but the watch that Ilooked, I looked down, I see the
logo.
I'm like, fuck man, like thishappened and it ruins it for me
sometimes yeah, I can see thatruining for me.
Georgia Benjamin (37:46):
Okay, I don't
want to have that association.
I don't want to because, like,some days are so great, some
days are bad.
Whatever it might, I don't wantto.
I don't want to have a watchtainted I'm gonna try yeah I'm
gonna try and shit, we're gonnashake that off for you.
You're gonna have new memories.
It's like it's like going to on, like on vacation, somewhere,
romantic, with an ex, and thenyou're like I can never go back
to there, that place again.
But it's like, no, no, I can gowith someone else or
(38:08):
girlfriends, whoever it might beand then you have a whole new
memory.
Blake Rea (38:10):
So we need to make
you new memories with this watch
there's, there's been watchesthat, like I grailed over I
purchased them, had a negativeexperience over them and I just
kept wearing them and then thepositive experience washed away.
Okay, good, like the taintedaspects of it, but but no, some
of some of them I just can't getover and then I have to move it
Now that was Sell it and thensell it, and then you can have,
(38:34):
you can go and treat go giveyourself a new tree with the
money.
I've done it, trust me, trust me.
Um, I'm curious, since we'vehad some epic guests on the show
I mean, they're all yourfriends, right?
We've had miss gmt, we've hadsophie, all the homies, and
we've kind of talked a littlebit kind of about the, uh, the
(38:56):
gendered watch conversation.
Is that something that, uh, youknow, you feel like a shifting
in a meaningful way, you know,because, so I don't know who
coined it, but, um, you know,when I was in geneva, in a weird
way, sophie and I were sittingin on each other's meetings, so,
I love that yeah, so like she'sreally like linked in with all
(39:17):
these independents.
Yeah, she's amazing and um, andme, I'm on the other side, like
I'm, I'm linked in, I wouldthink, you know, with the bigger
boys, you know, so, um, butanyways, you know she talked
about the whole concept of likeshrinking it and pinking it,
which is like offensive, youknow um to female collectors and
(39:39):
so, um, I'm curious if youcould weigh into that, get some
perspective.
Do you feel like watches aregendered usually or like, do you
?
Georgia Benjamin (39:47):
just like.
No, I hate the idea ofgenderizing a watch, because why
on earth are we putting likethis is a female watch as a male
watch?
I feel like there's absolutelyno point in that and especially
if we're looking at watches overhistory, they used to be so
much smaller and now we'resaying that, like a woman's
watch is 36 and under, or thesearbitrary rules which just
shouldn't exist.
So it's absolute nonsense to meto put a gender on a watch.
(40:09):
Like ladies can only wear thislike we now.
Just it's it's so silly and itdoes make me angry and like,
ultimately, sure, if we have asmaller wrist, then we need a
slightly smaller watch, or wedon't.
We can wear like a big, huge 40, 44, depending on, like our own
personal preferences and I knowthat, like sophie that you
brought up as the tiniest littlerare, she's like such a petite
human but she wears like massiveball of watches and she looks
(40:30):
so good in them.
So I think a lot of modern likelike I think kate did a good job
of that.
Actually they don't.
They don't have the men's andwatches, men's and females and
female, male and female anymore.
They do it by case size and Ithink a lot of brands are moving
in that direction, so I'mreally happy about that.
But I think there's a lot ofthe archaic or maybe people have
been in the industry for a verylong time who still separate it
(40:52):
Because it doesn't need to be,it really really doesn't and
it's silly.
And I think Cartier is 50 50like there's a lot of brands who
are really even with the amountof female buyers that they have
and we have.
We have equal spending power.
We can do whatever we want withour disposable income, like we
(41:14):
don't need our sweet littlehusband to go buy us a watch,
like we can choose whatever wewant to choose.
So I think, like women's voicesare so important in the
conversation and I'm reallyapplauded in the brands that are
celebrating that and I hope itdefinitely continues.
Blake Rea (41:27):
Yeah, me too it's.
It seems weird, but like I'venoticed too, particularly like I
think I think Zenith is a greatexample of a brand that kind of
they, they there's like okay,if the watch falls into this
case size or or below, we'rejust going to show it on a male
and a female wrist.
Yeah, like it's like that'skind of cool and I, I, um, I
really like that, you know, butbut yeah, to me it just seems
(41:50):
like bullshit.
You know, this is like a malepowered, egocentric like, uh,
like hobby that like it's likethe cool kids club, like you
know, showing off our watchcollection in our man cave.
You know, like it just seemsweird that there isn't more
inclusivity, you know, yeah butI think that has.
Georgia Benjamin (42:10):
I think it's
got a lot better.
I think, like the previousincentives to buy watches at
least this isn't my opinion isthat it was status and it's like
look, I work in finance, Ibought my first submariner or
whatever it sort of might be.
And it's like, look, I work infinance, I bought my first
Submariner or whatever it sortof might be, and it's very much
like I'm wearing a watch to showoff to others that I've made it
, I've made this x amount ofmoney and this is now this is
the level that I might respectme.
(42:31):
So.
But I think there's been ashift away from that.
I think people are choosingwatches that, like you said at
the very beginning, that arereally reflective of their own
personal style and their ownemotional connection with these
pieces.
So I think general buying habitsare no longer about keeping up
with the joneses and they'revery much for an individual
element, which is reallyexciting to see.
And I think, with that, on thegendered front too, I feel like
(42:52):
there's like shut, like all theshout out to all my lovely watch
brands show us what it lookslike on a six, six and a half,
seven, eight, like.
Let me see what this watch isgoing to look like on me.
I can't assume that this femalewatch is going to be the same,
or the men's watch is going tobe the same size as me, but like
, let me imagine what this watchis going to look like on me.
Like, include a ton of moreimagery on your PDPs.
(43:13):
Like it's going to be sohelpful for all of your audience
, depending on their size.
I think it's getting better andI think it's only going to
continue to get better too.
Blake Rea (43:21):
What's like one of
those releases that you saw that
you're like, oh my gosh, I cannever.
I love this, but I can neverwear it.
And then you go on, you try itout and you're like, oh shit, I
got this, like I'm sure I wasthinking about it this morning.
Georgia Benjamin (43:34):
It's the, the
tourbillon, and it was a fully
gem set.
I don't know what was the nameof it.
Um, it was the most stunningthing in the entire world.
Was it the streamlinerstreamlined tourbillon?
Um, and it was in platinum,full baguette bracelet.
It was the and skeleton dialand it's big like it's.
(43:55):
I do have a photo of me on mywrist.
It was no, I don't not to hand,but, um, it's pretty huge and
it's pretty hefty.
The Moser designs are sofantastic and so smooth and like
, almost like, ergonomic andergonomic and they're like sleek
designs.
But I always thought they werekind of a little too, almost too
big and maybe a little bit toomask for my style.
But I tried this on and I waslike this is, I'm in love.
(44:18):
I need sponsorship.
I think it's like 1.5 milliondollars.
Shout out the sponsor to please, uh, give me this watch.
But it was the most amazingthing I've ever seen and I
wasn't expecting to love it asmuch as I did yeah, no, moser is
really kind of pushing thingsum.
Blake Rea (44:35):
we, sophie and I,
when we were geneva we had an
appointment, appointment withMoser and we got to see like the
little robot watch.
Georgia Benjamin (44:43):
So cute yeah.
Blake Rea (44:44):
So cool.
They're really especially toowith the I can't remember the
name of the collection.
Georgia Benjamin (44:52):
The Pops
collection with the different
stone dials.
Yeah, I'm so bad at rememberingthings, that's okay, there's a
lot to remember, but they werebeautiful, beautiful releases.
Beautiful releases likeincredible use of stones and the
fact that they were able tolayer on these stones so
seamlessly, to have that likeperfect outer ring for the
minute track or even cut outthat perfect little circle for
the tourbillon and not ruin thestone.
(45:13):
It's like cartier has done anamazing job.
Rolex has a major job on stonedials, but to be able to do it
on that scale and to make themso pristine and a perfect slice
of the stone too, it's likeextremely admirable and
extremely hard work, and I thinkthey make it look so effortless
.
So, yeah, big hats off to moses.
This year they did, uh, reallyexciting releases they, they,
yeah, it was insane.
Blake Rea (45:34):
And they, they talked
about how, like each, uh, like
gemstone or, um, like you know,natural element was sourced from
here and there, and how they'reblending different parts of the
world.
Yeah, it was crazy, it wascrazy.
Georgia Benjamin (45:50):
I think
something that you said, though,
because you mentioned it justnow and you mentioned it before
with Sophie that a lot of yourappointments were done together,
and I love that.
I think I was running aroundthe padlock to be like a a crazy
person and timing was not on myside.
But I think some people arelike, oh, can I just jump in
with you because I missed thisearlier session.
Whatever it might be and I doapologize for my tardiness to
the brands, but I would love todo more appointments with my
(46:11):
friends.
I think we're all connected.
All the journalists know eachother, all the influencers know
each other, everyone knows eachother in this space, and it'd be
so fun to come and have a touchand feel session with one or
two of your friends, like theycan take photos.
It can be a more of acollaborative sort of brainstorm
all together.
Plus, it makes it a lot moreefficient for the actual brands
themselves and and almost moreenjoyable for for us as well to
see to be that those that as arecipient.
Blake Rea (46:33):
So I'm really hoping
next year that I can schedule
some of my appointments withsome more of my peers in this
space, because I think it wouldjust be a lot more fun and
exciting to do, to do thatshared experience we, we did we
pretty much like sophie and Iwere like from like breakfast to
like dinner, like together thewhole time and um and and yeah,
yeah, it just kind of like madesense, you know, just kind of
(46:55):
like doing the most damage inthe smallest amount of time.
Um, because she had some stuffset up with, like sin and a
couple others uh, I can't thinkof the name, I mean, there's
just so many, but I have.
I had appointments with likegrand seiko, hublo, moser,
parmigiani, um zenith, uh, Idon't know if I said grand seiko
(47:17):
, um that was your first, yeahokay, um, but but yeah, uh.
Hubla was another one I wassuper impressed with with their
little like mint green.
Georgia Benjamin (47:27):
But the full
rainbow of their mini, big, mini
, big bangs and they're set yeah, I went to.
I went to hubla for anappointment and it was amazing
and I I have a photo of me withall the minis, uh, stacked on in
a rainbow form stacked on mywrist.
You can tell I like rainbowstuff behind me, but they were
so like 33 millimeter.
Incredible, 20 year anniversaryof hublot.
Like hats off to them.
(47:48):
I think they they're so bold,they're so daring.
I also I know I'm using theirtaglines, but they, I love that
they gave everyone these massivered tote bags, so as you.
It was such a good move becauseeveryone else put all their
other totes inside, so like theonly totes walking around the
pal expo were these giant ublototes and I'm like, okay,
absolute intent, like incrediblejob for their marketing team to
(48:11):
be like we're gonna justencapsulate everyone else's
stuff in ours.
So it's a really really goodmove I.
I ended up getting two of themand you know the inside it was
uh, it was like it's like denimon the inside I mean, yeah, it's
freaking amazing, so I woremine I wore mine as my hand
luggage bag on the way back fromfrom geneva and I actually wore
inside out because it's likeactually reversible, just in
(48:32):
case you want like a.
Yeah, so I had it, becausethere's like embroidery on the
outside too and it looks lovelywith the red strap and then the
denim.
So I wore it inside out becauseI didn't want, like my flight
to be like that bag is way toobig to fit under your seat,
ma'am.
So instead I was like can Imake a denim?
And like slightly more subtle,but it's fine.
I just like smiled and it wasfine yeah, no, I, um, I, you
(48:52):
know this.
Blake Rea (48:53):
So this is my first
time going to watching wonders
like.
This is my first year and Ididn't know what to expect and I
went the first day like, and itwas just bananas, like madhouse
, yeah, so okay, I'm gonna go totime to watches and come back
when you know, like right beforethings are getting ready to
close and so I did and thenthere was also like a, like a
(49:16):
zenith party oh yeah, I think wemight have been to the same one
.
Uh, yeah, yeah it was like thefirst night where they did their
160th no, I think I went onlythe yeah tuesday.
Georgia Benjamin (49:28):
Yeah, tuesday
night.
Yeah, yeah, the dj.
Yeah, we were both there ohcool, I didn't see that I was on
the right side by myself.
Blake Rea (49:35):
And then there was
like oh no I mean I was, I just
literally just went there tomeet some of like my homies is
anyith Nice and no, I mean, so Ididn't know what to expect.
And then the touch and feelswere cool.
But there was, particularlylike in the case of Zenith, like
Zenith like literally bustedout like all these unreleased
(49:56):
watches with me and Sophie andthey're like hey, what do you
think about these?
I love that.
And I was like, okay, like thisis freaking awesome.
Yeah, and then, and then Hublotlike you could really tell which
brands listen to, you know thecreators of the industry based
on these meetings, and Hublotwas the same, like yeah, we went
(50:16):
in and it was me, sophie createthe, the creative director, was
sitting right next to me and hewas talking about like why you
know, like why they brought backthe, the original big bang,
unico, blah, blah, um.
And then um, then the, the headof marketing, and then there
was this lady sitting in thecorner, like and like she was
like barely talking, buteverything we were saying, I
(50:40):
mean, and sophie was, I meansophie had a lot of feedback to
delay.
Georgia Benjamin (50:44):
Oh my god,
amazing yeah, taking notes like.
I love that.
Blake Rea (50:49):
That's incredible
she's taking notes, like she's
like asking questions, like,like, what do you think about
the case size, like you know?
And then sophie was like ohwell, you need to give the
option for, like you know,because they released the, the
big bang and whatever.
So I think you said it was 33 orsomething yeah, yeah and it was
just all diamond bezels, likethey didn't have the option for
that ceramic bezel.
(51:10):
Yeah, you know, and so it waslike no ceramic option.
You need to get people theoption to change.
Yeah, um, because I don't knowif you know, but most people
don't know this either.
But you know, hubo does a lotfor, uh, versatility, like they.
Like I can order a bezel fromhubo and change my own bezel
that's epic amazing screws righton and off, like with those
(51:33):
little like hubo screws on thecase because they're meant to.
Georgia Benjamin (51:36):
It's meant to
look like a porthole on a boat.
Right, that's that.
Blake Rea (51:38):
Yeah, yeah um, but
yeah, yeah, they sell the bezels
and then you can just pop asteel bezel or titanium bezel or
ceramic bezel on it and um, andmost people don't know that.
Georgia Benjamin (51:48):
You know
that's really cool.
Blake Rea (51:49):
That's good to know
so so yeah, it was just kind of
like hey, like, give us anon-diamond option, you know,
because not a lot of ladies aregonna.
I mean, you're already wearinglike a, a bold, colorful watch,
like yeah, throw the diamonds on.
Georgia Benjamin (52:02):
It kind of
pushes it over I love diamonds,
as I've mentioned, but I don'tthink it's always needed.
I think, um, like having thatwatch in a smaller.
It's like a really small, fun,playful watch and also removing
the diamonds makes it so muchmore accessible in terms of
price point and, um, I thinkit's just if you are going to
have a more fun watch, that'smaybe not going to be your
everyday watch, then it doesn'talways have to have diamonds,
but it's.
I think it's a really funlaunch for them and amazing to
(52:25):
see the different color varietyand and it's like, as a brand,
they've always been really greatat listening to their customers
because they they just don'twant to organize parties in the
same way that other brands do.
They they don't want people tolike come form and do us like we
are the watch brand.
We want you to do what we wantto do.
Instead, they really listen totheir audience and they're like
well, what do they like to do?
They like to go to art?
Do they like to go to this?
And they've been able tosponsor and organize so many
(52:45):
different events based off theirtheir buyers interests, versus
what they want their buyers tobe interested in.
So it's just a really reallyinteresting approach from a
brand and I was really lucky togo to the polo with them last at
the end of last year in LA,which was so much, and it's
great how they just they don'ttake themselves too seriously
and they really listen to whatthe buyers want.
(53:06):
So that flexibility and beingable to change your own bezel at
home is something that istestament to that and it's
really nice to hear.
Blake Rea (53:12):
Yeah, I, yeah, so I
have one of the the busted ass,
I mean I.
So I have this weird littlecontent strategy that I'm
working on where I live in Vegas.
You know there's a lot offortune and misfortune in Vegas,
and so I've been doing thislittle sprees and I've been
starting to starting to get intofilming it, and I'm working on
(53:34):
like a little new mini series isthe best way you want to call
it, but essentially it's justpawn shop finds, so like I'll go
find a walk-in shop, you knowI'll film the whole experience
on me buying it, you know, likemaking sure it's legit, whatever
, um, then documenting it once Iget home and then sending it
off right, yeah, to the brandsand then be like here's the
before, here's the after, youknow, um, hence so many watches
(53:59):
that are out there in the worldthat are not with me anymore
right now.
Makes sense.
But no, so I found this likebusted ass, big Bang, unico and
I mean this thing is fuckingthrashed Like the date doesn't
work.
Like when I say like the datedoesn't work, like whatever the
crown, like it just skips overthe position to set the date,
(54:20):
like you can't even so.
Georgia Benjamin (54:23):
It's just it's
fallen to the wayside in the
movement.
Blake Rea (54:25):
Yeah and I was.
I was dumb enough to like um.
Like you know, like sometimes,whenever I'm like getting ready,
like I'll put my watch like onmy um, like bathroom, like
dresser, yeah, yeah, I'll showeror whatever, and then I'll jump
in and uh and I actually yeahwell, I, I came, I got out of
the shower and then I'm likethrowing it on.
(54:48):
I looked just condensation allon the inside, and so then I'm
like fuck, okay, what I, what Ido.
So you know, obviously I had toget the condensation out, just
leaving the crown and I, I'mthat idiot where I literally
like all right cool, I got ascrewdriver boom like there.
I am opening up a big bang,like a thirteen thousand dollar
big bang, and I'm so stressed.
Georgia Benjamin (55:08):
The story is
making me so anxious.
Carry on, though, please but,but.
Blake Rea (55:12):
But no, I got the
condensation out and then I took
it to like my watchmaker and Iwas like, hey, bro, just
pressure, test this, just youknow, let me know what I can do.
And then, um, but now I'm inthe process of of documenting
that and I'm gonna, I'm gonna, Igoing to get it serviced in a
new way.
I think I'm going to send it tolike Watch Check, which is like
one of those new like servicecenters.
(55:32):
The watch is already fucked, solike I mean, oh my God, so like
they have like the way that thedate disc works.
It's like a skeleton cutout, ohokay, and they just have a
little like white back to it,where it like highlights the
date yeah, and that shit is likeyellow, it's so gross did you?
Georgia Benjamin (55:54):
what did you
pay for this watch?
Blake Rea (55:55):
I'm so curious I, or
is it going to be in?
Georgia Benjamin (55:58):
your series
that you don't want to ruin, so
you don't have to tell me okayokay, um it would it retail for
about 13 000,000.
Blake Rea (56:05):
I paid $5,500.
Georgia Benjamin (56:07):
Okay, well
done.
This is a fun project.
Blake Rea (56:10):
Yeah, I've gotten
some great steals.
Like my cart, I got the Santosthat is out right now.
It's the medium Santos, theWSSA 0029, which is the newest
one, quick release bracelet,yada, yada, yada, $3,800.
Georgia Benjamin (56:28):
Okay, you've
got a good eye for this.
I'm coming watch shopping withyou.
Blake Rea (56:31):
This is gonna be fun
that sounds amazing I came into
and, um, I picked up one of thelike navit.
Like brightling is one of thosebrands that, like my dad was a
brightling guy, so like I haveto love brightling as much as,
like I sometimes hate them, um,but but no.
So I picked up like a 38millimeter Navitimer which is, I
(56:51):
mean, freaking beautiful likethe Navitimer one, and I think I
paid like eighteen hundreddollars for that wow that's
incredible and then I go back.
I have this one pawn shop thatthey know me.
If anything dope comes in,they'll just shoot me a text.
Georgia Benjamin (57:10):
Okay, I might
need to because I actually am in
the market.
I need to get a 44 Navitimerfor my brother-in-law and then a
friend of mine also wants me tosource a vintage around a 38.
I don't know the vintage,frightening enough, but he wants
me to help find him a 38Navitimer.
So we can, we can talk because,yeah, I haven't seen like in on
(57:31):
the vintage scene in New York,like you don't see them very
often.
So I was like I'm going tostart looking for you and it'll
be like a fun project for mebecause it's a brand that like
I'm not too well versed in but I, the ones that I have feel like
(57:51):
47th street, have been likecrazy overpriced, like more than
you would see on the ebay andwhatnot.
Blake Rea (57:54):
So I I think I need
to find like a niche, a niche
seller in new york otherwise I'mgonna have to go further afield
, but your, your pawn shopsounds epic, so so I do a
combination of like pawnshopping and every single june.
So it's coming up.
If you're yeah, um, you'rewelcome I know I want to come,
whatever you um, but it's, it'sa, it's a b2b watch show, and so
that would be so fun I'll go inthere and I'll get passes and
(58:15):
like, meet all my homies andwe're collectors, right, but but
it's mostly dealers trying tooffload to other dealers.
Yeah, that makes sense.
And so like I mean they theybring so much shit, they're,
they're just like I don't wantto fly any of this back, like I
just want a clear house and sothat's dangerous for me to go to
this my, my friend uh picked up, uh, what is it?
(58:41):
I think it was um, like a uh,like a tank front front, say, or
something.
For his wife it was like lessthan two grand, wow, that's
amazing.
I picked up a gold tank acouple years ago and it was like
not the full, like tank, louis,like a gold case, gold
(59:04):
everything.
But when you pull the strap offit transitions to steel and
also it's of a mill, yeah and ithas the steel case back.
Yeah, I paid like you'd likethree grand for it.
Amazing.
Georgia Benjamin (59:16):
I was like
amazing oh, yeah, yeah and it's
the, the large, the large oh soit's great, that's fantastic
yeah, I wear the shirt.
Oh my gosh, it sounds like adress.
Yeah, you're welcome.
You're welcome to come.
Thank you, I think I'm happy.
Blake Rea (59:31):
We're doing some cool
cool stuff.
We've got a couple like cause Ialso have like a watch club and
so we're we're doing a couplethings out, but but no, it's,
it's a great place to buy.
Um, uh, like my buddy, uh, I'msure you know cameron cameron
(59:53):
bar from craft and taylor, helike he comes up every single
year to to buy there becauseit's it's really not as uh, it's
not as uh as crazy as some ofthe new y stuff.
Georgia Benjamin (01:00:04):
Yeah, yeah, so
no, it sounds like fun.
Blake Rea (01:00:07):
Yeah, you're welcome
to come if you want.
Thank, you.
Let's talk about.
Have you, as a female in theindustry, like a male dominated
industry, have you gotten anylike pushback in this space?
Like do you ever get thoseweird looks Like why are you in
(01:00:28):
here trying on a 40 millimeterdaytona?
Or like, uh, you know 41million?
Like you know?
Like, have you do you feel likeyou're you're you joining the
watch industry?
Has has?
Have you been welcomed?
Georgia Benjamin (01:00:36):
I think yes,
and I think I perhaps my
experience has not necessarilybeen the same for every other
sort of watch girl in the space,but I feel like very, very
lucky that it's been generallyvery positive, like I've
approached with like so muchexcitement and so much passion,
and I think that's beenrecognized, which I'm so, so
grateful for that people seethat and I think the only time
(01:00:56):
I've had sort of negativeexperiences is if I'm going into
an AD and I don't and theydon't know me, or I don't not
that I expect them to know me,but like we don't have a rapport
and we're not sort of friends,and in those circumstances I get
like dismissed, even if I'mwearing something important, but
they're they wouldn't even likegive me the time of day they'll
be, I'll be like can I seesomeone, can I try this on?
They're like oh, we'll put youon the list or whatever sort of
(01:01:17):
nonsense.
But and that happensunfortunately like often, um,
when I don't have a previous,like an existing relationship
with, with, but I think for themost part everyone's like yeah,
that looks like I'm trying onlike an overseas AP.
They're like that looks evergone new.
Or I get so much encouragementbecause, like I love tiny things
, I love like a JLC 101, likegive me the smallest movement
(01:01:39):
you've ever seen and they giveme this giant watch.
That is just also so exciting.
So I think for the most partI've been so lucky to be so
welcomed and it's been reallygreat.
And I think a lot of peoplealways ask me like what my dms
are like.
And I would say 99% of my dmsare so nice, like I get the
occasional like gross thing butlike very, very, very rare.
And most of my dms are fromlike other like probably young
(01:02:02):
people in the space like maybesub 35, messaging me to ask them
about like their grandmothersor their grandfathers watching
Can you tell me the historyabout this?
Or like where should I take itto get service?
And it's so wholesome and, likeme being like the ADD girl I am
, my laser focus goes on tohelping this person.
I will do research.
I will like where are youlocated?
Let me find you some localwatch shops to help you with
(01:02:23):
this.
And I go on this like crazyover the top help journey and
then I get like lovely photosback being like look, I'm
wearing it now all the time andyou help me fix it and it's so
validating.
So I would say that overall I'vehad the most wonderful
experience and I just hope itcontinues and I hope I can like
duplicate myself so I can domore of that and more of sort of
the helping, as well as thecontent, as well as my day job
(01:02:44):
and whatnot.
There's never enough time inthe day, but I think I am so
lucky that I'm able to sort ofsplit my time and also just be
welcomed.
I think it's.
I think it's rare that women doget welcomed into this space,
even though it is changing.
But I do feel lucky that of thereally positive welcome that I
have received.
Blake Rea (01:03:02):
What advice would you
give to, like you know, maybe a
female who's curious aboutcollecting but maybe would feel
a little intimidated to comeinto industry?
Like, what advice would yougive to somebody who may be
listening to our podcast, likethat?
Georgia Benjamin (01:03:17):
Yeah, I hope
so.
Welcome, if you are listening.
Stay true to you.
Do not be influenced by trends.
Do not be influenced by othercollectors or other dealers out
there.
If a dealer is pushing you onsomething because it's got a
great price, like, do you wantit?
Like is this actually somethingthat's going to resonate with
you?
So I think, really stray trueto who you are as a person and
your purchasing habits generally.
(01:03:37):
Like these are big treats andnot something that should be
treated sort of lightly.
So find something that excitesyou, find something that you
don't want to live without andthen, like, lean into that and
learn and research and try on asmuch as you can to make sure
that something that you'rebuying is going to make you
really happy.
And yes, you can always buy andsell so you can get rid of it
if it doesn't bring you joy.
But make sure you stay true toyou and what you want and don't
(01:04:00):
be influenced by others.
So I think that's somethingthat's that's difficult if we're
around people that have amazingcollections and things that we
aspire to be like, but what ifthat collecting taste is
different to ours?
Like we shouldn't be influencedby others in the best way
possible.
Blake Rea (01:04:14):
What would you say
excites you most in watchmaking
right now?
I mean that could be brands,innovations, anything like that
that you would say.
That's like oh shit, this isall I'm about.
Georgia Benjamin (01:04:26):
Anything like
that that you would say that's
like, oh shit, this is all I'mabout.
That's a really interesting one, because I think it's it's kind
of twofold, like one.
What I think brands are doingwell and they're continuing to
do it, and then I think it's aroom for them to grow as well is
really diving into theirheritage pieces and diving into
their history of design and howthey got to where they are today
.
I think Longines is a goodexample of that, and they've got
(01:04:49):
some incredible noveltiescoming out this year that I was
lucky enough to see that reallyjump into their history and then
reflect some of that.
Like these brands are 200 yearsold.
I want to see something thatreally brought you to fame at
the time.
So I do think a lot of brandsare doing that really well.
But something that excites mealmost more so, and it's more of
a personal thing.
It's like I really want tounderstand how a watch works
more so, and I've been so luckyto get to be invited by brands
(01:05:12):
and come and do some masterclasses and get to assemble
movements, but it's it's like ajigsaw puzzle.
I'm not really fully learning.
Um, I am getting to meet withFHH this next week.
Um, which I'm so excited aboutand they're coming to New york
for, like an nyu seminar.
So I'm getting to um meet themand I'm so, so excited.
But I would love to like,personally, be able to fully
(01:05:33):
understand, like, not fullybecause it's I don't have the 30
years of time, but in enoughway that I can have that better
and deeper understanding,knowledge, understanding
knowledge.
So I know what I'm talkingabout more.
I don't necessarily need tovalidated, but it's an area that
I don't have enough knowledgeon, but I would love to learn
more about that, and I thinkbrands are doing a good job, of
sort, of telling the story ofthe movement and telling the
story of how things work,because, yes, it's about design
(01:05:55):
for me, but it's also like howdoes this thing actually
function and why is it so thinand what makes it so special?
Blake Rea (01:06:07):
And so I think that
element of watchmaking is
something that's really excitingto me personally.
No, I I couldn't agree more.
I'm starting to realize thatbrands are starting to pick up
on like, like, what they need tolike.
They're starting to packagewatches with stories and just
saying like, hey, here's ourrelease, boom, you know.
But they're starting to be like, oh well, like, here's the
storytelling, and you get.
You get some brands, brandsthat overdo it.
Yeah, they're like okay, thiswas a functional prototype from
(01:06:34):
the 60s that we found in ourarchive.
We felt like it was great.
We brought it to moderndimensions, put a modern
movement in there, blah, blah,blah.
It's like okay, that's what I'mfor, that's what I'm about.
Georgia Benjamin (01:06:44):
I'm here for
it too.
I love it.
Blake Rea (01:06:46):
What's your take on
like?
We've started to see a lot ofcollaborations now in the watch
industry.
I mean particularly one thatcomes to mind is the Moser
studio, underdog, you know,since you brought up Moser, I
feel like that's one that's likeyou would never expect.
So left field, do you feel likethat's creating new energy in
(01:07:07):
the watch industry or just kindof diluting down or dumbing down
the product?
Georgia Benjamin (01:07:13):
no, not at all
.
I think it's like a.
It's a, it's a collaboration ofum audiences and it's sort of a
awareness sharing of twodifferent brands that appeal to
different audiences.
There are different pricepoints and I think I love like
that collaboration.
Studio and dog and mosa was soleft out of that field, like you
said, um, because you'rebringing in like these crazy
high price point pieces withmuch more affordable and
accessible sort of hype piecesat the moment that are still
(01:07:35):
amazing watches.
But I love that sort ofcross-pollination of let's mix
our audiences, let's really tellthe story of watchmaking and
what it means to us and thosemanifest in two different
products, but let's sort ofshare that incredible passion
and that incredible sort ofdesire for design or whatever it
is.
That sort of brings thatcollection together.
I think it's a nod to howretailers would have their name
(01:07:58):
printed onto dials and like nowthat makes them such incredible
collectors items.
But this is now like a modernversion of that, like how can we
combine forces and use ourcollective incredible vision to
come up with something that'sgoing to satiate both audiences?
So like, bring it on.
I want more and more of that.
Make them limited, make themreally really short runs so we
can only jump in when we can.
(01:08:18):
Um, I think it builds up a tonof like hype and demand and also
just awareness generally of ofthese two different brands that
people might not know about ifyou're coming in from one end or
the other.
So I think it is.
Blake Rea (01:08:29):
It celebrates brands
of big and small, so I think
it's fantastic I've noticed too,like and I think I think I
already know the answer to this,but I'm gonna answer it, or I'm
gonna ask it, and I think I'vealready answered it um, I mean,
it seems like in between thevintage and modern pieces,
you're particularly drawn moretowards the vintage pieces.
(01:08:50):
Why would you say that that is?
Georgia Benjamin (01:08:54):
It's the
design history.
So I do like both and I'veactually started really loving
modern pieces just because I'mlearning more about how they
actually work and the movementsthat go inside of them and then
what it takes to design certainpieces.
So I think in the last year orso I really got excited about
that space.
But for me, originally and andsort of historically vintage is
(01:09:15):
so romantic like I'm, I'm such alike I love the storytelling.
I love, like you said mentioned, time machine earlier.
Like to me, you're wearing awatch of a specific time period
and all the design andeverything that encapsulates it
is really reflective of what wasgoing on at the moment, at that
moment of time.
So if you're looking at a 70spiece like a polo is a sports
(01:09:35):
watch like this is like now youwould never design a watch made
of solid gold to wear sport, butat the time that was something
that, like watches weren't madeout of rubber straps, it wasn't
a thing.
So to me it's.
It transports you back to aspecific time and place of when
that watch was designed and whatit was needed for, and it's
just it encapsulates that momentin time which I think is so, so
(01:09:56):
special.
And something else I love mostabout vintage is that it's one
of one and like sure there couldhave been a thousand, two
thousand or whatever many piecesmade of that specific watch,
but you're the only one withthat patina, those scratches,
those marks that love the story.
Like I bought a I'm getting soexcited about this.
I bought a, my uh 8, 8, um18038 that has a really even
(01:10:18):
patina on the dial.
Like you only look at it whenit's up close, so it gets even
like, more special when you getto see it, and it makes my brain
work, because it was had oneprevious owner.
I don't know the story of itthough, but why does it have
this even patina?
Like what were they doing withthis watch for 30 years before
it came into my life that madethis incredible effect on it?
Like maybe he was just sittingoutside in Texas every day
sunbathing, and it's got thiswonderful little Texas Timex
(01:10:42):
like effects on it.
But there must be something toit that that sort of tells its
story, that, like I might know,I might not know, and so I think
the romance that comes withvintage is hard to replicate in
modern pieces, and I thinkthat's just really special
what's one grail that youhaven't added to the collection
yet, that you know you will oneday?
(01:11:02):
an ap bamboo, some sort of gemset, two-tone.
I keep on seeing them.
I haven't found the one thatlike I can't live without yet,
but I feel like people are goingto just DM me with loads of
them now, so please send them myway.
But, um, yeah, an AP bamboo gemset, two-tone.
Blake Rea (01:11:22):
I haven't found the
right one, yeah, but I it's a
very me watch.
Georgia Benjamin (01:11:25):
I'd wear it
every day.
It would just be.
They're so beautiful.
Blake Rea (01:11:31):
I've never done this
before, but I feel like you
would be the guest To give it Todo it.
I don't know what the fuck I'msaying anymore.
I'm so excited.
I want to do like a super quickrapid fire and then I'll let
you go.
So don't overthink it.
Just go with your gut superquick, rapid fire, and then I'm
ready, and then I'll let you go,okay, so don't overthink it,
just go with your gut.
Santos or Tank.
Georgia Benjamin (01:11:52):
Santos.
Blake Rea (01:11:54):
Independent or
Heritage.
Georgia Benjamin (01:11:55):
Heritage.
Blake Rea (01:11:57):
Manual, wind or
automatic.
Georgia Benjamin (01:11:59):
Automatic.
Blake Rea (01:12:01):
Complication you love
.
Georgia Benjamin (01:12:03):
Wait, give me
options.
Blake Rea (01:12:05):
Chronograph.
I don't know Date date okay,just a date, all right.
And then what is one watch?
You wish that peopleappreciated more.
What's the hardest one?
Georgia Benjamin (01:12:19):
that one's
really hard.
Um, all the ones that come intomind are too basic.
What's a watch that people?
Um, I think a vintage omega, umc master, oh, yeah, I think
they.
There's like a lot of people whoare obsessed with this watch
(01:12:40):
and there's so many variationsagain, I have vintage books on
this because they came in somany different variations with,
like a tactical dial with alldifferent sorts of markers and
there's there's a milliondifferent, different iterations
of it and it's something thatyou can find on ebay for like
1500.
They're not expensive.
They come in like boy's size,which is a 35 millimeter.
They come in 34, 36, and this Ithink the fact that there's so
(01:13:01):
many different variations of itand it's such a classic watch
and it was such a watch at thetime in the 60s, where, if you
wore this watch, it was like theepitome of class and like you
were.
You were it was masculine at thetime like you were a
businessman, you were like afamily man.
You had a watch that what coulddo so much, but also came with
that incredible lineage and it'samazing that omega have taken
it to new steps, uh, andincredible like reaches now, but
(01:13:23):
that's a watch that I have twoof and are really really special
, so it's not valued enough andit's it's so too cheap on ebay,
but go and buy them, they'rereally fun there's so many out
there and I have.
Blake Rea (01:13:36):
I'm one of the
vintage.
Georgia Benjamin (01:13:37):
She masters
too and I freaking love it yeah,
and they all have interestingstories like why does this have
a specific dial?
And then you can dive into,like this whole tale of why it
has this x on the dial orwhatever it might be.
I never even knew that boy'ssize was a thing, like it's all
these sorts of things.
So I think there's a lot tolearn in that space and it's
also an accessible entry pointfor people who for male, female,
(01:13:58):
whoever wants to collect thiswatch.
It's an accessible entry pointin terms of price and you can
also start really, reallylearning, and I think that's
what's so fun about thisindustry is that you can learn
forever and um, I think thatthat's a good place to start
it's so weird because we startedthere at the beginning and now
we're ending here.
Blake Rea (01:14:16):
What a good full
circle.
I love it.
Georgia.
This has been an amazingrecording, incredible
conversation and people.
You can follow georgia there.
You can see her hashtag or her.
What is it?
The username?
My, handle my her handle isright there at georgia binge.
(01:14:36):
Uh, thank you so much for beingwith us and everyone listening,
stay curious, stay collecting,and we will see you on the next
episode of lonely wrist bye,thank you.