What started the interest in this hobby for you?

To be honest, I can't really pin it down to individual points. It is a mixture of the affinity for fashion and luxury and the interest in mechanics. When I tried on a luxury watch for the first time, I was taken by surprise by the sparkle and the feeling of quality. Watches combine history, craftsmanship, art and luxury in a unique style.

mine is probably the most common story among watch enthusiast. few years ago when i hanging out with a friend who wear a rolex submariner, then i have a drink too many and started to ask too many question about his watch. thats when im in love with wristwatch until now

Zombies and knives.

While consuming some of the assorted zombie media out there, I got the idea that the next thoughtful/useful gift I could get my brother was a Zombie apocalypse bag. Putting it together, i slipped down the rabbit hole of knife enthusiasm and started collecting knives. A prominent knife YouTuber did an episode about not getting into watches. 

Here I am.

The Moonswatch of all things..

I always wore watches, cheap mechanicals when I was a kid, cheap quartz later, smartwatches when I thought they were cool and back to watches once I understood how smartwaches were messing with my private life and free time.

I too am a knife enthusiast, having some of the special 'maker' pieces from Kershaw by Jens Anso and Ken Onion. 

I like the idea of an apocalypse bag replete with knives, time pieces, paracord, fire starter, etc. Be prepared for the right 'time' as it were. Ha! 

The first idea started in the realm of the “gentleman’s suitcase of on-the-go essentials” a flask, a cigar, a knife, and a first aid kit. Then I just kept stuffing more and more in there, and it turned into a full on go bag.

A 'Go Bag' but with some comfort (cigars, flask). Hey, just because I have to bug out doesn't mean I can't enjoy it, right! 

My father who was also into watches bought me a cheap mechanical watch when I was around 12. The display back instantly got my interest into watches. I was in awe of the movement and how every moving part was working just to tell time. Then I started collecting in my late 20s when I started to be able to afford them. 

some form of Seiko and miles and miles of own research And experience

I always thought watches looked very cool but never found them to be comfortable. Eventually I started trying out strap solutions and started trying watches as well. 

And now they are my favorite tool to have on me. 

YouTube 🤣 (its responsible for a lot of my interests at the moment)

Went from videos about camping to wood carving to leather working to knives to EDC to watches...Who knows where its gonna take me next 😀

Love it 😂

A unique story for sure! 

For sure YouTube stoked the fire... It's both the best and the worst resource haha 😀

Necessity, followed by curiosity,

It was more of an evolution. I use to be intrigued by simple brands designs. Then stopped for a while because I identified an allergy. Once I found ways around it @TimeJunkie helped me dive deep in horology. 

I think it's awesome that the Moonswatch is bringing people into the hobby. 

In my mid-twenties I wore vintage suits and wrote with fountain pens. I had suits from the 30's, 40's and 50's and a couch in my apartment from the 1880's. I saw an early 60's Hamilton and thought that it fit whatever the weird retro thing was that I was going for.  I lacked for funds when my kids were young and I outgrew the suits. But, when I could, I was back with fountain pens and watches.

Thanks Brother!

This is the watch that got me into the hobby. I was crushed when I realized how big it was and that I couldn’t pull it off.

I understand that feeling so well. I had the same crushing moment when I finally tried the IWC annual Calendar. It was too big. Far too big. 

But I’ve found joy in other watches thankfully! 

I grew up around watches and clocks.  As a kid, I worked at the watch shop because my dad was a watchmaker.  I hated it.  All the 'cool kids' got to play during summer and I had to watch clocks all day.  And collect envelops of watches. 

Because my dad was the best watchmaker in the city (Vegas). I know because all the other shops would send their jobs to him. He learned when there was no standardization of parts; so sometimes, he had to make the parts himself.  So when the other shops couldn't fix it, they would send it to him. And it was my job to handle those little yellow envelops; I would write on them the time and day of delivery. And then call them when it was ready. 

I handled a lot of Rolex watches.  And Omegas.  The first time I handles a Rolex, I recall thinking Is that it?  It was a bit disappointing.  It felt rather flimsy.  Yes, they were the real deal. Then I tried an Omega.  Wow! It felt substantial. The bezel action was so cool! I remember it still.  It was a navy blue seamaster, with the wavy dials.  This was in the early 80's. A lot of time has passed since then. My father is retired. 

I'll tell you one thing. He wore many Rolex and Omega etc watches in his day. When he was fixing them and checking their accuracy.  But for himself, he always wore a Casio.  The databank in fact. He trusted Casio. 

Thank you for sharing, this is a great story. Your dad sounds like a legend. 

i like that even today Casio is still a highly regarded brand, regardless of price. A true testament to the hobby 👌🏻

My step dad was into watches, so I grew up around popping into ADs and getting stuff like Seiko and Casio divers, ani digis, etc. for gifts all through the 80s.  I was clueless through much of the 90s (school & stuff), then got back into it when I got access to the internet in 2002ish and found brands like Sinn and the 1st Rick Marei DOXAs.

I'm guessing now that my father had an interest in watches but never could justify buying expensive watches (he did have a DateJust that he found too cumbersome). He did buy everything he could for the rest of the family though.

He did occasionally buy fake watches, just whatever it was in vogue. Franck Muller, Hublot, etc. One watch eventually did catch my eye, the (likely coated) rose gold Calibre de Cartier. That one was on my wrist for most of university.

What caught my attention? I think it was the Roman numerals. It was the warm gold tone. It was that retro, small seconds hand design. It was that I had to shake the watch to make it go.

And the Cartier grew on me. I wasn't able to get the one I initially fell in love with, but I am an owner of another beautiful Cartier watch that is the Cle. My interest in watches grew even more as I got in to menswear and the various accessories that I can wear with a suit.

I didnt wear a watch for years from getting out of the habit for work (worked as a machinest years ago).

But I decided this year (2022) that I wanted a regular everyday watch to wear again and as someone who has always generally been interested in watches I started collecting lol like I needed another hobby 😂

Actually, it is more time than the watches that put me into this hobby.

I am amazed by Time, because it one of the few things (the only one?) that mankind cannot control.

The first one who mentions "Back to the future" is expelled from the classroom.

When almost 40 I learned about “Kinetic” watches…watches that had gears and springs and didn’t have to be wound. My wife bought me a Seiko cocktail time. 
 

I then started buying/researching prepping items in 2019…guns, knives, bags, flashlights, etc. Moved on to watches and it stuck. 

I always liked gadgets.  once I wore a watch at an early age I was smitten. It was the number 1 Christmas wish want.  I wouldn’t get serious about watches until I was an adult, but I always had a nice watch. 

My dad, Uncle, and Grandpa all collect antique pocket watches. I grew up around them, and occasional summer trips to watch shows and conventions. Once as I got a decent paying internship in college, and I was stuck at home during Covid, I slipped down the rabbit hole.