Who watches the watchmen?
#130 Alguien lo sabe (somebody knows)
If you read last week’s post, you know that I am in the process of finding a watch. Well, I found one. In fact, it may be the actual watch that lurked in my subconscious telling me the style of watch to get. That is, it’s my grandfather’s watch that was his dad’s before that.
After reading last week’s post he told me, “I have a watch that you described, if you want it” and so it goes.
It’s from a watch company that no longer exists called Germinal Voltaire. I’ve done some research to find out about it but the internet is surprisingly devoid of info.
It appears that it’s a Swiss company that operated until around the 60s or 70s and may have been taken out by the quartz crisis. What is the “quartz crisis”? A tldr would be that watches could be made cheaper and still be more accurate so many old time Swiss watch companies failed to survive. (Up till this point Swiss watches were greater than 50% of the global market!). It’s more complicated of course; a quite interesting story that I never knew about until I started this journey.
A slightly longer tldr; warning: I’m about to butcher this summary.
In the late 50s and 60s watch companies began toying with batteries and digital watches, at least in prototype. Then in 1969, Seiko release the Astron, the first quartz watch. Then all hell broke loose.
Like every new technology, many old-heads were not able to adapt or find their niche within the old way and so many good companies failed to survive. Their technological prowess of mechanical watches couldn’t perform as well as quartz watches (remember that telling time wasn’t as easy back then, no phones, no internet, just GMT ticking along and somehow everyone else knowing the time).
Some companies doubled down on mechanical prowess and became luxury goods that leaned either towards jewelry or towards technical excellence, or a combination of both. Now you have super expensive watches that show how complicated they can make a watch, even if it’s over the top. Here’s an example of both making jewelry and an overly complicated watch and then selling it for an insane price.
Though the perpetual calendar watches are, in theory at least, extremely cool since they track the day, month, moon phase, leap year, all at the same time, without deviating if it’s continuously worn & wound. Then there are some art pieces that get pretty insane. But they’re not for normal people.
So where does that leave me? I now have two watches, both are heirloom pieces. I am covered.
However, I still am searching to create my own heirlooms for the future, and also want to have watches that embody my personality or taste — that is, watches I chose myself versus was given (even if the ones I have fit my taste a lot). Additionally, if I want to gift my watches to my kids or grandkids, the watches will need to be newer. Though it would be impressive if the two I have are still running then! One is probably from the 90s or early 2000s (~25 y/o) , the other probably from the 50s or 60s (~65 y/o) . I think the older one lags quite a bit, but that’s probably fixable w/ a servicing.
I told you I wouldn’t make watches a focal point here or in my life nor would I become a big collector, so let me move on. It’s true it’s occupied a lot of my thought, but that doesn’t mean I need to bore you with it.
Things I saw this week that make me say, “yes”.
More trees inside, yes.
Read books, yes.
People online are full of shit so you should ignore most of the discourse there, yes.
What a good education is differs from person to person, it develops what that person lacks and reenforces their strengths, yes.
Derek is one of the best tweeters out there. His threads and his roasts/replies, yes.
It’s autumn/winter season and that means cool coats, yes.
Two yesses are better than one.
Lastly, I got tickets for Silverstein and Thursday (in January), yes!
Now listen to their music to prep with me.