Julian's Watch

BB
Jan 2
3 min read

Updated: Jan 15

Custom Groomsmen Watch: A Timeless Gift for My Friend Julian

Julian,

My good friend. We've been through the bestest of times, and the worstest times. And also the drunkest... and the poorest.... etc. Hah!

As you know I'm super into watches. Love em, it's like a mix between a fetish and hobby!

Mostly I was into smartwatches and fitness watches, for the stats, the screen resolution, and the rugedness.

But when I broke my foot in early January last year I was still wearing the smartwatches, and my stats were getting worse and worse.

Reminding me to STAND when I couldn't. VO2 Max dropping every week. DETRAINING showing on my Garmin. Less than 50 steps a day. Just a real shot to the mental health.

So I put away the smartwatches... and I picked up an old G-Shock. Just the time :) bliss.

And then an old analog watch I used to wear, and after that I really started to appreciate the timelessness of that analog beauty.

There it was, sitting in a drawer for at least 5 years since I wore it last. And before that it was probably sitting on a shelf for 10+ years untouched. I just grabbed it one day, wound it up and put it on and Bam! It worked flawlessly.

After that, I was hooked to these kinds of watches. The "automatics" and the "hand-wound" watches. Ticking hands going round and round via gears; no batteries, the timeless design. A smartwatch will eventually just be a black screen.

No matter how much care you take of a smartwatch, eventually the software will stop being supported, or a transistor will go bad, or the battery will corrode and it'll just end up in a landfill.

But for an Automatic Watch. You don't need a battery. You just need some MOVEMENT to keep the gears turning.

That's where I started researching the beauty and the heritage of a Rolex. There's thousands of stories out there of Rolex's being passed down from father to son, to grandson, and so on. The design, has lasted the test of time. The perpetual movement has outlasted generations. And that really spoke to me.

For my wedding coming up, I wanted to get you a Rolex. To "literally" mark the occasion in time forever.

But to be honest I can't even afford one Rolex. Let alone 4 for all the groomsmen.

So I tried to find a few watch brands that really spoke to me and was cost-effective enough to buy a few.

But I couldn't customize a branded watch. And if it wasn't a Rolex, and if it wasn't custom... then it just isn't good enough for you my boy!

So anyway, I made you one. Literally made you a watch.

I bought the tools, I bought the parts, I learned (kinda) what I was doing. Fucked up a few others first :D

I sourced the movement from Japan. It's an NH-35 movement (I paid tariffs on it)

I bought the casing and hands from China. (Paid tariffs on that shit too)

Lastly, I found a dude on Etsy to CNC a custom design on a luminous dial for you and the other guys.

The Rolex Explorer 2

Julian, your watch is based on the Rolex Explorer 2. It stands out as a symbol of adventure and resilience. Originally designed for mountaineers, explorers, and cave-divers. It combines durability with classic elegance. Choosing this model as the base for a custom watch made perfect sense because it aligns with your adventurous spirit and your refined taste.

The Explorer’s dial has luminous markers so you can see the time in the dark, a sturdy all-steel case and the orange accents and hands mark your obsession with a certain team in Denver. ;D