Watch People & Their Hobbies

I never had many hobbies before getting into watches, and none of the ones I had before came with a secondary hobby. Or a world the first hobby existed within. I was into bonsai for a while and all I would hear about was how to care for the trees, what kind of pots to put them in, etc. There wasn’t a side hobby of bonsai amateurs who were into meditation, drinking tea, or riding monocycles. They were just into bonsai. I also had a passion for motorcycles for a while and besides being into anything leather and bars, conversations more or less always orbited around the iron horses. 

With watches it’s different. As soon as I got on Instagram and started posting photos of my meager collection, I realized that watch people are into other hobbies—specific hobbies. At first glance, I thought it was odd, for example, to meet so many people who are into coffee or vintage cars and who are into watches as well. But it does make sense when you think about it: a watch is an accessory and a mode of self-expression that we carry with us into our daily lives. It’s not a car we can’t take on a trip. So it makes sense why watch people have other hobbies. 

In this short article, we will look at common things watch enthusiasts are in and try to figure out why. 

Photo Credit: @bowlofsalmon

Coffee

As mentioned above, many watch people are into coffee. The most popular influencers and creators of the perfect flat lay routinely put a coffee mug or coffee beans in the shot. Some of them also sell coffee mugs with their logo on it and the same mugs keep coming back over and over again in people’s photographs. So why is that? Perhaps it’s because many of us like to take our time to sip on a good cup of coffee and slow down time while admiring the timepieces in our collection. We also like to go through the motions of making the perfect cup of coffee or espresso just like we enjoy winding a watch or changing the strap. 

The connection therefore lies in taking our time to be in the present moment, for example enjoying a nice cup of coffee in the morning or with friends in the afternoon and talking about life—and more importantly, watches. 

Photo Credit: @lar5erik

Travel

You don’t have to have a GMT watch to be intro travel. Any watch you enjoy wearing will make do. And there are many watches that evoke exploration: the Rolex Explorer 1, Omega Aqua Terra, and the multitude of sports watches created by independent brands. Every time I see the MONTA Atlas or Skyquest I know I want to hop in a plane. Many of us watch enthusiasts have a special relationship with time and we like to use it wisely. We also are by nature curious since we like to challenge ourselves buying different kinds of watches and picture ourselves having all sorts of adventures with them. 

The connection between owning sport watches and travel is therefore a natural one. We like to strap certain watches on our wrists to go to certain places, and at one point or another on our watch collecting journey, we will be looking for the perfect travel watch. 

Photo Credit: @walkoftime

Fashion 

Evidently, if we spend so much time hunting for the right watch we also want to pair it with the right outfit. And watch collectors often dress according to the watch they wear. If one is an investment banker and owns a Submariner, that person will wear a suit. If one is into fly fishing and owns a MONTA Triumph, that person will be wearing the appropriate clothes for that sport. I particularly love a certain group of watch enthusiasts who are into travel, exploration, and wear Belstaff jackets and proper leather boots. All of it comes together nicely in photos. 

There is a subgenre of people who are into sneakers, however I am not an expert in those. (I wear leather boots!) We can easily see the connection between watches and clothes, and how one matches the other. I build my wardrobe around my watches and make sure they all come nicely together. 

Photo Credit: @thespeedyshutter 

Vintage Cars  

Another big trend is vintage cars, and especially racing ones. I know a couple of people who own vintage Porsche 911’s and who partake in races around the globe. Naturally, they sport their best vintage-looking chronograph when they do so, with matching racing gloves and leather jacket. I suspect that the same should exist with people riding vintage motorcycles like old Triumph Bonneville’s. In the introduction I mentioned that I was into motorcycles; I owned a Harley Davidson and although I always had a watch on my wrist, I wasn’t a collector at that time. 

What a shame. 

Photo Credit: @jirivratislav

Final Thoughts 

I’m sure there are more hobbies watch people are into. I’ve seen celebrity chefs and actors showcasing their insane watch collections on YouTube. By way of this article, I wanted to share a few hobbies watch collectors are into and try to understand the connection. Mostly: we can take our watches—our talismans—wherever we go and whatever we do.

What hobbies are you into? Please share your story below. 

Featured image: www.gearpatrol.com showing the MONTA Atlas.