A Man & His Watch: Iconic Watches and Stories from the Men Who Wore Them (A Man & His Series Book 1)

by Matt Hranek

For many men, watches seem to have a deeper meaning than just keeping time. Watches mark special occasions, they tell the world a bit about who you are, and they can, if you’re lucky, connect you to the people in your life who matter most.

There’s a powerful thread uniting these stories and these men—whether they’re alive or dead, wealthy and famous or clock-punching everyday guys. Watches are objects that start conversations among men who notice them. I began to realize that the watches worn on the wrists of the men I knew often had great emotional significance, or represented some deep connection—the watch had been given to them by a relative, it marked a major life event, or maybe it allowed them to be the version of themselves they most wanted to be.

At the end of the day, a watch is just a watch—it’s the story behind it that can make it exceptional.

and my approach to describing the emotional connections that we, as men, have with watches, the more incredible stories I found. I’ve spent countless months compiling those stories, from all around the globe, and the one thing I’ve learned is that I’ve barely scratched the surface.

“Watches tell the world a bit about who you are, and they can, if you’re lucky, connect you to the people in your life who matter most.” —Matt Hranek

Cooking, too, is craftsmanship. Take making a sauce: you can’t measure an ounce of flavor—it doesn’t exist that way. It’s intangible; you can’t dissect it. Like time. So it’s the same with watches: it’s craftsmanship until you reach a certain level of complexity. Then it’s artistry. Watchmakers are craftsmen thinking,

I mean, the guy who invented the tourbillon had to be pretty twisted! Thinking about how when you cross the equator and then come back, the pressure is different, and creating a solution for that—can you imagine? Most people don’t consider this sort of thing, but collectors do. They understand the amount of work that went into that solution.

Some people get mad at me when they see me banging up an expensive watch while working in the kitchen. But I can always send it back to be fixed and repo...

“For me, watches signify special occasions. I’ll buy one for myself as a gift, maybe for the holidays—or maybe befor...

While Patek Philippe is credited with inventing the wristwatch, the style was largely thought of as a timepiece for women. It was not until the Cartier Santos-Dumont that men began equating the wristwatch with exploits of daring and courage, and imbuing them with all manner of romance and nostalgia—a feeling any true watch lover knows all too well.

It’s a simple watch, functional, no problems. But you know, most every watch in the world, even the really old ones, keeps very good time—so what’s the difference between all those watches? It’s the stories behind them. And I have this amazing story that I’ve told a thousand times.

My father never wore watches the way I wear them. No one in my family wore the type of watches I like. It just came to me; I have my own taste, a way of styling things that appeals to me. I like to wear things that people don’t know about. When you notice a man with a watch that you’ve only seen in a magazine, or heard about, there’s something unique about the guy wearing it. If you see a guy with a lot of diamonds on his watch, the way I see it—the way I’ve experienced it with other people, and even myself—you know that guy likes to have a lot of fun. He’s looking to have a good time.

They say time is an illusion, but even so, you need it. A good watch represents someone who’s punctual, responsible, who has a lot on his plate. Someone who knows how to manage his time and takes life seriously, because life doesn’t wait for anybody. Before you know it, you’re running out of time.

“This is my everyday watch, but it’s also an heirloom; it’s something you pass on to your children and your grandchildren. Heirlooms make you think about the people in your life.”

Everything you buy has a soul to it. You remember the details: exactly when you bought it, how much you paid for it. You want to think of that item as exclusively yours—unique to you. It’s the details, the little things that make you say, “This is special; this is mine.”

“It’s a subtle watch, not really recognizable for what it is, but I like that. It’s a lucky watch for me.”

You have to honor each object and, at the same time, be ready to let it go.