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.

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

“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.”

Vacheron is a beautiful brand. In the collectors’ world you have the classics, like Rolex and Cartier. But when you talk about complex watches, brands like Vacheron, Patek Philippe, and Breguet are very special. It’s about the craftsmanship and, in a sense, the artistry.

Watchmakers are craftsmen thinking, “How can I get to a solution with a system different from the other guy’s?”

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.

I have the watch to use the watch!

“For me, watches signify special occasions. I’ll buy one for myself as a gift, maybe for the holidays—or maybe before, if I can’t wait!”

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. When anyone asks, “Why do you wear that watch?” I reply, “Well, my friend Bill Murray gave this to me, so . . .”

There’s a term we use in archaeology, “material biography,” which refers to the life story of an object.

So just as we can talk about what happened to the person who wore this watch, we can also imagine what happened to the watch itself—where was it manufactured, where has it been in its life, what has it seen?

As soon as I saw it I just knew it was a watch I had to buy, even if I paid a premium for it, which I did. So regarding the perception of value: somebody literally perceived the value of this watch to be $5.99.

These were made by Heuer for Abercrombie & Fitch, a company that, before it became known as a shirtless male model fashion brand, was a really cool adventure outfitter. If you were going to climb Everest, or spend a month in the Rockies, you’d go to Abercrombie & Fitch to be outfitted. It was legit.

Running a company is a fast-paced life, and being at home, with three kids, is an even faster one. So taking a moment to wind my watch means giving myself twenty seconds of the day to create a sense of purpose as to how I’m going to use my time—to ask myself, Am I going to live today with intention? It forces you to reflect, because during that tiny window you are literally giving yourself the time.