Lonely Wrist: All Things Watches & Horology

The Watch Journey: Chrono Girl Life Talks Collecting and Content

Subscriber Episode • • Lonely Wrist • Season 1 • Episode 53

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What transforms a casual watch observer into a passionate enthusiast with a collection of over 35 timepieces? For Anna of Chrono Girl Life, it began with simple curiosity about her partner's hobby and evolved into a rich journey of discovery, creation, and community.

In this revealing conversation, Anna shares how her initial skepticism about watches gave way to genuine fascination as she began asking questions about movements and mechanics. Her first mechanical timepiece—an Orient Bambino—opened the door to a world that would eventually see her become not only a collector but also a content creator, writer for Watch Gecko, and brand ambassador for Naga Watches.

Beyond her personal collection, Anna offers unique insights into the robust Polish watch community, where Facebook groups boast over 100,000 members and vintage Omegas command fierce devotion. She challenges conventional approaches to women's watches, advocating for designs that prioritize craftsmanship over stereotypical feminine elements like diamonds and mother-of-pearl dials.

Perhaps most compelling is Anna's perspective on what truly matters in a timepiece: the story behind it. Whether discussing her cherished Oris Aquis Clean Ocean Limited Edition or her dream of one day owning an IWC Engineer in gold, each watch represents more than metal and mechanics—it's a conversation starter that brings joy every time she glances at her wrist.

As she balances her passion for watches with a career in IT and single motherhood, Anna's authenticity shines through. Her future plans for YouTube content creation promise to bring her genuine enthusiasm to even wider audiences, continuing to bridge the gap between the technical world of horology and the personal connections that make watches truly special.

Follow Anna on Instagram at:

https://www.instagram.com/chrono.girl.life/

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Blake Rea:

Hello everybody and welcome to another episode of the Lonely Wrist podcast. I'm your host, as always, Blake Ray, and we do our best to have the most amazing guests, and today's guest certainly fits the roster. This guest is not only a contributor for Watch Gecko, but an ambassador for Naga Time, an amazingly talented writer and refreshing content creator All the way from Poland. Chrono Girl Life, but I'm just going to call you Anna. Welcome to the show.

Anna Kubasik:

Hi, hi everyone, I'm blushing now, thank you for this introduction. It's so.

Blake Rea:

Yeah, I know. No, I started talking to one of my friends and they were like whenever you ask somebody to to introduce yourself, you always get that awkward moment of like well, what do I say? So they suggested to me like that I introduced my guests and so I'm trying to yeah, thank you, that's really helpful.

Anna Kubasik:

You know, especially to break the ice at the beginning of the of the conversation because it is awkward. You, that's really helpful. You know especially to break the ice at the beginning of the conversation because it is awkward. You know, it's like somebody asks you this question and you're like OK, who am I actually? What am I doing? Why am I here?

Blake Rea:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I've been following you for quite a while. And then, of course, like when we met in Geneva, you know, I was like, hey, like are you that girl that I follow? And you were like, yeah, that's me. And I was like I didn't even recognize you. But then again, like when you see people there, you're like I've seen you somewhere, but I don't know where I've seen you.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, that's true. In my case, at least you have a glimpse of my face, you know, yeah, you, at least you have a glimpse of my face, you know. So you can see the blonde girl. Maybe. It was like, maybe I can recognize her for someone. A majority of cases, you don't see people's faces in our world, so that's even, you know, more confusing sometimes.

Blake Rea:

It's very weird to say that I know people for their watches more than I know them for like their face or their collection. You know, it's very weird to just say that.

Anna Kubasik:

So yeah, you can recognize. You're like oh yeah, I know this wrist, I know this watch. Uh, oh yeah, that's you, that's that happens.

Blake Rea:

Yeah, quite yeah, well, I'm certainly glad to have you. It's been challenging. We've been going back and forth. You're busy, we're both busy scheduling conflicts. I mean you have obligations. Hopefully lil chrono is in good hands he is today.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, it's like I apologize for this like being, you know, a pain in the neck over the last couple of weeks, but you know, like there's nothing I could do. I want to have this comfortable situation here where we can. We can just talk, and you know he's three years old. He will be jumping on me, otherwise that's okay, we've had children.

Blake Rea:

We my, my dogs certainly want a cameo on the podcast. You could probably hear them in the background. We've had cats. We've had animals jumping up into I mean it. It's all fun here where we we're all about watches and and we love, we love family and and even animals. So, whatever it all worked out, um, let's jump into it, because I got a lot to cover. Um, first of all, like, just tell us how you got into watches. From what I read, it seems like your partner opened the door yes for watches to you.

Blake Rea:

So so where did, how did you get into it and where did his influence end? And your you know your taste truly start to define who you are as a collector uh well, the story is probably not breathtaking.

Anna Kubasik:

Uh, at the beginning, uh, because, yes, it was my. It was my partner, my, my father's dad, so my ex-partner now, and he was a collector for many years. He inherited some pieces from his grandfather and as a child even he was already passionate about watches. So a couple of years ago, this passion actually went back with full force. Ago, this passion actually went back, you know, with full force. And all the youtube videos, all pretty much everything on the tv was youtube videos about watches. Uh, so at first I was like annoyed. I was like, oh my god, like how can you spend so much time? You?

Anna Kubasik:

know, listening and watching about something that you don't really use that much anymore. You know, I was like surprised, but then I started asking questions. I was like, okay, he said something. He said this about this uh, movement, what does it mean, you know? And I was like what different movements, what? What does it mean?

Anna Kubasik:

yeah, yeah, right, yeah and just asking questions and more questions. And then I found myself watching with him, you know, and I found some YouTubers that I particularly liked, like Teddy Baltasar. That was my favorite one because I liked his calm approach, very professional, you know, explaining everything Like for the beginners. It was really great. So, yeah, that's what I got, a hook. Uh, of course, like before that, I had watches, and my first watch was actually a fashion watch or one of the famous swedish brands, fashion watches okay, yes, uh, but that was before.

Anna Kubasik:

And then my ex told me, like you, you need a real watch. Okay, so let's start somewhere. So, uh, he gave me an adretica, which is a swiss brand, which was coarse watch, but it was really nice, it was, you know, similar style. So I was kind of like, yeah, this is what I like, but, um, it's something proper, it's a proper watch. And then I was just like, man, I want an automatic watch. And then, you know, watching all of those things, watching all of those things there, was really inspiring me to get my own. And then I got my own Orient Bambino, which I really very good, nice.

Blake Rea:

Sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off yeah, no, no, no, no, I'm just. I'm not seeing you anymore, so I'm not sure I I confuse people when I I'm trying this new thing of like live editing.

Anna Kubasik:

So when you're saying some important stuff, I'm just gonna be like so okay, that's good so don't get confused, I'm still here when I'm saying some stupid things, you will be just cutting it I'll just go to this when you're gonna say something to shield you from that good to know.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, so I got my first orient bambino uh, because you know I was on a limited budget and I've heard it was a good watch, great watch, and it actually was. I really enjoyed it. And I've heard it was a good watch, great watch, and it actually was. I really enjoyed it. And that's when I wanted to do some more. I started posting on my personal Instagram and then me and my partner at the time were just like you know, maybe you could do something more fun. There were not so many female creators about watches, and especially in my native poland, um, so so, yeah, that's when I when I started my instagram and my partner was there at the beginning of the beginnings of my channel. He was taking pictures and helping with a lot of planning and things like that, but all the creative kind of part of what I wanted to do was coming from this head.

Blake Rea:

Okay.

Anna Kubasik:

Yes, and then I was just, you know, digging deeper and deeper and I think I was kind of surprised how welcoming this world was and I really started getting like good results, let's say very quickly, like having people following me, wanting to read my posts. They were reading my posts. They were reading my posts. That was something that I was really, uh, shocked to learn, because I thought, on Instagram, all that matters is just pictures yeah yeah, uh, pictures, likes, yeah, followers, but people are actually reading what I was writing and, uh, that was, that was very fun.

Anna Kubasik:

And then I just got you know more and more ideas. Uh, last year I had a little bit uh hard time, you know uh. So so, yeah, me and my partner split, uh, but then I kind of rediscovered the way I'm doing content now, you know. So I'm taking all of the photography now, like I did take my photos before, you know, of the watches. Of course, certainly not myself when I was in the photo, but yeah.

Anna Kubasik:

I was taking, so I'm doing my photography. I'm trying to learn a little bit more about videography. I started going to the watch events more and more because I found out that I enjoy talking to people, to brand you know people behind all those brands and yeah, so it's still kind of evolving, you know.

Blake Rea:

Yeah.

Anna Kubasik:

And yes, so I think those watch events were really big for me because I met so many amazing people and at the watch event in Prague last year I met Rob Knotts, who actually was the person thanks to whom I got you know this guest art tour.

Blake Rea:

Wow nice.

Anna Kubasik:

At Watch Gecko, so yeah.

Blake Rea:

Well, you met me too.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, of course, I've met many amazing people.

Blake Rea:

Yeah.

Anna Kubasik:

So yeah, yeah, that's great.

Blake Rea:

I read that you have over 35 watches. Is that accurate?

Anna Kubasik:

Probably a little bit more now.

Blake Rea:

Okay, yeah. Well, this could have been a dated article, but I read this article from Vincent, oh yeah vincent, uh, oh yeah, mainspring, friend of the channel, fan fan um tell me, out of your entire collection, which watch make you, makes you smile the most oh, okay, um, so I will be.

Anna Kubasik:

First of all, I will give my. The first watch was my kind of grail. It's not an expensive watch, it's not super luxury watch, but that was the one at the beginning. When I started my Instagram, I was like I want this watch. I love how it looks, what it has like, the brand and everything, and it's AORUS Aquis and I have this special edition of clean ocean, uh, special edition, uh, and I got it second hand of, uh, you know, my local watch friend here in wrocław and it's just perfect.

Anna Kubasik:

I, I love it. I love it so much. It's a little bit you know more on the bulky side, like it's like 39 millimeters, but it's still a bit thick, but I love to feel, you know, feel it on my wrist and it's just, it's just beautiful. I love the design of this diver. That's probably one of my favorite divers of all time. Uh, so that's one great one, yeah, yeah, yeah. The other one is, uh, actually recent and it's the one that I'm wearing, and you mentioned that I'm ambassador yeah, I think you post about it yes, yes, it's, uh, it's, it's so good like, uh, that's their the first model and I just love everything about this design.

Anna Kubasik:

You know it's inspired, snake inspired and very kind of thin, wearable, a little bit on the bigger side, which is what I like, and uh, yeah, no diamonds and excessive feminine features, which is also good for me.

Blake Rea:

So, yeah, those are uh the the ones that I can think of the more I talk to the ladies in the industry, the less they, the more I find out how much they hate diamonds and mother of pearl and just all the cliche things and even small cases like you know I think on any of that yeah, because when you like go to this category female watches is that you will find quartz diamonds, mother of pearl, don't get me wrong.

Anna Kubasik:

These are all like nice things played out you know, just like it's nice to have options. Yeah, I love wearing men's watches, so sometimes, you know, watches that I love are like 43 millimeters. It's too much for me. And then, uh, when they're creating a version for women, it's like quartz they would pack the diamonds on the indices and it's just not the same and I want the same, you know yeah, options right yeah yeah, any, any, uh, any possible collabs going down with naga, like you're working on right now, or um no, I can't really tell anything, but um I'll take that as a yes.

Anna Kubasik:

Okay, all right, joking but um, yeah, we've only started like working together two months ago and thanks to them. I've already been uh on the watch event in italy last month, which was amazing, I saw that, yeah yes, so. So I think it's a pretty good you know working together. Hopefully they feel the same time will tell.

Blake Rea:

Time will tell. Um, yeah, no, that's amazing. Um, and yeah, everybody has their own journey. I'm curious to talk about the watch scene in poland, like we've done some past episodes with different markets. You know, like we talked about, we talked with a watch trader from tbilisi, georgia, um, and that what that podcast did so well, because people here in america like my audience is confined to mostly north america, but somehow we have listeners in 60 countries, but most of us are here in the states. So tell us about the scene, the community, like even the micro brand space or even the big box brands in poland, like is it as mainstream as it is that you'd see out here? Or like are people just getting into watches in Poland or is there a huge community around it?

Anna Kubasik:

It's a huge community, uh, actually, okay, some, some of the, you know this would be my uh impressions, so I don't know. If you ask somebody else from Poland, they can probably give you a completely different answer, but, um, I think it's, uh, yeah, it's, it's a big scene, uh, and it's life, especially on facebook. If I facebook or forums, um, because you know that usually people um, interested in watches are on the like, probably they're not super young, you know, so they're a little bit more experienced in life, let's say, uh, and they're not super young, you know, so they're a little bit more experienced in life. Let's say they're using Facebook and those groups the biggest one in Poland has over 100,000 people. Holy shit, yeah, it's big. So, yeah, it's quite, I don't know, it's a tough crowd. Sometimes I want to say, so you cannot, you know, please them with just, you know, releasing the watch that is worth probably $5. Yeah, and just say it's great. No, they want to know, you know about what's inside, you know what it comes from, what it's like, when is it, where it's done everything about it. They want to know that the money they pay for it, it's worth it actually. Sure, so that's one thing.

Anna Kubasik:

There's also a huge market for vintage watches. So, vintage watches, yeah, people are really, some people are really sitting only in vintage watches, which is fun. I think omegas, vintage omegas are like huge part of this market here in Poland. Yes, people would kill for a nice vintage omega, I feel.

Anna Kubasik:

But yeah, I think recently people started going into micro brands a little bit more because I think a couple of years ago and even when I was starting, which was like two and a half years ago, right, if you put, if you put any micro brand, people didn't know they would be like another chinese watch, you know, yeah, just just nothing interesting. But now I think you know the situation and the, you know the economics and everything changed that people actually learned that those watches have different stories and behind them that can be interesting, interesting, you know, and you can actually afford a very nice watch with a nice story, with nice specs and things like that. So I think people are getting more okay with microbrands watches now and we have a couple of microbrands in Poland probably around, I don't know, maybe 10.

Blake Rea:

Oh, wow.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. A friend of mine has an online shop with Polish watches. So like a year, year and a half ago, I was uh working with him, like for free. I mean, he was just uh, you know, lending me some watches to to wear and to try out uh. So I had, I had the chance to kind of try some of them on and, yeah, they're good brands yeah, I've read about like like balt balticus, I think is one of them.

Blake Rea:

Yeah, I've read about some, like Balticus, I think is one of them. Yeah, I've read about some of them and like Zykor or something, something, zykor, something.

Anna Kubasik:

Ah, zykor, yeah, yeah Zykor. I think.

Blake Rea:

I do some homework, you know.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, good.

Blake Rea:

Good.

Anna Kubasik:

This is a funny name, because yeah it's. It's not a Polish name not at all, because we don't even have the X letter in our language, but it's. Sikor is actually a kind of slang word for watch, but it's not spelled this way as it is. So, yeah, that's why it's pronounced the way it is.

Blake Rea:

Okay, so let's dive in to your head here a little bit. You're walking down the street. You see a watch in a showcase or even at a street vendor. What do you look for in not only the future watches, but what speaks to you most about watches?

Anna Kubasik:

I think story story speaks to me. So, uh, well, two things wearability, if I can actually wear it, because I don't need a watch that you know I will never wear. So that's that, that's the thing, so that I will definitely pay attention. Is it my style, you know? Um, will it be something that I can, I can wear every day, you know, once a year or something? Yeah, do I like it?

Anna Kubasik:

Of course, that's important, but other than that, it's not just like oh, this is the watch I like and that's it, I'm fine, which is also a valid approach. I don't kind of diss it or anything, but just, yeah, for me, I like when the watch has a story behind, when I'm smiling, when I'm talking about this watch, when somebody asks me the question, you know, what are you wearing? And then I'm like, actually, this is interesting because this is such and such brand and they're doing those things, and you know, and I have, you know, my friends, or like some colleagues from work, sometimes they're asking what I have on my wrist and then just laughing at me, kind of that.

Blake Rea:

I'm yeah, your eyes are getting bright speaking about it, and that's the right kind of thing for me, that's what I feel that was a good one yeah, I have the feeling too, where you're like always at work and you're like I just can't wait till I get off work so I can just go look up watches on the internet or like, go to ebay or like whatever.

Anna Kubasik:

You know, I same thing, yeah, um yeah, so, so, yeah, so those are the things. Of course I want my I I am kind of like those, as I mentioned before, polish people who are like I want to know where my money went to. So you know, I feel I want to have the satisfaction that it was money well spent. But, yeah, these are those things, at least right now.

Blake Rea:

That literally just happened to me yesterday. So right now, just to give you some context, I think you know I live in Las Vegas, which is in a weird way. You'd think it'd be much bigger for watches than it really is. But it's owned by the big boys All the Richemont Group, swatch Group, lvmh Group, they're everywhere but there's no independents, there's no micros here. They don't make it this far for some reason.

Blake Rea:

But here in Las Vegas right now, once I'm done with your podcast, um, there's like 20, 30, 40 watch brands in town right now for like a jewelry expo where it's like jewelry brands, like I've got a meeting with wolf, uh, today, like the winder company and I have a pretty cool relationship with Young Hans. They're like a really good friend of the brand of Lonely Wrist and I went there and you know, first of all, I never got a chance to see their entire portfolio in one place, but they had a Young and I'm a huge Max Bill guy. All it takes is like you just type lonely wrist youtube and then just see all the young on stuff either, but like they had a young hans max, bill, mega, solar oh the entire, the entire watch is titanium and the solar movement.

Blake Rea:

So like, let's just say like, I flew to geneva. The second it picks up a radio frequency, it changes time automatically. Don't have to worry about it, and the entire watch is 23 grams that's, yeah, very impressive I know.

Blake Rea:

So I put this on my wrist and I'm like, well, first of all, they put it in my hand. And I'm like, well, first of all, they put it in my hand and I'm like I don't even feel like I'm holding anything Like this is like a feather here. You know what I mean. So then I had to buy one. So, unfortunately, rip to my bank account.

Anna Kubasik:

But yeah, Younghans have great watches. I had, I think, two vintage Younghans before and I had a Max Bill as well yeah, in the past vintage new hands before and I had a max bill as well yeah, In the past. But unfortunately I got it secondhand as well and it had some water damage, as it turned out when I went to kind of service it and it was just like this is my.

Blake Rea:

This is my fourth max bill and I bought one at an auction and I the price was like amazing and I was just like I can't not buy this. And then I thought it was vintage. And then I got it in and like their entire archives is online, which I really love, like I can just, like you know, do some like internet trolling and find out everything about my watch. It's from 2004. Okay, mind you, I thought I was buying a watch here from the 60s and I'm like biggest letdown, but I still love it. I still love it.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, yeah, I think I had one. It was like a chronograph, it was quartz, but I think it was one of the most popular watches that I had on my page at that time. You know, each time I was posting it, people were like, wow, that's so amazing and it was 18 years old, so very nice yeah.

Blake Rea:

How do you decide to kind of deviate from that? So you said, like the most important thing to you is not only necessarily wearability, but story is very important. And your purchasing process, like, how do you decide to kind of be like okay, like I don't give a shit about this story, like this watch is amazing, like like where does that turn over for you?

Anna Kubasik:

you know, I don't know if I, if that ever happened to be honest maybe. No, I just need to be really interested in in the watch. You know that to to kind of do that, but it's it kind of contributes to the story behind it. So, uh, I'm, I'm thinking, I always ask, I was asking a bunch of really hard questions.

Anna Kubasik:

I'm sorry no, no, that's fine. You know, I think it's just because I don't really have the budget for really those expensive fancy cool watches. So I don't have those type of problems that much. So when I'm spending my money I'm just making sure that it's for something it's pretty and it's cool and it's fancy.

Blake Rea:

Since we're both in the watch industry, we can do fairy tales here. So if budget was no option, what would be in your watch case?

Anna Kubasik:

I don't really dream about like Pateks or APs or things like that. I don't have the things like Grail watches. The one that I loved during watches and wonders this year, I think was my favorite release from watches and wonders was IWC in gold the engineer. So I think that's probably something that I would love to have. Especially this gold version was really amazing. So, um, yeah, it's not a crazy, you know, crazy like big, big, big guys um still, yeah, I would definitely love this one um iwc, iwc listens.

Blake Rea:

So hey, wink, wink.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, there we go and I winked like yeah no no, please, and thank you so, so, yeah, so I think I think that's the first one that comes to my mind and um, there will be probably, uh, I would definitely love, uh, to have a rolex gmt one day in my collection, and then this is not. You know, for some people Rolexes are like cheap watches. Right, these are not like, as I said, like the text I like from the really big guys. I like Vacheron a lot, vacheron Constantin, but again, it's just such a fairytale to me that I'm not even totally no.

Blake Rea:

It's the same for me, like I have this weird problem of like looking at my bank account and realizing I can't afford anything that I want, which sucks. But then I look at my watch collection. I'd be like how the hell did I afford all this?

Anna Kubasik:

yeah I know. And then you're like asking yourself do I really need another one?

Anna Kubasik:

like if nope, but I'm gonna get one yeah, yeah, exactly, but I'm sorry, but, um, I think, yeah, the problem for me with getting such an expensive watch would be would would I be wearing it enough? That would be again this question of wearability, and that's probably something, uh, that's, it will be very difficult to overcome for me. Yeah, so I'd, maybe I'd rather have like a couple of watches that I will have on rotation you know, there are not that expensive, but I will be wearing them. Uh, then, just having this one well, of course, I will never have one, but, yeah, spending a lot of money on this one that I can, I can barely wear have you tried getting some of your friends, like your guy and girlfriends, into watches like, or most of your friends already in the scene, or uh, no, I think my friends here, my local friends, my old friends, they're not into watches and I haven't really tried to push them.

Anna Kubasik:

Uh, they, you know, because I don't like being pushed to anything. So I I assume that my friends are a bit like me and they don't like that too, um, but they like, they watch my profile, they watch, uh, you know, the videos that they look at, the photos that I'm posting within stories, so they enjoy it as well, as far as they tell me if they're not lying, um, but yeah, and I sometimes, oh yeah, this one, this watch, is actually very cool, you know, and they really like to listen about it, you know, and listen about my journey there on instagram, um, but, uh, yeah, no, I'm not, I'm not forcing people to do that. Yeah, um, so, and then I, yeah, now I have some watch friends as well, you know. So I can kind of, uh, put all of this, you know, energy towards them, instead of torturing my friends no, that means.

Anna Kubasik:

That means you're a good friend yeah, yeah, and I even like my best friend who just moved to uh to america. Actually two months ago, uh, she married an american man and she moved to raleigh, um that's where I'm from.

Blake Rea:

Did you know that?

Anna Kubasik:

you are from raleigh? No, I didn't know?

Blake Rea:

yeah, I'm from raleigh, north carolina yeah, so there you go wow, it's a big watch scene there? I think, yeah, there is there, is I never?

Anna Kubasik:

I never got into the watch scene there, um, but no, no, I've lived most of my life there yeah, I even owned a house there for for seven years sold it just recently so yeah, very nice, yeah, so I'm hoping to actually go there, uh, someday, maybe not this year, maybe next year, I will see uh, but yeah, she's, she's always like trolling me, you know, she's like she just bought the bands for her, like apple watch, you know. She's like oh look, they're fancy. Do you want to post them online? You know things like that. But yeah, so luckily I have many watch friends now that I can actually talk about those things.

Blake Rea:

Yeah, okay, so let's do another hypothetical here, because I like these hypotheticals. It gives us really a personal taste of who you are. If you could take any watch from your collection and throw it on one of your friend's wrists who's not a watch collector? Which one would it be, and which one do you think that would convert them into a watch collector?

Anna Kubasik:

um, I think uh, the majority of my female friends at least they would like something more. Sorry, I'm missing the word minimalistic. You know this kind of way. So I think my Nomos would be a good choice for some of my. My Nomos Metro is 33 millimeters and it's in this deep shade of red, muted red. I think that would be the good choice for my, like female friends, because you know it's very minimalistic. There's a reason why those fashion brands are so popular. You know they do do what people, what women want to buy. You know they don't want like big kind of sports watches. Usually I want that, but not everybody wants that.

Anna Kubasik:

So yeah, I think that would be one. There's also a Venezia Nico that I recently got with this Aventurine dial which a couple of my friends were like oh it's so beautiful.

Blake Rea:

I saw that. I saw you post that.

Anna Kubasik:

Yes, and again, it's so beautiful. I saw that, I saw you post that. Yes, and it's again, it's minimalistic, it's kind of wearable to you can. You can wear it with everything, uh. So I think one of those two. I think normos has a really great uh selection for, like, non-watch enthusiasts uh, that can be turned enthusiasts in the future. So that would be probably my choice, or if I had it, or still, but yeah yeah, well, there's always opportunity for another max bill to come back into your collection?

Anna Kubasik:

yeah, I hope it will one day yeah, young hods make it happen are they listening?

Blake Rea:

no, I, I, yeah, they are probably. I love them. They're so great.

Blake Rea:

So at least in North America, for example, a family took over the whole North American market and it's this German family and it's a father, a wife, a daughter and I think there's a son there, and it's almost like a mom pop, like small business type of vibe whenever you go there that's great and I was with them yesterday and one of my, uh, my colleagues I joke and say he's the ceo of lonely wrist, but, um, but he was with me and he had never gotten a chance to see young hans and except for the ones that I had, and uh, and yeah, just immediately warm welcome, like the vintage one that I had, uh, that I thought I had required. I texted young hans pictures of it and they were like, oh, like I was like I don't even have a strap for this. They're like, oh, we're gonna bring you one to vegas. And so today I'm picking up my strap no way, oh.

Anna Kubasik:

So maybe they can sort me the dial, for my dial is the one that fell apart easy, zero issues making that happen.

Blake Rea:

So, um, but no, yeah, they're a great brand and I just love that about them. Um, I'm super curious because now that you're in the industry and you are a creator, like a content creator and even a journalist, you know, at the end of the day, when watch brands work with you, you know they want to see, you know, some return, right, whether it's great content, you know, maybe a great perspective on watches or even possibly the possibility of people buying watches based on the content that you produce. Um, from a lot of the females that I've talked to in the industry, a lot of watch brands are missing the mark when it comes to marketing and targeting the female watch enthusiast. So making that really complicated question super simple is there a brand that you feel like really hits the mark when it comes to marketing towards the ladies?

Anna Kubasik:

I'm gonna mention uh, normals again. Uh, because you know they don't, they don't put uh gender on their watches, pretty much, you know. So that's plain and simple. These are nice watches, you like. The watch is a big selection of sizes and their marketing is actually very it's not uh too pushy, it's, you know, just uh, uh showing different perspective on different wrists. Uh, you have different models. Uh, you have different colors as well. You know, that's something uh, that I think uh works well, and it's also what else? What I? Yeah, that that's what I like. That's in my, that's my perspective, you know, of course, there are, like, I'm maybe not the right woman to ask this question, because I'm not come on I will sound like I'm not like all the girls you know, know, no, I don't mean that I

Anna Kubasik:

mean, like I like men's watches. So of course, it's a little bit different for me, but I think, yeah, I think most of the brands are missing the point just straight away, giving the division Females watch, you know, like women's watch, men's watch, and just selling two completely different kind of products. Uh, so I appreciate those brands who are just selling a nice product, um, in just variations that work for for everyone. And naga is actually the one another brand that I really liked when they approached me. Uh, some, some of my followers, like, recommended this brand to me when I was actually researching lesser known micro, lesser known micro brands, and when I looked at their page, uh, they actually have models, female models, presenting this watch as well.

Anna Kubasik:

Uh, which kind of was like, yes, please, we need that as well. You know, we want to see the, the, this watch on the smaller wrist, not only on. You know we want to see this watch on the smaller wrist, not only on. You know those handsome male models. So that's another approach, you know, to show it on the variation of wrist Totally, yeah, yeah. So I think that's it and I think there, you know, there's this trend of brands going to smaller watches now.

Anna Kubasik:

So, hopefully, we will see more and more of those things that we can just wear and we don't need to necessarily talk about. You know, is it a man's watch or a woman's watch? Yeah, that's the main thing. Sorry to interrupt you, but I think that's the main thing that it should actually go to eventually. Of course, I know that when you're a woman or you're like a partner, looking for a gift to your wife, partner or daughter, maybe it's convenient to have the section for a woman's watches. So I understand the reasoning behind it. So I'm not expecting the world to change.

Anna Kubasik:

It's just yeah, having more options, that would be the best thing.

Blake Rea:

Tell me about your transition from watch enthusiast to like journalist. You know, like, how did you get into writing like journalists? You know, like, how did you get into writing Like it? It it's a, it's a, it's a night and day, trent, you know transition, you know, from just being an enthusiast to even going to content creator, to now, I mean, writing is so challenging.

Anna Kubasik:

It is. Yeah, I mean I wouldn't call myself a journalist, I'm just like I certainly don't have that much time to be a proper journalist In my mind. I should have more time to be like in the industry, to just embrace myself completely in the industry. Sure, and you know, be able to pick up this and that and just yeah, I sadly, you know, have a day job and a kid and so I can, I can do now, I can do that now. Who knows, maybe in the future yeah.

Anna Kubasik:

But, yeah, I'm writing as a guest author because, you know, I wanted to try something new. As I mentioned before, I was surprised how many people actually read my posts when I was posting. Since the very beginning, I wanted every post to have a story behind again, something that people can read, they can identify with or not they can read about my perspective, my, my opinion about some things also, my, you know, just read about my complainings about how tired I am and how this all, yeah, helps me to survive that, but anyway, to hear my perspective, you know, uh, so so many people were telling me that they enjoy reading what I'm writing, uh, and then, you know, I had more and more ideas and you know this, the caption on instagram is not that long, to kind of express that and then rob came on to me and he was like you know, are you writing somewhere? I was like no, and do you want to'm like? Yeah, definitely would like to try.

Anna Kubasik:

And you know, I started talking with Wojciech Gekko and they're lovely and it's, yeah, they're very flexible. So I can, I don't, you know, I can write as much as I can and I really enjoy the process. You know, I really enjoy that. I just I wish I could do that more. So yeah, in the in the future, maybe it will, it will happen. So it was. It was just pure accident. You know that it happened.

Anna Kubasik:

It was one of those you know going out evenings in Prague when we went for some drinks with Rob. Of course he didn't't ask me then, but like a couple of months later. But uh, you know, we just uh got to know each other then. So the networking in this community is amazing yeah, you.

Blake Rea:

So it was. Was it micro praha? Is that where you? Yeah, I saw your post there and I was like that looks like such a fun little show it's.

Anna Kubasik:

I'm definitely going this year again. It's just like three hours away from where I live, so like by car. So that's nice, definitely going. It's a great show.

Blake Rea:

Yeah, I need to get out to Europe and do more Europe shows.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, there's so many of them happening. That's so cool. Each time, like every week, I'm like'm saying, oh, this is another one, that's in germany, in the uk, in, I don't know, france, italy.

Blake Rea:

so it's very pretty it's very weird because, you know, we don't have a real watch show in las vegas like the one that I was telling you about earlier.

Blake Rea:

It's more like a jewelry show, where it's like jewelry brands, so a lot of jewelers, you know like jewelry store owners are coming to las vegas and so a couple watch brands you know will like do it, and oris was doing it up until last year and that was their. I think that's the last, the last one they're gonna do. But you're starting to see brands that are kind of like shying away from it, um, because it's just not profitable. You know it's very expensive to away from it because it's just not profitable. You know it's very expensive to do these shows and it's just, you know, if you're selling diamond rings or necklaces or bracelets or stuff like that, then it's a great show for you, but for watch brands, very challenging.

Blake Rea:

And then parallel to it, it's like an antique jewelry and watch show, but it's all Rolex, it's all Patek, but it's all, it's all rolex, it's all paddock, it's all ap. You know like you'll go to some displays and it's just all rolex. And so, like yesterday when we were going through it, you know we were like, oh, rolex, oh, okay, just keep moving. You know, oh, rolex, okay, nothing there for us. You know what?

Blake Rea:

I mean like it's you know we're looking for these really obscure, like vintage watches, you watches or even independent watches, so you just don't see it even coming here. But yeah, we need something like that in Vegas. There needs to be a show.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, I think I'm sorry. I think the same thing kind of happened in Dubai. I'm sorry, I think the same thing kind of happened in Dubai Because I, just when I was now in Italy last month, I met Ahmed from Watch Collective 2. And he lives in Dubai and they're actually starting a new micro-brand show. Oh, around the time when Dubai Watch World is happening. Dubai.

Blake Rea:

Watch.

Anna Kubasik:

Week Watch Week. Yeah, watch Days Watch Week, sorry, yeah. So yeah, somebody just have to you know.

Blake Rea:

I'm working on it. I'm working on it. I had a show last night with Maurice Lacroix and the former he's now the managing director. He's like he was the CEO, but he flew in to do the show with us and it was incredible. It was incredibly fun. Got to sit on a panel and talk to him in front of a lot of people and I was like I it's so weird because I'm used to to doing and I can do this with, with tens of thousands of people listening, but like when I sit down in a room with like 40 people and a microphone on my hand, I'm like oh shit.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, I would probably just totally.

Blake Rea:

Your head starts spinning. Yeah, your head starts spinning. You start sweating, you start feeling clammy up here, like it's like.

Anna Kubasik:

Exactly, I know I'm like, even you know, at work, when I have calls with a couple of people, sometimes I'm like, okay, break it with a joke, maybe you know something. Yeah the joke. Maybe it will be better. Yeah.

Blake Rea:

I read uh, I don't know if it's, but you're in cyber security, is that right?

Anna Kubasik:

yes, well, not anymore actually, but I was for a couple of years. Yes, I'm in IT in general for 13 years.

Blake Rea:

Oh, okay, I'm in cybersecurity. I don't know if you knew that.

Anna Kubasik:

No.

Blake Rea:

That's what pays for all this.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, exactly I was. Before my maternity leave I was in cybersecurity, but then I came back to a different role which is a little bit less stressful.

Blake Rea:

I came back to a different role which is a little bit less stressful.

Anna Kubasik:

Oh yeah, cyber security, I mean that's the reason I'm losing my hair. Yeah, it can be really demanding.

Blake Rea:

It is. It is. That's super cool. I didn't even know that. But you know, when I was doing my research for this article or not, this article, this podcast I was like, oh, we have a lot more in common.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, cyber security is super interesting, so that's true, but then, you know, in my current situation in life, I just need something more. I can just work, you know, for eight hours and then forget about it.

Blake Rea:

Yeah, that's what I try to do. At least I try to do it. So that sounds crazy, because you were in cyber security a mom with a young child and a content creator, a watch content creator Like, how did you do all that?

Anna Kubasik:

It's hard, I'm not going to lie, it's hard, you know it's. Of course, the main moments where I can fully embrace in content creations are in the evenings, or at night, are sometimes, you know, in the lunch break when I have, when I'm working and when my son is with his, his dad. So so it's it's. It requires a lot of planning, you know, ahead. I don't really have the time for myself, you know, just like I don't know, my son goes to bed and then I need an hour or something to do just nothing, to just watch tv or scroll instagram. I don't get that ever. Maybe once a week I have one hour to do that. I'm trying to kind of organize one hour to do that because otherwise I will go crazy. So I have those periods where I have to be off Instagram for a week because otherwise, you know, it's way too much to handle and I know it's not necessary. Maybe, maybe, I could spend less time on it.

Anna Kubasik:

But I'm, just like you know, when you're like, really passionate, it's really hard to let go and I want to do more and I have those ideas, and then I'm I don't know, editing a video and I'm like oh, I have idea of this other video that I would like to create now, but it's like past midnight that I should go to bed because my son wakes up at five, uh. So, so all those things they are requiring, uh, really planning and really discipline, which I lack. So it's something that I'm working on, you know.

Blake Rea:

That's hard in IT Like. Those are all very important values.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, so it's still something I'm working on, you know, and I also have ADHD, so I'm, you know, starting a couple of things at the same time, never finishing any of them. So it's something, you know, I'm just saying to myself you need to, you know, chill, slow down, finish one thing. But you know my brain doesn't work that way. Yeah, yeah, definitely, yeah, definitely. There are some days, and recently, I've been on spree with many ideas that I would like to do. You know, things that I would like to do, what I would like to try create, but I just have no time for that and I'm like, maybe I can get a rich husband who can pay for my living, what I can fully embrace in this. I'm just kidding, but, uh, no, I, I appreciate that I can still, you know, do what I want. There's nobody else telling me what to do and I'm just I was about.

Blake Rea:

I was about to make a bad joke because we probably have some of those people listening to.

Anna Kubasik:

Oh no, I'm saying that as a good thing, you know yeah, no, for sure like yeah and I'm not saying it to, to say that you know that's bad, or just people no, of course, no, no, no yeah it would be just so much more convenient. But it's not it's. It is what it is, and I'm trying to make it work life.

Blake Rea:

life is easier when you have a lot of money let's just put it Especially if you're a watch collector.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, but that's also part of my story. I fit in a different kind of, because people are saying oh, the women watch collectors. We are also different. There are some who like those more jewelry-type watches or the very luxury watches. There are some that like different things, you know, and some who like try the new things, like I like micro brands and I like sports watches, I like men's watches and I don't buy super expensive watches because I simply have no budget for that and there's many people like me. So I feel, and that's you know, not even mentioning the gender, you know, yeah of course yeah.

Anna Kubasik:

I feel that's. You know, many of my followers are men and I think they can still identify with what I'm posting. Thanks to that, because I try not to do it Well, not even try. That's just who I am. I'm posting thanks to that, because I try not to do it well, not even try. That's, that's just who I am.

Blake Rea:

I'm writing the way, uh, that I feel it can speak to everyone, not only women are you hoping to kind of reach different demographics in the future, like if you just said there's a lot of guys following you, like, do you wish there was more of a female community that was, you know, engaging your content, or like, how do you feel about that?

Anna Kubasik:

yes and no. I think I would definitely it would be something it it would bring me a lot of satisfaction if there were, like, more women starting following me and enjoying what I'm uh showing there and what I'm talking about, you know, and getting into watchers. Of course that would be like a big win. But it's not my end goal because, to kind of address that, I would have to change the way I'm creating my content. You know, and I enjoy what I'm doing right now, so I don't want to do that.

Blake Rea:

Sure.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, and I feel I can speak to everyone. I don't need to just try to reach the certain target of people. So, yeah, it would be nice, but I'm not going to die trying to get there.

Blake Rea:

Yeah, you're at that level of success where you're starting to get kind of influenced by brands and they kind of shape how you create content. How do you approach that? So I had a conversation just yesterday with Ben's Watches he's in Vegas right now and we were talking about how you decide which brands to work with and which brands to not work with, and how you decide which brands to work with and which brands to not work with, and how you decide to produce content. And it was a really interesting conversation because, you know, I feel like I'm kind of an outcast in that sense, like as to who I work with and how I engage with brands. But I'm curious if you could touch on that for you and your brand and your identity, like, how do you decide which brands to work with? You know, how do you decide what type of content produce and which stories to tell? You know?

Anna Kubasik:

uh, so, yeah, so in majority, majority of cases. Well, all the brands I'm working with, I like their watches.

Anna Kubasik:

You know I get much more requests for collabs than what I'm actually doing sure for some people maybe it sounds like she's taking all the you know whatever, but no, it's not like that. What I'm showing on my page is actually what I like. So it's that. And the majority of brands I'm working with are very flexible. And the majority of brands I'm working with are very flexible. They contacted me in the first place because they like what I'm doing already. So they're looking for kind of similar thing. You know I'm always open to conversations. What would help them to achieve what they want, you know, know, to kind of find a golden middle, let's say. But in majority of cases they're just like, yeah, do whatever you're doing, totally. And if somebody is giving me some like rules that you have to do this and this and that doesn't work for me, I just say no, sorry. I mean like I just can't, um, compromise my kind of who I am, you know, and what I'm doing.

Blake Rea:

Yeah, thousand percent. I agree, and a lot of people like have talked to me too about like, how come I'm not very critical of watches? You know that I review or that I talk about or that I show, and I'm like, well, if of watches you know that I review or that I talk about or that I show, and I'm like, well, if I was critical of them, I wouldn't show them, you know that's what it is, you know I don't, I don't.

Blake Rea:

I don't want to like go on youtube and just like destroy a watch because you know somebody at that brand like really put a lot, so at least in some cases probably put a lot of energy, effort and that's like their baby. I don't want to throw the baby in the bathwater at the same time.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm feeling. I get the chance to speak during those watch events to many brand owners, to many people working there. It's like, yeah, quite often it's huge passion behind it. You know, and maybe it's not a watch for me, maybe I would do some things differently when I if I was, if I was them. But I'm not going to, uh, to destroy the dreams, and sometimes I just prefer to to not take the call up. Then same, you know, yeah so so yeah.

Anna Kubasik:

And it's important for me to also show the things that I, like you know, not show everything, although sometimes I'm thinking, you know, maybe all those brands deserve, like you know, the voice to kind of to speak and to show what they're doing, and so that's one thing, but on the other hand, you know, there are many ways to do that, and I need to be true to myself as well.

Blake Rea:

Yeah, there's a lot of times, too, where I've gotten watches in and there's been like lists of talking points or like things that you know that I can say that help them sell their watches, and I'm like, I'm not, I'm not your guy, you know, I'm sorry, like, and there's even times where I've even got to watch and I've worn it for a while, I've appreciated it and I've put together content on it and then I just never distributed the content. You know, like I've had that happen a lot. Actually, there's a lot of brands, um, and sometimes too, like I'll put together content and I'll sit on it for a while and just see how the relationship with the brand evolves. You know, because I I really I really only want to support brands that also support me. You know, like it's a two-way relationship, you know, so, um, it's a challenging thing to even think about, um, but let's again, you know, talk about, uh, you know, fairy tales. So if you could collaborate or work with one dream brand, who would it be and why?

Anna Kubasik:

um, okay, um, I I feel like I'm going to be so boring with that that's okay, it's your perspective, right?

Blake Rea:

that's why we're here we're listening to you.

Anna Kubasik:

They're not listening to me yeah, yeah, no, I I feel like I like, uh, and it's not going to be again super luxurious brand, but the brand that I like a lot, I admire a lot what they're doing, and it's Oris. I like Oris. I like what they're doing in terms of, you know, delivering different watches, different designs, doing really fun stuff, like with their care mate or miss piggy watches, and I feel from this kind of mainstream brands it's there are kind of they're affordable. You know well, of course, you know for some people it's still like expensive, because that's not yeah yeah, you know they're expensive.

Anna Kubasik:

They're expensive watches yeah, not everybody has the same budget, but, let's say, it's easier to get than like a rolex or something you know, uh, so so, yeah, so I would love that because I like their creative process and I like what they're doing. Um, and also, uh, I think another brand that I would love to work with is, I think, iwc. Iwc is pretty cool, you know. I like their, I like their, the things that they're doing. The engineer is, you know, my favorite design of mine, and I just, I just see myself wearing that watch.

Blake Rea:

In a fairy tale of IWC.

Anna Kubasik:

Yes, yes. But also you know, I went there this year during Watches and Wonders to have this private appointment and I just loved everything. You know, it's like technical. There are like cars around there, influences like the inspirations, the stories again they're telling, and it's just really, really fascinating. So it would be nice to be for a little while, a part of this world.

Blake Rea:

Yeah, yeah, they're two amazing brands and I'm a huge iwc fan. I have a couple iwcs that I enjoy wearing on a regular basis and uh and oris is, you know, I guess even a great brand. Just to work with um, because when I was there in geneva I was actually on a horse project which I was very fortunate to be a part of. Um, yeah, horse is great, amazing. I don't I don't own any of their watches, but I've almost, like, like, turned over into to owning one. Um, you know, I'm very much. Watches are very meaningful to me and I feel, like you know, I I aspire to own an oris someday. I just haven't gotten over the hurdles to owning it yet. In a weird way, if that makes sense, like something like catches my eye but I still, in the back of my mind, have that horse that I want. So I got to. I got to borrow an Oris for like three or four weeks and it was a phenomenal watch to wear. It was the Oris diver 65.

Anna Kubasik:

Oh, they're great yeah.

Blake Rea:

Yeah.

Anna Kubasik:

Three Oris watches. So and I was just talking to my friend the other week and I was just saying, you know, maybe I should part ways with them at some point, but I don't want to. I think all three of them are staying with me. The first one is Aquis that I mentioned. So it was my first Grail watch, you know, when I was really into like the budget watches and it was like step up.

Anna Kubasik:

It was amazing when I was really into like the budget watches and this was like step up. Sure, it was amazing.

Blake Rea:

And I have big crown pointer date in the Cervo Volante version. Yeah, I saw that. I saw that You're very good at that, so good.

Anna Kubasik:

And I have the Neo Vintage Oris from the early 2000s. It's a big crown, reverse pointer date date, which is so cool because this complication, so unusual, and I think, uh, this is probably, uh, the watch in my collection that brings the most wow from people when they when they see it, because it's it's you don't see that, uh, very often. It's very unique, it's very cool, it's very beautiful and it's very feminine as well, because the version I have is like 33 millimeters, I think, and it's stunning.

Blake Rea:

So I I just can't see myself parking wise with any of those three I have, uh, three iwcs and I feel the exact same like about them and, um, and as much as I want to get rid of one, I just then I wear it and I'm like I can't get rid of this yeah, that's.

Anna Kubasik:

That's a thing that brings a smile to your face. That that was the question you asked me and that's what I feel. What I was three of them actually, you know they all, yeah, they all do, they all do and it's so great because they're not you know, know they don't, they won't put you in bankruptcy when you, when you get them and you still have this amazing experience and you can get so attached and create stories around them as well, because you can wear them a lot and yeah, that's so cool.

Blake Rea:

Tell us about the future of Chrono Girl Life. Like, what do you hope to accomplish, you know? Like, how do you plan to get there? Because we're going to check back with you and keep you accountable.

Anna Kubasik:

Are we going to sign some paper after this?

Blake Rea:

I'll send you the documents after this.

Anna Kubasik:

Okay, after this, I'll send you the, I'll send you the documents after this. Okay, uh, so so, yeah, I think it's not a big secret. I was talking to many people about it. So one day I want to get on youtube, definitely, uh, the only problem I have with that now is the time constraints. So so it's uh, it's just something. I know that once I, once I, once I create the content, I can make things work, I can shift some things around, but just to start, it feels like it's a huge amount of effort, time and preparations for me to do so. Over the next couple of months, I'm going to try to kind of rearrange a couple of things in my personal life and you know the way I do maybe Instagram to kind of allow for that to happen sooner or later. So that's my dream to be on YouTube and to bore people with my perspective.

Blake Rea:

Yeah, so yeah on YouTube and to bore people with my perspective.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, so so yeah, and I still want to be on Instagram. I think Instagram is such a fantastic platform. You know, there's reason why we watch enthusiasts on Instagram, call ourselves watch fam, because it's really. It really feels like family very often.

Anna Kubasik:

So I don't want, I don't want to, um, you know, uh, take that away from me for my personal pleasure, and I feel, you know, it's, it's, it's, it's been very successful, very fun and, uh, I want to do that still. So it's not going anywhere, but, yeah, and more videos. I want to do more videography. I'm learning how to, you know, take better videos. I'm learning all those things about lights. You know cameras all the fun stuff.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, it's fun when you have time to do it and when you're like stressed out. You know I want to shoot this video, but I would like to, you know, play with what's that?

Blake Rea:

there's a lifesaver. This is all all I brought to switzerland. Well, not all I brought, but 90 of the stuff I shot.

Anna Kubasik:

Oh, amazing yeah, can you send me a link? It's yeah, yeah, it's super easy to use and um similar thing, uh, ahmed thing Ahmed had in the Watch Collective.

Blake Rea:

Everybody has these.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, I was like awesome.

Blake Rea:

So a little background too. I went to film school and so I'm used to shooting with like these $30,000, $50,000, $70,000 cameras. You know that's impressive and and and we have for our channel, you know, because I I recently got on youtube but I've invested in two really expensive sony cameras and lenses and all this, like I've got a whole set of cinema lenses which are incredibly expensive, um, but you know, coming from those cameras and even shooting with this little Osmo Pocket, I've been so impressed with the footage, the color rendition, and this camera is like I mean, it's around $500. It's not cheap. How much.

Blake Rea:

Like around $500 or $600. So it's not crazy, but it's changed my world. Like I did, I did a project, ironically, for iwc and I shot the entire project on this and then when I show up, iwc is like dude, are you serious? What the hell are you doing? You know?

Blake Rea:

yeah, I was using this and then definitely need to send me the link for that and then and then, um, I was like, oh, just trust me, just trust me, you know, and they're like okay, whatever. So, like they, let me do my thing. And then I sent them the videos, like holy shit, like you filmed that little thing with this little like and I just slip it in my pocket, you know.

Anna Kubasik:

And then, like I'm off, you know, and it's yeah, I mean because I'm going to london next week for the watch show and, um, I'm, of course, as I am, I'm a cheap girl. Yeah, I'm flying a cheap airline, uh, not because it's because it's the one I have from my hometown, so that's it.

Anna Kubasik:

But their baggage policy is it's cheap because it's the one I have from my hometown. So that's the type of, but their baggage policy is crazy. The baggage costs more in one way than the whole trip. Yeah, yeah. So I just refuse to buy any additional baggage, so I'm only traveling with a small backpack.

Blake Rea:

So I would actually love to have something like that, because I won't be able to fit my camera in I'll send you a link, and I I tried to turn sophie on to one of these, so some of her did. You see her nomos content so yes, most probably in the watches and wonders yeah, yeah I wish I was shooting some of her content with those little things I was like this is so easy, Because then we were editing it on the spot.

Anna Kubasik:

We shot it, then we edited it and then two seconds later it's on her social media.

Blake Rea:

I definitely saw that because I watch her content yeah.

Anna Kubasik:

Go back to it and pay closer attention.

Blake Rea:

I feel like such an asshole when I use this, though, because I just told you about our Marisa Kwa event, which was last night, and so I'm working on a project where I'm sitting down with these leaders in the watch industry and getting interviews with them, and so last night after our event, it was me and the whole Marisa Kwa team and a couple of friends, and we ended up partying too much, but anyway, it was like 1 am and we were walking back to the hotel and, like I said, he was the CEO, but now he's the managing director. I don't know what the difference is, but I was like hey, man, do you want to shoot this interview at 1 am? He's like let's just do it tomorrow because I'm tired. And I was like, yeah, that's probably a good strategy because I would have done it. I'm an idiot like that.

Blake Rea:

But anyways, for this project I'm working on, we had so much gear that we had to get one of those like little baggage trolleys, and it was just. We had like 13 or 14 cases with different lights, different cameras, different audio equipment, you know, different blocking equipment, sound equipment, cords and and and all all this. One little thing saves me from that.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, oh my yeah. It sounds like way too good to be true.

Blake Rea:

It's very much so. And then I see the mic too. You can buy one that comes with a little short mic too, and it just syncs right up. Oh, that's the Red one, this one's the DJI.

Anna Kubasik:

Okay.

Blake Rea:

But I'll send you a link.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, yeah, definitely. Oh, it would help me a great deal because I'm already stressed, uh, going to. I've never been to london, imagine. Yeah, it's my first time there. I'm very excited because there will be those, uh, the brands that will be there will be the ones that I'm really curious about. I've heard about them, you know, in the past, um, or even I wanted to work with them in the past, but never got the chance, you know. So I'm very, very, very curious how it's going to be. So I really want to be able to shoot some nice content as well when I'm there.

Blake Rea:

You, you got this, you got this. I look forward to seeing you getting on YouTube after this. So.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, tonight I'm going to so motivated on the dopamine kick. You know that I will just start there you go yeah, you got it.

Blake Rea:

And if there's anything that I can do, obviously you know to help I'll do it, I'll try. I try even though we're so far, but we're still friends, you know.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. You know that in this, this community, we are all like in different parts of the world, but we, we always make make it work when we want and it's always great to have the support you know and to know that there's somebody out there you can reach out to if you have some questions, doubts or you just want to, you know, vent doubts or you just want to.

Blake Rea:

You know vent, yeah, which is important as well sometimes, yeah, yeah. Or cry to when you spend all your money on watches. It's always nice yeah yeah, yeah, I'm thinking I'm like so I'm going to the vintage show today and I'm like, do I really want to buy this watch? Because I saw I I bought one yesterday at Young Cons and then the watch that I looked at was like Doxa and I have two Doxas already.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, you want to.

Blake Rea:

And then I'm such a Doxa fanatic and this is like the 600T in orange.

Anna Kubasik:

Oh, that's classic.

Blake Rea:

It's a really good deal. I don't think I'll ever get a better deal on it, but I'm like like, will I wear this like which one? Will I wear more?

Anna Kubasik:

because all those things you know, it reminds me those men that I like this lady with all those equations oh yeah, oh, that's so funny.

Blake Rea:

That's so funny that you bring that up because, um, docs, like I said, docs is one of my, one of my brand friends, and this is what I sent to her today when I, when i- yeah, exactly, I was like I don't mean girls, you can speak.

Blake Rea:

You can speak names to me see, I was like I was like, yeah, doctor, 600c like tempted price, too good, you know. And I sent her a risk pick and she's like, no, that's epic. And then, and then she's like I was like, oh, how much is it? So I told her and then I said yes, I did some calculations and then, like you know, and she asked her she was laughing about it, but no, that's so funny.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, you get it.

Blake Rea:

Yeah, I don't know. I hope I get it, but I also hope I don't get it because the money is not. Having the money is nice.

Anna Kubasik:

But then, yeah, you can get it and you know, part ways with something else, but that's not easy either.

Blake Rea:

I was thinking about that. I was thinking about, like I was talking to my wife. I was about that I was thinking about, like I was talking to my wife. I was like you know, like which watch would I get rid of if I, if I brought this one? Because I'm really trying to kind of flush out my collection and there's, there's a lot of watches like I love to wear just because they're so comfortable. You know, here in vegas, when it's like 120 degrees fahrenheit in summer, I don't know what it is in celsius, but yeah, I'll have to look it up, I think it's like almost like 40 okay, oh, that's yeah, way too much too 48 degrees celsius 48.

Anna Kubasik:

No way, okay, that's, I would die, probably, and I love the heat, but no.

Blake Rea:

Yeah, but when you have leather watch straps that just melt right off your wrist at that point.

Anna Kubasik:

Yeah, giving the bad smell everything.

Blake Rea:

Yeah, so we'll have to figure that out, but I want to thank you for spending so much time with us. This is amazing. I'm finally glad that I got you on Humbled to have you on my show.

Anna Kubasik:

Thank you so much. I'm so honored to be invited.

Blake Rea:

Honored to have you.

Anna Kubasik:

I'm just yeah, I'm hoping that you know somebody will want to listen to whatever this girl wants to say.

Blake Rea:

But yeah, way it's, it's been a great pleasure and thank you so much yeah, I'll let you know how many people tune in after the fact, so, but no, it's cool, it's cool, it's really cool, because I'm not really like big on the data. You know, like, like, miss, like miss gmt is a really good friend of mine as well, and, um, yeah, and she's so into the data. You know, like, like, miss, like miss GMT is a really good friend of mine as well.

Blake Rea:

And um and she's so into the data about everything you know. She's like oh, like, like we were talking about like guy to girl ratios on Instagram and all those, and I was like. I was like how do you even check that? You know like. And then she's like oh, you click this and then click that, and I'm like this is my voice, this is a reflection of me, my content, my outlet. You talked a lot about that. At the end of the day, I'm doing content for me and just the fact that people even want to listen is awesome.

Blake Rea:

And that's somehow, people in 60 countries are listening to this right now. That's crazy.

Anna Kubasik:

That's a crazy stat, I think that you're doing something right, and I think it's. You know, when you're just true to yourself, you're doing what you like, what you believe in, what drives you, what's your passion, it just speaks for itself. Then, at the end of the day, you know. That's why I think I'm the same way. I'm not trying to pretend that I'm someone else, that I'm not. You know that I'm cooler than I am, that I'm more fancy than I am. No, I'm just here sitting in my dirty kitchen that you cannot see, because you should.

Blake Rea:

You should see my office.

Anna Kubasik:

My office is a tornado right now, Okay, so and yeah, speaking to you and it's, yeah, it's been really great. Thank you again.

Blake Rea:

Thank you so much, everybody. We are going to link Anna's social media and the bottom of this description. Make sure you're following her If, for some reason, you aren't already. So thank you so much, and hopefully I look forward to seeing you on this side of the pond at some point.

Anna Kubasik:

Oh, okay, ambitious I've never, talked about it before, but maybe who knows?

Blake Rea:

Yeah, when you come to Raleigh, come to Vegas after.

Anna Kubasik:

Okay, yeah, yeah, I will do.

Blake Rea:

Thank you so much. I'll talk to you soon.

Anna Kubasik:

Thank you, talk to you soon. Bye.

Blake Rea:

Bye.

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Blake Rea

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