How A Mailman & Veteran Became A Watch Community Connector with WristtimePapi

A watch can be steel and sapphire, sure, but it can also be a receipt for a life moment. Sitting down with Leon, better known as WristtimePapi, turns into a wide-ranging story about how watch collecting really works when you strip away the flex. We talk Wind Up Watch Fair overwhelm, why it’s hard to buy anything when everything is “good,” and how the pieces that stick aren’t always the ones with the biggest price tag, they’re the ones tied to real people. 

Leon shares his path from growing up around cheap digital watches to buying a Breitling Navitimer during a deployment, then losing it in combat, and still coming home with the story. From there we get into the practical side of building a collection: setting a guilt-free budget, trading up instead of hoarding, and consolidating into fewer watches with more meaning. If you’ve ever searched for Tudor Black Bay 58, Cartier Tank, Glashütte Original, microbrands, or independent watchmakers, you’ll hear how those choices look when they’re driven by values, not hype. 

We also go deeper than watches. Leon opens up about PTSD and how being around watch people makes him feel safe enough to drop his guard, and we dig into the best and worst parts of watch community culture, including transactional relationships and creator pressure around follower counts. If you care about watches as a hobby, a community, and a way to meet people you’d never share a table with otherwise, this one will land. 

Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a friend who loves watches, and leave a review if you want us to keep bringing in guests who tell the truth.

Go follow Leon:

https://www.instagram.com/wristtimepapi/

Transcript

Meet Leon And The Mystery Vibe

Blake Rea 0:01

Hello, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the Lonely Wrist Podcast. Your host, as always, Blake Ray. And today's guest is somebody who is a personal friend and he's been carving out his own lane, I think, in modern watch culture, soon to be one of the more recognizable personalities in this space. By now, you clicked on this and you know. Dude, you're right, you messed up my intro. By now you clicked on this, and you know that I'm sitting down with Risk Time Poppy, aka Leon. He's a pretty active member in pretty much every Austin, Texas watch club. If you've ever been to any of those events, and he told me that he is the international man of mystery. Welcome to the show, Risk Time Poppy.

unknown 0:45

Woo.

SPEAKER_02 0:47

Thank you, thank you for having me.

Blake Rea 0:49

Yeah. Dude, as I was as I was doing my intro, I'm like, I can hear you, and people can hear you.

SPEAKER_02 0:54

So you started laughing, and I was like, No, because like I don't I'm a nobody, you know, so you're giving me all these like accolades or whatever you want to call. But I consider myself just like you said, like I think the best title is like a man of mystery. Like I just, I just, you know, like me and you run into like into at so many places we run into each other. Yeah. Sometimes knowing we're gonna be there, sometimes not. But yeah, the the joy that I get is when like some of our mutual friends are like, the fuck are you doing here?

SPEAKER_03 1:27

You know, yeah, that's exactly what happened. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:30

So yeah, that's my favorite thing. Like, who's this guy? Who's this? Why is he here?

Blake Rea 1:36

Yeah, I I don't remember, I don't remember exactly how it happened, but I was talking to somebody and they're like, Oh, the Leon's on the way. And I was like, Leon versus time poppy, and they're like, Yeah, and I'm like, you know him? And I'm like, Yeah, fuck yeah, I know him. Like, that's my boy. And I was like, I was so excited to to learn that you were coming to San Francisco.

SPEAKER_02 1:56

Yeah, bro. You know, so we we go back to Vegas, me and you, you know, like obviously we didn't know each other till then, but I think since that was what two years ago, maybe last year, a year it might have been two years ago.

Blake Rea 2:10

Yeah, yeah. Leon was my doorman at my uh I was gonna get my wife to do it, but my wife was like kind of nervous when it comes to talking to strangers, I guess in in a good way, right? So yeah, yeah. Um so Leon said, I'll do it. Yeah, so he was running my ops and security at the same time, too.

SPEAKER_02 2:33

Yeah, that was for the Marie's Le Croix. That was even that was fun, you know. Yeah, that was fun. So that's when me and you met, and I think ever since, like it seems like every couple months we run into each other, you know.

Blake Rea 2:46

So yeah, no, it was cool. I'm super glad that you're here. Yeah, it it it was cool too when I went to Austin to kind of see like on your home turf, you know, and then that was when I was like somebody had said like the brands just to see you kind of like organize some of the stuff like in the back, yeah, you know, like organize some of the part the brand parties and stuff like that. And then you know, we had that little like Maurice Lacroix thing as well that went down with with press, yeah. Yeah, like the little like after party. I mean, dude, that that was super fun. I mean, you had some fun little events that kind of spun off from from the thing.

Wind Up Watch Fair Reality Check

SPEAKER_02 3:29

I was uh that was at minutes and hours, and I kind of helped them a little bit with like social media, you know, sponsoring or help, you know, find the sponsor for the after party, which was my good friend George at Whitestone Fine Jewelry here in Cedar Park, which is like 10 minutes from where I live, right outside of Austin. And then kind of just hanging out, you know, doing a little bit of my thing with social media, and just I think once you get to that point, I wouldn't say at that level because just at that point of the hobby where you're kind of more on the I wouldn't say enthusiast or even a brand, but you're kind of just floating around in the middle. You kind of just get bounced around, and I didn't get to look at any watches, honestly.

Blake Rea 4:12

Yeah, I didn't either. Like I was thinking about that, like when I was getting ready to leave San Francisco. I was like, I want to buy something. Like, what am I gonna buy? And I was like going around looking at the different watch brands. You had left at that point, so I think you were only in town for like a day or so, like you were today and Saturday. Seemed like a super small period. So I was gonna leave sat, I was gonna leave Saturday as well. But you know, like I ended up pushing it back till Sunday night, and then my flight got delayed. So like I ended up getting home at like 2 a.m., 3 a.m. or something. I don't even remember. It's terrible. But but anyways, I was looking for a watch to buy, and I just I didn't I didn't see anything that I was like, oh wow, I have to buy this.

SPEAKER_02 4:58

And I didn't mean honestly, there's there's so many good watches that to me the the event or when you don't have like a favorite, it's so overwhelming. Yeah, like for me to just say, okay, this is what I want. Like it takes so long for me to like, and it used to not be like this. I used to just buy like a watch every month. You know, I think we all go through the face, and now it just kind of like I don't know, it has to have a story behind it, regardless of how cool the watch is or not. Like I just support my my boys or you know, girls or whoever is behind the brand, and you know, and I I just like I didn't buy anything that day, and that means that we can either.

Blake Rea 5:42

Yeah, I was trying so hard. And for for people that have never been to wind up, first of all, you should go. But you need to plan your strategy before you go.

SPEAKER_02 5:56

And it's gonna go shit once you get there.

The Arcine Surprise Watch Moment

Blake Rea 5:58

Yeah, because I I was like, okay, cool, like I'm here to help, I'm here to film, I'm here to do content, all this stuff. Like, but buying a watch had never even like crossed my mind at that point until like day three, and like it was slowing, I think it was slowing down a little bit, especially like in the last couple hours of the final day. Um, I was like, oh, well, what am like what am I gonna do? Like, oh, okay, like let me let me go see what I can buy, you know, because I kind of wanted to mark the trip. And then funny story, and they're gonna be after this episode. So I'm gonna segue it and tease the next episode. But I was like walking around, and then you know, obviously, like you don't even pay attention to your phone and shit like that. Like, you can't, right? Like, like nobody know, like you like your phone might as well be like thrown off a cliff because you cannot get in contact with me like on the event days. But so, like, anyways, like I'm walking in there, was like, oh my god, we were looking for you. And it was the dudes from Arcine Leafens.

SPEAKER_02 6:57

Oh wow, dude, I love their stuff.

Blake Rea 6:59

Yeah, and so I had said something to them because we had met in in Geneva this year, right? And we were leaving Chronopolis, which is the the first time they did that show this year in Geneva, and those dudes were outside standing there, and I don't know how and ended up happening, but I think we said, like, hey, we're getting ready to go get food. Like they had said, Oh, we're going to get food too, like, you should just come with us, or we'll come with you. Or so, anyways, we went and do dinner, dinner with those guys, and then I was like going through like their col their collection, their portfolio, they saw it, had some of their watches in and I was like, dude, these these textile dials are like exceptional. And and so, anyways, like that guy, it was like, dude, I've been trying to call you. Like, where have you been? Like, I'm like, I dude, I don't know, like I've just been busy. I don't know, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 7:48

You were at the show, he was trying to call you.

Blake Rea 7:50

Yeah, and so like the last like 20 minutes of the show, I didn't I didn't find anything to buy. And he was like, We have something for you that we brought from Switzerland. Oh no, and they brought me one of those textile dials and the turquoise, I can't think of the name of it right now.

SPEAKER_02 8:09

I know what you're gonna talk about, don't worry about it.

Blake Rea 8:11

Yeah, it's like the light blue turquoise. I think it's called Port Portofino or something, but I have the third one of that, and they they're not even for sale yet, and I have it.

SPEAKER_02 8:21

You have it? Yep, super cool. I know I see it's it's it's it worked out.

Blake Rea 8:28

Yeah, well, I you have a watch that I don't even have yet. I'm jealous, like you have the grand door. Oh, which one? The torque. I mean the torque, the torque mechanical.

SPEAKER_02 8:38

Yeah, that shit's sick. These two right here. You saw it at the show, right?

Blake Rea 8:43

Yeah, hell yeah, I saw it. I'm jealous.

Habibi Bilal And Extreme Generosity

SPEAKER_02 8:45

Yeah, I have uh I love I love Habibi and I've been blessed, you know. I yeah, heck yeah. I'm just flexing, I'm just flexing at for for anyone that's familiar with these, they're probably like hating it right now, or like, what the hell? Because you've met him, you know. Great, yeah, great, of course, great dude, you know, uh very interesting. So I know he gave me a shout out, so I gotta give it a give him a shout out to my Habib Bilal. Uh he was just in town what three weeks ago.

Blake Rea 9:16

I think he saw it, but yeah, I thought he delivered the lunch.

SPEAKER_02 9:20

Yeah, that was that was uh a day, you know, a crazy day. He flew in from Houston, which is like a three and a half hour drive, you know. And I was like, dude, just I'll drive. You know, you don't have to do all that for me. He's like, he's like, no, I don't have time. Maybe I I have meetings, I fly in, fly out. And then once he flew in, then I'm like, okay, he's just gonna land, give me the watch, fly out. And then as soon as he landed, oh, he sent uh, I think it was like an armor escalator, pick me up. Really? Yeah, and so he picks me up, takes me to the airport. It's my first time like at a private airport, you know. I don't I don't need anything any of all that stuff. He lands, jumps into the in the escalate, and he's like, here's the watch. I to this day, I mean to that moment, I have no idea what I was getting. But obviously, I think you know the backstory of kind of why he felt like you know, blessing me with a watch. Is I I guess I helped him in some kind of way, you know. Um but he said you can't open it till till dinner. And I said, Wait, I thought you were leaving. He said, No, we're gonna hang out a little longer. I'm here now, so that's what you're my boy, we're gonna hang out. So we went to the domain. I think you're familiar with that area, it's like the shopping area here in Austin, and uh went to my friend's shoe store taking it in at the domain. And then from there we went to Tag. And we spent like 30 minutes there because they kept asking, like, what is that? What are you wearing? Wait, what watches are y'all wearing? This is like, you know, the people from Tag. So just so happened that Bel Al, you know, had a case, his watch case or whatever in the Escalade. I ran to get it and brought them, and they were just in awe of like, you know, they couldn't believe like so much stuff he had and like how is it made and all that stuff. And as a thank you, and not wanting to waste their time, he bought one of these digital smart tag formula one watches that he's never gonna wear. Yeah, but you know, you know how he is. He's like, I don't like wasting people's time. And then we smoked and we went and smoked hookah for like six hours and then flew back out.

Blake Rea 11:43

Yeah, you know, yeah, yeah. When he came to Vegas and recorded our podcast, we we left, and then so he like we the first episode that we did, I mean, which I mean went pretty crazy online, yeah. Now got like probably like 100,000 views, if not more. No shit. But yeah, he like booked the studio out and he like tipped, he like tipped the the camera guy like 500 bucks just for freaking. I'm like, bro, I'm like he's already getting paid to be here, like but but no, just you know, just the generosity from that dude is insane. And uh and and then yeah, I mean I went and picked him up, and then we went to Area 15 and we went, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, and then after we went and also smoked Tuka. And and then yeah, and then we were just talking about kind of like reminiscing about the podcast that we had just recorded.

SPEAKER_02 12:39

Yeah, I loved it, man. It was a great one.

Blake Rea 12:43

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you, thank you. And then yeah, he was talking about coming to Vegas a couple weeks ago, and then he ended up getting sick, and yeah, because I was like I was like literally like like pushing everything off. I'm like, I'm not doing anything today, like Bilal's coming, like, you know, like I'm gonna hang out with him already. And then yeah, and then he texted me, he's like, Oh man, I can't make it. And I'm like, okay, well, I just kind of that's a free day now.

SPEAKER_02 13:08

So yeah, yeah, I didn't I didn't let it go to waste, but uh I think he had an ear infection because he sent me like WhatsApp messages like at random times in the middle of the night, and he sounded like shit. So, you know, I think it's he just he does too much, so he needs to like relax, yeah, you know, and chill.

Blake Rea 13:23

I know I I I get that too, because I was like talking about like my car. So like I just paid off my car, which is I mean amazingly fun. I don't have a car grant, which is which is great, you know. And and so I said something. I'm like, oh, I'm gonna take my car to a shop and like you know, I'm gonna get like the the transmission done and like you know, I'm gonna get new tires and new brakes and like just get it ready for the next hundred K because I like 90,000 miles on an Audi, right? And out, you know, Audis are they're they're painful ass at some point, especially at 100k. Like if you if you haven't taken care of your car, that's when it starts to show. So, and then he was just like, he's like, bro, like I'll send you, he's like, bro, I'll send you like like a service manual for your Audi, and like you could you could do all that shit yourself. And um, and I'm like, dude, there's no way I'm gonna get under my car, and oh, I have to do I have to do the wishbones, dude. So those are what holds the wheels on the fucking car. And I'm like, bro, there's no way I'm gonna do my own wishbones, but it's like, oh bro, don't be lazy.

SPEAKER_02 14:29

And I'm like, yeah, that's one of his other businesses. He has like a car shop and auto shop, you know. Yeah, yeah.

Blake Rea 14:38

So well, let's jump into to risk time poppy. Let's jump into 10 tier story. How did you get into watches?

SPEAKER_02 14:46

Oh man, so I I guess the you know, the pleasure answer is like for as long as I can remember, I was I've been into watches, you know, as a little kid. I I was born in LA, but grew up in Mexico from like one to about 14 years old. And I remember in Mexico, like I would just, you know, whenever I could, maybe for Christmas or something, I would get like a cheap, cheap digital watch, you know, or like a quartz watch. And I always like wearing a watch. And fast forward to you know, somewhat my adult life, I'll I would always look at watches like at Ross, Marshalls, whatever. And I would buy Invictus, Fossils, whatever. Then matter of fact, when I was in the military, I one of was it my first deployment? I was in the military for like 14 years in the army, so I went to Iraq a couple of times right after Shakina. And you know, halfway through and towards the end. One of my deployments, the we called it the PX, the post exchange. Yeah, which is where you you can go in and buy stuff. I'm sure you've probably been in into one.

Blake Rea 16:02

I went into one the first time like four days ago. No shit. On Friday night, did you look at the watches? That yeah, that shit was wild, dude. It was like a a mall, and then they had the it, dude, they had Rolexes and all that, but they were way overpriced. And I'm like, dude, they are fleecing these military guys.

SPEAKER_02 16:23

I'm like So in Kuwait, which you know, once we fly to right before the appointment, you have to you know, you get trained and everything, you get acclimated. So, meaning you spend about a month in Kuwait, get used to the heat, training, and all that stuff. And by that point, I had gotten like a couple paychecks tax-free. So I had some money, and I went to the PX, and they had a freaking Brightling Navitamer. So I think it was about, I can't remember, maybe three, four grand at the time, maybe a little more. But you know, it was like, hey, I might not come back, you know, to the US. So I just went and bought it. And there I have some pictures which I'll I'll send to you of me wearing it, and I'm doing like, you know, like the double wrist since this is like 2003. And that was like my first real, real like watch. One of my battles or firefights or whatever that we we got into, lost it. Maybe like maybe like six months in, you know, lost it, you know, so whatever, you know. At least I came back to the state's second deployment. Uh I went back and I we went to black market in in the middle of a Baghdad. You know, we're just doing a patrol, excuse me, patrol, and and I see like these people selling all these things, and I see a fake, obviously, an advertiser, and I just grab it, and you know, I'm and I tell the translator, ask them how much, and I think it was like$50, you know, and I was like, boom. So then I wore that. You know, that was my second deployment. Obviously, it was a fake one. Then I used to jump into MySpace, you know, and and I don't know if you've heard of King Taco in LA.

Blake Rea 18:12

No.

SPEAKER_02 18:13

No, for those in LA, you probably know about King Taco. It's one of the best or favorite like stables for like taco trucks and restaurants and all that stuff. So while I was in LA, me being, you know, a food lover or fatty, I used to constantly go in MySpace and sock their face their MySpace page and go look at their pictures of food because I missed their food. Fast forward to when I came back to LA, they sent me a, I don't know what you would call it at the time, but message, a DM, and met up with some of the people at King Taco and gave me a care package with like, they sent me a box like the next day to my house or my family's house in LA.

Blake Rea 18:53

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

They sent me a box with swag, and in there was this cheap quartz King Taco watch.

Blake Rea 19:00

Oh, snap.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

You know, which like I don't even like I've showed it to like employees every time when I go to uh King Taco, I wear it like a dumbass. I'm like, hey, you can like King Taco watch. So that was like 2000, I don't know, 2004. So I've always had a thing for watches. Then my wife gave me, and this is gonna show you how crazy my journey jump and my journey has been. My my wife gave me my wife this monstrosity, Diesel baby, the the diesel brave or something, you know?

Blake Rea 19:40

The diesel weapon.

The PRX Gift That Sparked Collecting

SPEAKER_02 19:42

I don't know what it is. You can have to get out of that shit. Oh my god, dude. Crazy enough, this is the watch that's gotten the most compliments back when I used to wear it. Like non-watch people, you know, and she gave me this like in 2014 or something. Non-watch people like we would go out to you and they'd be like, Oh my god, I love your watch. And I was like, Oh shit, you know, it's pretty cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, so that's kind of you know what where I got into watches. Then once we kind of like bought our home and everything, because I was always very like careful, you know, to like not overspend and only get what I can afford. To this day, I kind of still am to a certain extent. And it wasn't until like 2018 when we bought our home, and you know, we were a little more financially stable that I started, it was around COVID time, I think, you know, when the YouTube, uh like a lot of us.

Blake Rea 20:40

That's when everybody started collecting.

SPEAKER_02 20:43

I've always been into watches, but as far as actually like, I wouldn't even go as far as nerding out, but just like studying a little more rather than just like, oh, this is cool and buying it. Right. She surprised me for my birthday with a PRX apartment of Getty.

SPEAKER_03 20:59

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:00

But I have it in like a V Spoke strap. Shout out to Xenia. Shout out to Xenia out there in Vietnam, Vietnam, yeah. She makes all my straps. But she gave it to me, and I couldn't believe that she spent like at the time it was like$700. It was when it first got announced, you know. And I was like, How did you know? How did you know about this watch? She's she shows me on her phone, she would take pictures of me in my man cave. She would like sneak behind me and take pictures of me watching petty videos or like PRX reviews, you know?

Blake Rea 21:35

Nice.

SPEAKER_02 21:35

And gave me that. And that week, because I was like just shocked that she spent$700 on that.

unknown 21:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:42

She's like, honey, you're I know you love watches. And she's like, We're okay. We I trust you financially. You deserve to like that's what you love, enjoy it. And then from there. It just kind of like took off. You know, I started like now learning more about watches, you know, trying to save or hustle people where I can make extra money here and there to, you know, buy watches. So that's kind of like long story shortish. My my how I got into really the from liking watches to like the the hobby, I guess, you know.

Blake Rea 22:25

Yeah, it's a pretty uh pretty similar story for a lot of people, right? Who just like found like a new hobby during COVID? I I I kind of went hard on watches during COVID too. But you know, did you have where did you feel like you became like a collector? Like, did you just like all of a sudden have a shit ton of watches? You're like, oh, I guess I'm a watch collector.

SPEAKER_02 22:50

So a collector, when I was like, oh shit, I know something, was like this Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones is sick. You know, it's like I forget what it's called, but it's like the berry or whatever, very late, very late.

Blake Rea 23:03

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:05

When I bought this one, I was like, holy shit, this is like a fun watch, you know, because obviously you turn every what is it every 30 minutes or every hour it shows like the the message, you know, fuck it.

Blake Rea 23:16

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:18

And it was then when I was like, huh, obviously PRX is a cool watch. And if you know, some people because around that time, obviously a lot of people wanted to watch it, some people would recognize it. But the Mr. Jones people were like, What is that? How can you tell the time? And then, you know, I would feel special, like, oh, trick this out, you know? Yeah, so from then I started kind of like gravitating more towards like a little more fun pieces, you know, and so I would say it kind of took off with uh Mr. Jones, just realizing that I don't have to take it that serious, you know, just have fun with it.

Blake Rea 23:55

I think Mr. Jones is a good brand for that too, because I have their little robot watch with like the little like yeah, like the gaming one. They they sent me that to do a video, and I I still need to do the video. I'm so so backed up. I'm so bad. I do they probably sent it to me like six months ago, and I and they haven't even followed up, but I'm just like I'll get I'll get to it, I'll get to it.

SPEAKER_02 24:18

Did you did you avoid them in San Francisco? Oh shit.

Blake Rea 24:22

No, no, not at all.

SPEAKER_02 24:23

I went over there and I and I'm still I'm thinking they're cool.

Trading Up To Tudor And Cartier

Blake Rea 24:26

Yeah, yeah, they're super cool. I mean, you know, I'm talking about a hundred fifty dollar watch, you know, or something like$200 watch. Like, you know, I don't think they're losing sleep over me doing doing videos about it. And then so jumping from Mr. Jones, like how did you get into like the whole luxury space? Because now you're into collecting like high-end watches.

SPEAKER_02 24:46

You know, it's a big word, you know. Uh I I don't I don't consider it I don't, you know, obviously I don't I don't come for money. I don't have tons of money.

unknown 24:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 24:58

But I would say, like, my some and some of my local friends in the in the in the watch groups here, you know, shout out to Red Bar, ATX, and Wiz512, even though they never shot me out. Whatever is cool. So I would say when we used to talk, like, because I couldn't believe that there were people, normal people around me that would spend like thousands of dollars, you know, on like FP jars and like all these things. And I was like, holy shit, these are not like obviously well-off people to a certain extent, you know.

Blake Rea 25:28

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:29

But I was surrounded by like just super expensive watches. And for me, I was always very realistic. So I would tell people, wow, like my grail is you know, the blackface 58.

Blake Rea 25:42

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:43

You know, so some of my friends were like, dude, you obviously you can get it. And I was like, no, guys, like if$700 that my wife spent on a PRX jumping to a you know, a tutor, that's insane. Insane. And I was like, maybe in three years, four years. I think once I said that, it took me maybe six months. And it wasn't because I started hustling or anything. Like my wife and I have this thing. I'm in her office. I think I told you because my my man is flash office is next to the baby's room. My wife is into like plants. Like I would show you, but I'll I'm surrounded by exotic indoor plants. So my wife and I have a deal where any money she makes extra from like her job, she puts it in her like a fuck around account account, we call it.

SPEAKER_03 26:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:34

And she can do whatever she wants, buy whatever plants, and as long as it doesn't come out of the savings or mutual account, it's her fuck around account. I can't tell her anything. Any check she gets from a refund or something, it goes into that, she could do that. So I have the same for me, a fuck around account that's for watches. It just so happened that I I I bought my my test around that time, and I had a big pickup truck newer, and they gave me a refund. Because I had the warranties and all this stuff, and they gave me like a very, very good refund check, you know, that I wasn't expecting. And that was enough to cover this. So it was by a miracle luck, grace of God, or whatever, that I had enough money to cover this. Plus, you know, because I was like, should I go crazy and get something better? I bought it pre-owned, so I think it was like, well, my wife might see this, so you know how much it is.

Blake Rea 27:33

Yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_02 27:35

But yeah, so I bought it pre-owned, you know, and I was so nervous. I've never in my life bought something that expensive for myself that's not like a necessity, like a car or something.

SPEAKER_03 27:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:47

And I was I told my my daughter, I said, hey, mom doesn't know. My oldest, you know, I have a supposed to be 20-year-old.

SPEAKER_01 27:54

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 27:55

I said, go to uh let's go to FedEx. I need I need you to be there with me. She's like, Why? She's like, Why are you so nervous? I said, I'm I I just bought something like the watch for me, and this would be the grill, and they would end here. And from there it just fucking took off, you know. Then from there I went to Zen. Then Zen, I think, you know, Orez and a bunch of other watches in between. But I think what played a big role in me getting more into these high-end watches after the you know, maybe consider tutor high-end, was was two stores locally here in Austin. My friend's jewelry store, why still find jewelry. He, great friend of mine, great, great dude. Shout out to George, George Poe. He would work with me, you know, and if I would take random trade-ins, he would uh give me, you know, really good credit and say, okay, you know, I'll sell them for you. And go ahead and take take this watch, you know. So through him I got an Ermes H08. You know, I don't know if you're familiar with that one. It was like a the black, I think ceramic, titanium.

Blake Rea 29:13

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:14

And also ATX watches in Austin, Texas, who sells them, you know, mainly pre-owned, but they have a wide range, anything from like 500 to tens of thousands. And there I got, I was able to get you know, things like my Cartier Tank, my Glasuta, Originale or Original. And these were all like just trading random pieces that I've had, you know, good good watches, you know, that I was just like, okay, I need to step it up. I have, I think at one point I had 50 watches. So I convinced that collection and you know, trade it in like five out of time, sometimes even 10 out of time for more high-airing pieces. So it's it's just been a lot of I I would say like ground and pound and you know, to try to make it happen, but it's it's worked out, you know.

Blake Rea 30:09

Yeah, I I'm in that process right now of trying to like trade because I have a bunch of like small pieces, I would say, that I'm trying to like level up into.

SPEAKER_03 30:20

Yeah.

Blake Rea 30:21

And I need I need that to happen for me too.

SPEAKER_02 30:25

But yeah, I think in Vegas you're in a in a tough spot, right? To be able to do that because in Vegas, I would I would think that a lot of people are just more like you know, they want to profit. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Blake Rea 30:37

Yeah. If I if I do stuff like that, I have to like do it with a dealer who's out of state. So it it's it's good for the buyer, like, because a lot of the you know, there's a very sharky vibe here. I think you've known you've known.

SPEAKER_02 30:52

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Blake Rea 30:53

But so a lot of the pawn shops are people who are looking to people just looking to get cash quick. So they'll they'll part with their valuables for next to nothing, which you know, they buy it right. So sometimes they can sell it right if they can come down off that high horse, you know, and I'm like, dude, like you probably paid X dollars for this, and then eventually they're like, Oh yeah, how'd you know? And I'm like, like just a quick Google search, you know? Like, yeah, but sometimes if they come down off a high horse, like you can get some really good deals. And I've gotten some I mean, I got a I got a modern Cartier Santos for$3,400, like with the bracelet, everything. Like, I mean, it's the current the current Santos, you know, that is nine grand or ten grand or whatever it is now these days. I don't even know. Um but but yeah, every once in a while you get lucky, you know, and for me it was the same. Like I started off with an Omega Speedmaster, and I was like, this was a$1,200 watch at the time. The Speedmaster reduced, you know, like$39.

SPEAKER_02 31:59

I still want one of those.

Blake Rea 32:00

Yeah, yeah, dude. I had it, I had it, and when I first got it, I was like, why is this like different than any other Speedmaster? Because the subdials are like stall crazy. And I was like, I was like, did I get a fake watch or something? Like, why is this so like so weird? And then I eventually realized it was the speedy reduced, and dah dah dah dah da.

SPEAKER_02 32:23

And it was a module, it wasn't like a you know, like you were looking at the professionals and uh the the sapphire sandwiches.

Blake Rea 32:31

Yep, yep. And that watch, I had it on the bracelet, and that bracelet made me scared for like it gave me like nightmares about future watch bracelets because dude, that thing would just shred your arms to smithering. Dude, I'm not even like it just felt like somebody was taking razors to my wrist. Like it was bad. So I'm like, I'm never gonna own a bracelet watch again. But when I when I got it, I paid$1,200 for it. And then that was over time, yeah, that was like COVID times, and then you know, and then they went up to like two and a half, you know,$2,000-ish plus dollars. And I'm like, you know, my my partner at the time thought I was crazy for spending$1,200 because I had some some Luminox watches and like you know, like$150,$119 watches, and and then yeah, it just became like an an unhealthy obsession, I think, for me. Because I was like, I want a different watch for I'm a different mood. So I started thinking about like outfits, and I'm like, okay, like if like this watch will go cool with this outfit, or like if I'm running around, I'm doing errands, like I need, you know, or like I'm on my break at work, like I need a chronograph, or like, you know, like it became really unhealthy really quickly.

Watches As Social Signals With Cars

SPEAKER_02 33:48

But now if you're like me, like I probably dress like shit, but it, you know, I look like I'm either going to the gym or have a beer, and then I have like a nice watch on, you know, something kind of like changes, you know, after a while.

Blake Rea 33:59

Yeah, yeah. No, no, it's funny because just a couple days ago I went and and I was like looking at like because they I got like a lease promo. This is how I got into the whole car thing I was telling you about. But I got a lease promotion for like from Audi, and I was like, Oh, this like you know, you it's like an A5, like a brand new A5. It was like$449 a month, and I'm like two grand down, like you get drive out in a brand new 2026 A5, and I'm like, oh, that's sick, you know, because I was at a place where like, do I spend a whole ton of money on my my current car, or you know, just like dump it for what it's worth and then roll it into a lease or something or buy something or whatever. And then the one of the the dealerships that I drove past was like the car dealership, it's like a family-owned dealership here. And next to it is like they have like a Ferrari dealership, and then they have like a Bentley, and then they have like a Rolls Royce, and like then you know, then they've got like some you know, like some relatively like modest Porsche's, you know. And I was like going through like my Porsche phase. I was like, like, how did you get a Porsche? You know, like no, no. I was like, that's the step up, man. Like, if I'm gonna, you know, if I'm if I'm gonna like move on from Audi, it's gonna have to be a Porsche. You know, that's the only car.

SPEAKER_02 35:23

That's what happens when you hang out with Chad.

Blake Rea 35:25

I know, right? Jesus Christ. Um, so you know what I'm talking about, right? Obviously, yeah, yeah, yeah, of course. Yeah, Chad, Chad from Watch Gang. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's the one that got me on it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And and so, yeah, yeah. So obviously after I've been hanging out with him, you know the exact story. Like, and then I went into, I was like, okay, well, I need to I need to wear a nice watch so that way I don't look like a total homeless person coming into the, you know, because I I walked in and I was like, I'm gonna get some nice colours, and there was a Ferrari dealership. So I walked in the Ferrari dealership, and there I am with like my like Adidas, like shorts, and then like just a t-shirt. And then I have actually I put on my my Wimbledon day chest, but okay, like you know, like you know, nobody even talked to me. And I'm like, okay, like maybe this is just a because I I was trying to get to look at one of these, like they had like a CPO, like a pre-owned Porsche there, and it was it was a relatively modest price for what it was. And yeah, so then I was like, Oh, I went to the other side, they actually talked to me at the Rolls Royce side, and I was like, Yeah, like I'm interested in this car, you know. But Ferrari wouldn't talk to me.

SPEAKER_02 36:35

But you know, you know, I learned something. My wife before you know switching to which she does now, she used to work at a high-end dealership here in Austin. Like, oh yeah, the family that owns a lot of like the all, you know, I would say all the high-end dealerships, like Porsche Rolls-Royce, Maserati, all that. So I would hang out with uh a lot of the people there, you know, uh, the staff and sometimes even customers from like Rolls Royce and all that. And one of the sales guys told me that he sold more like high-end cars, like Rolls Royces and fleet to high-end vehicles to people that are dressed like shit, or like walk in in like basketball shorts, flip-flop-flops, because he always pays attention to the wrists. And he wasn't a big watch guy. He had like a Rolex, but he had no idea what he had. He just went to the store and said, I need a Rolex. But he said, literally, by looking at not judging, you know, or I guess the opposite of judging, you know, appearance, instead of like going to like those that are dressed up nice, he would gravitate towards those that are kind of like more dressed down with a nice watch. He's like, Because when you're at that level, you're not trying to oppress anyone, you just you know what you like. You know, you're spending your money on a nice watch. Clothes might not be as important, and you just don't splurge. You know, he's still watching. I mean, not watchers, but like I am cars who the founder of the fleshlight.

unknown 38:06

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 38:07

Not not flashlight. I'm a flashlight. Yeah. And apparently dressed like prep. Yeah. Anyway, that's a whole story.

Blake Rea 38:19

Watches are watches are wild. And and yeah, yeah, like I I sold, I sold watches, right? So like you never you never know who's walking into any of those stores, you know, and that's something I learned, you know. And the fact that these dudes wrote me off, and like I was, I was I'm still like I'm still like in a position that I could buy the car that I wanted to, you know. But like, anyways, so you've transcended now, you're collecting luxury watches, like and have you ever really kind of like do you feel like collecting has then transformed into like because now you're in the community, right? Like your collecting isn't is becoming like a passion for you.

Why Relationships Drive The Collection

SPEAKER_02 39:05

Yeah, I would say like I'm I'm sorry to cut you off on every place. I kind of I think I know kind of where you're going, but yeah. So my my collecting has, if you want to call it that, has kind of like I I wouldn't say I changed directions because I'm literally just when people ask me like, what do you what do you what do you do? What are you trying to do? You know, like I have no fucking idea, you know, like I don't know where this hobby's taking me. Like I have watches that are kind of like come with a story, like a you know, a relationship with a good friend, or we hung out and we she's like you, you know, we have mutual friends who we text with or you know, with brands or in the industry, you know. So like watches like you know, Marie's Le Croix, like I have this one. My this is the Pontos S, you know. Yeah, I know they're gonna kill me for saying this, but this one, I love wearing it, but I guess I'm allergic to uh to it, yeah, because it it turns me green, it turns green a little bit, but you know, it's not a big deal. Like I I still wear it. But from there to like I guess I'm if I have like a moment or story, you know, or a relationship, not necessarily financial relationship at all. You know, just like hang out, share some beers, and you have you make a watch or sell watches, like why not support it, you know? So I I think I'm approaching on like I look at I'm a I wouldn't even say collector, I just I I I think on my Instagram I say like or watch liper, community lover.

SPEAKER_03 40:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:52

I I like watches, I enjoy watches, but I just love what comes beyond and you know, behind the watches, like the people that are behind the watches, uh the people that are behind the booth, you know, all that stuff. Which, you know, now with VUG or Doug, which is one of my favorite brands out of Lesuta in in Germany, I have two and soon soon to have three of their watches. Love the watch, clean, very wearable, like tiles and watches and everything. But every time I wear one of their watches, I can kind of like talk about not just the watch itself, but the the moments, the people behind the watch, how I got it, you know, sharing a couple beers with some of the or you know, it's just a very, very small team with them. So I think my my my journey is taking me in a direction where it I I want to build a relationship, and if if you're if we have a good relationship and you make watches and I can afford it, I'm gonna support, you know? Uh and that and that's taken me, you know, it's opened a lot of doors for me, I guess, approaching it in that sense, you know. And also like I'm I'm I'm a lot into independence or more of like the this is how I know that I'm like too far deep in collecting. Now I'm buying watches from independents before they even like come up to like Instagram or anything through WhatsApp groups. Oh yeah, yeah, you know, so once once you there's communities in WhatsApp, yeah, you know, and a lot of these independent watchmakers or brands will go into groups like the MIC, the micro and independent.

Blake Rea 42:51

Yeah, I'm in that one.

SPEAKER_02 42:53

I think it's called, yeah. So obviously, you know, you know, people come and say, hey, I'm making I'm new in in my first, yeah, my first watch.

Blake Rea 43:01

Like, what do you think? Giving feedback. Like, yeah, it's it's really cool.

SPEAKER_02 43:04

So I'm I have my wife already knows this one, so it's okay, sweetie, if you if you hear this. Uh I pre-order uh Lu Chen, I think he's in Hong Kong. L-U-C-H-E-N. Really, really cool independence. Let me see if I can show you. But yeah, so more more like that stuff. So it's either something that no one really has or like has even heard about. And I I I just enjoy that line. What the what the hell is that? You know, which happens a lot with grandeur, you know? Uh and so it's either that or build a relationship and then it just is like a picture of it.

SPEAKER_03 43:54

Oh yeah, that's cool.

SPEAKER_02 43:57

So I have this one on pre order. I really liked these like sometimes plain styles, and then you flip it over and it's like that's where the money's at, you know?

SPEAKER_01 44:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:14

Those type of watches. So I think I think it's I'm kind of all over the place, but I'm I'm not, I think these like big luxury brands are more like the cherry on on the cake, you know, like or whatever. If the money's right, and maybe once every couple of years my wife says, like, hey, you deserve it, and she does that a lot. Shout out to her, you know. Uh then I'll go for like a big one, you know, or if I just have a bunch of like random ones, then I'll work my way towards a big one, you know. But even like my my G my Blusuta, this one which I acquired at uh ATX watches here in Austin, I will never get rid of that one because now it came with a story. And in the way it happened, it was like crazy to me. I, you know, I'm sure you know, like I went to uh Prague and literally flew out Thanksgiving Day to go visit my good friend Banu Chopra, which he's uh he's played a big role in guiding me through this collecting, and he's introduced me to so many people and opened a lot of doors. He owns Infinity Watches in Prague, which is one of my favorite, favorite shops, like watch stores and probably the world. You know, he carries a lot of independent micros and all that stuff. Anyways, while over there, we went to Germany and Glasuta. Well, you know, I knocked on some doors, not, you know, actually, but made a few phone calls and some friends hooked it up, and I ended up, you know, getting a tour of their facility in Glasuta. Not just myself, but my wife and daughter. You know, this one was just my five-year-old, my 20-year-old didn't go with me. So there's pictures and videos on my Instagram of myself, my wife, and my five-year-old at their factory, like not just getting like a random tour, like, no, have lunch in their cafeteria. Anything we wanted to watch or or touch or try, we could. You know, and I got the watch for like a week before going over there. So it just kind of like it was meant to be. So I have videos of like my daughter, my five-year-old, trying to, you know, do the beveling and all that stuff on the on the movement for the watch. Not actually, not the actual watch, but the parts that they used to make that watch. So we went from like the the drawings with them planning out the or you know, the watch to like assembling and quality, you know, checks and all that stuff. So that watch I'll never get rid of. And I would hope that when I leave this earth, it's like a watch that maybe my five-year-old can say that's that's the one I want because I have memories of being there.

SPEAKER_03 47:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:18

You know? Yeah, it's kind of how I'm that's why I said I don't have a path or you know, where it's taking me. It's just destiny, uh people opening doors, which that's that's the mystery part that in me, you know, that people are wondering how I get into some places, or you know, we're we run into each other at the same place, and I think we we kind of move around the same. Being ourselves. Being ourselves, there's a there's a lot of fake love, you know, I feel in this industry. There's a lot of great people. Yeah, there's a lot of fake love. What are you gonna do for me? Yeah, you know, I you know, okay, I'm in a I'm in in the leadership of this club. You you know, you're gonna come, we're gonna host, or you're gonna pay for the brings and everything. What are you gonna do for me? And then they they don't sell anything, you know, and and I and that that really hurts me when I see a lot of people behind brands doing everything they can to showcase their watches, obviously with the ultimate goal of selling. But I I kind of notice there's a lot of this fake, like I would call it love, I don't know what else to call it. So just being myself, being genuine, I I think it's it's getting me places, you know. And it could be Prague, it could be Germany, it could be San Francisco, wherever, you know, and I think just being myself is I'm not gonna change. You know, and if that takes me a different direction to a watch that's$500 or hopefully ten thousand dollars, then so be it. You know, it comes with a story and it came with it being myself. Not so much for the money.

Blake Rea 49:12

I I I agree. Yeah, and I see too, like, you know, you talked about some of the people in the community who are and the whole community is very there's there's parts of it that are very transactional, which it sucks. You know, it's like oh cool, like it has to be like this and that. Like it can't be like, hey, we both love watches, like let's just like nerd out. It has to be like, oh, well, I'm gonna do this. Well, why don't you do this for me? You know, and then same thing for me, like I've crossed that path myself, you know, as a creator, you know. I had one guy that commented, you know, he's like, I can't listen to you talk for more than you know five minutes because of your voice, you know, and then he like threw you know made fun of me or said something about like some 90s cartoon. Little a little little did he know, but on certain parts of the the YouTube video, when you leave a comment, they're time stamped. Homeboy homeboy was 45 minutes into my podcast and then said that. So I was like, all right, dude, like whatever, you know. But but yeah, and then he said something along the lines of like, you know, the the amount of content that you produced, like is embarrassing how many followers you have on your YouTube channel. And I'm like, yeah, I I've never really like looked at like this number as a measurement of success. Yeah, like I'm guided by my passion, right? I'm not guided by success. Like, I'm doing this because I love to do this. And anybody who thinks I'm making a fuck ton of money doing this, you're wrong. In fact, I pay to do this, I pay my own money to do this, talk your shit. Talk to your shit. Yeah, I mean, it's not it's not about that for me, you know. But like I'm not I'm not getting these checks from watch brands, like this is self-funded, you know, and it's because I'm passionate and I'm this is the out this is the outlet for me. This is fun, this is my my expression, this is my voice. You know, it's not about I don't I dude, I don't want a million followers, you know what I mean? Like I don't I don't want the responsibility that has to go with that. No, you know, like I I like where I'm at, you know, and and even even at the size that I'm at right now as a creator, it's never it's never hindered my access. Right now, that that's where it becomes challenging. You're like, okay, I need to get bigger so I can get the access that I need from watching.

SPEAKER_02 51:51

You really don't, you know, you really don't. Like I said, it's the the the key is just be a good human being, right? You know, enjoy it, never expect anything in return. Just be yourself, you know. And if you're if being yourself is you being an asshole, it's so be it, you know. But I'm so happy you brought up the fact that people, you know, would make it sucks, but it it's reality that people make fun of like your followers and like you doing all this or whatever, because you know, I it kind of was recently kind of slowed down, but a lot of even my local community or you know, who I would consider and still consider friends. In the beginning, you know, like I don't I really don't know what my social media means to to the community. That's even weird to say because I I don't do it for the community. It's literally, I do it for me, just like you said. But some of my friends would like make fun of my reels, you know, which I think that's kind of like my my think. I make like dumb reels or whatever with you know watches and wrist dancing and whatever you want to call it. But some of my, you know, people here locally will say, Oh, you know, you're gonna make some more like stupid reels, like, you know, give give me a stroke or whatever for your five followers. Just for the longest, I had like 200 and I didn't give a shit. Because you know who my biggest supporter was? My wife and myself. Like my wife would tell me, like, hey, I really like what you did. And I would be the one sitting in the bathroom, you know, for like 30 minutes just re-watching. Oh shit, did I just do that? I'll ask you to change this for me. Because, you know, it's it's something that I think it's cool that I figured out how to do or learn when edits came out on Instagram. Yeah, I'm sure you had it, you know. Like I've I got in a link to be one of the early whatever you want to call them, like creators to use it. And so it was a challenge that I gave to myself to learn how to use it. Because it's very easy to go on Cap Cut and use something that's already been pre-made and just throw in a few pictures and videos and oh, look what I made. Which I went through that phase, you know. Nothing wrong with that. But that's very easy. For me, I wanted to like be a little more original for myself. And next thing you know, like I look and I'm like about to reach a thousand. I was like, holy shit, that's that's a lot.

Blake Rea 54:23

Yeah, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 54:23

Once I reached a thousand, something happened. Yeah, I didn't tell you what happened or how it happened, I just kept doing what I do, you know, bounce around at different watch fairs, met people shook hands, always be kind and compliment people's watches regardless of what it is. And next thing you know, I hit a thousand. What happened after that? I started getting DMs and a lot of fake, you know, DMs for like opportunities and deals and stuff like that. But now it's like it's taking me in a different direction where I'm having to say no to things. Like I told you in San Francisco, like legitimate offers that I'm having to say no to, you know, not because I'm I'm too big, because I'm really not. I'm not I'm like a nobody. And it's just I don't have the time. My family is number one. My career, a lot of people don't know this about me, but I'm a mailman. You know this, obviously, you know. That's my real job. That takes obviously, number one is my family, you know. But second is my career as a mailman takes a lot of my time. So if I can dedicate, it takes me, I don't know, 20 minutes, I can I can take some videos and pictures and have three reels, one to post and two on the bench for the next two days. And then the rest of the time it's just me responding to DMs or whatever, which is crazy. At a thousand followers, how many DMs I get asking about how to get this watch, especially if I can post a grandeur offers to buy it, you know, and try I can't imagine having millions of followers. I don't want that like to I don't want that, and I would like to leave it at where it's at right now.

Blake Rea 56:13

Yeah, yeah, I I agree, I agree. And you know, going back to like you know, my journey with this whole podcast was like I started recording these for me. Yeah, I know that sounds so weird to say, but like I understand it. I was like, I was like, look, like I'm gonna post these on Apple so I can listen to them in my car. You know, like like I have a tendency of like when I'm having a really intricate conversation, just getting lost in the emotional like toll of the conversation, that like I miss things, right? Yeah, I I miss like the way that you know you you'll say something and it won't dawn on me until I like have to go back and play it over. And so like when I when I first started recording these podcasts, it was like for an audience of one, you know? And I I I I hate to say that I still believe in that because now like my my mentality has shifted a little bit, but that's where I started, and I never expected it anything else. So because my expectation bar is so low, like whatever happens is gonna be amazing. Anything if two people listen to a podcast episode, that's fucking awesome.

SPEAKER_02 57:29

And one of them's gonna be me, yeah, and the other one's gonna be me.

Blake Rea 57:32

So there we go. Like, but but yeah, yeah, it and and and going but yeah, it's it's weird, you know. And I think as I like grew into content creation and I started I started talking to my wife, my wife's like a supporter too, right? So like the same thing, you know. She was like, we had a conversation at one point, and she's she kind of like brought that to my channel. She's like, Well, you just started this for you, right? And I'm like, Yeah, she's like, Okay, so what does it matter when somebody on the internet says something? And I'm like, Yeah, you know, like I'm a real, I'm a real dude. I'm you know, I'm not I'm not out here like chilling for brands, like I'm talking about the shit that I want to talk about. Like, I'm talking like I have no roadmap, right? There's there's no master plan here. I'm not a freaking industry plant, at least last time I checked, because if I was, I'd be fucking hella rich. But I ain't. So like I'm doing this for me, and this is my passion. And like anybody who's out here, you know, trying to like take that away from me, like jokes on you.

SPEAKER_02 58:39

Yeah, bro, and and and and I have to give you your flowers because when I first met you in in in Vegas, I I think we mean you clicked like right away. Yeah, like instantly. We clicked. And I I saw I could feel your your passion for I wouldn't even necessarily say like the the hobby, but just for for what you what you do. Me not having a plan being in Vegas, my my only goal was honestly to hang out with Andre. You know, obviously, you know Andrew, great mutual friend. Huge shout out to him, you know, my brother. But while there, you know, I didn't even know that there was these other events going on, JCK and X, Y, and Z or whatever. And you managed to give me a pass to was it JCK? Yeah, right. I think JCK. Yeah, X Tour, yeah, yeah. And walking around, you know, people were like, Oh, you're with Lonely Risk, you're with Lonely Risk. Like a lot of the watch dealers and vendors, and I didn't know what to say because I'll be honest with you, at that time I had no idea what Lonely Risk was. You know, do you tell how fucking you are? Yeah, so fuck yeah, bro. I was like, Yeah, yeah, I listen. You know, they're like, Oh shit, man, I listened. And and it wasn't till like was it happy jewelers or one of them were like, oh, I listened to his pop to y'all's podcast. And I'm like, I don't know if I can do it, you know. But I was like, oh yeah, thanks. Thanks for the support or whatever, you know. But that's when I realized, like, oh, you know, like my boy's like, he has a podcast, you know. And then like I would kind of like to just start kind of googling it and everything. And then from there, you organized the the party for Maurice the Croix.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:23

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:24

And it it's not to like make anyone look bad or anything, but when you did a fantastic job, the venue was super cool and everything.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:33

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:34

But I could see how like somewhat disappointed you were that the RSVP list was like, I don't know, like 50 people. Yeah, you know, and I think like 25 showed up. And and and it it it kind of like it bothered me also. I'm not gonna lie to you. But I think I told you, I was like, bro, just turn around and look. Everyone's having a good time. It's something that I don't really like to do, but if it's it's a certain brand that's showing, I don't like busting out watches, but I haven't been in touch with with one or two of your group members over there. So they wanted me to bring a couple of my watches, like a main that I had at the time.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:17

And it was so cool that some of them were nerding out right outside the venue, respecting that it was a Maurice LaCroix event. But I told you, I was like, bro, don't beat yourself for it. Look, just turn around and look. Like, this is great. The brands are happy, and then your wife is there happy to see you like do your thing, you know? Yeah, fast forward to now and bumping into you at so many places, and knowing how many people actually know you, not just like collectors, but people in the industry and yeah, in respected places, you know, and they know who Blake is, lonely wrists, regardless of whether it's 10,000, 100 or whatever views, and it just shows you how genuine people I think are is more important than just followers.

Blake Rea 1:02:12

Yeah, I mean, my my most popular outlet is the podcast that that we're talking on right now. And YouTube is not the most popular platform for my podcast. You know, my my podcast listeners listen, they're not watching what we're doing right now, they're listening to what we're saying. Yeah, and you know, I never really had took it seriously like up until like maybe a year ago, or like maybe just over a year, because like the distribution company that like distributes my podcast, it's called Buzz Sprout. You know, you just go up there, you make a subscription, and they plaster it everywhere. And they have like a kind of like a wrapped feature, like Spotify does, or like, oh, you you know, here's your most downloaded episode, and like here's the and I was like, okay. So like I started going through that and I didn't really like I I wasn't paying attention to the metrics or anything. I just was like, who's gonna be my next guest and what cool shit are we gonna talk about? Like those are the only two things I ever really focused on. And then when they like, oh, your podcast is like 0.00001% of all of our podcasts that we distribute, and it there, you know, there's there's 70 countries that are listening to your. I'm like, oh fuck.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:26

Yeah, I remember you posted, or you either you sent it to me or you posted it somewhere, and I was like, holy shit, I think I posted on my story. Yeah, you know, so a lot, I think a lot of people a lot not, you know, there's obviously negative people there. There are people who like look at your YouTube and say, Oh, that's I'm gonna talk to them because of this, not realizing the bigger picture. Yeah, so that's why I say like I I know you don't care for it, you know, but you know, you you you gotta change your flowers because no, you gotta you gotta get your flowers and smell them and enjoy them because you you're you're doing great things, you know. Thanks, man. And that's I think where where we get along.

Blake Rea 1:04:04

Yeah, and that that's it's all it's all fueled by passion, right? Like it's never gonna be it's never and I I I hope if anybody out there listening starts to see it change away from my passion and I start, you know, being a sellout or whatever, like call me out for that shit, you know. But no, it's all fueled by passion. And like, yeah, I mean, uh there's there's been people that have offered to pay me to say things online about their watches, and like, you know, I have taken money from watch brands, you know, but not for for positive feedback. Like a lot of times it's just to cover like my actual hard costs, you know, like if I if I'm having to to um, you know, like I've had brands that pay me to come on the podcast, you know, and I'm like the the first question I ask myself is like, do I really support what they're doing? And and if the answer is no, then they're not coming on, you know. Like, are they good people? Right? Like, are they doing this for the wrong reasons? Like, you know, and now brands are using my podcast as like a like a like a launching platform for certain certain brands, so which is cool, but again, like this shit is expensive, dude. Like, it's so expensive, like this podcast microphone's almost eight hundred dollars.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:24

But when I saw you had that that barcode or the sticker on your your D I order, yeah, you're talking about like, oh shit, this is serious this thing is serious. I was just walking over with my Timu version, you know, and I saw you. I was like, dude, you're legit. Yeah, insurance purposes, you know.

Blake Rea 1:05:44

Yeah, anytime I bring equipment on a job, I have to check it out. And that's what the serial is. You scan it out and you scan it back in, you know, naturally. So so that way I can show, hey, look, here's when it was out, here's where it was, here's what I did with it, here's the content I produced. You know, it's it's all You know, I I I mean, I have a registered business in the state of Nevada. You know, I freaking pay like my$400,$500 a year to just freaking file my my income statement. You know, it's like people don't understand, you know, this and I'm still doing this for fun. And so like my income subsidizes this, right? And if I if I didn't work at cybersecurity in IT, like I couldn't have lonely rest because that's what pays for this.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:29

Yeah. Yeah. It's just your your hard work and dedication and passion and be you being yourself, you know. Yeah, and be before I forget, I I I do I do want to give out shout-outs. I'm all about giving, showing love, you know. So like there's some people that I I'll spend time with that I really, really enjoy their company, and I hope that I get to see them again, you know, and it's obviously Andre for Maurice LaCroix, you know, it's my boy. Which speaking of that, ML, Maurice LaCroix, I think it's such an underrated brand. I do too. Like it it's it's like I don't know, there'll be like a complication that comes out, and it's people are like, oh shit, you know, like this is a I don't know, whatever you want to call it, you know, XYZ complication and such a cool watch. And then like somehow through digging through, I don't know, online or whatever, I'll I find out that ML had something like it years ago. You know, and it it's like I just think they're like in a weird space where like they don't really belong in some of the shows, and they're you know, but then they do, and it's I don't know, but I I I just they deserve respect. I think if you haven't you you you anyone listening, you really need to look into ML.

Blake Rea 1:07:56

Do you know Marisa Kwa the first ambassador was for Marisa Kwa? No, you don't know, no, Roger Federer oh shit, yeah, yeah, yeah. Roger Federer is now a Rolex ambassador.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:13

That is true. Andre was throwing me pictures. Yeah, dang. And yeah, that's crazy. It is. I forgot about that. No, no, you're right. I forgot about that. Doji, and I think now they're sponsoring like other like now soccer and I think pickleball, and you know, whatever. Yeah, so shout out to Andre. Obviously, shout out to my Habib Bilal, shout out to Wist Straps. You know, you had a conversation with Brandon, you know, so yeah, Brandon, Brandon Gross. Uh shout out to him, Robin. From I I I can't even pronounce it where Atelier When?

Blake Rea 1:08:52

Atelier when oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I got her card right here.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:58

Yeah, it's a guy.

Blake Rea 1:09:00

Oh, I got one of their cards right here. Robin, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:03

If it's Robin, it's uh it's a guy. He long hair, a little feminine sometimes, European, you know. But anyways, he was in town like I don't know, a year or two ago at uh an event, you know, with a group. And then after the group, after the event, people just left and kind of like, oh okay, see you later. And I was like, in my head, I was like, this guy is in town visiting from I think at the time he came from China or somewhere, you know. And no one gave a shit. Like he was leaving, in my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong. So I was like, hey man, do you did you go see anything or anywhere, you know, get some barbecue? No, I would like to, whatever. Long story short, him and I hung out till like two in the morning, went to like a few pubs, bar hopping and tacos and everything. And it was it was insanely cool. And I was wearing some of the prototypes that a year later, you know, he announced. And I had videos and pictures and me wearing them, taking shots and everything, you know. And you didn't care, you know, the tantalum, one of his tantalum pieces, I forget what it's called, you know. But so shout out to him, you know, and uh who I was and so many people.

Blake Rea 1:10:16

Uh plugging everybody on the pod, bro.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:19

Echo Noitra, you know, shout out to them, B UG, Tony, and you know, we obviously we met one of the other owners of BUG. Shout out to them, you know, shout out to Banu. So anyone that showed me love, if I forgot your name, like I really, really appreciate you and and you know, for liking me, believing in me, or just trusting me with your brand. I just recently started finally like, not that I was expecting it, but like getting paid to travel, you know. And that and I never thought that would happen, you know, coming for us from where I came from, but the the coffee tastes a little different at a at a lobby when it's when it's paid for by our brand, you know. Oh god, look at you, man. How I got there, I have no idea, you know. And the worst of the worst of in the worst of Field on, like, I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing, but I'll be there every day.

Blake Rea 1:11:16

Yeah, I mean, look at you. You're starting starting to drink drink the cool the brand Kool-Aid, man.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:22

Oh my god, bro. I can't, you know, I can't believe it. But yeah, shout out to famous watch guy, my boy Keith, who kind of cool story before, you know, if I forget. So there's like a vintage ish SKX.

Blake Rea 1:11:38

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:39

And it was at Wind Up Dallas. He uh he was like, hey man, I got something for you. And I was like, oh, you know, that's cool. I don't know. I thought it was gonna be. He gave me like a science soccer jersey, you know, at one point. Really, really good guy. One of you know the most genuine ones that I know here. And at the show, at the windup show in Dallas, he's like really secreted about it. He's like, hey man, come over here, come over here. I was like, what's up? He's like, here, man. This is my first real watch I ever bought. And this guy has like crazy, crazy pieces, you know. Like really, really insane pieces. And I was like, wait, why are you giving it to me? He's like, well, one, because my kids didn't want it. And it means a lot to me. He's like, it means a lot to me, and and him and I have a good relationship, you know. And he said, uh, if I want to, if I don't give it to my kids, I'm gonna give it to you. And I think I'm actually older than him. Wow. You know, so he uh he told me it's obviously this I would this I wouldn't say it's a super expensive watch, but it's a watch that maybe works, maybe it doesn't for the full 24 hours. But the times I've worn it, it's you know, it works. But he's like, if you ever feel like getting rid of it, just let me know and I'll I'll I'll be I'll take I'll rather take it back. So things like that like really, really mean the world to me. You know, it's not about the brand or the price or anything. It's it's who some some pieces is cool, you know, but at the end of the day, I think what means more to me is a piece that comes with the story.

Blake Rea 1:13:14

I agree. Yeah, I mean there's there's been so many watches that I've given out that I've been gifted. Like the community is like a very magical place, you know. I I know we have to like finish it up and say that because we we have talked about some of the negative things that have happened. But no, no, the the watch community is a magical place, and and yeah, it's so rewarding to be here, like with all with all of you, you know, like everybody who's listening, like to Leon or whoever's sitting in my hot seat, or like even the people that just bought their first watch that are even thinking about coming into the watch community. Like those that's those are the people that I want to know. I want to know those people, you know.

How Watches Help With PTSD

SPEAKER_02 1:13:58

It's really I I would say it's it's a it could be a very intimidating thing when you're first getting into it, because you see all these people with these expensive watches and everything. And but I'll just say, like, just buy what you like, you know. We've we've all done it. I I listened to reviews that told me to buy X, Y, and Z, and I ended up not liking it. So I just you know decided to just do my own thing. But this is kind of like a personal story, but now moving from the I wouldn't say too much negative, you know, but positive to the positive side of watches. What this hobby's done for me, and I think not too many people know this, other than like maybe my wife and a couple other people, are uh after you know being in combat and the military and everything, I I do, you know, I did have still have like PTSD and a lot of you know issues. But once I found like the the community, I found something in me that I didn't know I had because I used to I used to not be comfortable being out in public. I would always worry about my family. If we weren't at a restaurant, and I still do that, you know, if we're at a restaurant, I have to be facing the exit or entrance and I I walking around like extra, extra alert because of the PTSD, you know. But going to these events, anytime I'm talking watches or around watch people, it's like my PTSD disappears. And I'm comfortable and I can drop my guard. You know, if you see, if you see Leon or Racetime Poppy with a little fanny pack, don't make fun of it because I might, you know, I might come in handy and save your life. But I'm very comfortable now being around people, being around strangers, having my my it was it used to be so impossible for me to have my wife and daughters out in public and be comfortable. You know, I would literally think everyone is trying to hurt my family because of my you know my experiences in combat. And the watch community kind of made me realize that it's it's okay. It's okay to still be you know alert, but it's I'm surrounded by good people, yeah, genuine people who have super, super high net worth, you know, but are genuine people. People that are starting in in the community, you know, but are genuine people and curious. And I love sharing anything that I know about watches or any of my pieces here and wear it. You know, sometimes if people are like, oh my god, you're a tuka lotec. I've never thought I would see one in person. Like, here, wear it. Why? Because someone did that for me with an FP jorn. And that is the part that it's insane going to these group meetings or you know, get togethers and having a table with anywhere from a quarter million dollars to a couple million dollars worth of watches on the table. So it starts with watches, but at some point everybody turns their back and you're just focused on talking to each other and getting to know each other, drinking a beer, and you forget about the watches. So trusting a group of people around what could be a million dollars worth of watches or more, and be okay, it's a whole different level of trust that not too many people get to experience. And that's what I enjoy about the community.

Blake Rea 1:17:31

I think it also, and we'll we'll leave it here in the end, because this is like a great, that was a great kind of like you know, mic drop. But for me too, like something that I think about pretty regularly was after we left the event that we did in Vegas, and it was me, you, like the whole crew, probably like oh for dinner, yeah. There's like probably 10 or 10 or so of us, I can't even remember, maybe seven or eight, whatever. Yeah. And we stayed there so long that they were kicking us out. And then that was an amazing dinner. But the reason why it sticks to me is because never in a million years would all these people be at the same dinner table if it wasn't for watches. Never, you know, like and and that to me is just so wild, you know, that like like watches are the the instrument or the vehicle or whatever you want to call it that like can like break down all the cultural norms of the re the world we live in, you know, and like it's wild to think about it like that.

Prague Adventures With Indie Watchmakers

SPEAKER_02 1:18:51

No, right? It's it's not it's it takes you away from obviously there's people that like politics and watching and stuff like that, but it takes you away from politics, it takes you away from the maybe the issues you're dealing with in life for that moment where you're around watch people and you're it's it's what it's about, it's just you like brotherhood, sisterhood, and join the watches, and it's almost like your problems, at least for the moment, go away. And for me, it's like like therapy, you know. One less thing since you talk about places that watches can take you. I already told you about my list to the original story. But I was at Infinity Watches in Prague, which I can't say enough about them. I'm just looking for this picture while I while I'm talking to you.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:41

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:41

And I'm walking in there and I see like I don't know, there's like eight people there. It was my first time meeting Tony from DUG in person. So shout out to him. Love that dude. But then I'm just like around a couple people, and then I'm like, damn, is that the the Ming? What's that mesh bracelet? You know what I'm talking about? It's like a bracelet that looks like mesh, like I think it's like titanium or whatever. Anyways, I'm like, oh, polymesh. And I was like, oh my god, they just released that. Who and this guy's wearing it. Who's this guy? And then they just let me play with it in like off and feel the watch and like the bracelet. I was like, holy shit, I'm like, how did you get it? I was like, Oh, I'm the co-founder of Mink. Oh yeah, what the fuck? Yeah, I just flew out here to like hang out with my boy, and I'm now I'm hanging out with uh one of the co-founders of Ming. Then I see this watch. So Thomas Schnell. Oh, yeah. Not too many people are familiar with him, but insane, insane watches, right? Fast forward to like that's that whole weekend. My my wife, my daughter, myself, and Thomas Schnell ended up hanging out the whole weekend. You know, and I have pictures and video of my my five-year-old just walking through Prague, through the train station and everything, hanging out with Thomas Schnell, who probably makes, I don't know, 10, maybe 20 watches a year. You know, and people are like, it's so hard for him to like make a watch for people, and and he still owes me a watch, hopefully, you know, hopefully next year. But you just never know when you really embrace the culture where it's gonna take you.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:30

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:31

Whether it's on the on the industry side, just as a collector, like you never know. You know, you might be like with you over in in Switzerland. I haven't made it over there yet, but believe me, next year I'll be out there. I'll be there with you. And you know, if somebody can sponsor your boy, you know, I got my passport and an ask for the driver's license, I would I would reel the shit out of that trip, you know. But I I just I just I love the community, you know, and because because of it, I've met people like you, you know, who I consider, you know, family. I've met your wife briefly, you know, and I think I gave her like a shout out that that evening at the Maurice La Quadrant. Nobody had a question except for her. And I was like, wait, that was a really good question. And after the show, I was like, Did you give her the question?

Blake Rea 1:22:21

And you were like, Well, maybe I forgot about that. I forgot about that. Like I said, like that that was that was a weird one. But we we went over a lot in that panel, like we covered a lot of like the culture or the not the culture, the the forward thinkingness of the brand. I think I think everybody was like, damn, I wasn't prepared for that deep, deep note.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:48

It was legit, dude. Like you you did a fantastic job, and I can't wait for the next one that you do, and you know, maybe we can do something together. Uh shout out to Marcia.

Blake Rea 1:22:58

Oh, yeah.

Lost Watch Roll And Final Takeaway

SPEAKER_02 1:22:59

She's amazing. Yeah, uh, yeah, that's my girl. Funny story. I know we're gonna end. So we're talking about before the podcast started about you know me dressing however I want I like like shit or whatever.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:11

So we're in San Francisco, and we go to this like Clitybezel event. You know, I went there to kind of rep Echo Neutra. And right after dinner, no, as soon as I got there, I realized my watches are gone. My my personal watch roll with my Otuka Lowtech, my WISP12, Christopher Ward. You know. So if anybody has questions about this, hit me up on Instagram at Rist Time Poppy because it it'll it's a long story. But, anyways, Otuka Lowtech, this one, I don't know, like six watches. I can't find them, so I realized that I left them back at the venue. And I was flying out the next morning back to Austin. So I tell Andre and people that were there that I was expecting to show similar watches to. All my grandeurs were there. So I'm like, Bill, I was gonna kill. So I took an Uber, I took an Uber back to the venue, knocking on the door because it was already close. The security art comes out. Finally, after getting approval from your supervisor to let me in, I find them. I knew exactly where they were gonna be at, either at Econoitra or at DEV, because I was there with both of them. Haul ass back to the show. I'm there for like five minutes, just shaking hands. And oddly enough, it's so weird. Some people recognize me. Or I walk in, people are like, oh, Leon, wrist on top of you, which is I would never get used to that.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:41

So I showed my watches real quick. This whole time I'm wearing a what is it, Foos Gone Wild shirt. I don't know if you follow them on Instagram, but it's like an Instagram page. Foo's gone wild. Anyways, I'm wearing uh their shirt. It's so it just so happens that Andre and myself share the same birthday, May 4th. You know? So it just happened. They just passed. So we had planned a dinner, and I I jokingly I said we'll just go to an inner now. We lost low, we both look and prompt. I walk in there with my foos gone wild shirt, Marcia with her power suit, and Andre with his suit and briefcases, and these people are like, what the fuck is this group? Yeah, most random time ever. Yeah, you have Marcia, we've obviously you know lovely lady, you know, a little older. You have Andre, they're both dressed, you know, really nice, and then there's me and camel cargo pants, some Nikes, and or no, I still wearing like some crocs, I think, and a Fuzgone Wild shirt, and probably an Austin hat. But that's the beauty of the hobby, you know, that you if you choose yourself, you'll be accepted, you know, as long as you you're kind, you know.

Blake Rea 1:26:06

Oh yeah, absolutely. Yeah, that's a great way to leave the episode for everybody who is listening to this and made it this far. You're probably already a collector, but be yourself and let your collection be who you are. Amazing.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:25

And we need this pump. Moser. Moser, you gotta do the shack pump.

Blake Rea 1:26:35

Oh, okay, because they yeah, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:38

You know, before watches, I was a sneakerhead, so you know.

Blake Rea 1:26:43

I think I think Moser listens to the pod. I think I saw him in Switzerland. I think they listen. I hope they listen.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:49

Last thing I'll say, like, I I actually made a comment and they pinned my comment when I was like Shaq Moser collab now, and they pinned it. So who knows? If it happens, your boy made it happen.

Blake Rea 1:27:01

That'd be dope. Yeah, that'd be super dope. Wait, so you're talking about a different version of the pump?

SPEAKER_02 1:27:09

Yeah, the pump, but like the shack version.

Blake Rea 1:27:12

Okay, okay, got it. Yeah, other version. I don't know what the other version was, but I didn't I wasn't.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:16

It was just like the OG, okay, okay, uh D brown. I don't know how much you know about sneakers, but nothing. Yeah, yeah. No, I'm I I used to be a big sneaker head, you know, and I think everyone's asking to watch because I started somewhere, and for me, it used to be sneakers, you know.

Blake Rea 1:27:34

Yeah. We're up to monitor and see what happens next, watches and wonders. Hopefully, you'll be there with me if they release it.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:41

That'd be crazy. So I appreciate you having me, man. This will probably be the one and only podcast I'll ever be in because I have there's nothing interesting interesting about me. I could just talk for days, you know. But if anyone deserves all the credit, it's it's you, you know, for doing all this. So I appreciate you always. Showing love everywhere I go, and I always try my best to show love back.

Blake Rea 1:28:05

No, you do a good job, everybody. We are gonna leave it here. I would highly encourage you to jump on Instagram, follow Ris Time Poppy. His name has been tagged there under his name the entire time. If you're watching on YouTube, but if you're listening, I'm gonna link his Instagram in the show notes so you can go follow him. And I yeah, I'm humbled to be friends with you at the same time, too.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:35

So no, it's it's you know, it's I'm I'm humble. And everybody, I love running into you.

Blake Rea 1:28:42

Yeah, next time it'll be super soon. I mean, dude, it's weird because yeah, that we just ended the show, but I still have to something just but this time two years ago is when I first met you because it's couture is at the end of the month this month. Oh shit. So get your ass on a flight and come see me. We'll do. All right, I'll see you there. I'll see you in two weeks in Vegas. Yes, sir. Have a good one. So yeah, bye.