It's Halloween, and this week we're talking about the things that truly scare watch collectors. No ghosts, no ghouls, just terrifying service bills, questionable vintage watches, fake timepieces, and enough aftermarket modifications to give any serious collector nightmares.

For this Halloween special of Time Well Spent, I'm joined by Griffin Bartsch for two appropriately spooky segments.

First up: Watches That Scare Us. From unexpected five-figure service bills and risky vintage purchases to counterfeit watches and heavily modified timepieces, we're discussing the things that make us nervous about this hobby we love.

Then, things get a little less serious as we dive into Watch Owner Costumes. If watch collectors had Halloween costumes based on their personalities, what would they wear? We break down some familiar watch enthusiast personas and the outfits we'd put together to bring them to life.

Whether you're a vintage watch collector, a luxury watch enthusiast, or just someone who enjoys making questionable financial decisions in the name of horology, this one's for you.

Happy Halloween, and spend your time wisely!

Timestamp:

00:00 Daylight saving time, watchwinders, and wrist checks

05:03 Why Devin can’t stop wearing the RZE UTD 8000

11:25 The Halloween special: watches that scare the hosts

12:37 Vintage Speedmasters and the danger of swapped parts

15:43 Too-good-to-be-true deals and risky vintage sellers

17:21 The $7,000 service quote horror story

22:28 Why complicated watches demand costly specialist service

27:50 Modded watches, bad assembly, and lost water resistance

30:12 When a watch’s image makes you hesitate

32:12 Costuming the Richard Mille owner and vintage dive collector

37:54 The JDM/Credor collector, and what Credor means

43:01 The microbrand spec-sheet stereotype and episode wrap-up

In this Time Well Spent Podcast, Devin Pennypacker and Griffin Bartsch break down their experiences with Watch Week New York City. Each tackling different shows and events that popped up during the week featuring independent watch brands, micro brands, new watch releases, and a whole lot of watch enthusiasts, they dig into each show they attended and which watches stood out in their minds. Stick around for the end where they give you their top 5 tips for watch week NYC.

Griffin Bartsch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cgriffinbartsch/?hl=en

Devin Pennypacker Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devinpennypacker/?hl=en

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and overview of NYC Watch Week

01:58 Griffin's review of the Timex Noah Boat Swain

04:01 Discussion on the Jock Bianchi X Deep Sea EDC

07:07 Insights on the vintage Blancpain 50 Fathoms

09:00 Deep dive into Fondation Haute Horlogerie (FHH) event

12:50 Recap of the Watch Time event and notable watches

17:56 Wind Up NYC: The micro brand showcase

22:00 Challenges and growth of Wind Up event

26:01 Community, energy, and the future of watch shows

30:11 Tips for first-time attendees and event logistics

34:46 Reflections on the best moments and watches

40:02 The significance of indie brands and private meetings

45:00 Addressing venue issues and crowd management

49:57 Final tips for maximizing your Watch Week experience

58:01 Closing thoughts and cultural recommendations

In this episode, Devin and Griffin share their insights from Toronto Timepiece, discuss new watch releases, and explore the fascinating world of watch collecting and design. They each bring one big standout from the show to discuss while also giving some quick highlight information regarding other notable new watches. At the end, they go through a show and tell where each breaks down what they brought back home from the Toronto Timepiece Show.

Relevant Links:

22Studio: https://22designstudio.net/

Concrete Speaker: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/22studiotw/where-architecture-meets-sound-aa01-concrete-speaker?ref=ksr_email_mktg_auto_user_watched_project_launched

Slomo: https://slomowatches.com/

Marathon x WOE: https://www.watchesofespionage.com/products/marathon-woe-titanium-sar

Gronefeld: https://www.gronefeld.com/

Arken Alterum: https://arken.uk/watches/p/arkenalterum1122

Farr+Swit: https://www.farrandswit.com/product-page/gamer-8-bit-special-request

Wren: https://www.wrenwatches.com/

Doxa: https://doxawatches.com/collections/sub-300-ti5

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and overview of Toronto Timepiece

04:09 Venue impressions and space utilization

07:59 Gear chat: Cameras for travel and photography

12:10 Highlights of concrete dial watches from 22 Studios

16:07 First impressions of the Ren integrated bracelet watch

19:57 Gronfeld's latest high-end watch and its significance

23:56 Marathon SAR and upcoming Tritium version

28:04 Ken from Arkan and the high-end craftsmanship

31:58 Exclusive look at the new Doxa titanium diver

35:58 Upcoming watch events during Watch Week

40:00 Personal show and tell: Devin and Griffin’s finds

43:55 Final thoughts and upcoming watch events

In this Time Well Spent Podcast, Devin Pennypacker and Griffin Bartsch bring their own hands-on experience to the table to see if the press release specifications live up to the in-person previews. Griffin brings his recent hands-on experience with the Tudor Northflag while Devin brings his thoughts on the full Gallet collection. What do you think of these new releases?

Griffin Bartsch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cgriffinbartsch/?hl=en

Devin Pennypacker Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devinpennypacker/?hl=en

Relevant Links:

Hands-On Tudor Northflag: https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-tudor-northflag

Timestamps:

0:07 Intro

2:00 Wrist Check

6:50 Hands-On Tudor Northflag Impressions

19:11 Northflag Competitors

28:00 Hands-On Gallet Impressions

46:00 Toronto Timepiece

48:00 Final Recommendations

In this Time Well Spent Podcast, Devin Pennypacker and Griffin Bartsch dive into their favorite new releases from Geneva Watch Days. They dig into some of their favorites from A. Lange & Sohne, Zenith, Tudor, TAG Heuer, Doxa, and so many more while looking at their favorite new watch releases from it all. Which was your favorite new release?

Griffin Bartsch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cgriffinbartsch/?hl=en

Devin Pennypacker Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devinpennypacker/?hl=en

Relevant Links:

Introducing the Starum Expedition: https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/straum-expedition

A Lange & Sohne 1815 Up Down: https://www.alange-soehne.com/us-en/timepieces/1815/1815-updown/1815-updown-in-750-white-gold-244-028

Zenith Chronomaster Solo Sport: https://www.zenith-watches.com/en_us/brand/chronomaster-solo-sport

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Vianney Halter: https://www.bulgari.com/en-us/stories/geneva-watch-days

TAG Heuer Monza Flyback: https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/introducing-tag-heuer-monza-flyback-chronograph

Doxa Sub 300 Ti5: https://doxawatches.com/collections/sub-300-ti5

Tudor Northflag: https://www.tudorwatch.com/en/watches/tudor-northflag/m9140g1a0u-0001

Gallet: https://www.gallet.com/us-en/

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro & Organization

1:01 Wristcheck

10:00 Griffin NYC Update

11:08 Bath House

11:53 Lime Rock Races

14:00 US Open

19:20 Geneva Watch Days

22:00 Ming Polymesh

24:25 Lange 1815

28:00 Zenith

34:00 Bulgari

39:00 TAG Heuer

45:00 Doxa

51:00 Tudor

57:00 Gallet

1:09:00 Closing Thoughts

Timestamps:

In our first in-person Time Well Spent Podcast, Devin Pennypacker and Griffin Bartsch discuss their watch origins stories along with Producer Josh of the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. We look at our first watches, watches that deepened our enthusiasm, and watches that are closely associated with us personally. What watches would you identify as key pieces in your collecting journey?

Griffin Bartsch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cgriffinbartsch/

Devin Pennypacker Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devinpennypacker/?hl=en

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

0:51 Wrist Check

1:58 Structure

3:25 First Watch

10:32 Second Watch

23:12 Third Watch

36:00 Fourth Watch

46:00 Humbling Stories

52:55 Cultural Recommendations

In this episode of the Time Well Spent Podcast, Devin Pennypacker is joined by David von Bader. A writer of all things watches, music, and vintage cars, David has carved out a pocket in the industry leaning into the things he grew up on including writing his very own book on watches. We dive into vintage watches, vintage cars, watch advertising inside of F1, and a few more meanderings along the way.

Small Luxuries: Watches (by David von Bader): https://amzn.to/4fBRCT1

David Von Bader Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_von_bader/

Devin Pennypacker Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devinpennypacker/?hl=en

Relevant Links:

Motorcar Manor (NJ): https://www.motorcarmanor.com/

1 (F1 Glory Days Documentary): https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.08284322-78bd-4a4f-abd2-f7c00754d482?ref_=imdbref_tt_ov_wbr_ovf__pvs_piv&tag=imdbtag_tt_ov_wbr_ovf__pvs_piv-20

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Devin and David’s passions

02:02 The playful side of license plates and community

03:58 Watches as storytelling tools in car culture

07:58 The intersection of motorsport and watch branding

12:04 Authenticity and inauthenticity in racing sponsorships

15:55 The evolution of F1 and watch collaborations

20:03 The role of community in car and watch hobbies

24:04 Restoring and personalizing vintage watches

29:55 The importance of genuine connections in enthusiast groups

35:59 The impact of social media on hobby communities

40:47 Advice for newcomers to car and watch culture

45:08 The value of authentic passion over superficial branding

51:53 Game of this or that: collaboration watches vs. dial text

59:53 The importance of disconnecting and real-world engagement

01:02:07 Closing thoughts and recommendations