Watch Vlogger Jenni Elle¶
Published on Mon, 19 Oct 2020 10:00:00 +0000
One of YouTube's biggest watch personalities talks to us about the "Rolex Game," embracing controversy, and why she loves weird watches.
Synopsis¶
In this episode of Hodinkee Radio, host Stephen Pulvirent interviews Jenny Elle, one of YouTube's fastest-growing watch content creators. Despite launching her channel only in January 2020, Jenny has amassed nearly 100,000 subscribers with her candid, enthusiastic approach to watch content. The conversation explores Jenny's origin story in watches, beginning with her father's flea market watch hobby and her first watch received as a child when grounded by her parents. Her passion intensified when her now-husband purchased a blue Oyster Perpetual, leading them both down the watch rabbit hole.
Jenny and her husband transitioned from web design and video production to making watch content their full-time career, starting first with a German-language channel before Jenny launched her English-language channel. They discuss the challenges of watch photography and videography, particularly shooting watches with domed crystals, and Jenny's approach to content creation—always starting with a compelling title and ensuring she can keep videos informative yet concise. She emphasizes respecting viewers' time and making content accessible to both newcomers and experienced collectors.
The conversation touches on several of Jenny's popular videos, including her first video on the Lange & Söhne Odysseus, her Apple Watch review, and her take on the new Rolex Submariner. They discuss controversial topics like homage watches, the luxury smartwatch market, and the "Rolex game" of limited availability and waitlists. Jenny shares her perspective as one of the leading female voices in a traditionally male-dominated industry, noting that she's been pleasantly surprised by the generally positive reception and lack of toxicity she expected. The episode also includes an interview with Zenith CEO Julian Tornare about the Chronomaster Revival Liberty Limited Edition for the North American market.
Links¶
Transcript¶
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| Jenny Elle | I got my first wristwatch quite early. Like I got grounded when I was younger and then when I was allowed back outside. My parents gave me a wristwatch 'cause I had limited time outside. I was able to like no, okay, it's thirty minutes, I have to go back home now. So |
| Stephen Pulvirent | that was my first wristwatch. I don't think I've ever heard somebody's first watch being so that they knew how ungrounded they were. That's uh that's pretty amazing. Traumatic experience a lot of people. Hey everybody, I'm your host Stephen Polverin and this is Hodinky Radio. If you've been following the broader watch media world in 2020, you've probably heard of or seen Jenny L. She's quickly become one of YouTube's brightest and biggest voices for all things watches. Despite only launching her channel in January of this year, she's got almost a hundred thousand followers too, so this is not small potatoes we're talking about here. I've known I wanted to get Jenny on Hodinki Radio for a while, and last week we were able to finally make it work. After our chat, my only real regret is that it took me so damn long to make it happen. YouTube is pretty crowded when it comes to watch videos, but Jenny really sets herself apart with a sort of trademark candor and honesty. She's she's a real enthusiast and she brings that passion to everything she talks about. She always gives you this sense that she's trying to learn more while she's also teaching her viewers, and that's a tough thing to balance. In our conversation, we get into the origin story Jenny's very first watch, how she turned that passion into a full-time job with her husband, and then the finer points of how she crafts each of these videos for her audience. We then dig a little deeper, we get into some of Jenny's most popular videos and really go bit by bit. We talk about where the industry's going in a broader way, and we also talk about what it means to her to be one of the leading female voices in a pretty male-dominated industry. Honestly, Jenny is a total boss, and I'm super excited we can share this story with you here. So with that in mind, let's do this. This week's episode is presented by Zenith and the Chronemaster Revival Liberty Limited Edition. Stay tuned later in the show for my conversation with Zenith CEO Julian Tornare or visit ZenithWatches.com for more. Hey Jenny, great to have you on the show. Hi, Steven. Thanks for having me on the show. I'm super excited. That's awesome. Yeah, this is one we wanted to do for for a while. I'm glad we could uh could finally connect and make this happen. Oh yeah. It was reading Houdinky Mindbox was exciting. For sure. I'll tell you over at Hodinky HQ, we're all uh we're all big fans of uh your YouTube channel, so this is uh this is a fun chat to have. Oh, thank you. I I think one of the funny things for me was, you know, you hit my radar earlier this year, but I kind of assumed you'd been doing this for a while and that I just like hadn't noticed. Uh and I I know that you're you've been in the watch space for a couple of years, uh, that you found a watch vice back in in twenty eighteen. But uh your YouTube channel, Jenny L, uh you you only started in January of this year, right? I did, I did, yes. I've up |
| Jenny Elle | loaded my first one, I think it was the uh fifth of January. It was some sort of a um like a New Year's revolution no resolution, that's what it what you say, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. |
| Stephen Pulvirent | And I I followed through and I'm happy I did. That's awesome. What's uh what was the idea? Like what what made you say, like, okay, I've got a website doing stuff on Instagram, but like I want to launch a YouTube channel? Um I think it |
| Jenny Elle | got started when um so we did start the German YouTube channel first and um we we had some sort of a following and we still have on this one and I kind of I was I was always a bit camera shy but then I did my first episode on the German channel and it was very well received and I got excited and I was like, you know what? I'm I'm gonna do my own thing now too. Um and and just see where it's going and try a bit different things and talk about the watches that I personally like. Um 'cause we do have a different taste in watches, my husband and I. Um which is which which is an exciting thing because why do you always want to agree with someone? Um Yeah, totally. But but yeah, that's how it all came to be and now I'm I'm |
| Stephen Pulvirent | here. So how would how would you describe that taste in watches? Like what is it what would you say is like your taste in watches? Um I think I would say |
| Jenny Elle | I like I do have like a weak spot for like weird watches. Like if if they look weird, even in a bad way, I'm I kinda like them just for that. And if if there's a certain story attached to it, it sounds a bit cliche, but that's what I really love about watches. Even if it's just like a small little thing that that gets me interested and I'm I'm all for it. So I wouldn't say have I like a certain type. I do have brands for sure that I really love. I think by now it is it is known that I'm a a Rolex fangirl. But um it doesn't it doesn't always have to be Rolex. I'm I'm open to to anything if it if it's interesting, let's put it that way |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . Do you do you think there are any crossovers for you between your your love of Rolex and your love of weird watches? Like is there a weird Rolex that you're into? |
| Jenny Elle | There hmm I wanna say there is I mean some people would say the rainbow daytona is super weird. Um |
| Stephen Pulvirent | which I would say. The rainbow is super dope. Anyone anyone who disagrees with that can come at me. I'm uh I'm I'm firmly on Team Rainbow here. Same. I think it's it's one of the best |
| Jenny Elle | things ever made. Um but I mean there are people out there who say this is like an absolute no-no. |
| Stephen Pulvirent | Yeah. I mean, like I don't know. Peop people get so serious about watches and it's like if you can't take a gold Daytona and throw a rainbow of of like stones. I was gonna say diamonds, they're not all diamonds, but like a rainbow of like stone of like diamonds and sapphires and stuff on it and be like, look, this is fun. Like I I don't know. I mean especially if you're gonna spend a hundred thousand dollars on a watch, if it doesn't make you smile and like doesn't bring some amount of joy to your life, like what what are you doing? Exactly. I mean wh |
| Jenny Elle | y if if it's people that have that much money, I mean if I had that money I would not care at all, I would just go for it and get the craziest things. I mean who cares? By the end of the day I feel like no one really cares about your watch. I mean I dunno, watch people probably like do some sort of like a wrist check when people walk past, but that's like five percent of people I feel. Anyone else just does not care. They would just like look past you and be like, oh that's weird and then they just forget about |
| Stephen Pulvirent | you. Yeah, I I totally agree. I mean I, think that's something that like all watch collectors should probably like keep in mind a little bit more is like nobody cares. Like nobody's paying attention. Like wear the thing you like, because like no you nobody else cares about your watch as much as you think they do, you know? Absolutely. Abs |
| Jenny Elle | olutely it's so true. 'Cause I thought when I got my first expensive watch, like really expensive watch, I thought I was uh like people would come up to me and be like, oh n,ice watch or something. At least that's what I sort of hope for. I mean we always dream of this moment where we're like, oh yeah, that's my watch. But it it it never happened. It never did. And and that's fine, but it's interesting to see how you have certain expectations and then it's it turns out to be completely different |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . And and I think, you know, both of us being in kind of like the watch media space, like we're used to people talking to us about our watches in a way that is is very atypical. Like I don't think even, you know, I do not consider myself a big collector. I have a small, relatively modest collection, you know. But like I end up getting talked to about my watches a lot more because like I am a professional in this field, whereas, you know, most people who own ten times the number of watches or ten times the value of watches of what I own, like nobody talks to them about it. It's like it's their thing. |
| Jenny Elle | True. Those people are like true collectors for me. I would I would consider myself like a watch owner. I don't know. I I feel like I I think I've I've said it before like when when you say collection it's I don't have a theme and that's why I think I don't have a collection. I don't know. It's it's a bit difficult to define what what a collection |
| Stephen Pulvirent | is, to me at least. It's something that I try I mean we've talked about it on this show before, but like I try to tell it to like younger people 'cause like I got into this when I was twenty two, twenty yeah, I guess twenty two. And like I had I had no money. Like every penny was spent on like, you know, graduate school and like drinking beer with my friends. Like I wasn't I wasn't worried about like saving up for uh whatever, you know? Yeah. Uh but like it's possible to be a watch enthusiast and to be a watch owner and stuff without having to be a quote unquote like collector. You don't have to own ten super nice, super expensive watches to be like in the watch community. Absolutely. You know, you can own a watch. You can own no watches. Like you can wear an Apple Watch every day or a Timex every day and like |
| Jenny Elle | That's another thing I'm I'm looking forward to so much. But I guess as you you've been to a lot and attended many, but that's another thing I'm super excited for |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . I I have in fact been to a lot of watch meetups. That is uh that that is something I have done quite quite a few times. But uh yeah it, is it it has been weird this year, like not seeing other collectors, like mostly interacting with people on Instagram and Twitter and stuff. Uh instead of like, you know, it's like not weird for me to like, you know, twice in a week in two different cities end up seeing groups of collectors. Like 'cause, you know, when we're traveling for work, we try to do events in the cities we're traveling to. Uh or at least hang out with people. And uh yeah, it's been it's been a little weird but I think I think in a funny way like your channel and a couple other you know podcasts and and other things have kind of popped up this year as a way to fill fill that void which I think is is really important. I think people are are finding like new ways to have that interaction despite the fact that they can't like go hang out in a bar and all touch each other's watches. Maybe there's like some sort of virtu |
| Jenny Elle | al watch meetup. That would be cool. Or it these interesting. I mean you can't really touch or like look at the watch properly, but you can hang |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . Yeah, exactly. How how did you get into watches in the first place? I mean that's like a really basic question, but like I I think it's worth worth touching on. Um I think I don't think there is like |
| Jenny Elle | a specific point in in in my past it sounds very dramatic, uh where it's like, oh yeah, I love watches. So basically my dad, he is the king of of flea market watches. He will just pick up some random watches from flea markets that he can find and he will fix them up. Um, mostly just replacing the batteries. Um, but um he he always loved to like do things in his spare time, like you know, just build little gadgets and pieces. He's he's very much I think he's he's some sort of um it's like a hidden genius, I think. But uh probably that's what most daughters think of their dads. But uh yeah, he we have always had watches lying around at home. He would always um you know find new straps and stuff. And um I got my first wristwatch quite early. It was um I think I talked about this in one of my QAs. Um it was for like I got grounded when I was younger and then when I was allowed back outside. My parents gave me a wristwatch because I had limited time outside. And so I was able to like no, okay, it's 30 minutes, I have to go back home now. So that was my first wristwatch |
| Stephen Pulvirent | traumatic experience. I was gonna say I don't think I've ever heard somebody's first watch being so that they knew how ungrounded they were. That's uh that's pretty amazing. It was a punishment sort of. |
| Jenny Elle | Oh yeah, that was I still have it. I still have it. It's like um this teeny tiny with uh wristwatch, it's like a light blue dial and it has Jimmy Pendulix on it, which is like a little penguin or duck or something. Okay. And so it's it's still on display at home. And um then when I my now husband when before we got married, I think he got his first he was always into watches, but then he got his first I think it was an Oyster Perpetual that he got the thirty nine it was the dark blue dial. And he got it while I was away. Shame on him. And he texted me and was like, Jenny, look what I got. And I freaked out. I was like, oh my God, this is incredible. And that kind of kickstarted everything. I think we both went into such a deep rabbit hole and we never got out of it |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . And so it it ended up becoming like kind of like the family business, right? Like you guys do this, do this together |
| Jenny Elle | . Yeah, it's it's really cool. It it is a challenge sometimes, but um it's nice to have someone backing you up and help you out because he knows how things go and I hopefully do know them as well and we help each other out, which is which is fascinating. And also because we do have different tastes, which makes it a bit more interesting, I would say. Um just arguing about watches all day, I guess. |
| Stephen Pulvirent | That's pretty great. And and we're when were you guys are are you guys able like is this your full-time job at this point for both of you or do you guys have other other gigs? Yeah, now it is our our full-ti |
| Jenny Elle | me job. We used uh um we always worked together. When I finished my when I came back home from uni I um worked a very short time for a consultancy and and quit that job. But we always worked together after that we had um how do you call it like a web design business we would do website so we've always been into like online marketing and he's also very big on on filming stuff. So he always has his camera with him and he used to produce um oh how do you call it like these clips for for businesses basically. And so it really mixes well with what we do now, because it really like at least the video aspect of it was easier, I would say, for us than for other people, because we already worked with cameras and stuff. Yeah |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . Learning learning to shoe watches is its own thing though. Oh |
| Jenny Elle | tell me about it. It's it's such a nightmare. Oh my some watches really do give me a hard time. It's especially with and that's like the sad part. It's when they have a domed crystal, which I've really liked. Oh my gosh. But shooting them is oh it's a nightmare. It really is. When you can't get the reflection right and everyt |
| Stephen Pulvirent | hing, ugh it's frustrating. producer uh I think could could commiserate with you there. He uh spends probably I think he'd probably tell you he spends too much of his time shooting B-roll of uh of watches and it's it's so tough. |
| Jenny Elle | I mean wow the the nights and and afternoons I've spent trying to figure out how to position my light and like the reflectors and everything and o |
| Stephen Pulvirent | of like sometimes it's very difficult. Yeah and I I think that's something people people may not realize is right like you drop a like you know,, seven to fifteen minute YouTube video, but like how many hours go into producing seven minutes, right |
| Jenny Elle | ? I know. It's like whenever I I do the research for my videos and I can kind of estimate how long a video is going to be. And then it turns out to be like over ten minutes. I'm like dreading it because I've got no Jenny. Now you have to like really film a lot of B-roll clips. Um but yeah, that's all right. But it's just like, whoosh, this is going to be a long one and it's like, oh, I need I need to have 'cause I do like when when you have the visual thing to what you're saying. I really like that for myself when I watch a YouTube video to really see what people tal |
| Stephen Pulvirent | k specifics uh from the videos went back and rewatched some and and picked some some kind of like specific things that I remember from watching them over the last couple months that I I wanted to to kind of jump off and talk further about. No, no no you're you're you're you're fine, I promise. I rewatch |
| Jenny Elle | ed my my Odysseus the my first video a couple of days ago and uh |
| Stephen Pulvirent | Perfect. That made me crazy. Perfect 'cause you you definitely knew I was gonna ask you about it. So uh before we do that though, I I wanna talk a little more generally. So like when how do you decide what is going to be a Jenny L video? Like what what is how do you say every week, like, okay, this is what I'm going to work on, uh, this is going to be the idea.' Hsere how we're going to pull it together. Like what's that process like for you? Um I think if |
| Jenny Elle | I do not instantly have a title in mind, that might be a reason to not do a video, which sounds very drastic at first, but when when I see a watch or like a topic comes up or like a question in like within the watch world that needs answering, and if I do not like immediately have some sort of title to it. I kind of find it difficult to I don't like get access to the whole um like watcher issue or whatever. So I probably start with that. I I try to think of how would I title it because I think that's very important. Um I think Adrian from Barkin Jet did it he he's like I love his titles. I think he's doing a great job and he's a great inspiration for me. Um and it's I mean that's the first thing you kinda see and that's what I want to make sure is is really good. And then obviously I have to be interested in it. I mean if I find it boring, it's hard to like if if it's like something current, if it's like a new release, but I find it boring, it it's going to be difficult for me to make it interesting, so I'm just not going to do it. Right. Um so it has to be something that I'm personally interested in, or at least something that I think is is interesting enough for my view is that I would want to cover it. And then it just basically just goes from there I think about how I'm going to structure it and um how I can like keep it interesting. I think that's also a thing. Um it's it's always a bit of a bummer when you watch a video and like the first minute is great and then it just like you know you wanna make sure you you deliver |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . And the joys of YouTube are that there's always something else to watch right there. So if you don't if you don't keep people interested, they're uh they're gone |
| Jenny Elle | . Yeah, exactly. So you want to make sure that it's it's it's also not a time waste uh um because I mean I do value my time and haha the the time pun here. Um so I wanna make sure that I value my my viewers time and I wanna make it as short as possible but as informative as possi |
| Stephen Pulvirent | Aaron Powell I mean that's something we talk about all the time when we're when we're crafting, whether it's videos or audio or or you know, written and and photographed editorial is like we are so it's it's crazy to me and like having done this you know been a journalist for over a decade now like it blows my mind that like anyone wakes up and wants to spend their day listening to me or reading something I wrote, like it just still just like totally shocks me. And like I I take that so seriously. Like I I it sounds, you know, kinda like I'm patting myself on the back here, but like it's it's really just it's just like I I take it really seriously that like somebody wants to give me, you know, in the case of like the thing we're recording now, like somebody's gonna give you and me like an hour of their day. Like that's that's a lot of responsibility. Like I don't wanna f you know, p par pardon the swearing, but like I don't want to fuck that up, you know? Like I I want that person to finish the hour being like, wow, that was amazing, not well great, I just wasted you know forty five minutes of that hour. Uh that would be the worst. It'd be awful. And uh yeah, it's it's one of those things and I I I think, you know, one of the things I like about your videos is like they all for the most part, they they answer questions, which I think is is a good thing. Like they're not just okay here's a watch like here it is they most of them are like okay what is the most important thing about this what is the thing I need to know about this? What are the four things about this thing that you probably don't already know? And so people can go into them with with sort of like a sense of expectations and they can say as they're watching the video, like, okay, yep, I've got bullet points. One, two, three, four, answered, like perfect. This delivery. Yeah, exactly. And I think that's that's a really clever way to do it. Uh and I I it doesn't surprise me at all to hear that like your titles are kind of your starting point. Um that that makes I hadn't thought about it, but that makes a lot of sense to me |
| Jenny Elle | . Yeah, it's it's sort of like um like a game of association. Like the first thing you think about something when you hear something is and if it's not catchy, it's I mean it's it's not catchy and |
| Stephen Pulvirent | then and then there you go. What's the toughest thing for you when you're making a video? Like what what do you constantly find yourself just being like, ugh, all right, I just gotta get past this part and then we're good |
| Jenny Elle | . I think the toughest part for me, but not so much of getting past a certain point, but I always feel like there is so much more to know or to uncover. And it's kind of difficult for me to draw a line where I'm like, okay, this this is it now. Like that's everything that's that's important. And if anyone is is a bit more interested in like a certain watch, for example, they can just like do it like a Google Deep Dive or something. Yeah. That's the thing I f I find very difficult to like when where does it stop with the information 'cause you can talk a lot about watches and especially about like certain watches where you can go really in depth about um the mechanics. And that's what I find very difficult. Like where do you stop? Because like I'm I'm not a watchmaker, and uh for for many technical things I just do not know about them, and so it's it's like I I feel like I have to walk a very fine line between um purposefully leaving out things to not overwhelm others and still trying to cover everything that needs to be said. I think that's that d's the most difficult part for me right now. |
| Stephen Pulvirent | No, that that makes total sense. No, I I I mean as again like we're we're talking kind of talking shop here, but like I I totally agree. And like that that largely comes down to I think knowing your audience too, right? Like you have to know for us, like we have kind of different audiences. Like, you know, we can think about like, okay, there's a subset of our audience, it's these people and these people and these people. And can you make something that appeals to all of those groups kind of in their in their own way on their own terms? So, you know, when we're writing about the new uh like 321 Speedmaster, for example. Uh, there's a certain group of people who are just like, oh, it's a new moonwatch and it has a flat link bracelet. That's super dope. I want that, you know? There's other people who say like, oh, it's priced similar to a Daytona, but it's not a Daytona. I want that. Uh and then there's people who are like, I want to know everything about like the new micron coatings on the gold bridges of the you know re-engineered three twenty one and it's like that's where like you know for me like my eyes like half glaze over and I have to call Jack and be like yo I need I need some help here. Um but like it's it's good to know I think it's important to know like what not to do as much as it is what what to do. Um especially in video. Like you you could you know I'm just you, know, looking at your channel here right,? Like you did you did a look at the Sky Dweller uh a couple months ago and like you did it in under nine minutes. You could do a forty five minute video about that watch and like not touch on everything. And and knowing and the problem is if you make a forty five minute video, like it's not gonna have a hundred and seventy five thousand views. It's gonna have like five thousand views. Um people know that this is that's that that's going to be intense. Right. And and like there's something to be said for like, okay, yes, like the real nerds and the people who are like so passionate about this one thing might say like, oh, but you left so much out, blah, blah blah. It's like, yes, but you got a hundred and seventy a hundred and seventy thousand additional people interested in this thing uh and kind of were able to share it, share the story more broadly. And like I think I think there's value to that. Absolutely. Yeah, it's it's I mean |
| Jenny Elle | I always try to to imagine what my question would be if I were at the beginning of my my Ugh, it sounds so kitsch. I I don't like that word, but watch journey. Um I got you. 'Cause cause like you've I got so many questions that when I now think about them I would be like, oh wow. Did I was like really questioning that? But it if if you're new to it, it it makes sense and you want someone to answer these questions. Um and this is I think this is also where we um had our why we were so successful um in Germany because there weren't so many people um talking about these issues in German. Um and we had these questions, we were like, why is no one talking about this? Like, we don't know, and so we went out and went and asked and tried to collect as much information as as possible. Um and just did it ourselves. And that I think that helped me a lot and is still now helping me to create my content to really focus on, you know, the the sometimes perhaps dumb sounding questions. I mean there are no dumb questions, but you know what I mean. Um and to focus on them and try to answer them as as best as possible |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . Yeah. You're you're nicer than me. I'm a firm believer that there are dumb questions. I mean I do ask a lot of dumb questions |
| Jenny Elle | I think that's why I'm a bit hesitant to to call them dumb but yeah. I mean it's it's like these things why like at first I was like asking myself why would anyone pay over retail for a watch? Like that doesn't make any sense because I just did not understand how I mean it is a very specific like industry and market I would say um watches. So it took me some time to understand how how it all works and and why it works and who's benefiting from what and all that jazz. So um and I'm sure there's so much to uncover still. I mean when when I see what people that's the thing I'm I'm super respectful and and super uh scared of of forums because these people they know everything and woof when when I'm like trying to read something or like sort something up and and see what what like the vast amount of knowledge that lies in there is just insane. So like I'm I'm just |
| Stephen Pulvirent | scraping at the surface. Other other than for research, I try to stay stay far away from those uh those corners of the watch internet. It's uh it can get overwhelming uh pretty pretty quickly. That's true. That's true. This week's episode is presented by Zenith and the Chronomaster Revival Liberty Limited Edition. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Zenith CEO Julian Tornari to talk through what makes this watch so special, the ways that it draws on Zenith's deep history in the US market and the little touches that really set it apart. Julian's a real watch guy and it's a treat having him walk us through Zenith's latest release. So without further ado, here's my conversation with Julian Tornare. Hey Julian, good to uh good to speak with you again. Hi Stephen, how are you? Over the course of the year we've seen from Zenith a number of of limited editions and special edition watches. So we had early in the year the the Defyle Primera 21 Land Rover edition, we had the Chronomaster Revival Shadow, we've had the Defy 21 Ultraviolet, and now we've got we've got another new piece, the uh the Chronomaster Revival Liberty, which is a North America exclusive, right? |
| Julian Tornare | Yes, of course. You know, uh 2019, as you know, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the El Primero and it was a huge event for us that we clearly celebrated all over the world. We launched a few special revival edition, I would say, and we realized that there is so much demand and so many people are are expecting uh these kind of watches from the sixties and seventies to come back in in a way or another, but to come back to uh to to the current collection. So so we have decided this year to come with a few um giving tribute uh to these great periods of of of creativity that we had in the brand uh in the late 60s. This is this is how basically we launched this kind of uh uh like you mentioned the shadow. The shadow was clearly a watch inspired by another one that we found in the in the famous attic. And uh and of course the A three eighty four was such an iconic watch for us and and still is that we wanted to |
| Stephen Pulvirent | do something a bit special for the uh for the US market. Yeah. What makes this a a North America Limited Edition and the Liberty Edition is is the red, white, and blue color scheme. So could could you maybe walk us through the the use of red, white, and blue on this watch? Of course. I mean we really want to to |
| Julian Tornare | come with a a little hint to the um to the US, to the US flag and to the spirit of the sixties and uh and to bring this kind of a uh a little touch um on the dial was very important for us. But also we did something quite special. You may know that the after the A three eighty four there was a watch called the A three hundred eighty five, which had the particularity it was the same case, but it was very particular in terms of uh uh the gradient uh uh dial and the gradient it was kind of a brown uh gradient at that time in the A three eighty five and we were Zenit the very first brand to use this kind of different shades and and gradient effect on the dial. So we decided for the US um Liberty Edition to do the same on a blue dial. So we get this very uh nice uh gradient uh effect uh uh as uh uh in blue as we had the very first one in sixty-nine in uh in brown. So that |
| Stephen Pulvirent | 's that's something quite special, yeah. Zenith has had a long relationship with with the US specifically and with North America more broadly as as an important market. I mean, going all the way back to to the sixties and seventies. Can can you speak a little bit about that and why now maybe felt like the right time to to pay homage to that? Yeah, of course, of course. You know, |
| Julian Tornare | Zenith has always had always been um a brand that um uh had a particular uh history uh with the US and of course in the sixties as you may uh remember the brand was actually acquired by an American company called the Zenith Radio Corporation and and and people of my age I, would say, uh forty-five, fifties and up, they often refer to Zenit as at the TV screens. And it was very, very famous brand in the US, more than watches. And and this is during those times that uh basically the brand was acquired by that company. And uh and and and when we entered basic the the courts um uh crisis or the court's revolution, I should say, and uh when the famous story of Shalver happened, the company was owned by by this American company. So since then there's been a very um interesting history between um your country and and and Zeret. And I think um having this livery uh watch from the sixties, from the period of Charmot is a nice little hint to uh to the common uh past |
| Stephen Pulvirent | that we had together in the late sixties. For for people who might not know, can can you give us the the quick version of Chalvermont's story? Uh for for people who might not be familiar with this this kind of watershed moment in in Zenith's history. Absolutely. It was uh the El Primero was really an |
| Julian Tornare | amazing movement, uh revolution revolutionary uh chronograph movement. But very soon after the watch uh the movement was created, we entered what we call the quartz crisis. And uh we all believed it was the end of the mechanical uh watch um industry, Swiss watch industry. So imagine the watchmakers here, they were basically a collect collapsing on their uh behind their bench. And uh so they were asked to destroy every single component um uh of the more was a watchmaker in the workshop number three here and he basically couldn't believe his ears so he decided not to listen to his boss and he started to hide every single watch component movements plans tools that were linked to the El Primero in a little room at the top of our manufacturer called the Attic, and he is and everything was hidden and kept and preserved until uh a famous day in nineteen eighty-four. Charles in the meantime had retired, but he was called by his former colleagues to come and and and show uh what we now call the hidden treasure and that probably saved not only the El Primero movement, but probably the Zenith brand |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . Yeah, of course. And and I I wonder maybe to finish things off, if you can share maybe your favorite thing, uh, your personal favorite thing about the Chronomaster Revival Liberty. The the little detail that just draws you into the watch every time? You to be honest, I really |
| Julian Tornare | uh I really think the um the the way the dial is done and I'm a big fan of gradient effect uh dial and I think when you look at it, different lighting, different angle, you can see shades uh of this blue uh in a very nice way. When I look at the watch, I really feel I'm I'm back into uh yeah, the golden sixties, the the this kind of spirit, I'm back in America during those years and and I think the the the link between the uh the watch itself and the the common history as I mentioned earlier in the sixties between the America and and and Zenit is a perfect, perfect uh uh illustration for for limited editions. And uh and I think it's a great um it's a great uh opportunity for us to uh to talk about the brand and to to show the American market also that we are doing something very special uh uh only for this market. Yeah |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . Awesome. Thank you so much, Julian. I really appreciate you doing this. And uh yeah, hope to hope to see you soon and hope to speak to you soon. For sure, with great pleasure. Thanks again to Julian for joining us, and if you want to learn more about the Zenith Chronomaster Revival Liberty, visit Zenith Watches.com. Alright, let's get back to the show. Let's let's dive into some specific videos here. Um, you know, and you you mentioned your first video, it was a look at the longa Odysseus, which you you say right at the top of the video is like one of the more controversial releases in in a long time. Uh and I think it's interesting, like for your first video on this channel, like you you went like right into the deep end. Uh you picked a controversial watch from a like beloved brand. It's kind of a complicated watch. And I don't mean complicated in that there's like, you know, a minute repeater. I mean complicated in that like it's it's sort of a hard watch to like unpack. Yeah, there's a lot to it. And like why'd why'd you just go like fully into the deep end and and start things with the Odysse |
| Jenny Elle | us. Well, I I wanted to I wanted to start with something special and I knew because we already did that video like two weeks ago in like before that I mean in in German. I knew that this was something like the Watchworld was talking about and we at home were talking about it. And I wanted to to take something that I'm really passionate about. I I do really love Alang und Söhne. And for transparency reasons, I mean it's it's it's I think it's important to say that they were the first to like reach out to us, which we really appreciate. So that was we had like some sort of a special connection and so I I was like, you know what? I'm I'm gonna start with a bang and I'm going to take this watch because I think what what I really liked about the the discussions, um at least the ones that I saw online about the um audio sous they were mostly constructive I did not see that much shit talking with that watch it it it seemed like it like a constructive discourse and I really like that and I was like okay that's perfect. I'm gonna take this and and and just give it a go and I mean people appreciated what I had to say which which I'm very grateful for. Um obviously you can't please everyone and that's also not the goal. But um it was a great start and that's why why I picked it. I think it's it's such an interesting watch and it could not have been a better choice, I think. I'm I'm really proud of that one. Even though I was baby Jenny back then. I watched that video and I was like cringing so. Yeah. Because like I think there is this part in the video where I'm like, and my husband with a what do I say like a hundred and seventy centimeter vist circumference? And oof, the pronunciation is so weird and funny, but |
| Stephen Pulvirent | that's okay. We will have to do it. I think it's great. I think it's great. I think it it I agree with you, it was a great place to start and it actually has one of my favorite of your your sort of like takes uh is is actually in that video, which is I love the idea that there's a difference between a sports watch and a sporty watch. And yeah. It's not something I'd ever thought about until I saw this. I was like, oh yeah, you have like a sport watch and a dress watch. Like it's one of the two or it's somewhere in the middle and like whatever, fine. Uh but can you can you unpack that idea for a second? Like the idea of what what makes a watch a sports watch versus what makes a watch a sporty watch. Mm |
| Jenny Elle | -hmm. So I think well first of all, thank you. Um so a sporty watch is is something that is inherently something different, but you can describe it as something that it might not fully be if that makes sense. So the Alangonzu noodis is it's it it is an eleg I think it's an elegant dress watch that looks very sporty. It's not a sports watch. Though you can like use it for like other things than your usual align on doing it. But that's to me what what a sporty watch is. It's it's something that I mean for ex,ample, the if if you take a Rolex State just it it can to me that's a dress watch, but it can look very sporty as well if you have it like on an oyster bracelet, you know, get it the the don't bezel, for example. And then to me that that looks very sporty. It still isn't a sports watch, to me at least. Um and so that's that's kind of the the difference I think |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna bring up one thing about this watch that I I just want to talk to you about. You you touched on it in the video, but I'm just gonna I'm just gonna throw it out there. Sure. Can we talk about the lugs on this watch? Like I love I love Langa. I'm on the record a million times saying I love Langa. Uh, I there are multiple pieces that are like actively on my list of things I would like to at some point buy. Um I like what I I've met most of the designers there, like I know a lot of the team there. Like, what the hell were they thinking with the lugs on this watch? Well, okay |
| Jenny Elle | , yeah. I mean, I get what you're saying, but I think to support that case and especially the sides the the crown guards, you would need something that is is very bold in its design. I mean if if you look at it at the with the rubber strapped that when it came out uh it was this year, wasn't it? Uh yeah. I mean there you can see how it it does look a bit awkward, I wanna say. 'Cause there you can see these like middle links um pop out. Right. Um but I think it works perfectly fine with the steel bracelet. That's my take on it. Okay. |
| Stephen Pulvirent | Do you disagree? I can't I just think they're too long. I just think they're too damn long. Like I I think the lug delug on this watch I, don't have the measurement in front of me, but it's just like I I I actually don't I don't it's not my favorite longa design, but like I think overall like the dial is perfectly nice. I think the movement's great, like the idea behind this watch is awesome. I love the the way the pushers are integrated. Like that's all great. But it's just like I put it on my wrist and it's like I I like I I just can't wear it. Like as you say in the video, there's there really with this watch is like a minimum wrist size. And if your wrist is not that large, it just like it doesn't work. You know, it's yeah, it's true. Uh but you know, it's all right. I think uh over overall, I think uh that I I everyone I know who has this watch or who's like into this watch is really into this watch. So you know to your point from earlier yeah it is very special. Yeah and like to your point from earlier you can't please everybody with everything so |
| Jenny Elle | like, you know, it's alright. I think that's that's the other thing which which I was um more than happy to to take this one as my first video. 'Cause 'cause I really admire a brand that just try something. You know, I mean you always yeah, like we said, you can't please anyone, everyone. Um but sometimes you have to push it a bit and maybe make mistakes and I really like how they have taken like their essence of of their design and everything that makes Dangelange and and put it into something new. And I think that was for the first um in that like family or like in that line, for the first watch I think they did a great job. And I appreciate that. Well done longer |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . That's fair. Let's let's go the opposite direction from Longa and like a whole a whole different like swamp that you decided to weed into, which is the uh the Apple Watch. Uh I think like, you know, I've been covering the Apple Watch since literally the day it was announced. Uh I was a tech reporter before that to a certain extent, so like I I kind of knew what I was getting myself into here. And you you did a review recently. It's your most recent review as of us recording this. So we'll start with the first thing you did and we'll we'll we'll go right to the most recent thing you did. Oh yeah. Full circle. And uh yeah, you you I mean you did a review, the review's great. Uh people should definitely go watch it. I don't think you and I need to like rehash your review here, but uh you you do mention in the review, you make a call back to it to a QA episode you did where you said you would never own a luxury smartwatch. And and I want I wanted you to explain that a little bit. Like first of all, like what makes a luxury smartwatch a luxury smartwatch? And two, like why why is that unappealing to you? |
| Jenny Elle | Okay, right. Yeah, I did say that. And I think I referred to the um the Takhoya connected in my QA. And that's the thing that's where the difference is for me. So Apple has never been known for manufacturing watches or like luxury watches. They've always been a tech company. And so for them to make something that can also tell the time and sits on your wrist, to me that's not really and I said it in the video, it's it's not a watch to me. It is something that tells the time, fair enough. But this th that's just an iPhone accessory to me. This is my first Apple Watch. And this one is never going to replace my mechanical watches. And I can totally respect them for what they they do. And I think it it's a great um it's a great accessory. But when I see um I'm and I'm sure people will disagree with me on this one, but that's fine. When I see brands that have been known to manufacture um mechanical watches when they do these smart watches, to me that's such a weird move, even though I mean I do respect the initiative and trying something new, and that's that's great, don't get me wrong. But it's it's such a weird move still. I mean, take Apple and all their experience and what they've done and and they know their customers and they know what people want from their wristwatches. I'm just gonna call it a wristwatch. But I think that's where the um luxury smartwatches are lacking. And I mean I've tried it. Um and like setting up this thing was a nightmare. Um so I I that's why I would I would never spend that much money on it, especially because you would have to update it and I mean I I think with an Apple Watch that one's easier to sell. That sounds very harsh, but if I don't like this one in like two years time I can like trade it in and get a new one. I don't know if I can do that with uh luxury smartwatches. |
| Stephen Pulvirent | Yeah. Yeah. I was doing that thing for a while where like you could trade it in and get a mechanical Carrera. Uh but I think that I n I know they stopped that. Uh and I'd I'd I'd be very, very curious to know kind of what the uh what like the success rate on that was, like how many people actually did that and like what the experience was there. Like I if if anybody listening here bought a Carrera connected like a Tag Quarrier connected watch, a first generation one, and then traded it in for I think it was the eighteen eighty seven uh Carrera model, uh like DM me on Instagram, email me, Steven at Hodinky.com. Like I if you did that, I want to hear from you. Like we we should chat. You know, like that that is I have never met somebody or talked to somebody who did it, and I I would love to know kind of what the thinking was there. Um but yeah I I agree with you. I mean I think it's it's |
| Jenny Elle | it's an interesting move. I don't know if it Yeah. It's I don't want to shit on on Tako specifically 'cause they're not talking ones. But that's just them the one that I was was thinking of at the top of my head. But it's it's it's a weird move. I don't think it makes sense. But that sounds very unfold thinking of me perhaps. I st I still respect it. It's it's like I said, it it's cool if you try something new. That |
| Stephen Pulvirent | one just isn't for me. Yeah. No, that's that's fair. And I mean like I'll be honest, like I I like the Apple Watch. I think the Apple Watch is great. I have many conflicted feelings about like at what point is wearing an Apple Watch every day going to be just like something I have to do, like to keep my body healthy and to like not, you know, at what point does it become like a risk to not wear one? Um and I'm not a two ri like I'm not a double wristing uh kind of person. That's not my jam. But uh it does it does like there are days where like I can't do it. I just a Jack can pull it off. Uh you know, we have some other folks on the team who do it and look great. I just I can't. I can't I honestly I don't really like having things on my wrists. Like I don't wear bracelets. Like I'm I'm like I like having my hands like unencumbered. Uh and like even wearing a watch some days, I'm just like I don't want anything on my wrist. So uh yeah, the idea of having two things is just like I'm I'm out. Like that's where you lose me. Um But yeah, there are days like I look at like a vintage Rolex or like a Grand Seiko or an IWC or whatever that I have, and I'm just like at what point do I just say like this is amazing and I love it but like may maybe this becomes like only a special occasions thing like I I don't want that to happen but I wonder if at some point it will and I I don't know th,ose these these like luxury smartwatches may may at some point provide a middle ground for that, but I I agree with you. Like it's not clear to me yet like |
| Jenny Elle | what their main purpose is. Yeah, it's it's still too much it still too much looks like a mechanical watch, but then it looks like a oh man, I'm gonna say it. It looks like a toy. Come at me people. That's fair |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . That's fair, you're allowed you're allowed to say that. That's what that's why we have you here. Hot hot tak takes. Hotes. Oh, yeah, I'm gonna do it. I need to do a second hot takes. Uh so alright, let's let's let's keep going. I got a couple more videos I want to talk to you about. And uh and then I've got some bigger picture questions and some quickfire stuff we'll do at the end. But uh you know what one of the thing uh uh we just talked about something you mentioned in a QA episode and I I think your QA episodes are great. I I really like them. You know, we've done the the call-in shows here and like I don't know, the ability to like interact with your community in that way, I think is a really special special thing. Um and one of the questions that that caught my eye from one of the Q |
| Jenny Elle | ? Yeah, sure. I I always I also thought this was very interesting 'cause my initial instinct was to say, Oh yeah, cheapest watch from bigger brand 'cause I was like that's obviously the the better watch. Um and then I kinda retracted and and and and said like this and this is th it really depends on the watch itself. Like you can't really say that the the quote unquote cheapest of of a bigger brand is going to be better than the most expensive of a m less expensive brand so to say. And um that was but it really did make me think of of how I view brands and how they price watches in general. And I mean we all fall for the trick of how we think more expensive things are better. And sometimes that can be true. Um I think at least in terms of chocolate, I think expensive chocolate is tastes extremely like so much better than the cheap ones. But that's a very specific example. But it doesn't have to be that way. And so I was I was very um happy that I got asked this question. 'Cause it is really difficult 'cause you have to kind of really think about what made you go for the first initial reaction and then make sure that you really know what you choose a watch for I agree. That was a that was a good question. Good for you, the guy whoever asked the question. I do not remember your |
| Stephen Pulvirent | name. Well done. Shout out to whoever answered that asked that question. Um Yeah, I wanna to keep talking about like, you know, different brands and kind of their relationships to one another, you you get a ton of questions about like up and comers, like what's the next big thing? What do you think is the most interesting thing that's come out recently? All of that stuff. Um, what what do you think overall are sort of like some of the most exciting things that we have to look forward to in watches? Like what is on your radar that you're like this is the thing to pay attention to. M |
| Jenny Elle | m-hmm. Well I'm I'm super happy that you phrased it that way because I really I kind of strongly dislike when people say uh like hey Jenny what's the most underrated watch brand? 'Cause it I don't think there's such a thing as underrated. I think people like things are either known or not and then there's a specific reason for it. And um obviously there's nuance to it, yada yada, but in general I would say. Um but the thing that I'm really keeping my eye out right now, well what I've discovered, and perhaps I need to look a bit more into because I've I don't know if they've been around for uh longer or not, is Lundisbleu, if I'm pronouncing that correctly, because they do incredible dials. And right now, I think I did send them an email asking if they do smaller cases because I think right now they only manufacture like the 40 millimeter sizes and that's just too big for me. Um but I am on the lookout for for these watch brands that do crazy dial things. I think that's the way to go. At least if if you want to sell watches to me, I'm going to buy all sorts of crazy dials. Um Um simply because I'm I'm I've been getting a bit bored with these standard colours, like dark blue, black, white, like yeah, that's fine, but I need something different now. And so perhaps that's like a natural like watch journey, that word again. Um where you start out with like the classics and then you discover like, oh maybe I wanna go for that weird looking orange colour or something like that. And so I'm on the lookout for that and have my eyes on on brands that do crazy dials. I mean look at Mozart. They are killing it. Love |
| Stephen Pulvirent | it. So we we talked about Rolex a little bit already. Uh but you you tackled the biggest the biggest Rolex news of the year, the the new submariners uh getting getting bigger on paper at least, uh, you know, to forty from forty to forty one millimeters. But uh you did a really detailed look at this uh in which you you kind of like I think assuaged people's concerns about sizing uh by actually measuring and showing that like d basically it, depends. It it's all about how you measure and how you round, right? Like the watch actually in terms of wearability is like basically the same size, right? Agree. Yeah. Um so like you got that out of the way, but I I like that you then used the review to kind of talk about the bigger question that you referred to as quote unquote like the Rolex game. Uh what what did you mean when you said the Rolex game for people who who maybe haven't watched that review yet? Well I think what I was re |
| Jenny Elle | ferring to is the um the whole game of of like releasing watches that are not very different from ones that came before and just the way how they at least pretend to have this like very minimal stock of things and and this whole wait list game and all that comes with it. I think that was the bigger deal with this release. We're kinda I feel like it's some at least from from how long I've been like in this watch thing, um, from what I can tell. It's i I think it's at the peak right now. People are either super fed up with it, the Rolex game, or they really love it. And I do appreciate them for their marketing. I think that's genius. They have people like literally lining up for their watches. That's insane. I mean you have to give props to that. Um And I think just with the new release that kind of really um fired things up again because you that was the the you could like see them online and you fed these um I don't know how you call them in English, these like you can look at the watches in store but you can't buy them. Um and and that sort of really got people annoyed and that was that's what I mean about the whole Rolex game. It's it's like you sort of have to know how you play it if you want to play it even if if that's your thing, which is fine. Um I'm I'm not mad. I just don't have to partake in it I think. Like if a watch is not happening for me, then that's just it, that's fine. I don't I I wouldn't pay over retail. Um but but yeah that could change. I don't know. Maybe like in a year's time I'm going to say something completely different, which is fine, you can change your mind, guys. That's what I want to say real quick. Like it's fine to change your mind. Don't comfort people if they've changed their mind. That's cool, that's growth. And we should celebrate that. Um but yeah, I think that's I think that w what's what I was referring to with the Rolex game, if I'm not mistaken. Guys |
| Stephen Pulvirent | you need to watch that video again. Yeah, we'll uh we'll link it up. Everybody can uh can check it out and we'll uh we'll we'll make sure people can can see that. Um all right. The last the last specific thing I want to ask you about, and then we're gonna get to some bigger, bigger picture things here, but uh one of the things I like is you're you're not afraid of touching what I would call like one of like the third rails of the the watch industry like something that's like kind of dangerous to wade into um but I like that you that you get into it which is the whole idea like you do it with a couple things but I I love that you talk about things like homage watches you tal,k about things like the secondary market and how that affects pricing. Um, how how do you tackle those subjects in ways that are like genuinely gonna serve your audience while also making sure that like you, you know, this is in some ways like an access journalism world, like you have to still like play nice enough that like you can get access to products and news. Um how how do you try to like, you know, touch on those things without going too far, but also without like pulling punches |
| Jenny Elle | . Well I think the the secret kind of ingredients to it that isn't really that secret is that I'm trying to keep my personal opinion out of it. Because it really does not matter what I think about these things personally. I mean I can put a little bit of my my personal um like opinion at the end of of things. I think that's okay. But I'm trying to be as objective as possible. I mean obviously there's always going to be some influence of what I think about things because that's how I'm going to research. But um especially with these homage watches, it's I can I can totally see both sides. And I think if if you're like a normal human being you will always be able to to see the points of both sides and that's how I'm trying to approach these things. And I think that's that's fair. I mean you can there is a fine line and Normage watches are tricky and it really depends on on where the watch is coming from. Is it from I mean the Black Bay fifty eight for example, that's fine for people, but then you've got Steinhardt and that's not fine for some people. Um and I think you just have to keep your opinion at least to the end. Um but try to to to to see both sides. And then people that's the thing I. I want people to to watch a video of mine on these topics and see both sides and then I want them to form an opinion not only based on what they saw in my video, obviously do some research and you know, look at some other sources. But take it and then just think about it for yourself and don't get swayed by people online who like don't look at the first two Facebook comments on on a group photo and be like, oh yeah, I agree. You know, try to involve yourself and and think about it and make up your own mind |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . Yeah, love that. Alright. So you probably been waiting for this question, but I think we do have to talk about it. Uh the Watch World is generally and traditionally not the most friendly place or most open place for women. Um it's a big problem. It's something that I think, you know, is certainly getting better. Um, but like if you look at you know, watches versus like the fashion world or even even honestly versus like the tech world, um, you know, like there are lots of of other uh hobbies and lots of other passions that that I would say are a little bit more uh I won't I won't even say progressive, like that that implies that it's forward thinking that are like less regressive than watches. Um and so I wonder like how how do you find it being like a a female voice in in the watch industry and like really putting yourself out there like you're on camera, this is this is you front and center. Like do you how how do you find it? |
| Jenny Elle | Well I think I mean I I would be lying if I said that it's not I mean it is beneficial. I that's just what it is, because I do stand out and and um I'm I'm not mad at it. I think that's great because people do listen and then they decide what they think of what I have to say. And I think um maybe like I expected a lot more um like weird comments or like mean stuff coming towards me. And I'm pleasantly surprised that it really is not the case. There's just really very, very few people who are really mean and that's fine 'cause they're probably very unhappy themselves. Uh I gotta |
| Stephen Pulvirent | say it's funny you bring that up. Gray and I, our our producer and I noticed as we were prepping for this show, we noticed how few like vile comments are on your videos, which like anyone who spends any amount of time on YouTube knows that like YouTube comments are like 4chan level terrible. Like they are so awful. Uh and like it's it's pretty shocking. Like I don't know how heavily you moderate them, you don't have to share that if you don't want to, but like they're they're not awful. And like I really thought they were gonna be like a cesspool. |
| Jenny Elle | I do expect that as well. I mean I do have filters on, so if you comment um like a bad word, your comment is not going to show up. And I mean if you have to use a certain word um to bring your point across, then I do not want to hear your point. That's just it. So um those are those get filtered, but I think that's that's fine. Um But yeah, I'm I'm surprised and I think um perhaps a lot of people have this this uh notion that the watch world is is perhaps a bit sexist, but now that it's done and we see more females um like talking about watches, we see that it's actually not really the case and I think that's really great. I think I you have to give more credit to to all of you guys. It's it's really not that bad, which is I mean, yeah, it's there's always going to be a few weird people, but it's it's okay. It's it's really okay |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . That's good to hear. I mean that makes me I mean, I'm like obviously happy to hear that like you don't feel, you know, uh isolated and like n treated poorly. Um yeah, I think it's it's it's a good thing. And I think it's something that like I've definitely noticed over the last you know eight or nine years is is getting better. And like I I think it's important that people acknowledge that like it hasn't been good, but like also I think it's nice that like you haven't really made it a huge part of what you're doing. Like there's there's lots of I think women who have gotten into the industry who have have really made a point of like, this is not gonna be like a channel about watches for women. This is not gonna be a podcast about watches for women, but like making it like a normal thing and I think it's it's crazy that in 2020 like we're having to have that conversation but I I think it's I think it's a positive thing and I think the change is definitely moving in the right direction and it's it's I don't know, at least as like, you know, a white dude, which is like basically makes me like as privileged as I could possibly be. Um, it's it's nice to hear that like other other voices are being like welcomed in and you know, that you feel like this isn't a thing you have to like fight to overcome. |
| Jenny Elle | No, I that's that's really not what I I do not think that I have to like earn my place or something just because because I'm female. I mean you get the the comments on my like first couple of videos were like, oh, it's it's nice to see like a woman talking about watches but now um that really is not um a thing anymore I think. And that that's really cool. Like I said, y it's you have to give some credit where credit's due. Like the Watch World, I I thought it was different, but turns out it's it's really cool. At least for me. I mean I can only speak for myself. Yeah, totally. But that's that's good to hear it. That's a good th |
| Stephen Pulvirent | ing. Well done, Watch World. All right, let's do let's do some quick fire quickfire questions here. Okie dokie. One of the questions I was gonna ask, you you actually said earlier that you don't like, so I'm gonna I'm gonna cut that one. We're not I'm not gonna make you call out underratrated and overed brands, but I am gonna ask you to call out underrated and overrated watches. So what do you think what do you think is the most underrated watch you can buy today? Let's say a modern a modern watch. What's the most underrated thing on the market right now? Hmm. Modern watch |
| Jenny Elle | most underrated. You know, as of right now, but perhaps that's just because I'm filming it, is the Seiko 5 Sports the Channel Street Fighter collaboration watch. Oh yeah. That one is super underrated. You guys, that one's incredible. I've had someone saying that it looks like a pirate accessory, which was very hurtful. How dare you? Um but I think no s fun things are so underrated. What a word. But yeah, I mean it's it's it's fun. Appreciate the fun and watches. Don't hate on it because you don't understand it like celebrate it. I mean that's the I I was asking a question to the ladies there at the Ten and Two podcast. What kind of what would their favorite crossover be between like watches and in certain certain industry here. And that's such a fun question, and I think those watches are heavily underrated. And so the Chun Lee watch that I have now is super cool and needs some more attention. |
| Stephen Pulvirent | Love it. So other side of the coin, what's the most under overrated watch? What's a watch that you're like, I'm so sick of hearing about this? Like, don't talk to me about this watch ever again. Oh my god. Um okay I'm going to say it because that's f |
| Jenny Elle | ine. The Go for it. The Brightling Navy Timer. Please stop. You just y it's just not your thing? No, because it's it's wow, it's so h like full with stuff on the dial. That dial is just overflowing with with prints and everything. It's just too much. And I oof that just overwhelms me. That one gives me the creeps. That's just too much. And I've and I get it, it's it's an iconic model and so many people want to see a review. But I'm I'm not in the headspace for for that watch right now. I'm sorry for everyone who's sending you messages |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . It's all right. What's the most misunderstood watch? A watch that you think people may not gravitate toward immediately or may not get enough attention, but if people like gave it the time, they would love it |
| Jenny Elle | . Okay. And and this is going to be very controversial, but please guys who listen and everyone hear me out because right now I'm looking at a the Ulysse Nardin voyeur the one the weird watch if you if you like you guys need to like Google it if you don't know what I'm talking about. It's it's a very um explicit watch. It's it's got like that very um do you know that which watch I'm talking about? I know what you're I know what you're talking about here. Okay, good, good, good. Um and I have been I've been doing a research on on these kind of watches because it is really fascinating because they make me feel super uncomfortable. And that's kind of a funny thing. I'm right there with you. Yeah, that it's a thing that I wanna explore. Like why does this make me feel uncomfortable? This is a watch and it has like a super crazy dial on it. Um why is this so weird? And I've went into a rabbit hole again and I've read a book about these types of watches. And I found out so many cool things about the whole like subgenre of of naughty watches, if you want to call it that. And um I am going to do a video on it. Like a shameless plug here. So be on the lookout for this one. Because it's it's such a like cool topic and so interesting, but so misunderstood. Because I did it myself. I judged it so heavily. I was when I got showed it to the first time, I was like, ew, like that's weird. Like get it away from me. This is like super inappropriate. But that's like that's such a like an extreme reaction to a watch. And so I think that deserves to be explored and that's what I did and I'm super happy to share it with with everyone. Drop that one |
| Stephen Pulvirent | . Yeah it's not my thing, but I I love that you went there. Like honestly, I think it's it's that is not an answer I expected and I'm I'm totally on board. Uh oh what's a watch that every watch lover needs to own or experience for themselves at at some point? And by experience I mean like if you're not gonna own it, you need to like borrow it from a friend and wear it for like six months. Uh like what's a watch everybody into watches needs to like you know be be theirs for a little wh |
| Jenny Elle | ile. I think uh everyone should at least try on a Rolex State just with the um fluted bezel once and the Jubilee bracelet. Just go for the classic configuration and just try it and you will never put it up like you will never take it off again. I'm sure could not agree |
| Stephen Pulvirent | more. Right. Exactly. It's it's just a perfect it's just a perfect watch. Like it is it is a perfect unit of watch |
| Jenny Elle | . Absolutely. And so I think everyone needs to to experience that for themselves. In the different size, obviously like w whatever size uh feels comfortable. Um but yeah, that |
| Stephen Pulvirent | one. Great. Uh what is your favorite watch of 2020 so far |
| Jenny Elle | ? Hmm. My favorite watch of 2020. Um we have to we have to go to Rolex again. I'm very sorry. Sorry, not sorry. This is a Rolex friendly podcast, so you're you're you're in good good company. Um I think my favorite one is the Turquoise uh Oyster Perpetual from this year. Thirty six or forty one? Uh thirty six. Forty one is too big for me. Thirty six is perfect. I love it. Haven't seen it in person yet, so um I'm still still waiting to get my my hands on them. But I'm super excited. This is incredible. Love it. Looks great. Perfe |
| Stephen Pulvirent | ct. Favorite release of twenty twenty. I I again couldn't agree more. I saw one in the metal for the first time maybe a week ago. Uh and it it''ss so good. Uh I'm a big fan. Yeah. Which is a favorite. The turquoise in the yellow are are kind of neck and neck for me. Okay. Yeah. Well that's cool. All right. Last last one of these rapid fire questions and then I've I've got one or two things we'll we'll wrap things up with. Um what has been the biggest surprise in watches of twenty twenty so far for you? Hmm, the biggest sur |
| Jenny Elle | prise so far. Well, hmm, if I I kind of like the first thing I thought about was the Navy Black Bay 58. It was a surprise, but then it really wasn't. It was just cool to see that it actually happened. That surprised me the most because there's been a lot of like speculating going around is like, oh it it really did happen. And that was cool to see. I got really excited. So I want to say that |
| Stephen Pulvirent | one great. Alright. So to wrap things up, we're we're running out of time here, but uh I wanted to say you're you're at 93,800 subscribers right now. As of as of recording. You're nine ninety-three point eight. What are you gonna do to celebrate when you hit a hundred thousand subscribers? I wanna ideally I wanna give away a watch. That would be great. I love that. I'd love that you said give away a watch, not buy a watch. Because I thought you were gonna say you're gonna buy a watch. I love the idea that you're gonna give |
| Jenny Elle | something away instead. I mean I I just did buy a watch to be fair. I did buy the Seiko, so um I'm good for now. I just w I just wanna give back. Perhaps maybe if either it's I wanna do either like one like big piece or perhaps go for um some like uh like a couple of watches that are that I can afford so like more people can can can have them. That would be great. Or something else. Like I'll I'm I'm thinking about something. Guys, I will not let you down. It's going to be |
| Stephen Pulvirent | We'll link we'll again, there will be like a million links to Jenny's uh YouTube channel in in the uh show notes here. Uh go subscribe. Like if you're not subscribed, like what the hell are you doing? Like just go just go subscribe to this channel. Please come on. Yeah. It's like it's the least you can do for what what you've been listening to for the last, you know, about an hour here.. I know All right. And then the last question I got for you is is where do things go from here? Like you started this in January. You're at almost a hundred thousand subscribers. You know, I'm not gonna jinx anything, but like you're you'll you know, you'll be uh you hopefully will be at at 100k pretty soon. Like where where does this go? Like what are your goals with this with this channel and with your kind of career in in the watch world? Well I just I I just want to |
| Jenny Elle | keep doing what what I have been doing for the past months and just really find cool topics or like unusual things to talk about in terms of watches. And like my my my overall goal is is definitely to just like have it be a light hearted conversation but still be informative. I don't have like a specific goal where I'm like working towards or like any numbers or anything like that. I just want to make sure that I keep on doing what I find most interesting and I think that's that's always what people will appreciate at the end of the day. If they see that you are genuine about something and are excited about something, they will be effected by it in certain ways. So that's what I want to keep doing. And um hopefully we'll have more cool topics to to cover like the weird watch. I know I will make people feel super uncomfortable. I know 'cause I feel the same, but it's it's so |
| Stephen Pulvirent | funny. It's it's such a cool thing. Awesome. So I love that and I I think that's a great way, great way to keep moving forward and uh yeah, we'll have to have you have to have you back on the show sometime soon and get some more get some more updates and I'd love to. Yeah. Like I said again, I'll I'll plug it one more time. Tons of links down in the show notes. Go subscribe to what Jenny's doing. Um like I've watched I think every video. I think. Um and like it's super fun stuff. And like if you if you love watches and you're you're part of like the watch community, like I I think it's can't miss. So um yeah, so everybody who's listening should go do that. And thanks so much for joining us, Jenny. This has been awesome. Uh I really appreciate you uh making this work with the time difference and everything. And uh yeah, let's uh hope you have a good weekend and hopefully we can we can chat soon. Thank you you, too. Thanks, everyone. Bye-bye. |