Skip to content

Talking Vintage Rolex And Offbeat Finds With Fred Savage

Published on Wed, 21 Aug 2024 16:55:00 +0000

None

Synopsis

In this episode of Hodinkee Radio, hosts Tony Traina and Ben Clymer welcome back actor, director, and watch collector Fred Savage for an in-depth conversation about his evolving relationship with watches. Fred shares the touching story of his 20th wedding anniversary gift—a 1970 Rolex Datejust that his wife connected to the importance of dates and milestones in their relationship. He reflects on how his collecting tastes have matured from tool watches to more gentlemanly pieces, and discusses memorable acquisitions including a Rolex Commando, an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and quirky finds like a Fremont parking alarm watch.

The conversation touches on Fred's initial hesitation about appearing on Talking Watches in 2018, his imposter syndrome, and how his wife convinced him to say yes—a lesson he's applied to other opportunities since. He opens up about his children's developing watch interests, including gifting his oldest son a birth-year Submariner for his 18th birthday. Fred also discusses his brief aviation journey, the philosophy he inherited from his father about treating yourself occasionally, and why he hasn't sold many watches despite evolving tastes.

The episode concludes with Fred introducing his new venture, Timepiece Grading Specialists (TGS), a third-party authentication and grading service for the secondary watch market. Inspired by his own experience buying a refinished watch at auction, Fred aims to bring the confidence that exists in other collectibles markets—like baseball cards and comics—to watch collecting. He believes transparent grading and authentication will empower buyers and grow the vintage watch community by making it more accessible to newcomers while protecting existing collectors.

Transcript

Speaker
Tony Traina This episode is brought to you by Hodinki Insurance. Collecting watches is fun. Insuring watches is not. But with Hodinki Insurance, we've teamed up with Chubb, the premier insurer of valuable collections, to offer a better and more seamless experience to ensure your watches and even jewelry. Minimizing the paperwork and maximizing the protection so you can stop worrying about your watches and focus on enjoying them. Hodiki Insurance, protect what you love. Visit insurance.hodiniki.com for more details. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another episode of Hodinky Radio. Today's guest is a true legend. The one and only Fred Savage is returning to Hodinki. He's an actor, producer, and director, best known for his role in The Wonder Years and the Princess Bride after getting his big break in a commercial for Pac-Man Children's Chewable Multivitamin at the ripe old age of six. He's also a watch collector who I've seen get excited about vintage Gala,is Paddock, and everything in between. Of course you might also recognize him from his 2018 Talking Watches episode. Since then he's become a fixture in the Vintage Watch world and I always look forward to crossing paths with him. Fred Savage, thanks for joining the show
Fred Savage . It is a pleasure. It is a pleasure, gentlemen. Uh as always, a tremendous fan of the uh of the podcast and um obviously of of Ben of yours and Tony um from back in the Rescapement days. I I I I knew you when I was a fan of your work. So this is a this is a real pleasure and uh an honor for me. So thank you for for having me. But the feeling is
Tony Traina mutual, Fred. You know that. The feeling is indeed mutual. We've come a long way, might I say, from you DMing me on your Instagram burner account to bringing you into the fold of the Hodinky Radio Podcast. And I'm excited to have you here. Fred, I think I want to start with this. Uh, you know, you and I are are in this WhatsApp group chat, a bit of a cult-like sort of thing, and you posted in there just the other day about a watch you had recently acquired, I believe, for your 20th wedding anniversary. And I'm wondering if you could talk a little bit about uh that. First of all, congratulations on on 20 years of marriage. Uh something Ben and I I'm sure both aspire to, but I'm wondering if you could talk a little bit about that and and the the watch that was gifted to you.
Fred Savage Um yeah,, of of co coururse.se Uh it's it's a pleasure. Um yeah, 20 years, certainly a milestone. Um Lot of Road, lot of road. No, it's 20. Um, but um, you know, I I I uh I I was telling my my my wife we went to dinner with the kids, you know, and I feel like in those twenty years uh pretty much every dream I had has come true, you know, for for life, for family. We have three amazing kids, this wonderful family, this wonderful home, and um it's a real real milestone. And so uh but that's also like twenty years of getting each other gifts. It's a lot of Valentine's Days and anniversaries and birthdays and Christmases and lot of gifts. And so I didn't even know if we were gonna really get each other anything. Um and uh and so we were at dinner and and my wife pulled out this box and I got her a gift, guys. By the way, guys. Don't you know I we didn't know. You know, it's a little like gift of the magi, but I ended up getting I I had something for her, so don't don't worry. Um, but she she she wrote this beautiful card and all about the date. She was very focused on the you know, all these important dates over 20 years, you know, the kids' birthdays and our anniversary and our dating anniversary that we celebrate. And our our these 20 years is full of these dates that have taken on this incredible meaning. You know, high times and low times, but there's all these dates throughout throughout twenty years. And she writes these beautiful cards. And so I opened the I opened the box and it was a old gre I'd never seen this kind of Rolex box, you know, vintage 70s Rolex box, little angle on top, and there's an instruction booklet inside that even says you can use this for cigarettes afterwards. And I'd never seen a box like this. So I still didn't know like maybe she got me like cool Rolex cufflinks or uh you know I I I just couldn't imagine my wife getting a watch from me just because we we haven't really talked about a watch. And so um I opened the box and it's this just this killer 1970 Rolex date just. And um she was talking about how dates are so important and she just loved that this uh this early, you know, the the date just was like the first complication that Rolex threw into their watches and how, you know, this was such an advancement in watchmaking, having like an automatic watch with a date that flips over at midnight. And, you know, that that a date was such a significant thing for this watch and this date's so significant for us as a couple. So she connected all this incredible meaning. And then it just really for me, um it just hits all these incredible notes uh for where I'm at kind of in my watch collecting. And I feel like so many watch collectors, certainly I do, but a lot of friends that I talk to, a lot of people at our WhatsApp chat uh Tony, um, you get this like seven-year itch. And so you look at your watch box, like everything I have is just garbage. Like I don't like any of this. Like I I've I've gone down all these tangible roads and and while I then gone that far, I'm looking at all my w watches and I'm like, you know, I'm at a point in my life, I I'm not gonna be a diver or a in the military or a pilot or a race car driver or you know, all these use cases for all these tool watches that I that I have. Like, you know, I'm not gonna this doesn't all pass me by, but I could still be a gentleman. I still have a chance to be a gentleman. And so I I was like I need to get more watches. I don't how many sports watches can a can a guy have, you know? And so I'm like, I need to start developing this beyond, you know, I need to, I need gentlemen's watches. And so this watch, you know, it's on the, you know, the Jubilee bracelet, which I got a a GMT destro last year. And all my watch friends were like, Well, if you go Jubilee, you never go back and boy were they right because uh this jubilee is gorgeous and so uh it has this great jubilee bracelet that I love it's got a silver dial so you know all the all the you know watches that I have are black dials most,ly some white dials, so I don't have anything like it. And it's a dress watch that goes like day day to night really easily. And I I I'm I'm with my family right now. We're in Idaho. I'm doing a little last family hurrah before school starts. And um I I just the only watch I've worn. I mean, you know, people talk a lot about like the one watch collection. You know, what what could that be? And I don't think I had anything in my box that would that would do that. But this is just uh I don't know I, I just just love it. And it it's imbued with all this emotion obviously with our twentieth, but boy, if if there's a one watch, this is I wouldn't I wouldn't nominate this. This is just killer. Um I uh I absolutely love it. So I'm sorry. That was a lot of things. That's a great one. But like it it hits all these things. It touches all these things. It's it's it's it's just a great watch. And I the other thing is so many things in my watches, the watches I love the most, I think you know, a lot of watch people talk about the the hunt. You know what I mean? They find this watch, they covet it and they read up on it and look at all these perfect examples and maybe they finally get it. And um you know if they're lucky and uh and then there's always a little bit of a letdown. Like the hunt was the the the fun of it, you know? Yeah. And I feel like my favorite watches in my watch box um are ones that I had no intention of of buying, you know, whether they're, you know, you know, the high end, you know, really, you know, you know, the more expensive or valuable watches, you know, in my in my watch box or or or or just low fun stuff, my favorite watches are the ones that I just like saw and like, wow, this is so cool and fell in love with it. And that love is still exists. And this is one of these. I was we never talked about date just. I didn't know a lot about date just. So I was doing a lot of reading afterwards about the 1603 versus 1601. And I, you know, I just didn't know a lot about it. And um and so this kind of takes its place um in my collection as uh a watch that I think I'll love forever but had no intention of getting or want
Tony Traina It's cool to see someone like you, Fred, get so excited about, might I say, a relatively simple Rolex date just. So a reminder that uh the thrill is sort of never gone even for a guy like Fred Savage. You you mentioned the talking watches there and I wanna talk about sort of how your taste or collecting has evolved a little bit. But before we get into that even, I'm wondering since you and Ben are both here, if you guys, if there are any sort of just fun behind the scenes stories from from filming that day back in 2018, it must have been that either didn't make the cut on to the final episode or just just weren't ready for prime time yet that you sort of remember looking back on sort of fondly or or funnily. I learned a
Fred Savage really important lesson that has stayed with me ever since and has informed so many decisions I've made after that. And that is, I was an avid reader of Hudinky. Uh uh, consumed all the talking watches, you know, watched them. This is you know, many years ago so there were not as many talking watches. I'd watch them over and over and over again. I feel like I knew them by heart. Um I I you know I didn't know Ben at that point and so all these names were were you know, that I you you come to know as a reader of Hudinky were these kind of mythic names and part of this world that you kind of you know look at from afar. And I got a phone call from Cara Barrett, you know, the Cara Barrett. And she's like, hey, we'd love you to be on Talking Watches. And I said, no, no, because I was like, I don't belong on Talking Watches. I've seen all the episodes. Like, I don't, that's not, I don't, I too much respect for you and what you're doing. Thank you so much, but that's just not for, not for me. And I got home and my wife's, you know, I was talking to my wife like, oh, what's, you know, said, I got a call from Hadinky about doing talking one. She goes, Are you gonna do it? I said, No, I don't, I don't, I don't belong. I have too much respect for them. She's like, So you're telling me you have too much respect for them because of they're great at what they do, right? I'm like, Yes, they're the best. And so she's like, so why are you telling them like how to do their job? Like, if you like them so much and they want you to do this thing, you know, say yes. Why are you being such a a fool? And she was a hundred percent right. Like any sort of imposter syndrome or or or whatever you know you you feel like you have um is not greater than my respect for for for Hudinky and for Car and then and the whole team. And so I was like, oh my God, you're right. So I called Carr back. I'm like, never mind. Never mind. Like, let's do it. And I'm so glad I did because I got to meet, you know, all these people that I I I'm still in touch with today, you know, whether whether it's Ben or or or uh Cole or um you know Steven or Cara, you know, they're all these people who have taken on these really important roles in my life and I'm so glad I said yes. But like that voice in my head, like it even as recently as uh the last year's Rolly Fest, I got a phone call from Jeff Hess. He's like, we're doing the panel, you know, at Rolly Fest. We'd like you to be on the panel. And my first reaction was no no no no. You know, like I I this that's a room. I I I should have no point, you know, sitting on a panel with uh, you know, Bernard Boolong and and and Morgan King and uh Greg Selch and uh uh Lee Staffar like in front of like the room of the greatest collection of collectors and dealers and watch scholars. I don't belong on that stage. Uh and while I maybe I was right, but again, my fear or or imposter syndrome wasn't greater than my respect for Jeff. And so I was like, if Jeff wants to be there, uh I should say yes. And again, I did. So glad I did. But that was all a lesson I learned from from uh from that invitation, that first phone call from from Cara. Like, if you like someone or admire someone so much you shouldn't tell them how to do their jobs. Like it shouldn't be a good stop telling me how to do my job. Yeah, totally. I mean honestly Ben knows. Um but uh or Clara knows real she knows. She doesn't know. But um, but yeah, I mean that was honestly like I remember that so vividly from from the talking watches and literally like that conversation with my wife has stayed with me and informed good decisions So I I have a few memories that aren't from that experience, but are other Fred Savage experiences. Do you remember the time we went to Rey's together there? Oh I mean, completely. That was a fun that was an incredible dinner. That was a world class dinner. And so we we go to Rayo somehow. I we have a friend that has a table there. And Fred comes and Fred showed up in a coat and black tie. And everyone else is like dressed like pretty casually. And I was like, Fred like are you coming from like a funeral are you coming from an important business meeting? Oh did I lie? Did I lie and say yes? No no no you were like no this is like this is like a big night out I dressed up for dinner. Yeah yeah I, mean look, you dress for Rayos, uh very old school. Very old school. I don't know who's gonna be there. And so um, you know, I'm a big believer in always be a little overdressed and under. You could never be under underdressed is just bad. You a little overdressed. Um and I also remember I was working, I was shooting something in New York and like you're on location and you're away from your family, like you're so it's so boring sometimes. Like work is great, but after work it's so boring. So I was like, oh my God, like I brought this suit, I could bust it out. And um
Tony Traina You know, we talked about the talking watches there. That was six years ago now. What have you been up to in in watches since then? How have your sort of tastes evolved? If I recall, I'll recap for the for the listeners while you sort of think about how to answer. Yeah, tell me what what was what was on there. You had some quirky stuff. You had that you remember that Hellbros vintage alarm watch, you had a Gallet chronograph. Yeah, yeah, those all still in there. The Bell and Ross that I believe your wife bought early on, that eventually you you know was, kind of the Mach 1016 until you got a 1016. Yep. Yep. The original Illinois watch that I think you got from Wanna Buy a Watch that kind of started it all. Any big ones I'm missing in there?
Fred Savage Uh no, no. I mean, um, it was it was great. And that honestly, that was kind of what I loved about uh, you know, just Ben and Hudinky and and talking watches is that, you know, you know, I don't have um, you know, these these these gray all these quote unquote grail watches, you know what I mean? You know, uh I I have nothing with pointed crown guards. Um, you know, uh I I have no, you know, 5700s. Um you know, I I I that so that's that was why I was like, I don't know what we're gonna be talking about. But we found all these kind of cool uh esoteric watches that Ben was really interested in and thought the audience might be also and that you remember Tony. Like that's that's so that's so cool. Yeah, I mean I you know to say you know I've kind of stayed in that in that in that pocket a little bit of of um you know I've gotten some really phenomenal watches that all that that have become that were again kind of grails for me, but became grails, you know? So a 5402, you know, I I've got like some, you know, some great, like, great classics, you know, um, which I love wearing because it just kind of like I look at that watch um you know a series royal oak and uh how how early are we talking on the on the a series second the second thousand the second thousand so like it's like fourteen hundred or something you know okay um and so uh but I love looking at that and thinking like wow this is like the one that like kind of launched a thousand ships, you know? Like I love I love that history. Um, you know, for like the big stuff, like uh I got a Rolex commando that I again didn't know anything about but got Does it say commando on the dial or is it says commando on the dial. Yeah. I think it's at six four two nine. Um it says commando on the dial, great like lollipop seconds, small 34, but wears great.
Tony Traina Um can you talk a little that's the one I was gonna ask you about because the the few times I've come across you in the past few years, you're often wearing that watch or gala chronograph. Uh talk a little bit more about the commando. Tell tell the people about that watch, because not a lot of people know that story still
Fred Savage . So the commando, um, and and you guys kind of checked me on this, uh, obviously, but commando was the cheapest Rolex ever ever sold. Uh, I think it was like a hundred bucks because um it was uh not it was a mechanical movement, not an automatic movement. Yeah. Um and it was sold at the PX's. Um uh and I you know I don't know how well it' solsd there, but I know that any excess inventory that it gave to Abercrombie and Fitch for them to for them to sell and um they wanted to kind of tip their cap to the kind of military provenance of the watches. So they stamped it commando. And so they were sold as commandos from from Abercrombie and Fitch. And and never, I don't think, and again, correct me if I'm I don't get ever really caught on because it was really inexpensive and not not you know not the best you know Rolex you know automatic movement um and uh and so I don't know really how many are are out there but it's you know it's come kind of this collectors watch it again I, didn't of this. Like it kinda came across I was offered the opportunity to get get get this one and I thought it was so cool and didn't know anything about it. And again, like it wasn't one of these kind of like Graily watches that everyone talks about. And so it uh I I got it and I, you know, I um I love it. I love wearing it. And and it it it wear, you know, wears well under a suit. Um I think I wear it, Tony. You know, I've seen you at uh a couple like watchy things, and so it it there's not a ton of them out there. And so I felt like, you know, again, I don't have my my RMs or my my one of ones or, you know, my my resheps yet. Uh so I, you know, so I can't really wow in that respect. But I thought that this one it was a little unique. So I I do wear like a lot when at watch events sometimes. They're they're super history right. Is that right, Ben? I don't know. Yes. I mean absolutely correct. But what I was gonna add is that like ro Rolex has three tenets, right? It's it's precision, it's waterproofness, and it's self-windingness, basically. Like that's historically how they look at things. And like this one being a hand wound watch, like really lives outside those three tenants, obviously. And I mean, as you said, like it's a hand wound watch, which in an oyster case of uh in that period was was really, really uncommon. It's kind of like a four-man's explorer, but as you rightly say, it is it is dramatically rarer and I think interesting than than the average 1016 or 60 six ten. Yeah, I I I I like that watch. But but you know it hasn't all been like um you know big big big watches. You know, there's other things that I've gotten that I love just as much. You know, um I I got this um Fremont um parking alarm watch that I it's a few hundred dollars. Did you say Fremont? F-R-A-M-O-N-T. I don't know anything about the brain. Yeah. Yeah. But the thing that I love about the watch is there's all these tool watches, right? Like watch innovations have come up to to to you know certain things. So, you know, the beginnings of the turbulence was there so on ships you could circumnavigate the wor The world. I literally have somebody's business card from CERN on my desk right now. That's so cool. That's so cool. But this this this Fremont parking alarm watch was a tool watch for a guy who didn't want to get a parking ticket. And so the alarm, it's just the best tool watch I could think. It's so practical. So the alarm is like a half hour, an hour, 90 minutes, two hours. And I just imagine like and it's, you know, not a precious metal it's not precious anything but I just imagine like um like a a salesman you know I mean who's like you know pulling up to the to the you know to the store to try and sell his wares or encyclopedias or you know uh a new vacuum cleaner and is in and out of you know commercial places and and doesn't want to get a ticket because that would like put a ding in his monthly revenue uh like if for his sales numbers. And so I like I just I just think stuff like that's so cool to me. Like what a cool problem that these watchmakers solved for. I just think that's as to me that's as cool as as as um you know the scientists. So where does one find a watch like that? That watch I found that was a purchase from uh Cameron Barr um at um uh craft and tailored. Yes, at Craft and Tailored, and I went to visit him. He's got a great shop in downtown LA. And again, you know, one of the things I love about Cameron and I love about a lot of the watch keyboard that I love, he's got great stuff, but he also got you know great, meaning like, you know, important stuff, but he's also got stuff that's really off the beaten path and just speaks to him. And I I love that he kinda holds still uh, you know, both of these kind of um uh parts of of of watch collecting uh in his in his shop. And so I saw that. I just again thought it was so cool. Didn't know anything about it. So it's not all, you know, Rolex and and and AP. You know, there's there's there's other cool acquisitions I I love just as much too. All cop to ne
Tony Traina ver having heard the word Fremont before and it's really cool sort of I thought that was a joke. I'll s I'll s I'll send you I'll send you a pick. It's it's it's so cool. It's so cool. No, I was Googling it while you were talking. Obviously, sort of like memo vox vibes, but you know, much more affordable. So for that that reason alone, I I I love the thing.
Fred Savage Oh yeah. It's it's it's and I think you know, I think both of you guys, you know, uh respond to both of those things. You hold both of those things. You can appreciate these these incredible, you know, big baller watches, but then also find value in these really cool, you know, interesting, interesting things
Tony Traina . One of the other things from the Talking Watches video, perhaps the most endearing part, uh, not that you're not endearing, Fred, it was towards the end of the video when your uh your kids uh you know seemed insistent on showing off their their small collections that they've been building to to Ben and Hodinky. Are they are they still into the watch thing or have they uh have they taken to the sidelines for now
Fred Savage ? Absolutely still into the watch thing. And what's been so cool is you know now they're they're uh they're older and in those few years, what six or seven years that have passed, it's not a lot for us. We're the same, me and Ben. Exactly the same. But identical. That's seven years for kids is is massive. And yes, I mean I did not think for a second, I remember watching the talking watches because I didn't see a rough cut or anything like that. Like I just watched it, I couldn't believe they were on because they just when I told him that Ben was coming over and Hudinky and Talk and Watches, the kids all got excited. And so they all got their watches together just to show, just to show 'em. Um, and uh so I had no idea that they were gonna be included and there were some really wonderful things just in watching that. You know, the kids watches. Um, you know, there was a photo of my dad, uh, me and my dad that was in one of our bookshelves um that they took a photo of and and included um in in the piece uh you know online uh and he had you know passed away just uh a year a year before so that was incredibly meaningful so there are all these like deeply personal and important little Easter eggs that I found, you know, as an audience member watching watching this talking watches. Um but yes, all all three in in really into watches and in different ways, all in different ways. They all kind of went their own own way. My daughter now wears the Illinois that kind of started it all. She she loves that watch. And so she really loves, you know, vintage. She really loves vintage, old school, all the stuff that started me in in watches, stained dials and m my daughter goes to the flea markets and um she's sixteen now and uh just loves buys vintage cameos and you know, she just loves that old vintage uh you know unpolished stained vibe. And so she brings that to her kind of love for watches. Um my youngest uh really uh is wearing watches all the time. He's he's 11. Um uh he wears this Bulova diver, this um 666, the devil diver, they they call it. And it's so cool. Uh and I got it for him, I think he finished, I don't know, fourth grade or third grade. And was with me at Wanna Buy a Watch with Ken Jacobs. And he loved this diver. And I wanted to foster that. He wears it all the time. But he's always wearing a watch. He's wearing that. He's wearing his you know Seiko Roaring Blazers. He's wearing his parchy, which he he loves, you know, more than anything. Um the bigger one, the 36 millimeter uh parchy that you know he loves. So he my my my youngest is always wearing a watch. We we went on vacation, we're gone for 10 days. I think he brought four watches. So I think any watch collector listening can can relate to packing a small role, even for like a short trip. So he's he's all in. And then my oldest um wears a lot of like vintage divers. You know, like he he loves the vintage look. So like, but he's there are not not all vintage. So he's wearing like um he used to wear the shinola monster that kind of looked like a sub and he wore this um there was a great uh Benriss reissued the type one that he he wore that a lot um and he just turned 18 and so for his eighteenth birthday, I gave him um when he was like nine or ten, I bought a a birth year sub for him, um a one four oh six oh simple, no date, still like that steel bezel, like a lot of you know, just all the design DNA from like the old four digits. You know, it was like the last of like the real vintage E before the maxi case and the ceramic bezels and all that. Um and uh I got it for him when he was like nine or ten, and just put it in a safe, thinking like this is only gonna get more like you know, steel roll back sports models are only going in one direction, you know? And so I'm like, I'll get it now. And so I had it for like nine years and just gave it to him uh last week. He turned 18. Oh wow. So um so he's got like a real a real watch now. And so it's a real watch. Yeah, a real watch. I don't have a sub. Uh and so he he really um he's he's into it but uh it's uh they're all still loving watches and they all have they all imbue them with different value and importance to them and and that's the thing I love like that we all love about watches is it's just so pure. know You they,'re not looking at what something's worth and they're not tracking the value on chrono and they're not seeing what things sell at auction. They're just like, oh, this is something I like and it's important to me because, you know, this reason or that reason. And um Is he wearing the sub around yet? You know, it's funny. He he isn't. Um he has a job this summer, and so he's going back to his job later this week, so he might wear it to work. But you know, he doesn't want you know, he he I I told him and and my kids are great because he you know it's it's not it's unpolished, you know what I mean so it's got some scratches on it and scrapes and he's like you know dad, I'm gonna wear this because you know watches are meant to be worn. I'm like yes, like exactly he gets it. You know, he gets it. He gets it. And also I put a lot of thought into like I didn't, I'm very conscious of like the you know, is it appropriate for an 18-year-old to be wearing a Rolex watch? I get it, which is why I love that birth year and it's smaller and it's it's a little more invisible, it's no date to kind of just wears under the cuff and you know you might not know what it is until you really look at the at the dial. So I think it's something he can wear. We decided maybe it's not for school. Maybe he's not wearing it to school. But I think he'll wear it. Yeah. But I think aware to work. Uncle Ben says that makes sense. But look, then that's the law. Are you kidding me? Uncle Ben that's the law. But I think uh, you know, weekends and work certainly and and out, but um you know, he's got a watchbox of stuff he loves and really enjoys wearing. Um and now he's got this to kind of, you know, commemorate 18. I thought it was time to get a you know big boy watch when you when you hit 18. So so speaking of big boy watches, no, correct me here, but I think when we filmed the talking watches, you only had vintage watches. There was a modern GMT in there. There was a modern GMT in there. Yes, there was. There was a there was a um there was a Batman GMT on the oyster. So yes, but you know, that was also I got you know second hand, you know, uh a secondary market dealer. And so you know the the my my relationships I don't really have relationships with ADs just because I you know it's all all the people I know and all the stuff that I really love um has been you know vintage and and secondary market. So um so I but but yeah, let me do continue your question. Tell me tell me what you're thinking. I was I was just curious if you've kind of like dipped a toe into the modern watch world. And if so, why? And if if not, why not? I think the modern watches, yes, I had that GMT. I I I have a um it's not really modded, it's modern ish, that um the Alaska Project Speedmaster, the reissue, which is like 15 years or 16 years old already. And so, you know, honestly, the AD game really intimidated me, you know. Um, I I I really felt like I didn't really know how to navigate it. I really didn't you know, again, all my friends, all the dealers I knew and the collectors I knew. You know, vintage, and I've learned this now, is is such a small percentage of the of the watch collecting world. You know, um, and to me it seemed like the whole world, because those were all the people I knew and the collectors, the dealers, like I said, and the the things that I read. But in the as a marketplace, it's a very, very, it's like I mean you guys know better, but it's like five percent if that of the of the of the secondary market is like proper vintage. And so um that the that they just it just intimidated me. I didn't know how to penetrate it. I didn't know anybody in it. And I I ended up I have a friend um who's a collector, great guy, Dave Park, and he invited me to go with him to a um uh uh an AD in Glendale, California, Bindi, Bindi jewelers. The Bindy's we know those guys. Oh, Ron and Ash are the best best and I met them briefly. I was at a dinner that Morgan King invited me to for Mont Blanc years before. And so I I I knew them a little bit and um and I was with Dave who was buying his watches. I guess he got a call, but he said, you should come. And and they offered me a couple of watches. And I didn't I was so taken aback. I didn't know that like that was even, you know, on the menu. And so I didn't want to I couldn't say no. But I also like hadn't discussed it with my wife. And I didn't so I just got like the cheapest watch that what uh was what they offer what they offered me because I'm like, oh I'll get a I'll get a purchase history and this will be great. And so I got like a I got the I got a green 41 millimeter um OP uh that that's that's awesome that my daughter actually wears more than I do. She she loves it. Um but I just was like, oh, I'll get it, I'll need an AD. And so it was it it worked. Like I stayed in touch with Ron, you know, Ron and Ash. And they're great guys. They they would have stayed in touch with me anyway. But I thought I had to get in the the get in the game. And I was again at a Christmas they they they opened their they had a new store opening and there was a Christmas party that my friend Dave invited me to. So I went and um at that party they offered me the destroy and I just thought that watch was so cool and I d I had the G I already had a GMT two. I didn't really need another one. Um in fact if anyone's interested in that Batman, I should need to get that out. Um but uh you can in the comments. Um but uh uh you know I I thought that I just thought that again, knowing a little bit more about watches and about the history of the brands, they look exactly the same to the uninitiated, but for Rolex to flip that movement and put the date, you know, on the nine, like it's such a titanic uh shift for them. It's such a massive um uh change in their watchmaking and evolution, I just liked the storytelling of that watch in the in the history of the brand. Um and uh, you know, again, it's one of those watches, like if you don't really know, I I, you know, I I brought her home and I showed my wife, my kids. I'm like, what you what what's different about this watch? What do you see? And it was just it was my my my youngest, my 11-year-old who goes crowns on the wrong side. I was like, Crown on the wrong side. Not everyone, not everyone knows what they're looking at, but um I I really like that. So so so to answer a question, like the bindies are the best. Uh if I want to get any anything, any modern Rolex, I'll get it to them. Um they're they're phenomenal. Uh great jewelry too. Got my wife some jewelry. Not to play the AD game because they are amazing jewelers as well. But still, you know, still the pre-owned is is kind of where I I live and and in my where your heart where your heart lies. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because there's also that like like I was saying that again the watches I love the most are the ones I had no intention of getting. And so like to go on the list and wait for the years and get the call. I know that there's something exciting about that. But to walk in, like I walked into um, you know, Jeff Hess is a good friend and and Vincent Precesco. And when they started at at um Sotheby's, I went I wanted to go to the auction, their first auction, and just support them and be there for them. And I went to the preview and I just saw this 50 Fathoms, this aqualong, double signed 50 fathoms and I was like, oh my God, this is incredible. Like I never liked 50 Fathoms. I didn't get it. And I saw it and I was like, this is incredible. And I ended up getting it at that at that first auction. Um but you know there's like a there's like an impulse element to the secondary market that you can see something, you can love it, and it could be yours the next day or that day. And um I I just that's been probably one of the most thrilling aspects of my journey is walking somewhere, seeing something. Um, you know, whether it's that Fremont parking watch, uh, if I had a moment to think about that, I wouldn't have gotten that watch. But it was so cool I want and so there you know what so whether it's that watch or or um you know it it's uh it's that 1016 that my that that or this date just you know that my wife got it wanna buy a watch, like I don't think we're thinking about that for years. Like you see it, you love it, and you can have it. And um there's that element of the secondary market that I just that I just love. Do you regret a lot of purchases when uh that's sort of the mindset or or not really? You know, I make a lot of promises to myself and to my wife that things, when things come in, things will go out. And I haven't really gotten rid of uh much of anything. And so I mean, there shouldn't be a lot of huge regrets. I think that ta like my tastes have evolved, you know, as I've learned more and and grown more. And I think that 50 fathoms is a is a perfect example and and I think now as I was talking to you guys wanting to move more towards you know less you know less sports models and getting to some you know more more gentlemen's watches. You know, I want to say sophisticated watches because they're all pretty sophisticated, but you guys know what I mean. So I think my tastes have evolved and changed, but I don't know if there's anything in my watch box that I'm like, man, I really sh shouldn't have done that. Um there's definitely like I can't believe I did that, but there isn't a lot of um there isn't a lot of regrets. Uh because I also think, and I don't have to get like too corny about it, but like I think that my watch journey, if you wanna call it that, my my life in watches has been it's been not as much about the watches as as it is like the experiences. You know what I mean? And so all these watches I associate with a person or an event or an experience or a moment. And I think that that really has been the most enriching part of this whole this whole ride has been the people and the experiences and the relationships. And so like even a watch that might not get a lot of risk time is still connected to some moment that is meaningful. And so nah, I don't think I can't say that there's a lot of regret. Um, which I haven't thought about it in those terms, Tony, but that that that's kinda cool. I like that
Tony Traina . You mentioned at the top, you know, the days of you being a diver or serving in the military or being a pilot are are gone. But you dropped a little nugget in your talking watches that you were a pilot, that you did have a pilot's license. And I've always wanted to sort of ask, first of all, why. And then second of all, where is uh Fred Savage jetting off to uh on the weekends with his pilot's license? You
Fred Savage know, I I the why is I just it just seemed like when my kids were little, you could go to the Santa Monica airport, they and there's there's bleachers on the on the runway. And so I would take them and watch them, you know, you could you'd watch the planes take off and land. And it was we we would go that when they were really little. Um and they they loved it. And so I saw a guy hop out of one of the planes and the plane, you know, went to the runway and took off. And I was asking guys, well, what what's going on? He goes, Oh, that's a student pilot. You know, he's that's his first solo. And I never even really thought like, oh, you can learn how to do that. It's so cool. And so I just felt like it it felt like the most foreign thing in the world to me and so difficult. And I just thought, oh, let me just take one lesson and see what it's like. And I loved it. I just thought it was so cool. And and again, like, you know, you get to a point where like you're always, you know, I'm always very curious about things and always trying to learn a little bit and try to pick something up. And it just seemed like so foreign. And I was like, oh, I it would be so cool to learn that. Like how do you learn that and so I threw myself in and got kind of caught up in it and got my pilot's license but sadly like during COVID like whenever I don't fly for a while like I don't't didn own a plane or anything, so like renting them. Um, and whenever you don't fly for a while, like I want to take a lesson with an instructor, just you know, make sure I can land and it's all right. And um and so during COVID, I just didn't have that like they weren't putting people on the planes with instructors, I wasn't flying as much, and then I lost all my recency and so now like I'm like I think I think if I start again, I'd have to start all over. Um no. But it was a great like journey and the one of the coolest things ever done. One of the coolest things I've done. Did you did you do it out of Santa Monica? I did it out of Santa Monica. Yeah. Al also known as the site of the talking watches with Spike Ferriston. Oh, did you that's how you did it? I didn't know that. Yeah, we filmed it in his hangar there. Uh and across the way while we were filming was Harrison Ford's hangar, and he was there with the door. So cool. It was so cool. And then like two two hangers down was Keanu Reeves working on his motorcycle. It was like so LA. It was unbelievable. That's amazing. And just a few down was me renting uh a uh uh P828 for like an hour, um, and making sure that the price they quoted me was wet. I didn't have to buy fuel also. So yeah, it's all we're all the same. So no pilots watched. Sadly, I'm not going sadly I'm not going anywhere, Tony. I'm not flying anywhere. But I feel like in a pinch, um like when I you know, if they need me on I'm there. Um and when I really want to embarrass my kids as we're boarding planes, I make sure to let the the people, the the the the the staff know, the crew know that that um if need be, you know, I have like a hundred hours, so you know, maybe a hundred and twenty. So uh like an independence day type of scenario where like they need pilots, that type of thing. Like you'd be oh I'm I'm waiting. Oh man, I'm waiting. I'm waiting for independence day. Yes. That's right. That's right. Not the air for not the ones like they'll break the speed of sound. But if if you need someone to fly a plane that goes slightly faster than a car, um like I'm your guy. Like I'm like, yes. If you need a single engine pilot to get like, you know, a few, you know, like fifty miles in perfectly clear conditions, 'cause I'm not instrument rated, then yeah, I'm ready to go. I'm ready to serve
Tony Traina . Noted. So no pilot's watches really uh added to the collection in the past few years then
Fred Savage ? No, I mean other than other than that that that GMT, um which but I had that then. I had that then. Um no no no pilots watches because I felt like I'd be a fraud. Um that's where like I got like I really wanted a Seiko diver, you know, I really wanted those at 6105, you know, the the Willards. Um and I'm like, I can't be an imposter. And so I signed up to get my scuba certification um so that I could go buy the dive watch and and feel like I I had earned it. I did all my wife's like, you did all that for so you could buy this watch? I'm like, uh-huh
Tony Traina I think one of the sort of emotional overtones of your talking watches is uh maybe a philosophy or a quote that that you relayed from your dad sort of uh you relay it in relation to the 1016, but you talk about how he always wanted a T bird and never got one, and you say something to the effect of uh, you know, you deserve to treat yourself every once in a while. And if it's something that makes you you happy, go for it. So I'm wondering if you could uh just talk about that as a philosophy in terms of um the way you go about living your life and and maybe as much as it applies to to buying or collecting watches too
Fred Savage . Um yeah, yeah. Oh Tony, that's so cool that you remember that. Yeah. My um my dad had a 57 T bird in college. And as an adult, it's something he always wanted again. He always wanted that, that T bird. Um, and he never he never got it for himself. He never got it for himself. Um and he could have, you know, he could've. You know, he was my dad was very fiscally responsible and very like practical and pragmatic. You know, he he'd say to me goes, I don't I don't know, I don't know why you spend, you know, $100 on dinner. You know, you go you go out to dinner, it's over. He goes, see the alarm clock? I got that alarm clock 30 years ago. I paid $19 for it. People said it was crazy. $19. I had it for 30 years. That's my dad's kind of philosophy, you know? Um, very pragmatic. But he could have gotten it and it wouldn't have changed our lives, you know. We would have kept the lights on the next month. It wouldn't have changed anything. And I and and um I think towards the end of the life, he was like, yeah, I should have I should have done it, you know? And um uh he's like you gotta just, you know, be responsible, be practical, you know, make sure you can keep the lights on, you know, the next month, obviously but um that you could treat yourself once in a while um and uh you know there's some years I take that a little too much to heart you know it can't all be dessert so I treat myself maybe too much some years as it comes to watches. But I I do think that in the back of my head is that kind of like, yeah, like, you know, I don't know, life's short, man. Life's short. And uh it changes so much you know so quickly and if you have these windows you know to to have these opportunities to do these things to get that watch to get your school certification to to you know I don't know I say do it you know someone else I'm I I I'm working with now would say to me as I was weighing a similar should I do talking watches or not he's like if someone opens a door walk through it. Walk to the door. Um and so uh and so I've I've tried to embrace that, you know, again, not just in the collecting, but um, you know, in in in in life too. Like it's it's short, like, you know, if it's not putting you or or anyone you love or your wife in in jeopardy, like say just in walk to the door. Like I think that uh it's a short, short journey and uh it's overweight too soon. So I I say do what you can to make yourself happy and enjoy it. Have some experiences. Maybe this is a nice That was way too deep for a watch talk, right? Was that was that really that was too much, right? It's connected though, right? It's all connected. No question
Tony Traina . Isn't it? Or did I just go way off? I think you've invoked enough cliches that I I won't invoke anymore, but it's it's all true. It's all connected, and this is part of the reason we all love talking. Life is short. No true. I don't know. No apologies needed, Fred. We love it. Uh it it does provide a natural segue, though, to I think the last thing I wanted to ask you about, which is uh something we've spoken about a bit over the past few months, which is your your latest venture or or company, uh timepiece grading specialists. So I'm wondering if you could talk first of all about the impetus for for that and and what the hell TGS is
Fred Savage . Um yeah, I I I it's uh it's something I'm I'm just starting. We're gonna kick it off uh next month, you know, after after Labor Day. Um and uh basically I, was collecting watches, knew a little bit, you know, would was didn't have like regular dealer. I was reading the vlogs and the and the and the forums and I I knew I feel like I knew just enough to be kind of dangerous. And I ended up buying a watch at auction. It was this uh this 1803, this you know, white gold day date. And um I was like, oh I've really arrived like a collector. Like I really, I really got somewhere now. I got this cool watch at auction. And so I wear it and you know, I like so many people we watch people. I had my little um album and my phone of all my watches and was showing it to people and someone's like, oh, what's that watch? Like, oh, that's I got the Z Ox. And uh and he said, oh no, that's no, that's no good. I was like, what are you talking about? He's like, it was been redialed. And I didn't even really know what that meant. Um he goes, yeah, look, the sterile and the X is no good and the hash marks aren't evenly spaced. It's it's that's no good. And I was just crestfallen. And I was like, wow, like, you know, if you can't trust these like how who are you supposed to trust when you if you buy someone the in secondary market, how are you supposed to know what you're getting? And so I really committed myself uh to to meeting and and and and getting to know um you know really great reputable dealers and and um and c collectors and scholars and people I could talk to and and when I was at Rolly Fest you know last year I looked around the room and I'm like wow like I've really gotten to a place where you know, you know, the best people in the watch world are one or two phone calls away, the best scholars and journalists and uh you know, sellers and collectors. Um, but that's pretty rare air. That's pretty privileged air. You know, not everybody knows an expert. And when I started looking at all these other collectible verticals, whether it's baseball cards or um coins or stamps or handbags or shoes or video games, every one of those collectibles has uh one or more um third party uh grading and authentication services. And when I looked at the secondary market of watches, it's all still predicated on you by the seller, which completely works when you're buying from great sellers, but you don't always know who you're buying from. There's a lot of you know person, the-to person-person websites that facilitate um uh you know watch purchases. Uh there's a lot of um there's some terrific dealers, but there's a lot of dealers who might not know the difference. Uh and so I felt like the watch buyer on the secondary market, which as you guys were saying, I primarily am, deserves to have the same confidence that someone buying a baseball card has, or that someone buying an old comic book has. Um, and so uh I wanted to start a grading and authentication service for watches. Um and so I did. It's called Timepiece Grading Specialists, TGS. And so um my hope is to bring that same sense of confidence and empowerment to anyone who's buying a watch on the secondary market, whether it's people who are there now, uh, but also people who might want to get in but are kind of uh And I think if we can make that more transparent, and not just in the authenticity, but in the grading, you know, this is watch as a nine versus this watch is a seven. Like why? You know, is it is there a scratch on the you know case, is there a scratch on the dial? Is the is the crown aftermarket? Is the bracelet after market? Is the bezel been replaced? I want people to know the answers to those questions because I'm a big believer that there's a buyer for every watch, you know, um, not every watch has to be perfect. There's a a buyer for every watch, but I think that we can empower the people in the market more and invite more people in, which will only benefit all of us, um, into the secondary market, if there's a trusted third party, meaning we don't buy watches, we don't sell watches, we're just evaluating the watch as an object service who can tell you what it is and the conditions condition it's in and um i think it'll give people that much more confidence as they buy on the secondary market and that and that market continues to grow.
Tony Traina Yeah I think the problems you've identified are the biggest threats to the sort of long-term viability of vintage watches in particular. So any project that sort of looks to take those on is something that sort of is exciting to me. And I look forward to hearing more about it. Hey, in just a few weeks, I know you're going to be at Geneva Watch Days as well. If you see Fred Savage roaming around Geneva, uh self tell tell him uh tell him hello and congratulate him.
Fred Savage Come say hi. I don't I don't I I I Geneva is very exciting. Again, applied the same lessons learned from talking watches when Way was like, Hey, come to Geneva. I was like, uh, all right. Um, and so uh, so Tony, I know you'll be there. Very excited to see you. Uh, but yeah, it's we're we're we're we're we're kicking it off and and talking to you know a bunch of people kind of in the collector community um in the secondary market community but also you know brands um I think we can kind of bring value to to to everybody so um it's been it's been really exciting and and really really well received and you know hopefully we can um you know uh bring more people kind of into the into the community and uh and and give the people who already are um that much more confidence to to get a watch on the
Tony Traina secondary market. Well Fred, thank you again for joining the show. Ben thanks for thanks for coming along for the ride as well. Thanks to you all for listening. Vic Audaminelli for editing and we'll see you all again next week for another episode of Hodinky Radio.