Cara Barrett (Editor, HODINKEE)¶
Published on Mon, 10 Jun 2019 10:00:13 +0000
From studying art history in Texas to debunking vintage watch myths on the internet, Cara's got tons of stories to tell.
Synopsis¶
In this episode of Hodinkee Radio, hosts Stephen Pulvirent and Gray Korhonen sit down with colleague Kara Barrett to celebrate her birthday and discuss her unique journey into the watch world. Born in Zurich, Switzerland, and raised in London and South Carolina, Kara studied art history and worked at Christie's and Sotheby's auction houses before joining Hodinkee in 2015. She shares stories from her time cataloging watches at auction, including working with significant pieces like the Patek Philippe Graves Supercomplication and the titanium collection, and discusses the challenges of sourcing consignments and creating catalogs under intense deadline pressure.
The conversation explores Kara's development as a journalist at Hodinkee, where she learned to write through trial by fire and produced major investigative pieces including the controversial Patek Philippe Ref. 3448 "Senza Luna" story and the Paul Newman Daytona cover story for Hodinkee Magazine's first issue. The hosts discuss Kara's talent for building sources and getting people to share information, her role managing special projects and social media, and her shared desk dynamic with Stephen. Throughout the episode, the trio exchanges personal anecdotes, guilty pleasures (including reality TV shows like Vanderpump Rules and Southern Charm), and cultural recommendations, creating an intimate portrait of one of the watch journalism community's most engaging personalities.
Links¶
Transcript¶
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| Unknown | Alright, so usually this is where I tell you about how I met this episode's guest and why I find them so interesting, you know, why you're listening in the first place. But this week we can skip all of that. Uh Gray and I decided that for our next editor profile, it was time we sit down with none other than Hodinky editor, social media manager, manager of special projects, and I don't know what, all around bright spot. I was actually thinking about it. We're both hockey fans. You know who she is, I think a little bit? Who's Kara? She's the glue guy. Oh, she's the glue guy. So for those who are not hockey fans, a glue guy is someone whose performance on the ice is is important, but their real skill set is being the glue in the locker room. They hold the whole thing together. Yeah, no, that's really interesting. She is definitely the glue guy for this team. I get most of the glue. Kara and I share a desk. So you guys are stuck together for sure. Yeah, for anybody who doesn't know already from the uh constant banter, Kara and I share a desk. I see a lot of Ms. Kara Barrett. Uh you know, Kara has a really interesting story, and it's one I'm I'm glad we can tell. She doesn't come to watches through journalism. She didn't even set out to end up in watches professionally, but she kind of ended up here through an interesting, strange, winding road that started in Switzerland in a certain way, took her to the US, took her to London, back to the US, back to London. You'll hear all about it. But it's it's a pretty interesting tale that I think gets at why the Watch World is so fascinating. And that kind of gets at one of my kind of overarching theories about Kara and her personality, which is that she is largely driven by by people. She's a people person. Yeah. And so, you know, whether it was the art that she studied in college through to the watches that she now works with today, they're all kind of a means of ingress to learning about and getting to interact with people. Absolutely. And a and it's a good fit for this show 'cause at least in theory, I guess that's that's what this show is all about. In theory. Yeah, that's what we say at least. Uh we also recorded this on Cara's birthday. So uh there's some gift giving, some wine pouring, uh, and quite a bit of silliness. But uh It's a good one. Yeah. I think if it's half as fun to listen to as it was for us to make, I think everybody's everybody's in for a treat. There we go, yes, we've done our job if that's the case. So uh without further ado, I'm your host, Stephen Pulverin, and this is Hodinky Radio. This week's episode is presented by Zenith Watches. Stay tuned later in the show for the story of how the El Primero Caliber was almost lost to history until it was saved by a savvy watchmaker who knew what was at stake. You can also visit zenith-watches.com to learn more. This is a pretty special episode. Why? I mean first of all we got you. This car barrett in the studio. Hello. We also got Greg Corjon in here. What's up everybody? This is the dream teamam. Dream te. I love working with you two. The famous Gray Corjonan. This is the best. From behind the scenes to in the scenes. Yeah, I think there's a there's a threshold to fame that you two maybe have eclipsed. I'm I'm working my way up. I don't think so. You'll get there someday, young Corhony. I'm looking forward to it. Everybody's been asking for you in the comment section. There's been one guy asking for me in the comment section. Gray has one super fan. Shout out to shout out to you, my one super fan, not my mom. As as as you know, I actually I legitimately I legitimately texted her after that comment was made. I was like, Jane, I love you, you need to stop. Turns out closely as I as she told me she did, so |
| Unknown | My dad has a fake account that he comments under. He's got a Finsta? He has a pseud pseudonym. Oh it's amazing. I can't tell. What's your dad' |
| Unknown | s name? Andrew Barrett. Shout out to Andrew Barrett. Okay. What's up, Dad? I'll keep an eye out. It's not Andrew Barrett. That's not Car Barrett. Alright, alright alright. We're bearing the lead here. Okay. It's Carr's birthday. Happy birthday, Clay. Happy birthday. We can't sing you happy birthday because that song costs like 20 grand and uh we don't have the budget for that, but happy birthday. Thanks, guys. Happy to be here. To uh to celebrate. We got some we got some wine. You want to pour uh pour some wine for us I sure do. Your own birthday wine. Sponsored by Salvi B. We're drinking New Zealand's uh finest here. Oyster Bay. This counts as a gift if I don't expense it, right? You can take the girl out of South Carolina if you count South Carolina. It counts as a gift if you expense it. Okay, fair enough. Uh you wanna you wanna top me up there? I gotcha. Captain? Nice Tammy Taylor pour there. What's that in your hand, Stevie? This is a birthday gift. Oh my gosh, you guys! We had to do something for you. Come on. You're coming on. Is it a signed copy of your book? It is not a signed copy of my book. It is a much better book than my book. Oh, you guys. Okay, just for the vie |
| Unknown | wers out there or reader or listeners. Listeners. Holy bug.s Uh' its called Next Level Basic. It's a book by Stasi Schroeder from Vanderpump Rules. If you don't watch it, maybe you should. Yeah, get your life right. Thank you guys, that's so sweet. Oh |
| Unknown | , I can't wait to wait to read it. Now, Cara, I also uh tried to order you a gift. It has not arrived yet. Shout out to the people at Amazon Fulfillment who screwed me. Sweet. Thanks, guys. They are some lovely embroidered Norge Terrier socks as we both share love for the cute little terriers that are Norwich Terriers are the best that originate from Norwich shout out to Sybil and Fiona and Rags and Rosie What up maybe this episode my mom will listen to her dog's got a shout out I got sorry, I got a different kind of terrier. Sorry, guys. I'm I'm out of the club on this one. It's all right. Anyways, cheers. Thanks, guys. Cheers. Happy birthday CB. Thank you. Clink clink. references and us talking about ourselves uh we're off to a rib roaring. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Welcome welcome to the party. Um what is this podcast really about? It's all about you. It's C B D C B dot you. Oh my gosh. So well that' |
| Unknown | s I'm nervous. You don't don't be |
| Unknown | nervous. Why are you nervous? Because I had three diet cokes and two cups of coffee today. So I'm feeling a little jittery. Okay. It's a chemical thing. That's what the wine's for. There you go. Alright. Let's start uh let's go back to the source. Where are you from? Well, a little known fact |
| Unknown | is well it maybe it's I don't a little known fact I was actually born in Zurich, Switzerland. So I like to think that watches were my destiny because I was born in Switzerland and now I work almost exclusively with Swiss people in a Swiss industry. So that's a little story about me. But I was only over two and a half years and they wouldn't ship. They're very Why were you why were you born in Zurich? What was going on? Uh it was just my dad's job was over there. Nice. And so they moved there my parents moved there from Dubai in the eighties, if if you can imagine. Um I won't give away what year I was born 'cause I don't wanna a lady never tells her age. Okay. Um, but yeah, I was lived there for two and a half years and then I moved to London after that. Wait, you live you lived in London? Yes, I did. The running joke is I tell everybody that I lived in London because I'm an Anglophile and just ask all my coworkers and my best friends. They will remind you. Um but yeah, so I was there until I was nine and then I moved to South Carolina after that that. And's the beginning. And I live there until I went to school in Dallas. Texas Forever. Texas Forever. Stevie, fun fact, is from Austin, Texas. True story. Um and so yeah, so I went to SMU and I was there and I studied art history. And didn't you want to be like an engineer or something though first? I started off as an engineering major, which kind of blows people's minds. What kind of engineering? It was it was vague because I lasted one year. The science kind? The science kind. It was supposed to be civil. And then I was gonna double it up with art because I was I liked painting and drawing, but I like decided that I didn't have the math skills or the passion to study art, so I switched to art history last minute. What was the like the final straw that that reminded you that maybe math wasn't your uh your strong suit? When I uh I failed calculus too. Yeah sweet. Um and that was my second semester calculus and I was like, oh 'cause I did really well in high school in calcul. I'm you know, took the A P classes and I did really well and I loved it, and then the second semester just really got me and I like went to extra help and all of that stuff and it just wasn't sticking. And you know like you're stupid when you're 18, so you're kind of like, oh I'd rather be like socializing than like studying calculus, so I'll just be an art history major like everybody else. So like everybody else. So but it worked out fine. You know, I |
| Unknown | 'm here now with you guys, so what's |
| Unknown | your favorite period uh in art history? Like what's your favorite period in the history of art? I really so I really like this one period in um London and it's the like Auerbach and Freud, and I think what are they called? I can't even remember. It's been so long. I have to look it up. We'll l link it up in the notes, but I think they're c it's called like the London School. Uh and so like they came up in a time like a post war England and so I feel like a lot of that kind of like st you know, kind of if you think about England after the after the war, they're like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and like they're really it was like a really kind of quiet country and they were just kinda trying to rebuild. So I think a lot of artistic um abilities came out of that because there was literally nothing to do and when you were growing up and people kind of rebelled. And so I think the artists at the same time really reflected that in their kind of like the way that like they painted, and it was like very expressive and interesting. Um, kind of gross if, you think about it, because like Bacon was like pretty disturbed as well. As well as Bacon's best. As well as Auerbach and uh Freud. But yeah, I really like that that genre. So much that I can't remember the name of the name of it. But it's the show notes before. |
| Unknown | Making vague references to things and then making Gray look it up after the thing. Exactly |
| Unknown | . That's what you're here for, sir. Exactly. So yeah. How about you, Stevie? What's your favorite genre? Enough about |
| Unknown | me. I I'm uh These days an Abex Abex guy, abstract expressionism. Okay, good. I'm glad you clarified what that was. Yeah, Stevie's like, don't make me talk about art. Please don't make me talk about art. I don't want to talk about art. Adex. We'll talk about art. All right, so moving on. This is not about me, not today. So you studied art history. Yes. And then you ended up back in London, right? Yes. I |
| Unknown | went to London after I graduated to intern at Christie's on King Street in the house sale department. Which was the house sale department. Yes. And it's not what you think it is. It's not real estate. It was too easy. Which they do have their own real estate arm, but it's like a different company. Um but house sales was the sale of estates. So anyone that passed away or was getting divorced or like didn't want to have any of their things anymore, would just sell off mass amount like everything in their house. So it could be a contemporary painting, it could be a piece of furniture, it could be a piece of pottery, a silver, you name it. And by ho |
| Unknown | uses you, mean like like we're talking old piles, right? We're talking like big |
| Unknown | old Palladian mansions out in the country. Or the one that I worked on was a like a Cotswold, it was like an antique kind of this guy who was like the king of antiques, I can't remember his name. I have a terrible memory. But he had this house in the Cotswolds and it was just filled with so much stuff. I mean so much stuff. Like hoarder level stuff? It was like yeah. It was like borderline hoarder, but like nice. Like it was like hoarder's meats, antique road shit. You can still be a hoarder with expensive shit. Yeah, exactly. And like he had collected all these like really cool things and so what as an intern, which I it was I I felt very like special to be an intern at you know Christie's London blah blah blah. It's a prestigious place. And so we I went out and it was like I spent the night out in the cotswalls and I spent two full days like tagging objects. So like we had the valuation and then I had to like go through and like match up the number and like find the object and like tag it. And then it would be brought back to Christie's in London and then they would have the sale and they would put it all up. So it sounds like that's like a great department to be introduced to because it's such a wide selection of things that you're you're looking at. Yeah. It was just tons of objects. Yeah. And I've always had kind of like a you know, I've always liked things, whether they be like big, small, doesn't fancy, not like it just was really kind of like a lot of learning about them and the context around them. Yeah, exactly. What was the coolest thing that you ran across in that that first foray into the auction world? It wasn't so much like one specific thing, but it was just crazy to see all the different types of furniture that you were exposed to and how like in England, they're so particular about their periods, and like they all switch from like whoever was king or queen at the time, and then they kind of Edwardian, Georgian, like all this stuff and they all had like tiny little nuances, and then they would like get things from like neoclassical from like earlier times and it was just really interesting to be working somewhere where they took that so seriously it's kind of similar to watches in the sense that over there they were just so passionate about preserving historical objects and learning about them, knowing about them, cataloging them. Like I remember I would go into like the library and they would have just like drawers and drawers and drawers and drawers and drawers of like card files where I would literally have to go in and like there would be one of like console and I would have to like find it, find the console drawers, and I would like have to look open the drawer and then like flip through and find one that was similar to the object that we were researching, and then it had all the information of like when it was sold and it was all on paper. Like this was not a digital record. Treasure hunt. It was really kind of crazy. And I think now it's kind of obviously I think hopefully has moved to more digital, but they still reference that stuff at auction houses, which is really really weird but like kind of nice. It's like refreshing to like hold something a physical record rather than having to like just like Google it. Totally. Um so that was a really kind of like a cool time. And also like the people I worked with were so eccentric. They were like these like crazy like English like lords and like viscounts and like Did you work for a lord? I didn't work for a lord but I worked for someone who was married to a mark marques who lived in a in a castle that I visited later when I was getting my master's degree. So it was literally went and toured his home to like learn about the different periods of things. And he was so eccentric. His name was Orlando Rock. Orlando Rock? Yeah. And he was so nice and he was really funny. And he would like roll into the we had this tiny office and it was so hot. And he would roll in on his rollerblades because he would roll in from Nottinghill. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wa |
| Unknown | it, wait, wait. Again, buried the lead here. Orlando Rock roll the the Marquess rollerbl |
| Unknown | aded to work. He would rollerblade in from Nottinghill and he would keep his rollerblades on until at least after lunch. And he would just sit at his desk and he would he would like hit his mouse on the on the table like every time he was trying to like email or like do something and it was just so fun. He'd be like, ugh this thing. And he'd like get so annoyed with it, and he would just like roll his feet under his desk so like you could hear it. And then it was like mid-July, and they decided to clean the outside of the building. And they covered it in s in like scaffolding, and he was going on his like summer vacation or summer holiday for like a month so it didn't affect him but it affected me and the other people that were staying there and there was no air conditioning and it was like 95 degrees outside. And he called the like um the hr hr whoever was the operations people they were like dealing with it and he was like how long is this scaffolding going to be up and we're and they were like oh like see the rest of something he was like oh it's as hot as fucking Calcutta in here. And then I clicked on the phone. And I was just like, 22, like I 22, and I was just like, who is like, where am I? Like Where's Calcutta? Exactly. And I was like, Oh, Calcutta. I was like, oh, it's India. Got it. India. So it was a really kind of like eye-opening experience, like working with like really eccentric characters who That's amazing. Kind of like you're out of a movie.. So it was fun I enjoyed it. But I had to I was shipped back after six months because my visa ran out. Christie's couldn't get your visa renewed? No, they were very stingy. I also was just an intern. So you get shipped back. What happens when you're shipped back? I wallowed around because I missed London so much. And then I applied to grad school because this was like right after two thousand eight and so there were no jobs. Yeah. And so especially for art history majors. But guess what? My dad reminded me that there were engineering jobs to do that. How kind of him. How kind. I was like, well, go to wulda shoulda. Oh well. Um but yeah, so then I applied to grad school and I went to the Sotheby's Institute back in London, basically to go back to London, but also because they had a really kind of robust object focused program where you studied ceramics, painting, furniture. And that was really cool too, 'cause it was like a two year program and you basically just kind of went and toured like these estates and like learned about everything in them and then wrote about them and then had like mock auctions um and then had a brief stint working for a contemporary art dealer. I was a terrible personal assistant. It lasted not very long. You were working what, like the front desk at a gallery? No, I was one of the director's assistants. Okay. And I was actually just rem reminiscing about one of my jobs. I had to print out all of her emails and alphabetize them in binders. What? And then I had to archive them in the emails and I was like, oh my gosh. Printing and alphabetizing emails? Yeah, and I had to like book her flights. I really was a terrible Honestly, if anyone wants to hire me as an assistant, they should not. I was a really terrible elsewhere. I was a really ter |
| Unknown | rible assistant. So that didn't and then I moved to New York after that. Okay. And so coming out of Sotheby's, coming out of grad school. Yeah. Did you have a sense of like what department you wanted to work in at an auction house? Did you want to go back to an auction house? Like what was kind of the plan there |
| Unknown | ? Yeah, I mean I think it was funny because everyone who went to that program really wanted to work at an auction house and I kind of didn't. I kind of was like, Oh, like I did that, like I w I would be open to it, but I kinda wanna see what else is out there, which is why I ended up at the gallery. And then when I moved to New York, I was like, okay, well I gotta find a job. So like I don't first place auction house, that's like the only experience I have. Like I need to get this locked down. And so I applied to their floater program, which is like a temp program, and they move you around different departments and I they they gave it to me. And I was like one of the few people in my program that actually ended up working at an auction house. I think I was like one of one, like which was really wild. Um Testament to you? Uh I'm not really sure. I think my internship definitely helped prior to that, but I think I don't really know like what happened there. But |
| Unknown | I mean like it's not i you had a pretty you know a to be path. Once once uh calc two occurred, this this was the world that you wante |
| Unknown | d to occupy in a little bit. Yeah. I really I always loved art and I always really liked learning about that stuff and working with it. Yeah. Um kind of you know, any you know, which is how I ended up with watches. But so there I started working in their marketing department in their loyalty program um called Preferred, which kind of dealt with like events and VIPs and things like that. Yeah. And that lasted ten months. And then a job opened up in the watch department. And I was like, oh, I was like, that's pretty cool. Maybe I'll apply to that. And then I did. And I got the cataloger position and then |
| Unknown | that's where it started. So did you before that, did you know anything about watches? Did you own a watch? Were you like interested in watches or was this kind of a whim? It was |
| Unknown | Or b both. It wasoth. I it was a whim because it was available, but I had always noticed watches. I like was given a Cartier tank when I graduated from high school and like that was I wanted that since I was like 16. I always looked at people's watches and was curious about them. I don't think I had the same kind of like deep dive inclination that a lot of people have in this industry, but I really did always gravitate to and know it was like brand aware. So that is kind of what when the watch department opened up, I was like, oh like that would be interesting. Like I didn't know you could work in watches. Like I thought that they were just |
| Unknown | things that you could buy. Did you immediately associate the same things that you liked about these other objects that you studied? Did you see that in watches, kind of like the social con |
| Unknown | text, the the provenance? Yeah, exactly. And like soon it was kind of like, oh, there are all these different kinds of watches and they vary ever so slightly, but like so vastly that it just really became very fascinating. And then I remember one of my colleagues like taught me about the perpetual calendar and I was like, holy shit. I was like, that is wild. Like, I can't believe that there's a little tiny machine on your wrist that can account for a leap year |
| Unknown | . Yeah, it's it's funny. I think, you know, for a lot of us who who do this either professionally or who are watch collectors or into watches, it's easy to forget about that first moment that you realize that a watch could be something not just beautiful, but like something impressive and interesting. And that like holy shit this thing tracks leap years, like that that moment is really special. And like I honestly am trying to think back and like I don't remember what that moment was for me. And I'm trying, I'm trying to like figure it out but do you Gray do you have that moment? Oh do I ever because uh perfect you know like car I think I was brand aware I looked at watches my dad wore a watch I wore you know, Timex, uh, etcetera. And at the time that I first started Hodinky, I was wearing a Timex chronograph. Shout out to Timex, love that watch dearly. The chronograph did not work for shit. And so one of the very first things I did for Sorry Timex. Sorry Timex, it probably was me, you know, wearing it throughout college and banging it and not taking care of it. The battery probably wasn't even uh in the watch at that point. So not time X's fault, user error entirely. All right. Fast forwarding to the first assignment I really had with Hodinky, which was uh doing photos at the Vashron LE release that we did. Oh wow and seeing uh I think it was JJ Reddick use the chronograph function and asking Will as an aside uh, what, exactly that function was and understanding that a chronograph functions properly when you could start, stop, and reset as you could not do on my normal timex. So very basic introduction to what complications were and kind of took off from there. But that I mean, you know, that's such an impressive, beautiful watch. And that was that was my kind of introduction. That's a good first impression, I would say, that watch. Yeah, well that and then also uh introduction to the world that Hodinki occupies. Right. When when you walk in and uh you know J.J. Reddick, a kid that I or a player that I've been looking up to for a while, is standing right there in the living room. I'm sure. And and wants to meet you. Because you're part of Hodinky at that point. Right. Right. And a introduction that I completely blew, quick aside. This is a great story. Yep, Will Holloway, my boss, lovely gentleman, director of content, introduced me to JJ Reddick saying, This is our new uh video employee, JJ, I'd love you to meet him. I look up into JJ Reddick's beautiful eyes, six foot six, like, and I just see the highlights that I've watched of his entire career flashing before me. And I introduce myself as JJ Reddick. He's like, hey, what's up man? And I said, hi, I'm JJ. And JJ looks back at me and says, No, you're not. And Will and I look at each other just like, who is this kid? That's amazing. Oh my god, I love that story. Pretty great. That's great. Stevie, remember your moment. You know, I think, you know, talking about the the hodinky moment where like I realized that this this place was something special and something really crazy was maybe my my second day on the job. It was Ben and me full time. Will was freelancing at the time. It was the first time I think I'd met Will. Uh it must have been the first time I met Will. And Ben, Will and I met in midtown at Mike Safty's old store, Madison Fine Time, but the old the old location, which at the time was brand new. And we were shooting a video with Mike that we'll we'll link it up and uh gra Gray with the smile every time I say link it up. Uh I'll even send you the URL for this one. We're shooting at Mike Safty's place and Will and I are there and like Ben knows what we're doing. I have no idea. I'm just there is an extra set of hands. Will's shooting everything. And as we go to leave at the end of the day, Ben's like, what do you what do you think about what you saw today? I was like, oh, it seems seems cool. Seems yeah. He's like, you you know you'll probably never see that many amazing paddocks in one place ever again, right? And I was like, no, I had no idea. He's like, how how much do you think those watches cost? Like all of them put together? I was like, I don't I don't know, like a a hundred grand. And Ben like laughed at me, like legitimately just laughed at me and was like, try like tens of millions. Like we're we're handling like unique custom ordered, you know, grand comps from paddock as if it's nothing. Like I had I was too ignorant at the time to have any idea that what I was handling was special. Uh and that kind of like casual interaction with really special things and really interesting people, I think is one of the most interesting things about what we get to do is that those things are in a lot of ways like very commonplace for us in a way that we're we're very spoiled. Uh and it's it's a nice way to kind of get to interact with this world that can sometimes be like very stuffy and kind of like everything's behind glass and and all of that and instead we get to kind of just like experience it and and enjoy it. Yeah. So you're a C B you're a watch cataloger now. Yeah I'm a watch cataloger now. What does that mean? Like how does a watch how does a watch department at an auction house work? 'Cause that's something people for the most part don't know. Like they see a catalog, they see the auctioneer up on the rostrum and like that's it. And some people over in the phone bank. And like other than that, they have no |
| Unknown | idea. So something I think that people don't appreciate about the auction houses, especially when it comes to watches, is watches out of the entire Structure of an auction house are pretty small. Like you've got contemporary, you have impressionist, those are like the biggest departments that make all the money. They they keep the lights on. |
| Unknown | Yeah, and like one like we saw last week, right? Like a the week before we're recording this, like a Monet sold for a hundred and one million dollars. Like the watch department watch sale would make seventeen million. Right. Like there are most of the watch departments don't do a hundred milli |
| Unknown | on anyway. No. And it's a hustle. Like your entire when you're not selling the watches, you're consigning them. And it's reaching out to people, it's reaching out to clients. Oh, yeah, they have to come from somewhere, I guess. Right, exactly. And like it's so funny when people are like, oh, like so-and-so is such a terrible sale this, you know, this season. And it's like it's luck and it's like relationship nurturing and like all it is a it is a grind. So like basically your entire, you know, I would say eight months out of the year you're sourcing and the rest you're creating a sale and a catalog. And so my job as a cataloger wasn't initially to consign, but like if someone called and I picked up the phone that day or like I met with them in the you know lobby, then I would work help with consignments that way. So I was responsible for organizing all the photography and writing up all the descriptions. And the specialist would join in and help with like bigger pieces, but like if it was like a date just like that was me. I was like kind of looking them up, learning about the calibers, writing them up. And there's all it's all very formulaic, so it be kind of becomes very repetitive very quickly. But you learn a lot, I'm sure, right? You learn a lot, but you really learn more with the like highlights, so like the grave super complication, or like the titanium collection, or like the Breguet Saint-Patique, which was like the most like random sale I ever worked on, but was Were you there for the titanium collection? I was. That was my case. |
| Unknown | . Interesting Can you tell people about that? I remember I remember on the other side, on the media side, like that was another like hol |
| Unknown | y shit moment. It was that was crazy. So it was a consigner that had been working with Sotheby's a lot and they came to us with this collection of I think it was like twelve custom titanium watches from Paddock Philippe and they range from the Sky Moon Turbion to this officer case with Breggay numerals with a table cut perfect diamond on the case back. And you could see the movement through the diamond. So like instead of having like a sapphi |
| Unknown | re crystal case. Guys, guys, Gray's eyes just rolled so far back in his head, they're through the wall. |
| Unknown | He might have almost fallen out of his chair. I don't know. It was crazy. And we like got this one. We like took the diamond out to get like tested because the jewelry department was like, Oh my god, you guys have to like get this GIA certified. Like this is like the like it most insane diamond. I have pictures of it like on my hand. Like it was just like, oh my god, this is like the most beautiful stone I've ever seen. And you could see the movement through it. And so it's so awesome. Then there then there was a series, and these were kind of the best. They had these like hieroglyphics on the dial, and we were really nervous about including them because they were gifts for people and they said their names in the hieroglyphics and last minute they were pulled from the sale because of that. And the best part was is like we were spo we like knew who they were but we like didn't think about the fact that people could like just Google it and like yeah what these people were. I just remember being like and that was on me and I was like, huh. I was like, well, suppose you could though. Because like, yeah, guess you guess if you're guess if you can see it, you can Google it and figure it out. And that was kind of like a big commentary like on working and like you are dealing with s 300 watches per sale, you're dealing with 300 boxes per sale, you're dealing with 300 certificates per sale. You have to get extracts for every single one. You have to match the numbers to the watch because oh by the way, sometimes they send you an extract and the numbers don't match the watch, which means the watch isn't original, or like they messed up. And so it turned into this whole thing where it just, it's so many moving parts, and then you have to make sure like you don't have like two of the same watches like in the catalog by accident or like two descriptions that like are repeated because they pulled accidentally incorrectly from the so it's all these like tiny little things you have to keep track of. I remember what I said about being a bad personal assistant? It was very stressful. And like a really strong- I can see the PTSD flashback in your eyes right now. Yeah. It was like a really good learning. You're just talking faster and faster as you go through this, as her heart rate rates. Yeah, I know I'm like getting kind of sweaty just even thinking about it. But like it was so stressful around that time, but it was such a good learning experience because it really taught you that like there were consequences to not catching these things early. And like you better believe that there were mistakes after that catalog were printed and like oh you better believe that like people were upset and it wasn't even your boss that was upset the consigners were upset. So it would be like oh you have like a three thousand dollar watch in this sale like they're mad that you that you made a mistake on their watch. It doesn't matter. Like the like you have to be really mindful of that. Is there a certain adrenaline though that comes along obviously with working in such a high pressure environment where you have this build up? Yeah. Like our sales were in December and June and every May and November I would lose approximately seven pounds. And like it was just like you all you did was work. Like you were there from like nine to nine, nine to eleven for like the entire month leading up to the sale. |
| Unknown | You hated in the moment. Did you did you enjoy did you look back fondly on those memories? Did you enjoy the process? Ye |
| Unknown | ah, I mean the rush was part of the fun. And then like once the sale was done and it did well or it didn't do well, like it was exciting. And like I was young enough to enjoy it. And so like it was really kind of like thrilling to and also like I I was aware that like working at an auction house like that it was like a big deal. Like people uh back home thought it was cool and like I like was really appreciative that I could experience that and like really be a part of like a bigger thing and like that to me at the time was like very like meaningful. Nice. And like it was just fun and like I really liked the people I worked with. Like they were like all very like quirky and into watches and like it was just in a good time. Like you became really close because you were dealing with like all these crazy people. Wanna give a few shout-outs? Yeah. I want to say hi to Darren Schnipper, Derek Thomas, Nate Borgelt, and then my friend Lizzie Griesedick, who was there, she was so funny. She was from the Midwest. She used to talk to people for hours about their contracts, but it wasn't it was just so funny. She was just really great. But yeah, and like Darren w is like this like powerhouse that's like been in the industry forever and she's like so funny. She couldn't use my name to save her life until I quit, which was like the fun she would call me Kara. Interesting. And then when I quit she was she would call me Kara. Interesting. Yeah it was kind of a power |
| Unknown | move. I all those out there.. Yeah This is the correct pronunciation. Correct. |
| Unknown | I joined right after that. But I was there when the super complication came right back and I was responsible for babysitting that bad boy. Right |
| Unknown | . I think that might have been the first time we met. Yeah. I think it was. Was around the super complication. Yeah. That was a that was a hot watch. That was a hot watch crazy. Yeah.. Completely crazy What does babysitting it entail |
| Unknown | ? Uh just making sure that like nobody else touches it. Literally like get your hands off the phone. If we're photographing it like I'm with it, I'm picking it up like nobody else is. Do you sleep with it under your pillow? No, they wouldn't let me take it home. Lame. Unfortunately. But that was also crazy to see all the how like all those complic I to this day I couldn't even tell you what all the complications were because there were so many. Like I think there were twenty-four. Great, |
| Unknown | we gotta change the pop quiz from later. She said she doesn't know. No. Oh. I was supposed to list all the complications. Well I think there are two bringing the I don't I don't know we're gonna fill the next uh twenty five thirty |
| Unknown | But that thing was crazy. Yeah, it was wild. And then they sold it in Geneva and they didn't let me go to the sale. Will and I were in the room for that sale. And then the consigner died |
| Unknown | . Just so you know, Steve Steven was up on sale, by the way. I was waiting to see if you were gonna pick that one up. Alright. Yeah. Will Stevie's so special. Yeah, Will Will and I were there. And now we'll look at this week's sponsor. The El Primero Chronograph Caliber is a staple of modern watchmaking, and it has been since it was first introduced in 1969. It's the original high-speed automatic chronograph, and it's hard to imagine the watch landscape without it. However, in the mid-1970s, we almost lost the El Primero forever. When a new owner took over Zenith watches, they decided to focus on quartz production. This was the height of the quartz crisis, remember. Whole manufacture buildings were shut down and condemned. Equipment was sold off, old movements were thrown away, and valuable records disappeared. Luckily, the El Primero had a savior. His name was Charles Vermont, and he was a watchmaker born in and raised the Valley de Joux. He understood just how important the El Primero was, and he smartly dismantled some of the original production equipment and hid it in an attic, along with the documents necessary to create the movements. It would take almost 10 years, but eventually, someone at Zenith found Vermatch treasure, and the manufacturer was able to resume production of the El Primero, setting off more than three decades of continued innovation based on that illustrious caliber. On the occasion of the El Primero's 50th anniversary, it's nice to think of Charles Darmont and just how lucky we are that he knew what was at stake and had the gumption to do something about it. Here's to you, Charles. To learn more about the El Primero, visit Denneth-Watches.com. Alright, Can we can we get a top three kind of like memories from that period of your life? The top three sales, top three anecdotes. I like that. Do it as a countdown, three, two, one. Okay. I was just gonna say, not in any any particular order, but Stevie's the boss. Yeah. |
| Unknown | Pressure time. I can tell some like good moments and some bad moments to like even it out. Alright. There we go. Let's do it. So I would say that the Super Comication obviously was a highlight. The titanium collection also a highlight. Consigning my first major watch, which was a thirty nine seventy. Which is why I have a soft spot for them. Nice. Unfortunately I had to lower the estimate before the sale and the consigner wasn't happy about that. But leading up it was great. Did it sell? It sold. Barely. Okay. It sold. It went really well until we had to sell it. It's fine, it sold. But the market was soft at that point, so it was kind of hard. So Stevie, who's great at reference numbers, I'm sure is familiar with 3970, can you tell me about the 3970? It's a perpetual calendar chronograph from Paddock. And it was made for a really long period of time, but it's kind of like their modern I don't know, how would you describe it? It's like |
| Unknown | sort of like the first modern perpetual calendar card, right? But it has like a very vintage feel to it. Like it's still feels kind of old. It's still what thirty-six millimeters? Thirty-eight? Yeah, I think it's thirty-six. Yeah. It's little. It's really elegant. Ye |
| Unknown | ah. It's awesome. It's cool. I wrote a a long article about it. So I should know more. But it comes in white gold, pink gold, yellow gold, and platinum. I think there's one steel. Maybe. I don't know. I don't know my paddock that well |
| Unknown | . Sorry. It's there was no titanium one though, I do know that. The titanium the is it just me or wasn't the finish on the titanium really weird too? It was that yeah but it was almost like it had like almost like a sandy like graininess to it. Yeah, it was. Yeah. That was such a wild sale. Yeah. Those were crazy because they're also light. |
| Unknown | Yeah. And then one had a giant diamond in the back of it. That's my dream watch. I wonder where that watch is right now. Uh-huh. They wouldn't. Honestly, nowhere good. Let's be real. It was funny because like you could access like who bought what and like who's oh there was this god there was this crazy one this and John John Goldberg actually just posted it recently was this p massive time only paddock that was in yellow gold with a black dial and it was huge and it was so cool and it was from like the sixties and it measured like forty-four millimeters, which was so big for the time. And it was that was such a cool. That was my first s |
| Unknown | ale. That was my first sale. And that was crazy. Did a hodinky event around that watch. You did. I have on my Instagram somewhere a photo of that watch. It's so cool. We'll link that one up. Oh, that's a good one. Goldberger has that watch? I don't know, |
| Unknown | but he posted it on Instagram. Interesting. So |
| Unknown | I watch is incredible. I wonder if he |
| Unknown | du is the owner of that. It's like a dinner plate. |
| Unknown | It's it's huge. It's huge and super thin. And it's time only. Yeah. It's incredible. It was We |
| Unknown | 'll find we'll find a photo of that and look at the phone. I have a draw on my wrist and it's like it goes over my wrist. It's so cool. And for that time it was just like massive. Like it was just like the 96 was in production at that time. Like that's what was the norm. Should we talk about what kind of uh |
| Unknown | watches Carl was wearing at this stage of life? Yeah, let's do that and then I wanna I wanna ask you one more auction house question, then we'll move we'll we'll find out how you ended up at Hodinky. Yeah, what what watches were you wearing at that stage of the phone? At |
| Unknown | that time I was wearing a Cartier Roadster all day, every day. Okay. And I was I loved it. Because you could change the strip. You' |
| Unknown | re the man. Does anybody else need anything? All good. Thank you. Did you text him to get the beer? I did. I didn't want to miss a moment of this. I'm I'm like, can we leave that in please? We'll keep it moving. Okay. Yeah, so I was wearing a Cartier Roadster at that time. Okay. Loved it. So all day, every day. Before we get to your hodinky, hodinky turn. Sure. Um one thing I want to ask about is is new property, right? So something we're seeing a lot of in the auction world now is the same watches are coming up over and over again or the watch comes up and it hasn't been at auction in a couple years, but everybody kind of in the community knows it's changed hands 12 times amongst dealers and whatever. And it's essentially like anybody kind of like quote unquote in the know knows that this watch has been around. And somehow over the last 12 months it doubled in price and nobody quite knows how and blah, blah, blah. But the real the real success for auction houses comes when they find new property. Yes. Right? That's how auction houses became important was they were essentially back in the day, they were they were how new property got introduced Yes. Was when you were at Sotheby's, was that something you guys talked about a lot or was it just something kind of in the back background? It |
| Unknown | 's something you always hope and wish for. You hope that that one phone call is going to be someone who found a six two six three untouched in their drawer. Yeah. And like it was their father's and they never wore it. And so there was one time in particular, and I've talked about it before on the site I think, is there was a random call from New Jersey and Nate answered the phone and it was a family who was like, Yeah, I have this really weird clock, and it says Cartier on it. Like, it was a it was my grandfather's, he passed away. We don't know what to do with it. Like, can we send you pictures? And they send pictures of it, and it turned out to be this like one-of-a-kind ornate stone tortoise. This is the turtle clock. And it's like huge. I mean it's the size of a book. Like it's huge. It's the size of this new book I have sitting in front of me. And it was it's I think it was estimated for like four to six hundred and it sold for eight hundred thousand for a clock. And I mean it was m it was crazy. And like it had come through the Caribbean, and like that's where they like bought it and then it would like went down through these generations and then it ended up in this hands of this family and like it was life-changing for them. And |
| Unknown | in case it's not abundantly clear to everybody listening, like this is a clock made by Cartier that looks like a tortoise. From the twenties. Like it's a giant turtle with a clock in it. Then I |
| Unknown | oh god, there was this one sale that was so it was like a little tiny collection in a catalog, and it was like this gold nugget Vacheron clock. It was like a little tiny desk clock and it was shaped like a gold nugget. And then they had a little Cartier envelope shutter watch and it had it had the person's address and name written on it. Love that. I was like, oh they need to make those again. But it was like this clock, like and that was like the most rewarding side of the auction world was like like this changed this sale like changed this family's life. Like it really like it changed their life. Yeah. And it was really that was very rewarding. And they were there for the auction and they were emotional and like it was a really it was like a gratifying thing and it was something that no one had ever seen before. Mm-hmm. And that was random phone calls. Like if we'd been out of the office like at lunch, like who knows? Like they would have called somewhere else. Interesting. Yeah. So it really that's what I mean when it comes down to luck. Like it really can be that straightforward. I mean obviously hustling helps, but that's yeah. So that's my one story for that |
| Unknown | . So we're gonna make a semi hard pivot here. We already touched on the fact that you had been at some events that Hodinki had done back in the old days. Yes. So you were kinda you were you were working at the auction house, you were part of the community, you were you were kind of a known known person in the community. Not really at that time. Yeah, you were you were I was very unknown at that time. Luckily we fixed that. How'd you s how'd you end up at Hodinky? Because I wasn't to be to be clear, I was not there when you were hired at Hodinki. It was the uh the inter-Stephen period. The dark years. It was the dark years. Oh, you guys. You guys. This is about car not. Come on. We can do this on my own |
| Unknown | . True. Just kidding. Anyways, no, I uh started working at Hodinki because I I knew Ben because he used to come to our exhibitions and he came to one of them and he quietly mentioned that they were y that Hodinky was expanding. And I was like, oh, you know, like, okay and I like went home and I was like, oh, like, well, like maybe I'll follow up on that. You know, maybe I'm looking for something new. So I followed up and, you know, we met and what I thought was going to be like an informational coffee like turned out to be kind of like an interview. And Ben does that from time to time. And then it was like, okay, cool. Like you want to work for us? And I was like, oh sure, like oh don,'t you want my resume? Like I don't know. And so then you know, a few months passed and I started working at Hodinky. But the funny thing about that was is I didn't have a title when I started. So I didn't really know what I was doing when I started. Titles are overrated. Yeah, it was very confusing. I didn't I wasn't a writer by training and I was like, you know, like I don't know how to write. Like I just write for catalogs. Like it's very different. And he was like, Yeah, yeah, you'll figure it out. And I was like, oh okay. And so when I started, I was like, what do you guys need help with? And he was like, writing. And I was like, oh shoot. I was like, all right, well, I guess I gotta figure that out. Buckle up. So so that was that. So I just started writing. And Jack had joined like a month after I started, and that was in May two thousand and fifteen. That was a big period of growth. Yeah, it was w I was the fourth I was there were four of us when I started and there were five and then there were quickly ten. And then after that it just been kind of growing ever since. But yeah, I didn't know what I was doing at all. But you figured it out. But I figured I mean that's what people tell me. I think it's safe to say |
| Unknown | you figured it out. Sometimes I'm like, ooh. Yeah, I think it's very safe to say you figured it out. Yeah, but what did that what did that process look like, kind of learning how to write journalistically, editorially? W |
| Unknown | ell asks the Northwestern journalism graph. Do you like really want to know the do you want to know the real answer? I would like write stories and like Ben and Jack would be like, oh, they would like be editing and they'd be like, oh, is that true? And I'd be like, I don't I don't know. |
| Unknown | Fact-based part all the time. And I was like, no, like that's what |
| Unknown | I just I think I just think that. And John was like John was like, yeah, you probably want to like double check on that. Like, I don't think that's true. So I was like, ah. And then people would comment and they'd be like, they would correct me in the comments. And like, I remember there were like many disclaimer, there were many times I spent in the bathroom like crying over the comments because I was like, oh my god, these people on the internet |
| Unknown | are so mean. Yes, they were right. Shout out, if you're shitty in the comments, don't comment in the comment |
| Unknown | . But yeah, so I figured out pretty quickly that you needed to know your stuff and like be really you know the highs and lows of a very informed and passionate, you know, readership. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And so it was a steep learning curve. But um there was one time I remember it was before SIHH, my very first SIHH. And Ben came over to my desk and he s plopped down like twenty p uh press releases from like AP. And he was like, okay, he was like, uh we're going to SIHH in a few days and you need to get better at writing introducings really quickly. And he was like, so I need you to write all these introducings up and like you should time yourself. And you should be able to write these in less than fifteen minutes. Yeah. Training day was. Ooh, I love it. And I was like, I love efficiency. It's like less than 15 minutes? Do you know what a slow typer I am? I was like, I don't know about that. So I literally sat there and like would time myself and like write these press releases and then he and Jack would edit them. It's the Ben Climber School of Journalism, right? What were you timing yourself with? My phone, I think, because I didn't have chronograph. Oh, grey with the boo. I didn't have chronograph, so I would just sit there and time myself with my phone. But it was that was a good learning curve. And then I went to SIHH and it was not |
| Unknown | I'm gonna blow up Ben's spot real quick. My first SIHH. Uh Ben's phone died overnight. He plugged it into the wall and the outlet, like there was a problem with it, whatever. The phone died. And so it's my first day of SIHH. I've been working at the company for like six months. I still barely know anything about watches. I'm actually there with Greg Brown. Shout out Greg Brown. And uh Ben just didn't show up that morning. And I was like, where where is he? And he like wasn't answering his phone. I called the hotel and had them ring the room and he slipped through it. That's so unlike him. Uh knowing then that was probably intentional. And they were AP in the ring. It was AP in LA. It was no joke. Uh it probably wasn't. Yeah, it scared the shit out of me. I think okay. I think we got through it. I think we got through it. Yeah. Did you see how high his voice went? Yeah, yeah. That usually means you're lying. I'm not super confident I did an amazing job, but uh okay, probably. We're all here, the business still exists, so we're all good and uh your first SIHH H in Basel or sc |
| Unknown | ary. They're terrifying. Terr I had no clue what I was walking into. It was terrifying. Tell us about it. I mean it was just like write this up, do this, edit these images. No oh you have a meeting now, you run you're running around, you got your bags, you're like you're trying to remember everything you've seen, everyone's asking all these questions, you're like, oh I don't know, and you're like read the press with it, and it just gets so stressful. So okay. Yours was stressful |
| Unknown | too. Um stressful, sure. I I was kind of just more in awe of of what I was looking at. Yeah. It's crazy. I mean, you know, coming in very raw with very little understanding of how deep, wide, and kind of you know big this world is and walking through the the uh gates and into hall one and just seeing multi-story structures, I think everyone has that kind of like first reac |
| Unknown | tion. It's crazy to realize how big the industry is because you don't know about un itless you know about it. Right. Right. Like none of my friends know about it. They don't get it. They're literally like, what do you mean? Yeah. What's this basel? Right. And you kind of have to explain it. For sure. And they're like, God, that is crazy. And then they you talked about like the community and how involved everybody is and how engaged everybody is, and they're like, wow. It's just like a different, it's a different place. Like you just don't know it unless you know it. So how long were you at Hodicki before SJPZ returned to the team? Uh I think I was there for a year and a half, maybe two |
| Unknown | . Really? Uh because I joined May 2015. So like fifteen, sixteen months, something like that? I came back like first end of July, early August 2016. Yeah. So can you give me the quick synopsis? Not the quick synopsis, the the overview of the pre-SJPZ era and and then the the post. Interesting. Interesting |
| Unknown | . Well, I was really excited for Stevie to come back. And I'd only met him a couple times through SIHH and Basel. And like he was always very like fun and engaging and like it was just really nice. So it was a little, you know, it was just me and Jack before Steven came back. So things were like a little wild. Like it was like someone who thought that they could just like put thoughts down and expect them to be facts. Maybe run counter through the thing. And then yeah, like thinking about diamonds and stuff. And then you've got Jack talking about spring bars and so like then the courts week happened and like that was weird |
| Unknown | for everybody. Courts week happened. We might bring that back by the way. I think we should and the fiftieth anniversary of the courts watch this year. You're gonna say the fiftieth anniversary of courts It's the fiftieth anniversary of quartz week. So too, I was like, |
| Unknown | oh yeah, no, so it was just the two of us, so it was like a s you know, it was a slog. So when Stephen came back, Steven's clearly the most organized out of the three of us. So I was like, someone here someone is here to organize the calendar and like help us like keep things moving on this side of things. So it was a little bit more uh I'll say free flowing pre Stevie and then a little bit more organized post Stevie. Mm-hmm. But Steven came back guns blazing. He was he was ready. He was at the ready to come back and and take over. Coming in hot. Yeah, came in so hot |
| Unknown | . Well, I'll make the quick note that the romance between these two for the audience out there I like that it's called bromance. We share a desk for people who don't know. Our desks are in these like pods that face each other. So Cara and I literally face each other all day, every day. With computers in front of us. Yeah. Well, occasionally sometimes you stand up and film me over both of our computers. That's fine |
| Unknown | . It's a beautiful yin and yang kind of thing. Yeah. |
| Unknown | We're very different people, but we work well together. What are what are some highlights from your professional uh relationship? Like like the the the work that you two have put out together that you're the most proud of? I have to s I'll go first. |
| Unknown | Go for it. I think the Senza Luna story was when Stevie and I really like established our like working relationship because he was so helpful and instrumental in me writing that story the best way that I could. And like I really am |
| Unknown | a like I don't sound good unless Stevie edits my story. Alright, sorry everybody. Due to a technical difficulty, uh, our mics drop out for a few seconds right here. Uh, what you're missing is Kara talking about why the Senzeluna story was important to her development as a journalist, um, and why it means so much to her. What you're gonna Money in a smarter way with more confidence and that grows the confidence of the whole watch market and kind of does away with a lot of the sort of like cloak and dagger, behind the scenes, foggy facts kind of world is is not just a good thing for people who are interested in the senza luna. It's it's a good thing for the whole watch market. It makes the whole market act with more confidence and it makes the whole market feel safer and feel like a better place for people to put their money. Mm-hmm. And that's good, again, not just for people buying Senza Lunas, but for anyone interested in watches. And to be able to put a story together like that, like that didn't just change the market for the Senza Luna, it changed the watch market. And we've heard that from, you know, folks at the auction houses both positively and negatively. Uh but like it it essentially put an end to twenty or thirty years of like probably bunk scholarship on that watch. And like that's a cool thing to be able to do. Yeah, |
| Unknown | it was that was crazy. That was cool. But the funny thing about that is that then the one came up for auction after and in a way it did well because it became like a novelty.. Mm Yeah. Do you know but like not because of its like value, but because of the fact that it was like questionable. Yeah. Which was |
| Unknown | w which was weird. But I had fun with that story. I I think a similar story for me and the other one I was gonna mention is the Paul Newman story that you did for the first volume of the magazine. I mean, it was the cover story for the first volume of the Hodinki magazine, which is something that, you know, Ben and I had been talking about doing since what, 2012? You know, it was it was essentially five years in the making. Yeah. And the cover story was was this really incredible story of what happened behind the scenes with the Paul Newman that you put together. Yeah. Uh and the amount of like actual reporting done. Like mo most of what we do on a daily basis does not require a ton of like old school gumshoe kind of like making phone calls, tracking down paperwork, reporting. And and it shows. I mean, like that, the sense of luna and the Paul Newman are in many ways, you know, birds of a feather. Uh and yeah, that's another one I'm I'm super proud of. And in in all the reporting that everybody else did, there there were lots of great stories written about the Paul Newman Daytona. I think we are the only people who published, and you are the only person who wrote a real story about how that watch came to be, why it's important, and how it ended up where it ended up. Um you sort of wrote around the object in a really interesting way. Uh and you got a lot of people who like I know for real though. Trevor B |
| Unknown | urrus, Jr. But it's like all journalism is a team effort, right? Yeah. You have to talk things through in order to really out there. But that |
| Unknown | story was controversial. People were upset. Yeah. And like again, the benefit of sitting across from So for people who were not witnessing CAR put together either of those stories. Can we can we choose one of those to kind of do a a biopsy? Biopsy? Biopsy one? Sure. Autopsy. Autopsy? I'm gonna restate that. For those what is a biopsy? It's when you take a guess tissue sample. Yes, take a tissue sample. Yeah. Cancer. Make sure it's not cancerous. A closer look. For those who were not behind the scenes on that one, I think we should get an autopsy on one of those stories. Like how they're like how they happen |
| Unknown | ed? Yeah, from the from the beginning. Yeah, you pick. So for the you know, the Paul Newman was pretty straight. It wasn't straightforward. It was everybody knew this watch existed and then there were certain people I knew I needed to call and Ben helped me with that and you helped me with that as well. So I you know, on exact so I called those people and talked to them and I actually got a lot of practice through the sense of Luna. So I'll talk about that one in particular. But that was weird because I remember so like Ben sent me a link and he was like, this is a weird watch. You should look at it. And I was like, okay. And I was like, I love the 344 uh 3448. I was like, what is this thing? This is so weird, so cool. And so I started doing digging and like he didn't. He was like, this is like a really rare thing that you should kind of research. And so I looked into it and I called uh who did I call first? I think I called John Reardon. And he was like, Yeah, like I can't really say anything. |
| Unknown | John Reardon, who at the time and still is head of Christie's. Christie's yeah. |
| Unknown | And he was like, Yeah, like I don't know this is like a really weird watch. Yeah like I you know like it's kinda rare and like I don't really have much to say about it. Okay. So then I like kind of went down the list of like experts and other auction house specialists and people were like I like am not going on the record. Blah blah blah blah blah. And I was just like, hmm, okay. And then I went to you and you're like, Yeah, that's weird. Like you should kind of like dig a little further. And that's when I like dissected all the movement numbers. I went through all the sales of every single one that happened. I created a spreadsheet of like when they were sold, movement numbers, when they were sold. I love a story that involves a spreadsheet. What they sold for and like all this stuff. And it just kind of like nothing really added up. And it was just very and I can't really say on the podcast like what people did tell me, but like it was very weird. And so like it was just kind of like okay, like there's like some anticipation of the thing. And like yeah, like I got some calls after it was published where it was like I can't believe you said that and I was like I didn't really say anything. So I always find myself in the most controversial stories. There's like the Steam McQueen watch. The boy. Steam McQueen's another one that I'm like I'm like everyone's like, oh this watch like might be weird and |
| Unknown | I'm like, cool, I'll take it. I think it points to something that you're good at and that you've really developed as a as a skill and like, you know, it's it's not an easy thing, especially in this world, but like you're good at getting people to feel like they can comfortable enough to share stuff with me. Yeah. No, but exactly. But like as a journalist. As a journalist, that's good though, right? Like you you are able to get people to say things on the record or even on background just to give you the right info in a way that like if I made that phone call, like they would tell me to hang the fuck up. Like there's no there's no way I'm gonna get that story. Yeah. I think I was new enough |
| Unknown | to where people like didn't I don't I don't think people took me seriously enough to think that I was actually going to do anything with that information. And then I did, and I think people now are kind of like, oh like maybe I won't give you that information. You |
| Unknown | think that's what it was? I don't think so. Because I'm thinking back to the last an editor interview with one Joe Thompson and people knew very well where that information was gonna end up, but there's a certain quality that Joe has that I don't think is you know, is it's quite the same in you, but the same kind of like charm that that people are willing to share with you. They agree. You you invite the information. Oh thanks guys. And I think people also trust that you're gonna be respectful about it. That like even if they disagree ultimately with what you publish, like they they know you're not gonna make them look like assholes, which is is a huge thing. Like when you're talking to a source, like they just don't wanna sound like idiots or like jerks. And so if you can make them feel comfortable and like they're in good hands, you can get more information. And that's that's important. Like you can't do this job without that skill |
| Unknown | . No, I think it's important to be sensitive to to how other people are perceived, but I also think it's important to tell the truth and live in reality. Yeah. But it was funny because Gray and I another highlight was Gray and I worked on the Paul Newman part two, which was the video, which two weeks. The sale of the Paul Newman, Paul Newman. Oh, that was stressful 'cause that was like two weeks of just like we only we only have one shot to get this and figured this out And I remember we were at the auction and I someone came up to me and mentioned the magazine story and they basically were like, you need to be careful like about what you say. In a threatening way? It was a it was cloaked. It was a cloak. Yeah, it was not not threatening. And I just remember being like, what the f I was like, we're this is watches, everybody. Like we're not saving lives. Like let's relax. Like it was very strange. That actually really threw me off. Yeah, I don't like that. It was really filming stuff. And I was just like, yeah. He was like doing his job. And I was just like walking around and someone said that to me and I was like, huh. I was like, all right, well I think I like call my parents in tears or something. I was like, oh yeah. Should we just text it will be a tea tears are like a common teacher? But it was fine after the fact. That was another doozy that story. But that was fun. It was also hard to get information out of people on that one. Because they were so the media training behind that watch was just insane. Yeah. I felt. Which meant the publicist love you, Paul Learner, did a good job. That's the thing, this job is fun. Like I feel very lucky. So I agree. We do cool things and I feel hashtag blessed about that. Ye |
| Unknown | ah. Alright, I'm gonna ask one emo one more one more question, and then we'll let you go because I know emo. You got a birthday dinner to go to. Yeah, I do. I don't want to keep you too long. It's okay. But uh while we finish sipping our savi bee, we'll uh That's why it's getting so emo. Yeah it's good. It's wine it's wine time with sorry guys that's gonna be sorry to all the listeners. No, that's gonna be your spin-off show. Wine Wine Time with Cara Barrett. Uh her rapper name Sabi B. It's Wine Time. Fine. She's doing a little dance, guys. You guys are missing this dance. Uh I'm sure this is great radio, by the way. You guys hate us. That's fine. I I wanna know what's the what's the sort of like untapped potential that you see? Like what's the thing you want to do that's sitting out there? Like the story you wanna write or the project you want to engage in, like what's the thing you want to do? And we actually I don't have an answer for that. We haven't even touched on the fact that now in addition to being an editor and doing our social media hashtag special projects. You also do special projects, which means like you're the one who shepherds the limited editions through and a whole bunch of other things, but maybe we save that for C B round two. I mean I can talk a lot if we want to do a second episode |
| Unknown | . Yeah |
| Unknown | . That's fun. But do you have something out there, like a story you want to write or a project you want to do or a watch you wanna chase down that is out there. Something in the future of CB that we have to look forward to. Honestly, there's nothing |
| Unknown | out there that I know of yet. And I think that's kind of the beauty of being an editor and it's like, or a journalist, whatever you want to call it, it's like the stories kind of just happen and you have to jump on them quickly and you have to have to deal with them as they come. So there's no particular story that I'm like chasing. There's no like folklore and like the senseal is a good example of that and then Paul Newman, like it just kind of like happened and you just have to like go with it. But I think that's what's so exciting about this job is kind of everything's new and everything's changing and everything just kinda pops up and you just roll with it and you figure it out as it comes and it's a good learning experience and I'm here to learn. Like that's what I want in my life is to like keep learning and so I feel like I'm in the right spot for that now and that's kinda that's my answer. |
| Unknown | Perfect. Should we do a little hodinky questionnaire? Yeah do the do it. Do the do like an amended one? I'll throw some stuff in at the end. Okay. Yeah. We'll do the standard questions and then we'll do a couple special. Oh. Sure. Okay. Yeah. Pressure's on. Sure. Alright. So uh we'll start off with the normal questions. What's a watch that's caught your eye recently? Hmm. Okay, well besides the rainbow day. Yeah, we're we can we talk about the fact that we have made it fifty something minutes into this episode, maybe sixty something minutes with no rainbows? Maybe we do like an addendum. Addendum? Alright. We'll do an appendix. The rainbow appendix. |
| Unknown | Yeah. Yeah, no, that day date was really pretty. Um so I do love that one. But I know a lot of people have been talking about that timex q. Dude, the Timex q is dope. It's hot. People want it. And I think that's kind of fun. I like what I like it when something like that where it's just kind of under the radar and it just pops up on your screen and then everybody's all over it. Agreed. |
| Unknown | So that's yeah. All right. That's one. It's the best place you've traveled in the last year. And if you don't say Basel World with me, you're uh Basel World. You're in big trouble. |
| Unknown | Uh where is the best place I've traveled? Arizona. Oh, interesting. Uh so yeah, so little known fact, or maybe big known fact, I don't know, is the Hodinki shop sponsors Copper State 1000. Yeah. And so I as special projects oversee all of our sponsorships and partnerships and was able to go on the rally, uh which is a vintage car rally through Arizona for a thousand miles and it was so cool to see the that part of the country in that. And Gray's Ben as well. He went a couple years ago. And it's just such a cool part of the country that you just don't get to see that often. I went as a kid, but like I didn't appreciate obviously 'cause I was like nine. And going back and seeing the Grand Canyon and like all the mountains and the desert and like the fact that you can go from like one to the other in like two hours is just crazy. You had seen the Grand Canyon before? I had not. Oh. It's like two D. It's two |
| Unknown | D. No one tells you that. It's two D. I had the exact same impression. It's insane. It is so big that your your brain can't comprehend the vastness of it. So it looks flat. You can't perceive the depth. Yeah. It's crazy. It's insane. If you haven't seen the Grand Canyon, go check it out. Check out the Grand Canyon. Alright. Sweet. Pro tip. Check out the Grand Canyon. Alright. Next question. What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given and who gave it to you |
| Unknown | ? Okay, so it's two pieces of advice from the same person. Okay. You're cheating, but that's okay. on my paternal side always used to say people are people. And I never really got it, because like, you know, whatever. She she had this like she's from New York, she has this thick accent. People are people that's what she would that's how she would say it. She's like this tiny little bird lady. And she she used to say it growing up and she would say it so much and it's like burned in my brain, all my cousins' brains, and like and we just and we're just like what people are people, like what is that? And now that I'm older and I work with like a lot of different types of people. I'm like, yeah, people are people. Like you can't control people. I think that means we're uh we're people No, but you can't control people and you can't like they're gonna be who they're gonna be and like you have no control over that. So you just have to like let it go. And then another thing she used to say is keep it simple, stupid. Yeah. And that's also true. Right. The simpler the better. So that's my two pieces of advice. So what's your guilty pleasure? Bravo TV. Yeah, baby. All of them every every day, all day, every day. Vanderpump rules, Real Housewives, Southern Charm is back. Southern Charm is back, based in Charleston where I'm from. Wasn't your sister on Southern Charm? My sister was on it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. My sister made a cameo on Southern Charm. She's friends with one of the characters or one of the people. And so yeah, I was like watching it and I was like, oh, there's Grace. And I like texted her and I was like, Hey, you're on Southern Charm. She's like, Yeah, I know. I was like, Oh, okay. Like, don't you think you wanna like tell us? And my mom was like, Oh my god, she didn't she's like f try to find it and like all this stuff and I was just like, Oh, okay. We'll link |
| Unknown | that up. Yeah. Link it, yeah. Great, how are we how are we gonna get on Vanderpump rules? Uh I don't care because I'm not going on that show. Oh, come on. I thought you'd be all for it. Gray should go on Southern Charm. I feel like he would fit better into that vibe. Okay. Okay. Okay. We'll talk to your sister about it. We'll just keep saying okay. Okay. Yeah. I don't wanna like it. What are your questions, Greg? Yeah, what are your questions? I had such a good one. Oh. Name three things that you and Stevie P have in common. Oh I like this. Hmm. It's go time. Shh Sabi B. We do both love white wine. That's true. Sabi B and your season's right now. Fan of Pump Rules. We do both love garbage TV. And hmm. It's certainly not order. Stevie loves order. Although you got that new that new notepad with the calendar on it. Ooh, I love that. He's so jealous. Scented candles. Ooh, we do love a good scented candle. Our desk. Has a scented candle. Always the best smelling desk in the office. Alright. That's a good one. Okay. I'll take that. You got any more, Gray? I have a whole list of them, but you know, I think we can move right along. Okay. How about this? Share an embarrassing moment of uh your hodinky tenure with with with our audience. Ooh |
| Unknown | . Okay. So the first time I met John Mayer, he came into the office. And I was walking to go, he was talking to Ben. And I was walking to go get water. And Ben was like, oh, Cara, this was like three years ago. He was like, oh, Cara, meet John. And I was like, hi, nice to meet you. And he was like, oh, I love your Instagram. And I was like great and I just turned and walked back to like smooth move just like Deadpan was like great man cars like turns and then was like, could you be more rude? And I was like, I didn't know what to say. That was the end of the conversation. Yeah. And that was it. Yeah. Great. Great. He's been very nice ever since. But I was actually, it was and then I got to my desk and I was like, great. Great. Great |
| Unknown | . Great. Cool. Great. Great. Two thumbs up. All right. Let's go to cultural recommendations. We gotta get you out of here. Oh. Cultural recommendations. On your birthday, what's the thing that you think everybody should go look at |
| Unknown | ? Okay, well, running with the theme of TV, because I love TV. Great. Chernobyl is such a good show. Oh, is it good? It's so good. So fun fact, I was born a month after Chernobyl in Switzerland, and my mom told me growing up that they were concerned about A the fumes passing over Switzerland and contaminating the babies, and B their cows. Be theycause didn't want the cows to eat the radioactive grass and therefore put it in their milk, chocolate, so on and so forth. But Chernobyl, it's such a good show |
| Unknown | . So Switzerland worried about babies and cows. Yes. Those are their two top concerns. Weird that that's my takeaway from that. Gray, what are we uh what are we looking at here? Um I will recommend uh a video series that Pitchfork produces called Over Under. And I thought it was kind of like a more ubiquitous thing until I referenced a few of the episodes to Hodinki colleagues and they had no idea what I was talking about. Over under is basically pitchfork sits down musicians, celebrities, people from the Zeitgeist, and asks them whether things are overrated or underrated. Hmm. Oh, I like that. Anything from uh you know pop culture to to philosophical concepts, etc. So good. It is so good. I would start with a recent episode uh featuring Bob Sagitt. Oh, I have not seen that one. It is low-key a disaster, but the most beautiful kind of like you know I love it. Yeah, plane crash you've ever seen. So start with that and then work your way in whatever direction your YouTube recommendations. The Rick Ross one is Rick Ross is a personal favorite of mine. Oh wow. Okay. I have to watch that. Over under. Over under. Over under. Alright, I'm gonna recommend two records. One new, one old. Uh the new record is I Am Easy to Find by the National. It's the new national record. It's uh it's really good. Like every time they put an album out, I'm worried that it's gonna be terrible and it's gonna be the f finally the end of the national being great. Uh but as like a white boy with a lot of feelings, I think it uh it continues it continues to land for me. Uh so uh yeah, I uh Steve I heavily recommend uh the new national record and then uh kind of along the same theme, uh recommend since we talked about Texas already, uh I'm gonna recommend go back and if you haven't listened to it in a while, go listen to Gimme Fiction by Spoon. Uh that album's amazing. Don't know who Spoon is, but Gimme Fiction album. I thought you were going to recommend a Garth Brooks album. Spoon, great Austin band. Uh Gimme Fiction, amazing, amazing record. I' probabvely listen to it at least once a week for years and I continue to love it and I've been really into it lately. So check it out. Give me fiction. Yeah. Awesome. CB, thank you for joining us. Thank you. It's me. I hope I didn't I I do not think you bored anybody. We were a little over the place. A little bit older. Sorry guys. I think that's a reflection on the three of us though. Sure. Yeah. If the three of us recorded an episode that wasn't all over the place, it'd be kinda kinda worried about it. Sure. I love you both. This has been great. Yeah. It's been fun. Thanks, guys. Have a good birthday. Go have a fun dinner. Thanks. Have a couple cocktails. Yeah. See you soon. Alright. Bye. And we out. We out. Guys. Was that good? This week's episode was recorded at Mirror Tone Studios in New York City and was produced and edited by Grayson Korhonen. Please remember to subscribe and rate the show, it really does make a difference for us. Thank you and see you next week. |