VINTAGE WATCHES AND JEWELRY.

One thing watch guys are not, is reserved about their opinions. And one thing that seemingly every watch guy has a suggestion about is who we should interview for the next episode of Talking Watches. Today, we’ll be satisfying a whole bunch of you who have been after us to sit down with this gentleman: author, chef, television host, pilot, and all around awesome guy Mr. Alton Brown. Alton is both a culinary and a showbiz powerhouse; his science-of-food series Good Eats is a classic and he’s also hosted Iron Chef America (which is back in production after a three-year absence) as well as this year’s Iron Chef Gauntlet. He’s also toured with his live show, Eat Your Science. Over the course of my career in Talking Watches (which is coming up on four years now!), Alton Brown’s name has been among the most often mentioned as a candidate. And so I’m very proud to present to you the official HODINKEE Talking Watches with Peabody and James Beard Award winner Alton Brown.

Alton Brown chose six of his favorite watches to bring with him to HODINKEE HQ, five of them being divers.

 

Alton’s choice while flying? A GMT-Master, of course.

This reference 1680 Red Sub has a wonderful worn look to its bezel and darkened dial.

The reference 6205 was among the first Submariners, and used a smaller case than we see today.

This watch was made in the year of Alton’s birth, and was given to him by a family member.

The Tudor Snowflake Sub is a constant companion while traveling.

This Omega Chronostop belonged to Alton’s father and after decades of being apart, he was able to find it on Ebay and bring it back to life.

This has to go down as the most incredible story we’ve heard in all four years of Talking Watches. This Omega Chronostop belonged to Alton’s father, and was on his wrist on the day that he passed away in 1973, when Alton was just 10 years old. Alton’s mother eventually gave Alton his dad’s watch, and one day while in college, Alton’s apartment was broken into and the watch was taken. As you can imagine, he was devastated by the loss of his father’s watch and he never stopped looking for it. Some two decades later, Alton located the very watch that was stolen from him – in an Ebay listing. Thanks to his father’s meticulous record keeping, he was able to confirm that this now heavily worn watch was indeed his father’s, and he went about purchasing it. He then found a watchmaker to provide NOS OEM parts to return the watch to the condition in which he remembered it. This Omega Chronostop that once belonged to his father is one of his most prized possessions, and he wears it often, citing the one-minute chronostop function as being very practical for him, because of the one minute legs he’s used to flying while in a holding pattern.