Sitting at the airport, slumped in a seat in a way that shouldn’t be comfortable but somehow is, e-mails checked, Facebook scrolled. You check the time on your watch and check the screen at the gate, it’s official, and you’re bored. Your phone no longer satiates your boredom. You look around and do a little people-watching. Then you notice, that the person near you has on a watch. The shock of shock it’s not an Apple Watch. Struggling to get a look at it without looking like you need to be on a no-fly list you start to work through the conversation in your head. After many sly yet failed attempts at identifying the watch you do it. Eye contact is made, he knows you’re gonna say something. Is this it? Is this the moment you make a new watch friend!? You stroll to the watch boutique in concourse c and have a lovely time together for the next hour before your flight. You swallow hard.
“Hey, I like your watch.” Panic sets in as you wait for a response.
“Thanks, my wife got it for me”
Oh god, is he a watch nerd like me?
“Oh great, is that a submariner?”
A look of confusion washes across his face while a look of disappointment washes across yours.
“No it’s a Rolex,” he says.
“Oh, yea ok. Ha ha ha ha” abort abort! Pull up you’re going down! It’s too late!!
A barely visible eye roll and you debate grabbing your inhaler and schooling this doofus in all things watch nerdery, but you just turn away and grab your phone. Now with no new watch friends.
We’ve all been in or heard of someone who’s lived out this scenario. Watch friends are hard to make in the wild. It’s not like while you’re in the airport Burger King line you chat up a pilot with a citizen you like and he answers “thanks I have like ten of these”
When you’re done creaming your pants and have a long conversation showing each other pictures of your watches and desired acquisitions. You almost made a watch friend if it wouldn’t have been weird as hell to get the guy's contact info. Oh, and that’s a true story well mostly…, it happened to me once. Might be the greatest day of my life, after my wedding day.
How do we do it? How do we enjoy this hobby with friends? How do we include a social element in collecting?
It’s a Lil thing that makes a big difference. Maybe you’ve heard of it, it’s called the internet. I’m pretty sure Al Gore invented it just to share wrist shots.
Instagram is prob one of the best places to find other friends and enablers. It’s a great place to find new watch ideas and if you’re not careful you can get a healthy dose of what the kids these days call FOMO(fear of missing out.).
A plethora of watch shots abound, watch nerd nirvana is awaiting you. If you’re new here’s a guide to get you started on wasting away your life on Instagram. If you’ve been there a while, here’s a guide to what I think is some of the finest watch content available.
So here it is. Who you should follow if you're a Watch nerd on Instagram.
Ladies first.
In a male-dominated hobby, these ladies offer a fresh perspective. They do it with grace and class and they do it better than a lot of the guys here. So kudos to them and keep up the great work ladies.
Kelly deserves a top spot on this list. She’s a great friend, a killer collection. Great taste in watches and mixes in some great bourbon too. A southern gal with grace and enough grit to let you know she can hide your body in the woods if she needs to. Follow along and then join in the fun on her Friday night stream where there are no holds barred and almost anything goes.
Karissa is the embodiment of sophistication. Think Audrey Hepburn. Speaking of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, this gal loves all things Tiffany blue, from OP’s to macrons. Rocking a stunning Cartier in her collection and logging on from south beach she’s sure to offer you some amazing watch content that’s classy and fun and light-hearted all at the same time.
As you can guess Kristen is all
About watches and music. Give her a follow if you’re into Music too. Great taste in music and watches to go with it. Her feed is fun to watch and almost always inspires a great listening session if not a night out with friends and watches.
There at lots of great ladies in the watch community. This is just a small segment of them.
Time for a bit of nepotism
James is my watch brother from another mother. But if you’re into watches. He’s got a thing for Seiko divers, vintage dress watches, and mil-spec history stuff. He’s into music, running, jamming out, and just all around kick assery. Sorry ladies, and gents, not that there’s anything wrong with that! But he’s happily spoken for.
Accounts with great photos
The category is self-explanatory, but these epic creatives are more than just button pushers. Great content and great folks making it.
Seriously, the vibe and aesthetic of this feed. Mixed with that northern Cali outdoors vibe and mountain biking. This feed shreds.
Watches, lots of beautiful watch shots. As a professional photographer, he makes me jealous that I’m too lazy to take more than just a cell phone photo of my watches. He makes a damn good photo. Spend a day digging through his feed, you’ll enjoy it.
Clowning around
It doesn’t always have to be serious talk and intense watch photos. Sometimes it’s fun to lighten up and make fun of the hobby and ourselves in it. These accounts are worth a follow if you need a laugh
A watch meme page about nothing. Well
Not nothing. It’s Seinfeld and watches. And it’s gold! Never thought there could be so much Seinfeld and watch collecting content but this page nails it. With a good mix of hilarious in-your-face laughs, obscure Seinfeld references, and the occasional low jab to those in the hobby. It’s great for a late-night scroll while watching reruns of Seinfeld on Netflix.
Self-titled meme lord and one of the OG watch meme pages. Hitting every bit of the watch collecting hobby and watch industry, no one is safe from Bro’s hilarious and on-point memes. This is the perfect page to scroll when bored at work or anything else boring. Like church or your child’s violin recital. Careful though, cause you will laugh out loud.
This is just the tip of the iceberg
Quick list of some others to check out:
Oh and don't forget Follow me, @mkefilmmaker
Pilot watches, military inspired watches, decent ish watch photography and some watch strap making and travel. And a bunch of random stuff.
Check everyone out. Follow them. Engage in the community. But please remember… Don’t be a Dick. Conduct yourself with class and compassion. Help make this a supportive community that we’re all proud to be part of.
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