HODINKEE Radio: Episode 86: Gary Shteyngart & Danny's Talking Watches Highlights

April 13, 2020

Subscribe to the show: (Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn). Already heard it once or twice? Please leave a short review, and tell us which guests we should have on! We're going almost all the way back to the beginning of HODINKEE Radio this week. Our guest is author and watch fanatic Gary Shteyngart, who you might remember as the star of Episode 2 (and as a favorite in the Watch Madness Talking Watches tournament for his all-time-great episode). Self-isolating during a pandemic seemed like the perfect excuse to get two highly neurotic guys on-mic to talk about how their respective quarantines are going, what they're doing to distract themselves, and the role that watches can play in all of this. We also talk about Gary's latest story for The New Yorker and the watches that he's added to his collection since we last had him on the 'dink. There are few people who can balance gravity and levity like Gary, and, speaking personally, this was just the conversation I needed as we wrapped up last week. Oh, but there's more! Our newest editor, Danny Milton, has been en fuego lately, publishing killer story after killer story from the comforts of his parents' home in Washington, D.C. There's a great tale about his first watch, a Submariner passed down from his grandfather, and then a report about some wild Patek Philippe watches hitting the auction block in Hong Kong.? We talk about those, but the real reason I wanted to chat with Danny this week is Watch Madness. By the time you're hearing this, we'll be in the Elite 8 stage of the competition, and the matchups are getting tighter and tighter. Everyone on Team HODINKEE has their favorite TW moments, but I wanted to hear about Danny's since he still remembers the days of just being a fan, watching the videos without any of the inside info. We get into his highlights and why we both still love the series, even after watching the episodes countless times. And, to finish off the episode, we've got a story about work from home watches from Jason Heaton. As someone who's used to getting out into the world, this whole staying at home thing is definitely a big change of pace for Jason, but, as he explains, his watches are a nice reminder of all the great adventures that were had C and how many are still left to be had too. We hope you enjoy Episode 86 of HODINKEE Radio. Check out the show notes below, and let us know what you think in the comments. Wrist Check When it comes to steel sport watches from Patek Philippe, the Nautilus gets the bulk of the attention. However, if you're sleeping on the Aquanaut, you're missing out. Some people scoff at the Aquanaut as a watered-down version of the Genta original (if you'll pardon the pun), but I'd argue those people are looking at things all wrong. Gary agrees. We've both come around on the Aquanaut after starting as skeptics, and he put his money where his mouth is, adding this ref. 5167/1A on a bracelet to his collection last year. This is one of the more esoteric modern Pateks, but it also might be one of the best. Gary enjoys wearing his while he's swimming and thinks the watch really excels with a foot or two of water between it and the shining sun.? Show Notes 3:30My?First Watch8:00The 'Titanium And Ruby' Patek Philippe Collection9:15Talking Watches With Matt Jacobson10:00Sotheby's Titanium Collection12:50Watch Madness14:50Talking Watches With John Mayer15:30Talking Watches With Alton Brown21:00Talking Watches With Gary Shteyngart22:00The Rolex Oyster Perpetual24:30Talking Watches With John Mayer, Pt 229:30IWC Pilot's Watch Mark XVIII Edition HODINKEE31:15Talking Watches With Spike Feresten32:15Talking Watches With Keegan Allen36:00Talking Watches With Roger Smith45:53Stephen's Grand Seiko 56GS49:30Wrist Check58:20@mrgrandseiko1:00:23Reference Points: Understanding The Rolex GMT-Master1:22:20Adjusting To The Prophylactic Life, Under The Coronavirus Quarantine1:28:40Clandestino?Photo ? Brigitte Lacombe