The Thousands

Protect me from what I want. I’ve just spent the past week ogling beautifully crafted timepieces, and now I’ve got my eyes on a 1940s-style Stowa Marine Original with black dial. I look at my wrist. Suddenly, it looks embarrassing in its nakedness.

My newfound watch-lust is thanks to the services of The Tailored Watch’s consultant/buyer, Felix Schultz. An avid watch collector and regular contributor to enthusiast blog Hodinkee, he’s now offering his services to individuals looking for the perfect piece of wrist-bling. So, how does this work? You start by filling out a form on the site and specify what you think you might like. Don’t fret if your watch knowledge stopped at Casio, because a series of pointed questions will hold your hand all the way to the ‘submit’ button.

What follows next is an email dialogue as you and Felix figure out watch-ya want. Mechanical vs quartz? Arabiac vs roman? What type of dial? Spongebob or Shrek? (Just kidding, but on the other hand, quality doesn’t mean you have to shill out thousands – he sources watches from $250 up.) There’s a lot to decide, but a curated selection with helpful notes makes choosing a lot easier than it should be. I know what I want. I know where to get it. I even know of a similar model that’s half the price, but I’m a sucker for authenticity. Now all I need is 890 euros. So close, yet so far.