Watch Obsessed

I love accessories. Once upon a time, shoes were my thing, but these days it's accessories. Specifically, I'm a bit watch obsessed. It started at my first and only retail job, the same one I held through college. I won't tell you which one it is, but it's not that hard to figure out. The thing there was to wear a watch, and slowly I felt this urge to have one. I got my classic gold watch almost three years ago, and I still love it. I have since added a silver addition, and now I'm eyeing some pretty leather ones to add. I won't be buying soon as I told myself I'd be more restrained with my purchases, but these are the three brands are the contenders for my watch obsessed heart. The best is the stories behind the companies!

THE FIFTH WATCHES

Photo from The Fifth Watches Blog

I don't even know how I found The Fifth Watches. It was on Instragram, but I'm not even sure how that happened. It's not even a year old as a company! I love the approach. Basically, there are five styles. They're launched on the fifth of each month for five days only. Additionally there are five surprises a month. The founder was inspired by the "classic design from New York and the contemporary style of Melbourne," and the Fifth comes from NYC's Fifth Avenue.  I just love this guy's vibe. He wants to focus on the art of design for reasonable prices, and  he wants to approach fashion in a "holistic" way. The brand also appears to have a socially conscious mind. I couldn't find much about the actual manufacturing of the watches (like I said, it's maybe three months old!), but its goal is not only to "support enthusiastic designers from all corners of the globe and provide opportunities for those who are passionate about fashion," it reveals its consciousness in its giveaways. The most current giveaway is to win a watch for you, four of your friends, and $500 to a charity of your choice.

tHe HORSE

Photo from The Horse Stockist Page

If you're wondering what the modern day "mom and pop" shop looks like, let me point you to the cutest founding story ever. tHe Horse was founded on shoe making and cobbling, but has expanded to include watches. Essentially, Scott's great grandfather was a boot maker and cobbler who kept three stools in his workshop- one for himself and two for whomever wanted to stop by for a chat. Scott constantly goes overseas to look at leather production and make sure the company utilizes the best possible manufactures in terms of quality of the leather and working conditions. Twice a year they fill those now metaphorical two empty seats with local Sydney artists and designers to collaborate on the next range of products. Um, hello? That sounds amazing. The watches range from the Originals to the Classics, ranging from around $100 USD to a little less than $150 USD.

DANIEL WELLINGTON

Photo Used from the Daniel Wellington Journal

The story behind this company sounds like an adventure. The founder met a man named Daniel Wellington who was "genteel but still relaxed and unpretentious," wearing his watches on old NATO straps. The two became friends and the founder was inspired to create watches based on this man's life stories. The vision is this preppy=a Daniel Wellington watch. Each watch can be placed on a NATO strap or a leather strap. You can buy extra straps as well to always customize it. Suffice to say, Daniel Wellington is quickly becoming, if not already, the new it watch to have.