Whether you are just starting your journey into watch collecting or are a crusty watch expert, I can guarantee that you will learn something that you did not know if you tune into the show by the name UNWOUND Podcast. This horology-themed podcast is a discussion between two very unique individuals. Both hosts are accomplished professionals in their own right and each brings something to the table. If intelligent talk about watches seems like something you might be into, then keep reading.
By now I have made several reviews of watch-related horological podcasts. I invite you to check out my other watch podcast reviews if you like this medium. As a fan of old-time radio shows, I tend to like listening to stories and learning about my favorite subjects while I am doing other things. Podcasts are probably the most convenient way that I learn about watch collecting because I can listen to them while sitting in traffic, walking the dogs or resting my eyes after a long day of staring at the computer. This is not to knock other forms of media like written blogs or YouTube watch reviews, but those require you to stare at a screen, which is not something that I would attempt while driving or accomplishing other activities. There is something comforting about listening to two people talk about watches because this is in fact what I do with my own friends. The hosts of the shows feel like friends that you could have a steak with and discuss anything from movies to technology and of course, horology.
In case you don’t know, horology is the study of time, but this term is often used to describe the hobby of collecting and learning about watches… and everything else involved in this passion. There are literally thousands of relevant subjects, watch brands, movements, technological concepts, historical events and famous people to learn about if you decide to become a student of horology. What may seem like a shallow interest in fashion accessories is way richer than many people outside of the hobby suspect. Horology is a gateway to learning more about the world that we live in and no two people have the same journey or exact interests. It is because this subject is so vast that I can admit that I have listened to over 27 hours of the UNWOUND Podcast and feel like the hosts are just getting warmed up.
The UNWOUND Podcast is the joint venture between watchsmith, Seth Roberts, and watch collector Dan Benjamin. These two make a dynamic team that comes prepared with excellent topics, personal stories and sometimes even salty opinions. The watch community is no different. We all have differing opinions on makes a great watch and what such a watch is worth… among other topics. Part of the fun of listening to other watch geeks is that hearing a different opinion might actually change your own or move it slightly left or right of your previously held belief.
If you think you know everything, then you have shut off your mind from learning anything! That last sentence sounds great if you read it aloud with a Yoda voice.
Dan Benjamin
Perhaps it is time to tell you more about UNWOUND’s hosts. Dan Benjamin is no stranger to the medium of podcasts. He has been making them for years and is, in fact, an expert. I mean that in the most literal sense because he has produced podcasts on how to make podcasts. Listeners of UNWOUND will surely benefit from a professionally produced show that is well organized, has a good pace and sounds great. But beyond that, someone like Dan Benjamin might be worth a closer listen. His Twitter account alone has over 37,000 followers, and that does not happen by itself. Perhaps it is because he can speak about so many different subjects.
Dan hosts a dizzying array of other podcasts besides UNWOUND on other subjects. I wonder if Dan ever gets more than a few hours of sleep. Honestly, this is an impressive body of work. Links to Dan’s podcasts are below so please dig in and discover the other sides of this dynamic podcast personality. Believe it or not, this is not even the complete list, which can be found at http://5by5.tv/broadcasts
Let’s get back to watches… Dan brings more to UNWOUND than just great technical and organizational skills. He brings up a lot of interesting questions and topics to discuss. Maybe some people would call Dan the “color man” injecting personality and friendly sarcasm into the show. Don’t ever ask Dan about wearing dive watches on a leather strap unless you are prepared to hear his “never-gonna-change-my-mind-opinion” on why this is a no-no. I’ll confess right now that I have several dive watches on leather and I felt so ashamed that I immediately turned in my membership card to The Super Fancy Society of Watch Nerds. haha. For the record… I love the look of my dive watches on leather straps, but admittedly not while diving. It’s okay to disagree because even the best buddies do not necessarily like the same things. (UPDATE: Dan might have softened his stance in episode 27 after receiving a Horween strap and personal note from Myron of Roverhaven.com). Can I get an amen? Dan is an excellent podcast partner sharing the stage with Seth.
Seth Roberts
The other host on UNWOUND is Seth Roberts, and he is uniquely qualified to talk about watches in great detail. This is because Seth has seen the insides of more watches than most of us have seen the outside of watches. Seth is a trained watchsmith who specializes in restoring vintage Seiko watches. In the watch collecting world, Seiko represents one of the only truly vertically integrated watch companies making the movements and the rest of the watch components.
Seiko might also be the only company that comes to mind that can make an automatic watch that you can buy on Amazon for $50 to high-end, bank-busting watches that can compete with and often succeed over hallowed Swiss watch brands. Seiko has long been an innovator with a list of firsts, patents and inventions too long to list here. Seiko seems to be the one watch company that budget buyers and serious collectors can agree on. It would not be uncommon to see a Seiko dive watch next to a Rolex in many watch collector’s boxes. Seth also worked on the retail side of the watch industry which also lends an insider’s view of watch models and brands. While UNWOUND is not a Seiko-specific podcast, you will find that this brand is a thread that runs throughout most episodes, and that is not a bad thing.
UNWOUND might be the only horology podcast that has an actual watchsmith on air. There are several watch podcasts where the hosts talk about watches in terms of ergonomics, values or aesthetics, but none of them have the knowledge of what it takes to take a watch apart and put it back together. That is not a slight on other podcast hosts who are experts on other aspects of the watch industry. It’s just that Seth Roberts brings a voice of expertise about the “how’s” and “why’s” of watches. Unless you are willing to make friends with a local watchsmith, you will likely not have access to this kind of watch wisdom. And guess what… your local watchsmith probably won’t give you the time of day (pun intended)… he is too busy fixing watches in his watch cave.*
Restored vintage Seiko watches by Hub City Vintage
Maybe you have encountered a watchsmith in the past and found him to be elusive or untalkative. That is not the case here. Seth is incredibly generous with his knowledge and is willing to share it. He even helped me in with a technical detail of a previous watch article… and I was a total stranger. That was nice!
Sure, there are many people that know a thing or two about watches and their history, but not all of them are willing to take the time to tell the story. There have been a number of times during the UNWOUND Podcast that I lost track of time while Seth told deep backstories about how we all came to wear watches on our wrists.
This history goes back hundreds of years and contains names that few people outside of the watch community care to remember… but they should. Watchmaking represents cutting-edge human technology and knowledge. Not only did these machines change the lives of the people who used them, they were an integral tool for discovering new worlds or winning battles. They literally changed history.
Seth owns Hub City Vintage and this one-man shop repairs and restores Seiko watches. Seth’s work is highly sought after because he only uses authentic Seiko parts and people trust his work. Just do a Google search for watchsmith nightmares and you will come across story after story of barely qualified hacks working on watches and making a mess of things. If you are going to buy a vintage watch, then you should buy it from a reputable person. Otherwise, you might not really know what you are getting. Frankenstein watches and parts bin specials might not be worth the money you paid for them. Meet Seth in the video below and on his beautiful Hub City Vintage website. If you like what you see, then I suspect you will like the UNWOUND Podcast as well.
Another component of Hub City Vintage is the watch rolls that Caitlin makes. She is Seth’s wife. Watch rolls are great for storage and travel, and I consider them essential equipment for anybody with more than one watch. These Hub City Vintage Watch Rolls are handmade and what I would call semi-custom. That is, they have standard designs with tons of color and cord options. You can also make requests about custom sizing the pockets during check out. Cool! Obviously, contact Hub City Vintage for more information. Did I mention that they start at $35 and are a great value when you consider that many other companies sell watch rolls well north of $100-$150! These watch rolls would make a great present for yourself or the watch nerd in your life.
Hub City Vintage Watch Roll – Luxe Edition. Photo: HCV
The last thing to bring up is sponsorship. The hosts are not shy about this nor should they be. Dan and Seth work hard to put together an informative and entertaining 1-hour podcast. Anyone who generates original content will tell you that there is always more than just the one hour of actual talking required to make a show. There is a lot of advance planning and research plus the editing that comes later. There are also real costs involved in hosting and distributing the podcasts, even if they are “free” to listen to. Much like NPR, shows like UNWOUND rely on their audience to help fund their efforts. If you are interested in sponsoring the show, then visit UNWOUND’s Patreon site. You can even advertise on their show. (JUN-2019 -Update… this show seems to now be off-line). UNWOUND also has advertising sponsors and so far I have found them to be interesting products. This indeed is a brave new world of self-published content, and perhaps the way of the future. These guys are dedicated too. In one episode they recorded using battery power only minutes after a twister ripped through Seth’s neighborhood so that we the audience would not miss an episode. That’s epic!
I am not exactly sure that I have communicated how great the UNWOUND Podcast is for watch nerds and newbies alike. I have enjoyed every single show in order and highly recommend that you add it to your list of horological podcasts. You might just learn something you did not know, and enjoy yourself while you do. UNWOUND can be found on the 5by5.tv website and on iTunes.
*Watchmakers are rarely seen in the wild. They are nocturnal animals who seldom venture out of their caves that are often filled with the carcasses of broken watches. Unmarried watchmakers often forget to eat or drink so many starve at their workbenches. Their skeletons are usually identified by the loupe on their hollow eye sockets and the tiny, extra sharp screwdriver in their hands. Good thing Seth has a wife to keep an eye on him.
