This is the story of how a special watch became a larger symbol of community and giving for an Atlanta Chapter of RedBar, Nodus and the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
The RedBar organization certainly needs little introduction for people in the watch-collecting community. They are perhaps one of the oldest, and best-known watch collector groups that have chapters all over the world. It is sort of a grass-roots effort to celebrate our hobby of collecting watches. The organization was founded by Adam Craniotes and Kathleen McGivney in New York. Local chapters for many cities around the world have started with their help.
Nodus X RedBar X ATL
RedBar Atlanta Chapter
I am lucky to be part of one of the oldest RedBar chapters (located in Atlanta, Georgia), and the other members have become some of my favorite people. We all share a passion for collecting watches and the stories behind these trinkets. These communities have more to do with fondling each other’s timepieces. Our in-person meetups and online interactions represent genuine and old-fashioned human connection… something we all dearly missed during the Covid years of isolation. I consider many of the other members as close friends who will only become dearer as time goes by.
RedBar Atlanta Founder’s Vision
Faisal Nayani
The RedBar Atlanta chapter was started by Faisal Nayani, who brings his passion as a concierge jeweler and avid vintage watch collector and seller at Living the Anchor Life. It has been Faisal’s dream to have an Atlanta RedBar watch for years, but he never thought it would be possible. This is because the global RedBar organization sanctions their own special RedBar watches. Local chapters almost never are allowed to do this… at least officially (though one or two might have gone rogue). RedBar limited edition watches are highly coveted, somewhat rare watches and owners feel lucky to have them.
Faisal’s dream watch was never intended to be just a club talisman. He had a greater goal in mind to use the collective powers of our club to do some good for a local charity. He is that kind of guy with a big heart. The “giving back” concept is not new for RedBar which routinely raises money for good causes. So, this Atlanta RedBar watch would be a symbol of our club and also a reminder of giving back to the Atlanta community.
With this seed of a dream in place, all that was left to do was get permission. As the saying goes… it never hurts to ask and Faisal inquired if it would be possible for the Atlanta RedBar Chapter to have its own custom watch using the RedBar logo. To his surprise, the RedBar mothership said “yes”. Then the next phase began…. research and design.
Red is for RedBar
Finding Our Watchmaking Partner
Some brands take over a year to design and build special-order watches and others will not even entertain the idea of a small batch of custom timepieces. It takes effort and expense for them to do this, and it was going to take a special company to be willing to work with our requests. Finding the right partner to make the RedBar Atlanta watch was no simple task, especially in the timeframe we wanted the watch in hand.
RedBar Atlanta X Nodus X Atlanta Community Food Bank Charity Auction
Caitlin & wife, Lacey
Luckily, our club has a secret weapon. Her name is Caitlin Trost. She has a background in the film industry, which gave her all the skills for organizing a project that may have appeared overwhelming at first. She liaised with several watch brands and presented her findings to the senior members of our club. Frankly, she blew us away with her attention to detail during her presentation. This project may never have happened this quickly or smoothly without her efforts. Thanks, Caitlin! You are a superstar!
Though many brands were willing to speak with us, we had to find the right fit. We decided to make a decision based on price, quality, and what was offered. Of course, we wanted the best bang for our buck. One well-known brand rose to the top of the list for this project. Much of this had to do with the passion they expressed in helping us build our custom watch. That brand was Nodus from California run by the dynamic duo of Wesley Kwok and Cullen Chen. Read more about Nodus here.
Nodus is redefining what a micro brand is… to the point that micro brand no longer may be an applicable description. Nodus is providing quality, innovation, and fantastic designs that speak to watch collectors. Many of their innovations are patent-pending… so they are more than just a company that takes off-the-shelf cases and adds a logo. Many other so-called micro brands are guilty of that lazy behavior. Many collectors cannot stop at just one Nodus watch, so beware if you look at the website at www.noduswatches.com, because you may leave with a watch or two.
Wesley & Cullen of Nodus
Design of the RedBar + Nodus Watch
From this point on, it was a collective effort in the design of the watch. All the senior members of RedBar Atlanta had input and so did the talented Wesley and Cullen at Nodus who were able to share mock-ups with us so we could see what we would get. The first step was deciding which Nodus model to pick. We chose a Nodus Sector GMT and spent lots of time deciding how to customize it for this project. This included adding the RedBar color on the lower part of the chapter ring, GMT hand, and the dashes between the GMT hours indicators. There is no other Nodus that looks like this, currently or in the future. This is “our color” plus the Nodus design, and we love it.
Familiar, yet different from other Nodus Sector GMTs
The flip side of the watch has a custom case back that shows the stylized cityscape profile of Atlanta and the RedBar logo. Wesley, God bless him, drew some of the buildings that we requested that many Atlantans would recognize. He also gave us something special by using a reverse frosting technique that allows the cityscape and RedBar logo to pop off of a matte, etched field. The results are striking and better than we initially designed. This case back is now one of my favorite parts.
Photo: Ty Alexander Photography
Picking the Right Charity
We took a poll in our local RedBar and one charity seemed to rise to the top. The Atlanta Community Food Bank has a great reputation for spending donations wisely and making every dollar count… and they are local. Fighting hunger is providing a basic human need that everyone can agree on. Many of us have never felt deep hunger or wondered where our next meal may come from, but there are invisible members of our communities who worry about this on a daily basis. ACFB strives to change that. We all felt like this was a worthwhile charity to put our efforts and money into, and you can learn more about the Atlanta Community Food Bank here www.acfb.org.
The charitable fundraising part of this endeavor has a multi-prong plan including:
- Each member of the RedBar Atlanta who buys a Nodus Sector GMT will be making a minimum of $50 donation per watch. They can add as much as they feel comfortable with.
- Members who did not purchase a watch can also make donations.
- Nodus will be contributing $50 per watch.
- RedBar organization will be matching donations of the local chapter to really boost our totals. Wow!
- A brand new Nodus Sector GMT with the Atlanta RedBar customization will be auctioned with the profits being donated to ACFB. More information is below…
- A social media fundraising campaign will encourage all those with an interest to donate to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
- A large George Beaves aka “TimeGeekWatch” print of the watch help raise money for charity
How to Make a Donation and/or Bid on the Limited Edition RedBar + Nodus Sector GMT Watch
Some people have asked how they can bid on the #00/50 limited edition watch or make a donation for this project to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. The best way is to subscribe to the Nodus Newsletter for the latest information at www.noduswatches.com/pages/newsletter. Or, you can make a direct donation at this link: https://www.noduswatches.com/products/redbar-atlanta-donation.
Tasteful pops of color
A Sincere Thank You to Nodus
It cannot be understated how much Nodus contributed to this project with their amazing can-do attitude. Wes and Cullen’s hearts are in the right place and their generosity will not be forgotten by those touched by it. Not only did they provide us with a beautiful custom watch at a stellar price, but they also will make a significant financial contribution. Furthermore, they included extra goodies for our RedBar club at no additional charge including their top-notch bracelet. And, they paid for our launch party! Whew! I am not sure if they are even making any money on these watches at all… Thank you Nodus for your kind gifts to RedBar Atlanta and our charity.
A Special Thank You to the RedBar Mothership
Thank you to Adam and Kathleen for allowing our Atlanta RedBar chapter to create this special watch and thank you for matching donations. We could not think of a better organization to be part of, and we hope to make you proud with a large donation to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
Commemorating the Event Through Horology-Related Art
One of our favorite Instragam artists, George Beaves, who specializes in detailed watch drawings was commissioned to draw the watch in his unique style that is both sketched and highly accurate. That is going to make a really cool framed poster, and some of the prints even glow with hand-applied lume! Thank you, Geroge for your efforts and for not smudging the ink. Check out more of Geroge’s work on Instagram @TimeGeekWatch.
Artwork by Time Geek Watch
George Beaver at work
Time Geek Watch poster
RedBar + Nodus Watch Photographed by a World-Class Photographer
Through great luck, the watch was sent to the amazing watch photographer, Ty Alexander. He generously donated his fabulous skills to our cause. When one of the best in the biz (and fellow RedBar member) volunteers his talents, you take him up on it… immediately! Ty is a super nice photographer who has mad skills in bringing out the beauty of a watch. We are very happy and amazed at what he did. He brought our watch to life. The image directly below is his… and the detail is stunning. Follow Ty on Instagram at TyAlexanderPhotography to see more of his photos!
RedBar + Nodus Sector GMT Image Gallery
I had the chance to photograph the RedBar Atlanta X Nodus Sector GMT for a few days before Ty got the watch. My images of the watch show it in the real world in my small corner of Atlanta. Those familiar with my blog may recognize this style as I attempt to capture what I see every day. In that sense, each of us enjoys our watches differently and this is how I connect with my watches. I also wanted to show that Atlanta is not an urban jungle when compared to many other cities… it can also be green and vibrant. There are pockets of nature still to be found if you look closely even between buildings and subdivisions. So, without further delay… here are the watch as I see it. Enjoy!
