STANDARD H Podcast

Most of you will be very familiar with today’s guest. After all, Berneron, the namesake watch brand started by its founder, Sylvain, has had what I can only describe as a meteoric rise within the watch industry. His approach to watchmaking and watch design is something that I deeply admire, and as a result, his approach to business is also something I hold in high regard, making this a very special episode.

Sylvain is not only an approachable person making incredible products, but he offers insights as well as detailed and comprehensive responses to questions asked. If you haven’t heard his episode on the Hairspring podcast, I highly recommend listening to that as well.

Berneron is the type of brand that has me on the edge of my seat as someone who is primarily driven by aesthetics. The Mirage is somewhat of the hero product so far - my words not Sylvain’s - but the Quantiem peaked my interest further, which I wasn’t aware was possible. In a world where shaped watches have gained major traction over the last couple of years, I feel Berneron is the master of the category.

Please join me in welcoming Sylvain, and going on a deeper dive behind the product and the man.

Today, I welcome back my good friend, Nick Lehner, the founder and one man band behind StrapHabit.

Though we chat at least once a week, between texts and phone calls, I felt we were due for a more public catch-up given things have drastically changed in Nick’s life.

Late last year, he left his full-time job to focus on his business, and as we continue to generate different collaborations together, I couldn’t be more excited for Nick. Why don’t we just get into it…

You can hear the second half (aka: Part 2) of the show on Pare Pare today! We discuss our respective trips recently - he to San Francisco, and my trip to Connecticut. We chat a fair amount about architecture, we briefly recap our 9:27 event, and we chat about Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wrights Phoenix-based Winter office which I toured in 2022 whereas Trevor just did a couple weeks ago!

Today welcomes back Elliot Aronow, a very early guest on this podcasts. Though long over due, and several years apart, I feel we pick up right where we left off.

Elliot is the writer behind Minor Genius, his multi-thematic Substack that perhaps could best be described as his personal tale on Culture (with a capital C).

We kick this conversation off with some music chat, and pepper the entire episode with snippets of fashion jargon, making Elz one of my favorite people to talk to. We almost the exact same age, and our conversations probably need far more runway than these episodes allow. I hope you enjoy it.

Logan Baker has had a fascinating trajectory to his career. In his early years, he was a writer for WatchTime, only later to become a brand editor for Hodinkee, and then moved onto Phillips, which welcomed not only a move into the auction world, but a physical relocation, as well.

Now based in Geneva full-time, Logan recently joined Ming as their Director of Marketing, an incredibly engaging position within a brand featuring a wonderful backstory and a very unique design language.

Logan and I first met at WindUp Watch Fair some three years ago, so I was excited to host him on the show in order to learn more about him. I hope you enjoy it.

Carlton DeWoody and I met through social media and later in person at Intersect a couple years ago. We hit it off immediately when I noticed the chronograph on his wrist and we’ve been friends ever since.

Carlton’s a fascinating guy - born into the New York art scene, the son of an artist father and collector mother, creativity is no question in his blood. You may know Carlton from his tennis inspired watch design collaboration known as the Raquet Rallymaster III, but his design sensibilities are most present in interior design.

We talk a lot about art, growing up in New York, his home base in Santa Barbara after the Palisades fires, and his business Reunion Goods & Services.

This is one of those conversations that could’ve easily been three hours long, and you will certainly be hearing from Carlton again on this show, so stay tuned…

I first came across Rarify through Instagram only to endlessly scroll through their grid. They launched a light called Cube One alongside Gantri made with genuine USM Haller parts, which I happen to purchase.

Fast forward to July this year, when I visited Philadelphia, I paid a visit to Rarify’s showroom, drooled over several chairs and subsequently met co-founder David Rosenwasser. He and I of course discussed several chairs, some items I hoped to purchase in the future, and we even touched on watches. It was then when I proposed hosting David on the show and here we are!

David’s history with vintage furniture almost sounds like a movie, while I was completely unaware of how much of a car guy he is. So, without further ado, let’s get into it. Please enjoy my chat with David.

Watch Journalist, Lawyer, Substacker, Podcast Host, and Friend, Tony Traina was gracious to host me on his podcast recently. I thought it would only help exposure to also post it through my channels in the event you may have missed it and/or don’t already subscribe to Tony/Unpolished.

This conversation is a 50/50 chat about fashion & watches. We get into the weeds of product for both subjects, which was a ton of fun. Several people have reached out letting me know they enjoyed the chat when Tony posted it, so I”m excited to share it with you all here!

This is an audio-only podcast. Thanks for listening!

Matthew McDonough and I were first in contact towards the beginning of the pandemic. Though online-only at first, we quickly connected in person over a group dinner, watch gatherings, and of course when he hosted me on his podcast, Spirit of Time.

Matt and I often text about a wide range of subjects, but usually rooted in watches. Having him as a guest on this show is long overdue, so I’m thrilled to share my conversation we had recently over Zoom.

Full disclosure, we don’t chat much about Matt’s day job for privacy & company policy reasons, but it’s always an insightful conversation with him nonetheless. Matt gravitates towards military watches, and the odd military expression as well, and I thoroughly appreciate his technical approach to watch enthusiasm. I hope you agree.

Those of you who listen to this show regularly, will absolutely welcome back James Stacey for a round two. If you’re new to this show, James cohosts the Grey Nato podcast alongside Jason Heaton, another previous podcast guest on the show. James was somewhat recently promoted to editor in chief of none other than Hodinkee, so I was excited to catch up.

James & I share a lot of enthusiasm for similar subjects, and as a result, he has become a good friend over the years. We shared an unforgettable day together last year at the Goodwood Members meet where we talked racecars, drank beers, and even smoked cigars together. Truly an incredible day in England’s countryside.

Needless to say this episode picks up on a similar note, so it’s a fun one for me. I hope you enjoy it.