I am often asked why I’ve mixed watches and whisky together for the concept of my blog Bexsonn.
For me the relationship is rather simple – time! You see good whisky takes time, whether it is ten years old or forty years old, the constant denominator always being time. I remember reading an article once that said “we are the only species on this planet that measure time” and for good reason too, though looking back through history there are quite a few people who were absolutely fascinated with time. But back to what is important here; watches and whisky.
There are other similarities too. Creating a whisky with great nose, palate and finish is not an easy feat and is not something one can achieve without years and years of practice and experience. And the same goes for watchmaking – both in my eyes are works of art but without the measurement of time only one of these pieces of art would exist. Then there is the blending aspect, which is a fine balancing act and one that requires scientific know how but also a very good nose. The very same could be said for watchmakers; it takes a combination of the highest crafted components to create some of the most exquisite timepieces known to man – albeit at a cost but the end results are just astonishing and sometimes difficult to believe what has been achieved.
Take an A.Lange & Söhne Datograph or the Double-Split, while the resulting look may appear to be rather simple to the eye, the fact is that the chronograph movement is one of the most complicated movements to create but on top of that, watch brands also tie in other complications such as moon phases and minute repeaters. You could almost say this is no different to the art of blending a fine Scotch or Japanese whisky; creating that perfect balance so that everything works in harmony, even though some may turn their nose up at this fact but one must remember that blended whiskies used to be all that was available at one point or another.
Just like a fine vintage timepiece, what fascinates me most is that as I sit here writing this post, on my wrist is my 1969 Omega Speedmaster Professional ref. 145.022-69 ST and next to me is a small sample of whisky distilled in that very same year. Vintage watches, just like whisky – are considered to be better (though not always explicitly true). The similarities between watches and whisky is a rather interesting one, for instance; the Swiss watch market can be compared to the Scotch whisky market – there is such a large variety to choose from. An even closer comparison could be made of the Japanese watch and whisky market, where they studied the Swiss and Scots respectively and arguably produced an even par or better product.
I have heard many people say “I shall drink Scotch when I’m older” but I think it has to be said that for some of us it really does take some time before we start to appreciate the finer things in life, whether that be a fine timepiece, a quality hand rolled Cuban cigar or a bottle of aged quality whisky – these all take time and craftsmanship to create, so whatever your gentlemanly indulgence may be, make sure you take the time to appreciate it.
