Sports and watches are two topics dear to us at EsperLuxe. Our team consists of basketball and tennis fanatics, both as spectators and players. Many of our closest friends and clients find themselves in a similar place. Not all combine both worlds as well as Tom, though. At the time this article is published, Tom will have completed running the Boston Marathon with a De Bethune DB28xs Steel Wheels on the wrist. An avid runner with more than a few marathons under his belt, we chatted with Tom last week about running, watch collecting, their overlap, and the bespoke strap crafted by Alex Crown that he will don on race day.
Tell me the backstory of how you got so into running.
“I was always into athletics, I played tennis as a kid as well as in high school in Southern California. And then in college, I transitioned to going to the gym. And then in my residency program, I transitioned into becoming a golf fanatic – that lasted through my 30s.
The tricky thing with golf is, there is no limit to the amount of time you can spend practicing golf. It became immensely time-consuming and around 40, I needed a break from how obsessed I became. Switching to running was a process, I trained to run the Chicago marathon with a group of people – did it. I enjoyed the process, but took a year off afterwards. I was just happy to have had that achievement. But everyone else in that group continued and the following year, they ran much better times and I was wishing I had continued. That’s when I basically dropped golf and decided I would spend more time and focus on becoming a better runner.”
What makes you gravitate toward running?
“Running has really clear inputs and outputs. The training matters and makes a big impact on how well you run. The process of training, prepping for a race, I just love how you can feel how your preparation for a marathon really impacts your performance. Golf, for example, is more tricky – it’s much more up and down, even when you’re a good golfer.
The other thing is, as I aged, I liked running more because it isn’t all-consuming. You can really only run about an hour / day, the body just won’t let you do more than that.”
So as a collector, what brought you into the world of independent watchmakers and brands?
“My first foray into indies was through F.P. Journe in 2018. I was introduced to the brand through some mutual friends, other watch enthusiasts and collectors, and over the years, I’ve become widely acquainted with all types of independent watchmakers and brands, big and small.
Basically, I really enjoyed being able to have a personal relationship with the person or people who create these timepieces, to learn about their vision, to see how they evolve over time with their creations. In comparison to collecting the ‘big’ brands, the personal relationships that you build along the way with the manufacturers and even sales people were one of the main reasons why I kept going deeper and deeper into indies.”
Is there a connection between the hobbies, running and watch collecting?
“I can’t run a great race without all of the preparation, going through the whole process. In collecting, I take a similar approach. I really like diving deep into a brand, meeting the people behind the brand, even who is selling the watches, as I mentioned. I’ve had a whole range of experiences, good and bad, with watches and more than ever, I value the entire process of familiarizing myself with everything and everyone surrounding these objects I love.
In terms of bringing both things together, I just have this thing where I like to incorporate all the things I love into one experience. Last year, I ran the Boston Marathon with a RM 67-02 and this year will be again with a De Bethune DB28xs Steel Wheels. It brings more joy to be able to make these two things I love coexist.”
What brought you to choose the De Bethune for this year’s run?
“You know, I had so many friends who loved De Bethune and for a long time, it really didn’t fit my taste. But around 3-4 months ago, something clicked and began to view their creations differently. Especially with the latest xs timepieces, it really changed how I viewed De Bethune watches. I’m a guy with generally small wrists and the original DB28 was simply massive for me. In retrospect, how the watches fit my wrist was one of the big reasons why I felt like they were never going to be a watch in my collection.
So when I first saw the DB28xs Steel Wheels (new, miniaturized models from De Bethune, this one measuring at 38.7mm in diameter), I told Chris, ‘I’d really love to run the Boston Marathon with this watch, can you make it happen?’ Chris said that he would try his best to see what he could swing for delivery and fortunately, both De Bethune and Chris were able to pull it off. It was delivered a few weeks ago. I’m extremely happy with the watch. It fits on my wrist super, looks amazing, very excited for the run with it.”
De Bethune has leaned into sports lately, both tennis and golf in particular. Did that make an impact on how you view De Bethune?
“Yeah, I follow sports. As I mentioned, I played tennis, I played golf. Seeing De Bethune on the wrist of Tommy Paul (American, World Number 12) or Jessica Pegula (American, World Number 3), it definitely changed my perception of what you can do with a De Bethune watch. Not every indie watch brand makes something that you want to be very active and sweat in. Before I even decided to buy a De Bethune, I was thinking about how I could run with it. So it definitely was at the front of my mind when my perception of the brand shifted, alongside the new smaller case sizes with their xs models.”
Tell me a bit about the strap that was custom made by Alex Crown for the Boston Marathon.
“Special thanks to Ray at Alex Crown! He’s a master at the craft and designs straps for all different occasions, including sports. I wasn’t sure originally if I was going to do a strap for the watch, but ultimately, Ray was able to create something really nice and deliver it before race day. It’s Boston Marathon colors – white, yellow, blue. It’s made from a fabric that is very sweat resistant – the same as the Tommy Paul and Jessica Pegula wear when they play pro tennis matches. It’s very comfortable and a nice way to commemorate the occasion.”
Best of luck on race day and special thanks to Tom for taking more than an hour of his time to chat with us about watches and running, collecting and sport.