From Watch Collector to Watch Creator: Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-Lecoultre, and MEC Watches

Рет қаралды 17,089

The 1916 Company

Күн бұрын

Carlos Ramírez started MEC Watches with his partners Judd Wood and Eric Lau to re-invigorate American watchmaking with their vision of how a watch brand can and should be ran. Carlos’s love for watches started at a young age with pieces like his father’s Rolex Osyterquartz Datejust and a Baume & Mercier from his mother. As he grew up, his interest in design and mechanics evolved even more with pieces like the Vacheron Constantin Overseas, Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak added to his collection. Carlos and Tim then discuss how he moved into starting his own watch brand and what their plan is for their first watch: The MEC-1.
Please Subscribe:
/ @the1916company
Download Our App:
onelink.to/watchbox-app
Signup for WatchBox news and updates:
www.thewatchbox.com/email-signup
Buy Watches Here:
www.thewatchbox.com
View hands-on luxury watch reviews on The 1916 Company Watch Reviews:
/ @the1916companywatchre...
Instagram:
/ the1916company
#jlc #rolex #audemars #vacheronconstantin #collecting #watchcollection #swisswatches #luxurywatches
00:00 Introduction
01:30 Collecting Beginnings
03:35 TAG Heuer Formula 1
06:13 Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust
08:55 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor
13:13 Vacheron Constantin Overseas and Historiques 1942
18:06 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
20:43 Cartier Cintrée and Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso
22:57 Baume & Mercier Chronograph
25:28 Starting MEC Watches
28:14 The First MEC Watch
34:37 Running a Watch Brand
41:00 Future for MEC Watches
MB011VDAXFKE69R

Пікірлер: 74

@ditmerk 10 ай бұрын

The difference between this and the Adam Levine interview is huuuge. Thank god for Mosso and WB

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Shots fired? 😂 Thanks! Carlos.-

@daniell2217 10 ай бұрын

Check your flavor saver. I think you missed a drop.

@jimmillett9224 10 ай бұрын

Another fabulous interview. Tim is producing the best and most informative watch content on KZfaq.

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching! Carlos.-

@TT_NY 10 ай бұрын

Awesome variety and great chat! Nice job Carlos and Tim. I loved seeing the Tag F1. Growing up watching F1, that was a HUGE dream of mine as a kid. In 2011, when I became a dad, there was no doubt that a Tag would be the watch to celebrate. A collection grew not long after but like in your collection…. These initial pieces mean a lot to the passion and they’re living proof that even if we grow, there is no specific value tier for a true enthusiast to enjoy what they wear.

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for the kind words! Carlos.-

@tlb8647 10 ай бұрын

2018 Tank Cintree series is so criminally underrated and not talked about enough. So good!

@OmarAbouZied 9 ай бұрын

What a breath of fresh air! Under 40mm wide is cool. Well under 10mm thick is ambitious, and informed sincerely by a connoisseurship steeped in passion for high standards. Best wishes to MEC!

@csramirezr 8 ай бұрын

Such kind words, my friend! Thank you!

@craigriley9892 4 ай бұрын

I love the ambition of trying to bring high end watchmaking back to the US. I wish them well in the future.

@mattmatthews7555 10 ай бұрын

Great interview Tim. The idea of this new watch is great and I think if Carlos and his team continue, later iterations will be a thing to speak of. Great work Carlos, I wish you and your partners all the best for the future!

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Thats very nice of you, thank you 🙏🏼

@purepalm9078 10 ай бұрын

This chat is very charming and enjoyed watching it very much.

@wisamal-hakim5531 10 ай бұрын

If Jack mimics the regal somewhat austere nature of patek, Tim is the smooth glitz/glamour and elegance of vacheron. Excellent interview. Good luck to this charming gentleman and his Mec watch company.

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for the kind words! Carlos.-

@herbmerced7780 10 ай бұрын

Very interesting….best of luck to this gentleman!

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! Carlos.-

@crastinator_pro 7 ай бұрын

Does anyone know which watch box he uses? I like that.

@umq5147 10 ай бұрын

Another great video Tim. I’d love to hear your thoughts on day date throughout the years and special ones you like!

@MrVecino 10 ай бұрын

Great content and stories. So respect for Venezuela’s people! They are true fighters. Just a question. Any info about the watch case? It is bold with the yellow configuration ;-) kind regards!

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for the kind words 🙏🏼 The watch case was custom-made in Italy by Jean Paul Menicucci. Best, Carlos.-

@Number_006 10 ай бұрын

Thanks to you both for a great and enjoyable collection and conversation.

@the1916companywatchreviews 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching! We have much more to come in this series including collection surveys we shot just this week. Best, Tim

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching! ✌🏼 Carlos.-

@RobertTaylor-ub6hv 10 ай бұрын

Easy to critique a new watch story but the things they are working through are the same hurdles the giant names we all love today were working through 200-300 years ago. Obviously more a labor of love than a money grab. Mad respect for anyone who wants to advance the industry that produces the machines we love so much.

@the1916companywatchreviews 10 ай бұрын

I'm pretty sure all three of the founders could have made more money doing something besides selling 30-50 watches a year. But each one gets something beyond money from the experience. Judd gets to be a true watchmaker who actually works on engineering, fabrication, and construction. Eric, the industrial artist, gets to design something that will last generations. And Carlos gets to build a watch that embodies the lessons he's learned as a collector of off-the-shelf models from established brands. Best, Tim

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

That’s quite accurate, my friend. Thank you for the kind words and we are glad and honored to have had the chance of bringing our creation to your attention thru the kindness of Tim’s team! Carlos.-

@DavidEAngell 10 ай бұрын

Nice collection. Great conversation.

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Thanks, very kind! ✌🏼😎 Carlos.-

@vdbdg 10 ай бұрын

That’s literally the first time someone mentions the Hybris Mec 11, which I always loved. I hope he can make something of the sort one day. Btw Tim, have you ever reviewed or at least encountered that JLC?

@the1916company 10 ай бұрын

It's a real connoisseur's piece. VERY few have been delivered, and it was a stretch even for JLC to bring that to market. SIHH is the only place I've seen one. Best, Tim

@vdbdg 10 ай бұрын

@@the1916company Say no more, looks like they stretched a little too far

@saphna2095 10 ай бұрын

I like his first production watch, wish him all the best:)

@the1916company 10 ай бұрын

He's a good guy. I also have met Judd and Eric during my time in the watch industry - Judd was the watchmaker on staff at Vacheron's Miami Design District boutique back when I was with Watch-u-Want (WB proto-company) in the Miami metro area. All three of three of these guys are the kind of people who have genuine love for watchmaking. Best, Tim

@saphna2095 10 ай бұрын

@@the1916company thank you for sharing!

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for the kind words and wishes! 🙏🏼❤️ Carlos.-

@ThriftyCHNR 10 ай бұрын

is this a paid promotion?

@the1916company 10 ай бұрын

No, but it's give-and-take. You tell me about your collecting story, and I'll give you a platform to talk about your watch. I met Carlos when he was budgeted at a fashion watch level back during the Watch-u-Want days. The MEC watch is nice, but the stories behind his JLC, VC, Rolex, and other watches are reason I agreed to this talk. Best, Tim

@ThriftyCHNR 10 ай бұрын

Ok thanks Tim!@@the1916company

@mikepfeifer3615 10 ай бұрын

Great watch collection. Cool story about MEC. Style of the watch is not for me but wish Carlos and his brand the best.

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for the good wishes! 🙏🏼 Carlos.-

@gerardocortes5943 10 ай бұрын

💚

@MrBlahBlah1234 10 ай бұрын

What a fantastic collection, great taste Carlos! And excited to see where you go with MEC. After looking at the MEC-1 on the website, I'm wondering if there would be a way, with future versions, to increase the legibility of the minutes hand. Maybe lume with a stronger contrast against the sapphire?

@the1916companywatchreviews 10 ай бұрын

Is suspect that this will happen through the use of a solid dial on some models, a darker smoked sapphire, or brighter coatings on the minute hand itself. Since the version shown here is a launch model that's going to be sold out almost from the beginning, the regular production models - which I understand will include precious metal - may look quite different as a strategy for protecting the early buyers from dilution. Best, Tim

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for the kind words! Very good feedback, I guarantee you that the final delivery model of the MEC-1 Souscription will improve that -as many other- aspect of the watch; prototyping is not easy! 😅 Carlos.-

@martinkaplan1805 10 ай бұрын

Nice interview, Tim. Thanks!

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching!!! Carlos.-

@miamimo70 10 ай бұрын

Carlos the shirt , oh dear 😅

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Style? Love western shirts; it's my thing. Fit? Already on a strict diet, my friend! Duly noted! Hahaha. Carlos.-

@dpz0930 10 ай бұрын

So good 🔥

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

✌🏼😎 Thanks! Carlos.-

@BB-gl7zt 10 ай бұрын

It's very easy to take potshots at a new brand that's trying something different. This watch isn't for me but I'm hoping this American brand does well.

@the1916companywatchreviews 10 ай бұрын

You an me both. As an aspiring watchmaker who's also an American, I have huge hopes for everyone trying to build watches in this country. I'll do everything I can to support that movement. Best, Tim

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Thats the spirit! Thanks and excited for all of you to have the opportunity to see this watch and, eventually, our new models in person! Carlos.-

@local.ID1 4 ай бұрын

I am Aamir From Pakistan

@sea-watches 10 ай бұрын

i like

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

Thanks! 🙏🏼 Carlos.-

@sergelegault6027 10 ай бұрын

Dial looks like a mismatch of leftover parts from a Seiko mod however the caseback is great. Just wear it face down or hide this atrocity in a safe

@the1916company 10 ай бұрын

There's going to be different versions, but these three are making what they like personally. It could very easily have been another integrated bracelet steel sports watch with a green dial to pander to the meat of the market. Best, Tim

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

I’m more than happy to meet in person and show you the watch! I will be willing to bet that it would change your mind! Carlos.-

@nr1416 10 ай бұрын

🥱🥱🥱🥱

@BenTramer 10 ай бұрын

Another private equity guy...I'll pass

@the1916company 10 ай бұрын

I was a finance guy once. Never judge a book by its financiers. Best, Tim

@BenTramer 10 ай бұрын

@@the1916company Working as a paralegal for Cadwalader for a couple of years after college while you're trying to figure out what to do with your life doesn't make you a finance guy

@the1916companywatchreviews 10 ай бұрын

When I unearthed archived mortgage loan records for investment bank clients so regional courts could evict hundreds of people in 2008, I sure felt like a finance guy. That's a big reason why I chose to go to the Navy rather than get an MBA or JD. Best, Tim

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

So… what I currently do for a living determines your interest in the content? In my collection or the watch we created? I don’t understand the correlation 🤷🏻‍♂️ Carlos.-

@BenTramer 10 ай бұрын

@@csramirezr To the extent reasonably possible, I don't want to support private equity (or the people that choose to participate in it) with respect to what I do with my leisure time & money.

@arnoldjenkins5455 10 ай бұрын

Tim you need to start lifting, forget a 7inch wrist you’ve got a 7inch neck

@the1916companywatchreviews 10 ай бұрын

I'm just not that kind of athlete. All the muscle is in my core and legs where you can't really see it. And it's all cycling-oriented. Best, Tim

@jaredcoffin3907 10 ай бұрын

“Follow our Insta account”. Huh? How about a phone number? Personal email? This first half of this interview was a delight. Second half…not so much. Talking points tip if the day: the word is, OBSTRUCTION!

@csramirezr 10 ай бұрын

That’s why we have comments section! You can find all that information on our website, this was an organic conversation with Tim, this is not a paid video, nor that was the idea, to take advantage of the kind team of WB and specially Tim, and old friend, for personal gain. And I hope you would forgive my mental fog moment, I was quite ill that day and also, english is not my first, second nor third language… it happens to most polyglots. Best, Carlos.-