There’s no doubt that the vintage watch market has exploded in the last few years. Why? Well, there isn’t just one answer. Sure, you can blame it on the growth of social media, the lack of availability in popular new watches by certain brands (you all know who we’re talking about here), or the popularity of television shows like Mad Men, in fact, blame all of those things. But there may be one other factor you haven’t considered: Theo & Harris. The popular source for vintage watches started just a few years ago in what we could consider the “Wild West” of vintage watches. There was no market for them, no demand, but there was a kid with a little bit of cash and the drive to do something different. That was Christian Zeron, founder of what would go on become one of the largest vintage watch selling platforms out there, and so much more.
On today’s episode, we are beyond thrilled to be joined by Christian as we chat about him and how Theo & Harris began. We feel we should preface this by saying that speaking with Christian over video did not disappoint. The loud and outrageously funny yet incredibly real and down to earth personality that we have seen on their YouTube channel time and time again is exactly who we got. Christian Zeron, wearing a Rolex hat, tye-dye hoodie, and drinking Jack Daniels out of a moose mug similar to that in the film National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, this was the Chrisitan we were hoping for in real life. Fair warning, this episode has some language. After all, one of the things we’ve enjoyed about watching Christian over the years is his genuine “no fucks given” kind of attitude. Who were we to try to tame that?
We chat with Christian about life in the beginning. As we said earlier, vintage watches weren’t always the in-demand market that they are now, someone had to create that. Christian takes us through the whole story, about how Theo & Harris was started while he was in college, with a tight budget and the drive to be successful (something that we learn is a family trait in the Zeron household). Christian goes on to talk about being an entrepreneur and what that really means to him and his family, about how that pushed him to be successful, and he is quite blunt about it. And while the gloves are off, Christian gets to chatting about changes he’s seeing in the watch industry overall and how that impacts both media and consumers.
important to him and the stories behind some of his recent videos including the NOMOS video that was so different for both Chrisitan and NOMOS. Unfortunately, our time together had to come to a close but there are still so many questions to ask. One thing is for sure, the two of us left inspired and in awe at what one person was able to build in such a short time. It’s easy to write Chrisitan Zeron off. As he so plainly put it himself, he’s “loud, young, successful, and good looking”, but ern you get past that, that’s when you get to know the genius that is behind the brand. That’s the Christian we were hoping to meet today, and that’s exactly who and what we got. The no holds bar, doing his own thing, creating without rules, and being incredibly successful while at it Christian Zeron.
Be sure to check out Theo & Harris on their website, Instagram, and YouTube.
Today’s episode is sponsored by HODINKEE Insurance. HODINKEE, the preeminent resource for all things watches, has recently announced a new venture: HODINKEE Insurance. Created in partnership with Chubb, the world’s premier insurer of valuable collectibles, HODINKEE Insurance is a game-changer in how you protect the watches you love. Signing up takes just a few minutes and in most cases you can instantly protect your watches with comprehensive insurance backed by two of the most trusted names in their industries. In most cases, you won’t need independent appraisals or sales receipts, and you won’t even have to speak with an agent to get your quote. With HODINKEE Insurance, there are no deductibles and you receive full worldwide coverage with appreciation protection, meaning that you’re covered up to 150% of each watch’s value, up to the policy limit.
HODINKEE Insurance is available to U.S. residents in all 50 states. Visit http://www.insurance.hodinkee.com or download the HODINKEE App for iOS or Android to learn more and sign up today.
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