As watch enthusiasts, we harbor a particular affection for small mechanical objects. Intricate and artistically beautiful, it's easy to marvel at watches purely on the physical level. But for many of us, it's the people behind the watches — and the people behind the industry — that tell the greatest stories. On this episode of Collectors Among Us, we’re joined by 007 superfan and expert David Zaritsky, founder of The Bond Experience.
Many collectors find their entry point into watches from their fathers or grandfathers. Such was the case for David Zaritsky, but perhaps not in the way you might expect: Zaritsky’s dad indeed wore a watch — a gold Longines with diamond indices dripping with Art Deco cool — but it wasn’t a single make or model that pulled Zaritsky down the rabbit hole. Rather, it was the pair's one “bonding” activity — watching the film adaptations of Ian Fleming’s James Bond books — that would eventually lead to his interest in watch collecting.
“My father was a very successful business person, but was not the type of person to throw a ball in the back with me,” Zaritsky explained. “As a matter of fact, I don't know sports. I'm not blaming this on him, but he was never the type to go, ‘Let me explain what's happening in this game of football or soccer, et cetera.’ The one tie to each other, the one indelible bond, was watching a Bond film together. He would invite me in and we would have that very isolated moment together.”
It wasn’t until later on in adulthood, however — once Zaritsky already had a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry — that he returned to the idea of 007. Searching for a sartorial north star as a young executive, he turned to Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond, emulating his style and swagger in 1990s films such as Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies. Clocking Brosnan’s Omega Seamaster, he found himself at his local Omega boutique, buying one for himself.
When the Brosnan era gave way to the Craig era, Zaritsky filmed a “rather innocent” review of a 007-related jacket — it quickly exploded, propelling his fledgling channel into social media stardom and birthing The Bond Experience.
The classic ‘90s Seamaster would prove to be the entry point to the wider 007-related horological sphere: From there, Zaritsky purchased the Seamaster Diver 300M from Casino Royale, another Seamaster Diver 300M from Quantum of Solace, and the Seamaster Aqua Terra from Skyfall. But it’s not only Omegas that feature in his collection — rather, there’s also room for a classic Submariner Reference 14060.
“Rolex to me will always be tied in with Bond, and anything that comes out from that has that Bond connection to it, that wrapper,” he says. “I almost feel like this particular Rolex — if Omega hadn't popped its head up — could this be the continuation model that would have been on the wrist of a Pierce Brosnan? But we love it, and when I say ‘we,’ my wife wears this as much, if not more, than I do. It's just so classic, it's so clean, it's so simple. If Omega is the beefy Mustang, this is the sleek Aston Martin. It's just got sort of the lines to it are so clear, and it remains a treasured part of my collection.”
Beyond Omegas and Rolexes, other less well-known brands also play a part in Zaritsky’s watch box. There’s the Atelier Jalaper with a dial constructed from the hood of an Aston-Martin DB5, a mix of vintage Seikos, Timexes, and TAG Heuers, and even a digital Hamilton that belonged to his father-in-law. “I would say overall, I think I have…let's say, a nice mix,” says Zaritsky.
“I've got the interesting ones aesthetically. I've got some of the vintage ones. I have moments in time. I have moments in movies. And as I look across all these watches, whether it's the story of family, whether it's the story of heritage, whether it's the story of time, of first times, whether it's the story of Bond, or just moving through different movies that give me a different feel down to a celebration — story always played a role with me as the center character. And I think that's a part of watch collecting. I mean, it sort of gives you a spotlight. It shines it on not just the watch, but as an identifier of who you are and what your story is.”
Zaritsky is quick to point out that collecting isn’t really the point of what he does, however — rather, it’s merely part of a larger experience. “One of the things about The Bond Experience that I've always felt very proud of is that I tried to pride myself on being not just a collector, not just an appreciator, but a journalist,” he said. “And so as a journalist, I want to be at the forefront. I want to put my helmet on, get into the trenches and, and, and battle whatever comes before us. But most of all, I just want to experience it as a fan. And it becomes a rather humbling moment because of some of the experiences that I've had. I just want to be taken along for a ride. It's very exciting!”
