Wisdom from the Mailman: “The Watch Makes The Man”

One of the delights of KCRW is its people, many of whom have multiple talents, like Jason Groman. Jason’s day job at the station is mailman but he also composes…

Jason Groman. Jason’s day job at the station is mailman but he also composes (theme songs for DnA and The Business); plus he is an ardent architectural preservationist as well as a certified man of style. It was Jason I turned to for tips when planning the segment with Cory Lashever about the current preoccupation with watches among some men, and he wrote these thoughts on why watches matter in an age when they are no longer necessary.

My Grandfather Max Groman taught me that “The Watch Makes The Man”. In current times that still is a part of my DNA.

Going into 2013 many of my colleagues and friends question the relevance of wearing a watch in today’s world with those fancy Telly-Phones and all. “My iPhone has a clock, timer, shoot, I can get the precise time in Kuala Lumpur,” they say.

I say, bahh. The mobile as advertised is a communication device; yet, in social situations folks are pulled into their glowing screen and away from the world that’s in front of them. Believe me, I am as guilty as everyone.

Ah, but the watch is a conversation starter. I am not a collector by all means but I do have a selection of time pieces to fit the event or mood.

At gatherings with a dress code. I lean towards my 1951 Hamilton Dennis. This American classic makes this 5’7″, 40-something feel 6’2″ with a light dusting of over-confidence.

The daily time piece is old reliable. My G-Shock X-L Big Combi. This thing takes beating. Like the Timex of old “It Takes A Licking”. When the battery dies on the mobile Big Combi is there for me without fail.

Not to sound obtuse but, I trust a person a bit more if they are wearing a watch. That person seems more organized and knows who and what they are. If I rush out of the house without my timepiece I am lost all day. Wearing a watch is a part of the daily ritual. Shower, brush the teeth, get dressed then put on that last detail in making the man.