One of the most popular videos we ever did here on HODINKEE was Talking replica watches With John Mayer. It was, in actuality, supposed to be a one-off ?a look at a well known fake watch lover's favorite pieces. That video aired all the way back in October of 2013, and to be totally frank, we were just winging it ?two guys talking about a few replica watches with Will there to film it. Now, 22 episodes later, it's safe to say Talking replica watches is one of our benchmark editorial products; and so we thought it might be kinda fun to bring back our original guest ?Mr. John Mayer ?to pick up the conversation and focus on just one of his many horological passions ?IWC.
John's relationship with IWC is long and storied. An IWC Big Pilot was one of his first high-end watches, and the one that most would associate with him in the earliest part of his career. He wore one on stage for years, his stage name to the tour managers was even "Big Pilot" ?hell, when he won his first Grammy, he celebrated it with an IWC.
I would venture to say that without IWC, John wouldn't be a fake watch collector at all. It's the brand that paved the way for him to get into vintage Replica Rolex, and eventually complicated Pateks. John Mayer and IWC are linked, though there is no formal relationship, no friend-of-the-brand status that IWC loved so much for so long ?nothing, really. John just bought IWC replica watches because he liked them.
ADVERTISEMENTBut as with any relationship, there are ups and there are downs. And about two years ago, John wrote what we thought was really a fan letter to IWC that we published here on HODINKEE ?written in the manner you might take when telling your best friend that he's marrying the wrong girl. You kinda know nothing you say is going to change him, but you have to tell him anyway ?because you love him that much. There was a comments-driven kerfuffle around it, because, you know, this is the #internet, and the world moved on.
And then IWC answered back. Less than a week after we ran the letter, they dropped a killer manually wound Portuguese. Then this year, they produced some fantastic limited edition Big Pilots, and redesigned (and absolutely nailed) their entry-level pilots replica watches ?the Mark XVIII and 36 mm Pilots fake watch ?both priced under $4,000, to boot. While IWC may have quickly issued a reply to John's letter here on HODINKEE, these replica watches were the real answer. Which brings us to today, and John is, again, for the first time in a while, wearing an IWC ?not because they pay him to, but because he wants to ?the relationship, after all that its been through, continues on just as it should.
For more on HODINKEE's coverage of IWC, click here. To visit IWC.com, click here.
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