It feels like watch meme accounts have had something of a moment the past couple weeks. At such a pivotal moment in the watch industry — an election year, global pandemic, controversial travel clock — watch memes have provided an honest source of critique, relief and straight up fun.

I wanted to talk with the owner of one of my favorite meme accounts: @Brodinkee. Mr. Brodinkee has been meme’ing for more than a year now, and in that time he’s eviscerated brands, collectors, and, importantly, himself.

Q: First, I have to ask: Were you lucky enough to get your hands on a Hodinkee limited edition travel clock before they sold out? 

The truth is: I bought out most of the supply with hopes of flipping my way to retirement. You can ask me how it went in a few months. I currently have one in every room and have conditioned my apartment for optimal goat leather care … buy with confidence! 

Q: Why a watch meme account? 

If I start from the beginning, I originally (like everyone else) made my account to post watches and wrist shots without cluttering my personal account. The photos were badly composed and they were edited even more poorly, but it gave me a sense of belonging with people who were like me. The name, “Brodinkee” was really just a way to convey I was both a bro and a watch head, not necessarily contrived to tweak Hodinkee … really more piggyback on their reputation in the space.

After a few months of really digging deep into the hobby, I started to realize just how quirky it was. I had a hard time taking it seriously with all the mini watch factions out there. I saw some people trying to strictly make others materially envious, I saw stone-throwing snobs with ultra-minimalist collections and ladies who gained followers just taking wrist shots with cleavage in the background (I ain’t mad at ya). There were tribal groups with fanatical devotion to certain brands and trendy blogs telling you which watch you NEEDED next. I said, ‘Someone else must find this stuff to be a little over the top.’ I think I was right, at least I hope I was. 8,500 people can’t be wrong, can they?

Way back when, I used to read and post in the Watchuseek meme thread and thought that I made pretty solid memes, but they sort of went over people’s heads or weren’t always well-received. I posted a few to IG and got much better results. I think people really took a liking to me when I eviscerated Tudor (still one of my favorite brands) over the P01 release debacle after teasing a “sub.” 1,000 posts later, I’ve been acknowledged by and in contact with some pretty darn cool industry folks and have made quite a few friends along the way as well.

Q: Who is your comedic inspiration? Who is your horological inspiration? 

Some of my comedic inspirations include Dave Chapelle, the “Seinfeld” and “Always Sunny…” casts and an Internet bro comic known as Dom Mazzetti (in his early days).

My (well-known) horological inspirations are two guys you can see on old “Talkin’ Watches” episodes: JJ Redick and Howie Kendrick. As athletes, they’ve both made more than enough money to buy any watch, yet still collect watches in their own respective fashions. I don’t know which I respect more, JJ for having the taste to go with a Journe or Howie for owning an old pepsi Seiko quartz. My other sources of inspiration are two of my best friends who have been in this hobby with me from day one and have helped sculpt my own watch-related journey. If you think my meme page is funny, you should see our group chat.

Q: When you're crafting memes who or what are your favorite 'targets'? Is there anything you won't make fun of?

I usually try to stay away from maliciously going after any single person. At the end of the day I’m out to make people laugh, not really to make someone a laughing stock. Big companies are a different story, however! Brands, fads that are associated with watches, and watch collecting “lifestyle” accounts are low hanging fruit. One thing I try to emphasize every so often is that I regularly make fun of aspects of the hobby that pertain to myself. I’ve made a ton of dumb decisions, purchases, collecting mistakes, etc. when it comes to watches, and misery loves company! 

Q: What role do you think memes play in the watch industry? 

I like to think that memes are a way of grounding ourselves with regard to watches. The hobby can get so out of control so fast, especially when you realize the sums of money that get thrown around. I think memes often bring you back to Earth and make you realize that perhaps you don’t need to necessarily drop huge wads of cash or live some watch-driven lifestyle to be a watch collector. I also think they help when it comes to the addictive side of hobbies like this. Odds are, none of us need another watch and probably have too many to begin with. I think memes can help us remain mindful of collecting and remind us to enjoy the journey in addition to the watches. I also think they band us together when they’re relatable and help us to understand that many of our journeys are similar.

Q: Does the watch industry take itself too seriously? Or not seriously enough?

If I had to lean one way or the other, I’d say it takes itself a little too seriously. There are a ton of watch publications that are just out there driving the (in my opinion) unhealthy image of a “horologist lifestyle.” Sure, they give love to Swatch or Timex once in a while, but I think we forget that even a $179 Timex Q is a decent chunk of change for a lot of people. While we “collectors” focus on all the nuances of collecting, outsiders can never seem to wrap their heads around the amounts we spend and why. I find the hobby is more exclusive than it is inclusive — partly due to general snobbery and partly due to the cost of participation.

Q: How would you sum up the watch Internet in one sentence? 

The best and worst sides of an ultra-passionate group of hobbyists dying to connect with others just like them.

Q: If you have a significant other or partner, what do they think about Brodinkee? Is it almost like an alter-ego of yours? 

My wife had an interesting time wrapping her head around the whole thing. She’s up on internet humor and follows plenty of pages on IG. When she eventually found out about Brodinkee, it had thousands of followers and was already a living/breathing entity. It was a lot to digest all at once, but she’s a good sport about it and follows the page. This also helps deter me from posting things that are a little “too much,” which is probably a good thing in the long run.

Brodinkee is a pretty interesting phenomenon. My local cigar shop clerk was a follower before he knew I ran the page. He refers to me as Brodinkee in person. I have met up with people at events like Windup New York and introduced myself by my real name and it didn’t stick at all. One person stopped me mid-introduction and just said, “Well yeah…but you are Brodinkee.” So I guess that it is somewhat of an alternate persona at this point.

Q: What's the creepiest thing you could say to someone that would make them not want to swap wrists with you at a meetup?

“If there’s some cheese under the strap, just scrape it off. I had a wild night.”

Q: If you could create the ultimate watch by putting together components of other watches, what would you use? 

This will probably piss enough people off, but I have an absolute adoration for vintage Tudor styling and snowflake hands. I also have always gravitated toward the dive watch design. I think I could be truly happy if I could get a vintage Tudor snowflake look in a 36-38mm steel case with the lume, bezel action, PR and clasp of the Pelagos. Toss on a Cyclops over the date (don’t @ me) for flavor and I’m set. Just hold the faux rivets in the bracelet, please.

Q: Do you have a favorite meme?

I think my favorite is one that has a screenshot from the original Legend of Zelda. In the beginning of the game, you’re given a wooden sword to guide you on your journey. It says, ‘It’s Dangerous To Go Alone! Take This!’ I swapped the sword for a SKX as a representation of how many of us began our journeys.

Q: Anything else you want to mention before I let you go? 

First and foremost, thank you for allowing me to take part in this segment. The fact anyone even cares what I have to say is both flattering and tremendously humbling. On that same note, I’d like to just give thanks to everyone for being a part of the page over the years. I really have met some amazing people; I’ve had a ton of laughs and the watch family have been great sports with regard to my horological burns. I’m always in awe of the twists and turns that come with having this niche type of page and I’m really curious as to where it will lead next. Until then, I’ll be memeing and biding my time until someone approaches me about a Brodinkee LE collab.