Evan Fry was born in 2003, a point in human history when many people’s back pockets held a Nokia 1100 or the Sony Ericsson T610. Mobile phones had been displaying the time on their LCD screens for almost a decade by this point — and the anxiety of how they might replace the traditional wrist watch was already in full swing. “Many young people see them as obsolete as sundials,” read one 2005 newspaper article. “For them, cell phones are the new watches.”
Throughout his life, the time has been available to Fry on iPhone screens, laptops, TVs, electric ovens, central heating systems, Nintendo DS’s and even beamed eeriely through bathroom mirrors. Which makes it all the more interesting that Fry has collected more than 35 watches, averaging between $1,000 and $2,000 a piece. So far, his prized possession is a Tag Heuer Carrera — a silver linked piece with a deep magenta bezel which he bought for around $3,500. One day, Fry hopes to have a H Moser on his wrist, though some models retail for roughly around $50,000. He’s already tried on his favorite, featuring a vanta black dial and no indexes, in the shop. “It’s just to die for,” he said.
Aged 22, Fry is part of a growing Gen Z cohort of watch lovers. According to secondhand luxury watch retailer Bezel, those under 30 account for a third of the company’s transactions. This group has been previously underestimated by legacy brands, said Bezel’s CEO Quaid Walker. “I think the watch world is just starting to really pay attention to younger demographics,” he told CNN. According to Walker, the Gen Z market are the ones on average spending the most on a single watch purchase.
Longines, the storied luxury Swiss watchmaker, has also noticed an uptick in younger customers — particularly in those looking to restore or service older pieces. Thiago Abrantes, an assistant manager in London, said around 50% of those he encountered at the city’s flagship store looking to service a watch were under 30. He put it down to inheritance. “A lot of people get a watch from dad as a gift,” he said.
Although his friends are catching on, Fry’s level of enthusiasm for watches means he is still “an outlier” amongst his peers. He makes YouTube videos from his home in Utah discussing his latest obsession and new releases from brands. He also gives virtual tours of his formidable vintage collection, which includes pieces from the ‘60s, ‘70s and even a Zenith pocket watch from last century. His interest, he says, is partly down to a curiosity in our cultural history. “They were a real companion in someone’s life, and because of their necessity they had to be used every single day,” Fry said in a phone call. “There’s something deeply fascinating and almost sacred about holding and owning a piece that has gone through so much.”
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