Winding Down
With Bryant Miller
We’re kicking off this series with Bryant Miller, aka “bearded_southern_gentleman” on Instagram. I first met Bryant in the fall of 2017 when I happened to be in Columbia, SC for a Third Eye Blind concert and Gamecock football game. When he brought an unopened 200mL bottle of Old Taylor to breakfast with instructions to “not ruin this with ice”, I knew we’d become good friends. Since then, he’s made the trek up from Columbia to many a GTG, parlayed a lot of interesting whiskey trades into an impressive collection of Tudors and this past Christmas obtained a Speedmaster that he better not leave sitting out around me. When he’s not outshining the rest of us with his Friday night watches and whiskey shots, you can find him hunting, spending time with his family or smoking a good piece of meat. Today, we’re winding down with the (bearded and southern) gentleman himself, Bryant Miller.
CWC: How did you get into watches?
BSG: I've been into watches for as long as I can remember. My grandfather worked for a marketing firm whose client was Disney Co.; I remember receiving Mickey Mouse watches for Christmas as a child. My Dad always wore a Breitling Chronomat, I remember seeing it when I was young and thinking it was one of the most beautiful watches ever, from its leather strap, to the two-tone gold and stainless dial with the undeniable winged B logo. My father was successful (my parents divorced when I was young), and I remember thinking to myself that one day I would hopefully be successful as well and able to afford a watch just like Dad. Kids, right?
CWC: I’m sure there are many members who can trace their love of watches to their dad. Do you remember your first watch?
BSG: The watch I would consider to be my "first" watch is my Swiss Army. My wife and I started dating in 2008. For our first Valentines, my wife surprised me with a Swiss Army diver (ref#79946).
CWC: I certainly couldn’t give you the reference number of my first watch. Do you have any regrets with watches sold/watches you didn't buy?
BSG: So far, not yet.
CWC: Well then, you’re doing pretty damn well so far! You’ve been to a bunch of GTGs. What would you say someone that's never been to a GTG is missing out on?
BSG: Someone that might remotely be into watches but has never attended a CWC meetup is missing out on diversity. Diversity not only in the realm of watches, but in the individuals that own them. CWC is unique in the fact that our members careers range in industries from law, customer service, construction, business owners, software, etc. The watches are equally as diverse. At any given gtg, you can expect to find anything from a vintage Rolex, to a modded Seiko SKX, to a Casio G-Shock. There hasn't been one GTG I attended where I didn't leave feeling as if I've made a new friend.
CWC: If you aren't reading Hodinkee or refreshing your email for the next GTG invite, how do you like to spend your time?
BSG: Doing anything outside. I manage a support/logistics department for a local law firm which keeps me inside 40 hours a week. In my free time I try to spend as much time outside as possible, from grilling to fishing, hunting to mountain biking, camping to just exploring cities around the South and beyond. I'm truly passionate about cooking to include smoking, hunting and fishing, and being the best possible father to my son and husband to my wife I can be.
CWC: So what watch are you most likely to wear while hunting? What about when you're smoking some meat on a weekend?
BSG: My favorite watch to wear while hunting is my Tudor Blackbay Bronze. I do a lot of hunting in the low country of SC and salty marsh areas. The bronze is perfect b/c it's highly legible, has the ability to time with the bezel, and will develop a gorgeous patina in the process. So far it's been to 3 different states with me hunting. I like to wear my Seiko Turtle SRP777 when smoking meat. It's rugged, rough, and has a 60 min unidirectional dive bezel so I can time how long it's been since I've added a log to the fire.
CWC: Do you have a favorite thing to hunt?
BSG: My favorite thing to hunt, hands down, is waterfowl, I absolutely love to shoot ducks. There is something about the early morning boat rides, spending time with your best friends, and having it all come together; throwing the perfect decoy spread, blowing your call to peel a few ducks off the flock flying by, having them land in your decoys and making that perfect shot. It doesn't get much better to me! A close second is dove hunting.
CWC: What's the secret to convincing Susanne to be a tolerant spouse when it comes to watch collecting, letting you take wrist shots, etc?
BSG: I've been very fortunate to have a loving and supportive wife that is behind me 100% in any and all of my hobbies. She knows that, even though I purchase some watches out of pure aesthetic lust, I always do my research and try to make "smart" buys. I attribute the tolerance to pictures in part to her being an art major, so she understands my love for photography and trying to always get the "right" picture, whether it be during dinner, at a bar, or putt-putting with the family (all have happened).
CWC: What’s the watch she’s most likely to steal?
BSG: Per her, and I would have gotten this completely wrong, it would be my Tudor Heritage Black Bay Bronze.
CWC: I can’t believe we’ve gotten this far along and I haven’t asked this question. How did you get so into bourbon?
BSG: I got into bourbon around 2015 or so. I remember flying to LA for my grandfather’s funeral and having Blanton's at the hotel bar and thinking this was the best bourbon I'd ever had. Ever since then, I've been almost exclusively drinking the "brown water". If I'm allowed one last pour, and also allowed to choose when I can have it, I'd want it to be my bottle of Pappy 15 year. This was the nicest bottle (read: most expensive) I've ever purchased. That being the case, I've set it aside for my son. He can open it on one of 3 occasions; when he turns 21, when he gets married, or when he graduates college. His choice. If I am allowed one last pour, I want it to be with him from the bottle I've set aside for him. He's 4.
CWC: That really explains a lot. I’ve been drinking “the brown water” since 2004-2005, and you’re so much more knowledgeable about it than I am! So, Corbin is four now. What advice would you give your younger self?
BSG: Take risks, spend your money on things other than tattoo's, and enjoy life to the fullest.
CWC: One thing that I love about watches, is a watch with a good story. What's one watch from your collection that has a sentimental story behind it?
BSG: The one that stands out the most to me would be my Omega Speedmaster, (ref#311.30.42.30.01.006). I have always had a love for the Speedy; from the historical significance, to the design and dial layout, it to me might be one of the most perfect watches ever produced. I'd always dreamed of owning one, but never thought it was possible. Around September 2018, I casually started tagging my wife in Speedmaster pictures subtly hinting that I wanted one. Half joking, but knowing wholeheartedly that it was not financially possible. After a month or so of being tagged in probably hundreds (probably a little too aggressive, hindsight being 20/20) of pictures, my wife finally asked me to stop! I told her it was more of a joke than anything, because I knew it wasn't possible, but that I would stop. Fast forward to December, my wife and I attended the CWC holiday party. I'd put a feeler out that week on our Facebook page asking for some of the members that owned Speedys to bring them so I could show my wife the many different references Omega had produced over the years. Little did I know, she'd already been in touch with a local AD, and me showing her all of the different models and variances royally freaked her out and almost gave her a full blown panic attack! One of the members she'd been talking with (Shoutout to Christiaan) talked to her and reassured that what she chose was exactly what I would want, and boy was he right! Christmas Day arrives, I have 1 package under a tree full of gifts for my son and wife. The only thing I'd requested for Christmas was to have my duck hunting shotgun hydrodipped, which I'd done myself. I let my wife and son open all of their presents before myself; my wife got an Apple watch and my son his very own Mickey Mouse watch among other gifts from "Santa". Last up was me. I unwrapped the paper to unveil a large (huge) black box. I fully expected a pair of boots. Much to my surprise, when I flipped the box over and slipped the main box out of the protective cardboard sheathing, I was presented with the iconic Omega Speedmaster insignia. My wife had pulled it off! After a bazillon "No Fucking Ways”, my wife revealed to me that she'd been working with a local AD as well as some CWC members since October or so to source and purchase for me. I have many watches that all have meaningful stories, but my Speedy is a watch with a story that I will never part ways with.
CWC: Hah, I remember you FaceTiming me at like 7AM that morning (which, since we didn’t have any kids then, I was asleep) and instead you got a bunch of texts that were like “BRO CALL ME ASAP.” So what would you say is your favorite brand?
BSG: Tudor. I love the history, that they have been producing watches for everything from the US Navy, to the Marine Nationale, etc. They offer amazing quality and have an expansive collection of very affordable timepieces in the luxury watch realm.
CWC: We have to conclude with what I will call my “Ryan Webb” question. If anyone knows Ryan, you’ll understand. What is your perfect 3 watch combination?
BSG: 1. Omega Speedmaster. If we're being specific, the Hesalite front and sapphire caseback model. 2. Rolex GMT Master. There's a guy on Instagram with a 1675 that's had a crystal swapped to a domed crystal with no cyclops that to me is absolutely perfect. 3. A Rolex No-Date Submariner. I really like the 14060M. Rugged yet refined. Can be dressed up or down. Throw in that it has history as an actual dive watch makes it absolute perfection.
CWC: Now, so that everyone knows that reads this, you bitched and moaned about limiting this to 3 watches. What was the 4th that didn’t make the cut?
BSG: I'd choose the Rolex Explorer Ref#214270; 39mm, lumed dial, and newer so I wouldn't be afraid to take it out and use it as it was intended to be used.
CWC: Awesome, thanks for doing this man!