Inclusivity, diversity and wristshots: Welcome to Complecto’s first meetup
Ricardo SimeOver the previous months, I’ve introduced you to Jason and the Complecto community that he and his partner David (@davidp.nyc) have created. Through it, they hope to accomplish the “goal of building an inclusive community that reflects and celebrates the true diversity of watch enthusiasts and collectors around the world”. This past Friday, they set off on that goal in earnest with Complecto’s first meetup and here is a photographic journey of that amazing night.
Setting the scene, attendees of the meetup found themselves in a speakeasy-style space with warm lighting and plush seating.
But we didn’t come here to sit down. The watchspotting immediately started with Jason showcasing his Patek Philippe Golden Eclipse ref.3848 on his right wrist. However, that only drew attention to his newest addition, the Patek Philippe 6119G on his left. A one-two Patek combination right out the gate meant only good things for the rest of the night.
Like this Roger Dubuis Excalibur Automatic Skeleton Ref. No. Dbex0727 that attendee Preston (@psb_19) was wearing. Sculpted from 18k pink gold, the watch locked in my attention.
That was until he also pulled out this Vacheron Constantin FiftySix Day-Date. When you see so many Overseas pieces, a FiftySix is a welcome change of pace.
Moving around the room, I bumped into T+T’s very own social media manager Jeremy (fashionably late). He was chatting it up with our good friends from Gigantem, an NYC marketing firm, who of course bought some heat. Jeremy’s gold Rolex Yachtmaster would find company with Fernanda’s (@ferniezap) H. Moser & Cie. Venturer XL and Eric’s (@ericlwatches) Zenith Chronomaster Sport in Rose Gold. A pretty nice trio.
As the night progressed, I found myself bumping into more ladies with great watches. We had Lydia Winters (@winters.watches) from across the pond who was able to attend. She was wearing her Rolex GMT-Master II Root Beer (ref. 126711) when she bumped into Dana Li (@tell.the.time), wearing the older reference Rolex GMT-Master II Root Beer (1675/3). Beer jokes and laughter quickly ensued.
From there, I continued with Lydia as she met my good friends from @wristcheckpodcast, Perri and Rashawn. Perri (@thankyoufatherdash) ended up swapping his green Rolex OP for Lydia’s Root Beer. Rashawn (@fit.2.win) blessed us with his Mission to Earth. And then Youtuber Beth Tee (@thebethtee) joined in on the fun with her Royal Oak Selfwinding 50th Anniversary and that hypnotic light blue dial.
As the meetup continued, I suddenly found myself bumping into some hip-hop royalty. Joining us for Complecto’s first meetup was none other than Styles P (@stylesp) of the legendary hip-hop group, The Lox, who I soon discovered is also an avid collector. That night he had on a Girard-Perregaux World Time Chronograph USA 76. Follow him on Instagram and you’ll see he has quite the eclectic collection.
As the night came to a close and we all headed out in search of non-alcoholic sustenance, I found myself marvelling over what Complecto’s first meetup had accomplished. Bringing together so many people who may not have otherwise crossed paths. Listening to unique stories and why they attended. Sharing what it is that we all liked about watches. These things tend to take time for a new group to discuss, yet it all happened on that very first night. It may have set the bar high, but I’m confident in the people behind Complecto and can’t wait to see what’s next.