Designing the Future of Timekeeping with Isotope Watches

Uncover the world of horology as we sit down with Jose Miranda from Isotope Watches, the mastermind turning a passion for collecting into a pursuit of design innovation. This episode is a treasure trove for aficionados and newbies alike, as Jose unravels the ethos behind Isotope's ability to balance uniqueness and accessibility. We crack open the design diary on Isotope's 11th masterpiece, learn why they've shied away from in-house movements, and dive into the enchanting depths of the Ida diver watch—a seamless fusion of vintage allure and modern sleekness.

The conversation doesn't stop at aesthetics; we also dissect the strategy and joy that fuel Isotope's expansion. Prepare to be captivated by tales of their 'moonshot' chronograph and the 'mercury' dress watch, a marvel with its enigmatic convex mirror dial. Their limited edition watches are not just timekeepers but storytellers, with each detail from the second hand to the case shape revealing a chapter of their playful yet sophisticated narrative.

Finally, we navigate the competitive waters of the watch market where Jose's creations stand out with a flair for vibrant colors and imaginative features. Yet, amidst the excitement, we contemplate the reality of innovation—witnessing echoes of Isotope's signatures in other brands' designs. Jose's vision is clear: to craft a fleet of timepieces catering to diverse budgets without drifting from Isotope's core identity. This episode is a time capsule of inspiration, a tribute to the artistry and ambition that tick within Isotope Watches. Join us for an enriching chronicle that transcends the tick-tock of the mundane.

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Transcript

Blake Rea 0:01

What's up everybody. Welcome to another episode of Lonely Wrist Today. Super excited for this one, We've been going back and forth for a really long time. Thankfully, finally gracing us with this presence, we have Mr Jose Miranda from Isotope. Hi, I'm sure some of you guys know Isotope for some of their creative designs. There will be back time. I don't remember the name of it, but it's the. There will be back soon. We'll return soon.

Blake Rea 0:38

Watch is a cool one. I'm a huge fan of the Hydram, the Hydram Pro. Welcome. Welcome, Jose. Thank you for coming on. I'm glad to have you here.

Josè Miranda 0:50

Thank you very much for the invitation. It's a pleasure to be here.

Blake Rea 0:57

We had a first question of what watch are you wearing today? Maybe we? Should say that one for later, based on what we talked about. But tell us about the foundation of Isotope. Tell us how you got started and tell us how you landed to where you are today.

Josè Miranda 1:15

Yeah, okay, so we. So I collect watches since I was 10 years old, so, you know, everything came naturally. So I start collecting watches and I work in the film and advertising industry for many, many years and in the pandemic, well, in 2016 or in 2018, no, sorry, 2014, I wanted to buy another watch. I wanted to buy another jumping hour from the Argentina, and some guy asked me you know, a fortune for the watch. And my wife told me no, don't buy that one, it's too expensive. Why don't you make your own jumping hour? So I did so.

Josè Miranda 2:08

It took me about two years to to understand what I had to do to create my own brand in terms of design, in terms of creating the company, in terms of, you know, establishing something that could be the foundation of a new brand. And when I, when, when I started designing, it was with a, with a, with a designer that is not working with us anymore, which is sad, but we opted to make a very difficult watch the jumping hour. It was just one off, you know, just something simple. But then some guy from Dubai, he saw the watch and he asked 10 more, and so we did a plan and we did 99. And from there, 2016,. From there, the company started making sense, and then someone asked us for a diver watch. So we did the good to do and here we are.

Josè Miranda 3:23

You know, you are already designing our 11th watch, which is quite scary sometimes because we are not making what most companies do, though, so they create one case and from that case they extrapolate different designs. We have jumping hours, we have divers. We all have two divers. Very soon, we'll have another jumping hour, we'll have a 36 millimeter watch, smaller, smaller watch.

Josè Miranda 4:04

You will have a rectangular watch, which is our craziest design ever, and what we try to do with all these and the principle of the company is it's isotope, so it's atoms with different characteristics from the other ones. So we make what the other guys are doing, but we do it differently, or at least we try to, and that is the idea is to make it affordable, you know, to make jumping hours and to make chronographs and to make all the crazy stuff we are trying to make, but affordable at the same time, and for that we found an amazing partner in terms of movements, which is Switzerland drone, and they have been helping us in terms of developing the models and the movements that we require for what we do, and it's not an in house approach, but it's a bespoke and the proprietary, in some cases, that they just do it for us, which is good, that's.

Blake Rea 5:28

I think it's scary when, when micro brands and there's very few of them out there that start developing their in house calibers and stuff like this, because nobody knows what's going to happen. Right, there's, there's.

Josè Miranda 5:39

Yeah, the moment, you know most movements, it's very simple to make an in house movement.

Josè Miranda 5:48

It's quite simple, that's what that's why everybody's doing it, because they all make the parts in the same place, they all you know, and the base of the movements are two or three, and then the small changes they make it makes totally different movement. Okay, so it's not that complicated, you just need the space in it, good watchmakers. But to make an in house movement, it's basically what we are doing with, with the partnership we have with, with, with, with Lander on, but it's not in our house, so it's not an in house movement. But if, if we can buy the parts, we can make the parts and we can buy them, we can make them and then we can assemble them in house if necessary. But it's, it's another step. It's not for now and I think I really don't think. Well, it's important for some companies, obviously, for your independence, it will be important to have that, but the way, the relation we have with them, so it's it's, it's good. So I'm happy with the situation at the moment.

Justin Summers 7:10

Very good. I love that. You guys, you know, watches are always pushing the envelope. They're very different from the rest of the crowd. Which is what originally kind of brought me on to you guys is it's something that I saw and I was like wow, that's completely different. They're kind of trail, you know, blazing their their own path. But, jose, I would ask you, you know which watch resonates the most with the most amount of people, which model that you guys sell?

Josè Miranda 7:38

The Ida, so the diver, so I think that it resonates more. Okay, so the principle we took three years to develop that watch case Because I wanted, I wanted inspired in the 60s and in the 40s and but we have around what to drop shape, approach to our design, so it's very streamlined, but we try to get a little bit away from the deco and which makes the design a bit more fluid, and that's what our cases try to transport in terms of design. It's fluidity, it's a way of making it comfortable, not only on the wrist but to the site as well. And when you see the elements, you will probably find some elements from cases from the 1930s and 40s and 70s and that's what makes them somehow very original. But it's comfortable for you to look at them because there are elements that you recognize and they don't look too strange. Because we can do in terms of design. We can, we have an approach. We get it too mad, we go really, really mad at certain point to our designs, but then we try to to remove what, if, what, if, what, if, let's, let's clean this as much as possible and as soon as it's clean, as soon as it's I wouldn't say minimalist, but as soon as it's very simple.

Josè Miranda 9:45

Then we had the what ifs again. What if we, for example, in the kind, in the, in the, in the, in the, in the idrium, it is very difficult to make a diver that everybody loves, which is the case because, you know, from in the beginning we had some criticals, some critics obviously, but now everybody's happy with what, with what they see, and it's very difficult to make a diver without looking something that already exists. And it's very complicated, as you can, as you know. So the idea is it was to try to make a case that could transport quality and, I agree, resistant to the cold because of our connection with the Javain and Orblav, but also very resistant because we aspire to have a very strong tool watch that can resist or withstand basically everything, which is something that we don't advertise because you know I don't want people to start smashing it with a hammer or going with a car over it or something like that. Not intentional, at least intentionally exactly. But it's very resistant, it's very durable, it's the quality. The first time that you know you receive an idrium and you start wearing it, you, you feel the weight, you know, you feel okay.

Josè Miranda 11:38

So this is not something for kids. It might look some of the designs like the exit, like the wheel return. They might look like a toy, but they are not a toy. They are really serious watch and what we try to make with those is that it's to make them playful. Okay, so three years ago when we introduced the wheel return, it was inspired in popular design. It was inspired in something that most North American grew up with and they recognized the sign and the colors immediately and that is why probably we sell our best market in the West, because people start really looking at us in a different way. And online the watch looks like a very playful approach because it's a white dial with full doom, with a blue bezel and the red dot and but it's a reproduction from the wheel return door sign when people used to mark the hour I will return at 10am or whatever.

Blake Rea 12:52

Yeah.

Josè Miranda 12:53

And so, from there, I was not expecting such a good reception to that watch, and we only make 100, which is sad because two years later I still have people asking to make that, asking about it.

Justin Summers 13:14

Yep, yeah, it's such a unique colorway. I personally love watches whenever they're very legible. That's one of the big reasons why I purchase the watches because I want to be able to glance at my wrist and to be able to read it immediately. And I think one of the easiest ways to do that is kind of how you guys did it. You approach it with a fairly minimal dial, you've got your bold numerals, you've got these clashing colors, and it's a really good combination. All put together that makes for an extremely legible watch. And then, like you said, not only that, but maybe some people think of it as toyish, but I think of it as you're giving your wrist a personality.

Josè Miranda 14:04

It's exactly right. Yep, that's what we try. For example, there is so that one was inspired because I bought that sign 20 something years ago in New York. I didn't know I was going to have a watch brand back then. I had no idea. And when I was in New York a few years ago again, I saw the red, the same door sign, but in red. So what we are going to do next is to do a version of the wheel return in red for the wrist, and the way that we are going to offer again the wheel return, the original one. Instead of calling it wheel return, it will be called wall return, because it's going to be a clock for the wall.

Josè Miranda 15:07

So the red one will come for the wrist and the blue one the original one will come for the wall. That's the way we can do without inflicting pain to the collectors that bought the original one. We can do more, unfortunately.

Blake Rea 15:34

It seems like everything you do first of all is limited edition, so you don't go crazy with the production numbers like some brands, and something that I noticed a lot of other brands struggle with. Which you don't seem to is a lot of these brands. Every single brand makes a novelty. They make some type of limited edition novelty piece, whatever. But where these other brands fall short is a lot of them aren't wearable because they're so far out there in terms of design aesthetic you just can't wear them very frequently. And then something that I noticed too.

Blake Rea 16:14

That really attracted me to the brand and to reach out, feel compelled, to annoy you till you came on, is the fact that you have something that a lot of brands cannot reproduce, because you have an instantly recognizable watch because of the shape of the case for one, and then you're not taking it too seriously, you're having fun, you're having playful moments with the watch, with the watches and the design, and something that I actually love is the second hand.

Josè Miranda 16:53

You have a lot of fun with the second hand, especially on the Wilder turn and the Nord plan, which is one of my favorites, so bravo.

Josè Miranda 17:30

No, it's important because there are so many serious watches out there that for us to make a difference, we need to show a few different colors, we need to show a few different designs. It doesn't mean that they sell very well, but at least they make the first page. And that's what sometimes we need in terms of press is to make them aware of what we do. And to do that, either we do very complicated stuff in terms of watchmaking or we do very playful approaches and hope for the best, hope that people really understand the message. And that's what we try to make, because this is a private company, we don't have external investors. We don't have so it's our own resources, and so we need to go very slowly, not only in terms of developing, but in the models that we produce, but in terms of advertising, in terms of reaching other markets, etc. So it's a slow process.

Josè Miranda 18:57

And this slow process that well, it's apparently a slow process, but in the background it's madness. It's madness because at the moment, we have 20 something watches being developed. At the same time, we have four new cases being tested in terms of prototype, and to develop one case it takes three years. So we are already preparing what's coming in the next few years, like the one I'm wearing today. If you want to get there, we can talk about it now, but yeah, so this is the chronograph, it's the moonshot.

Blake Rea 19:54

This is the future of isotope guys. You're seeing it here.

Josè Miranda 19:57

Yeah, so this is the future. So this is the reflection is terrible, oh my God, sorry. So it's better now.

Blake Rea 20:07

Yes, yeah, yeah, it's fine, Okay yeah that looks great.

Josè Miranda 20:12

Yeah, so the case is titanium five. We have a coating gun color to make it more aggressive. This is the pushes.

Blake Rea 20:27

The pushers were there, your isotope little logo.

Josè Miranda 20:31

Yeah, the logo is present in a few places as well, but the really crazy thing about this is that on the dial we covered the numbers on the sub dials, so we have discs that rotate and you only see what is necessary to see. That's what makes it so cool. When we activate this, we're not going to stay here two hours, but then the disc will start to move, and that's what it's cool. This watch also has a Landeron on it.

Blake Rea 21:18

What's the caliber Landeron 74.

Josè Miranda 21:20

It's Landeron 74.

Blake Rea 21:22

Oh, okay, sorry.

Josè Miranda 21:23

No, that's fine. It's an automatic inspired in the Valjul 7.750. It's basically the same construction. I'm not sure if the parts are intermutable, but I don't think so.

Blake Rea 21:43

How many are you guys going to produce and when can you expect?

Josè Miranda 21:45

to yeah. So that's the funny thing, because this one, oh, it will also come with the titanium bracelets and this rubber straps specific for the watch Nice. So what happens with this one? And that's very cool I was having a Zoom call with a wake call from Revolution Watch and I showed in. We're talking about a few things and I showed in two designs. One, it's the mercury, which no one has ever seen it before. Only we got eyes open them. The mercury, it's done. It's going to be our first dress watch, very cool. We don't have any polished watches at the moment, it's only sunblasted or brushed.

Blake Rea 22:49

I don't really like shiny things Doesn't make sense for a tool watch.

Josè Miranda 22:57

But the dress watch. It's called mercury, as in liquid metal, so it had to be polished and so we made some really crazy things about the case because it's a cushion case. But the moment you start designing a cushion case, we immediately are compared with the Panerai period. There is no way to escape unless you redesign completely the structure of a cushion case, including the lugs. So we designed one that is slightly convex, with a dial that is also slightly convex, with hands that are also slightly convex, and the case back is concave, so it feels it fits better on the wrist.

Josè Miranda 23:54

And I was showing it two ways and they said if you do a mirror dial for that one, we will release it together. I said oh okay, let's do it. Then I liked the idea. That's a good investment, let's go for it. The problem is that the dial is convex.

Blake Rea 24:15

Yeah.

Josè Miranda 24:16

And it's very easy, very easy to make a flat mirror dial. It is stupidly difficult to make a convex mirror dial and I didn't know that back then. So it took us six months to find a way to make a dial that it's a mirror dial, keeping the convex way. Wow, yes, and I will not tell anyone how we do that. If someone wants to make them, they will need to go through the process.

Blake Rea 24:58

Don't call Jose for that one, guys.

Josè Miranda 25:01

Sorry, wayne. No, what I can tell is that I asked four of the major Swiss companies that make dials and all of them told me it's impossible, they cannot do that. We did it, it's done, jose said hold my beer.

Justin Summers 25:25

Yeah, basically.

Josè Miranda 25:27

No, it's very difficult and I'm sure that someone that will then buy the watch will open the watch and try to understand how the dial is made, and then they will understand probably. But that is, for example, something that we try to make. So the mercury it's inspired in liquid metal. I don't have nothing here to show you guys. I'm sorry, that's right.

Josè Miranda 25:56

It's inspired in liquid metal, it's inspired in the God, mercury, and it's also inspired on the streamline the New Yorker, the New Yorker mercury, the streamlined train that used to connect New York to somewhere else I don't recall.

Blake Rea 26:20

It's going to be a collaboration with Revolution and it's going to be something that they sell on their website.

Josè Miranda 26:25

Yes, so they will have 100 in their website. I will have 50 on our website, so I will only make 150 of those Got it.

Josè Miranda 26:37

Which is interesting, because I'm sure that. No, I was with the watch. I have the watch, one of them with me, and I am so sad that we only made 150 of those. I'm really sad We'll have more, but without, with different dials, but that one with the mirror dial and it's I'm a suspect, obviously, but it's one of the most beautiful dress watches I've ever seen. It's really really different from everything else.

Blake Rea 27:13

When will that go live. When will the rest of the world be able to see that?

Josè Miranda 27:18

Yeah, so we were going to release it in January this month, but they have other agreements with our companies so we are postponing it, probably to March, april, may it depends. So we are. It should be before summer for sure, because it's ready to ship. It's ready to go. That's a shame they push it back, yeah sometimes it happens.

Josè Miranda 27:54

And with the watches, and wonders that it's coming very soon. It's going to be very crowded, so we need to understand exactly when to release it, and that's a meeting. So I showed this one not this one specifically, but another one, another chronograph similar to this one, and he also told me make a stealth version of the watch and I will make another collaboration with you. So this one, I took it to a few watches, events, including New York one-on-one, and everybody that saw it. The expression is wow, everybody loves it, and once you wear it, you will see the whole thing. Everybody loves it and once you wear it, I promise you you can take it off your wrist because it's so comfortable. It's the right proportions, the touch, the titanium case, the weight, the legibility, it's everything here. This is my dream chronograph. That's why it's called moonshot.

Blake Rea 29:18

What's the case? Diameter 40?.

Josè Miranda 29:22

It's 41.

Blake Rea 29:23

I know you take a trend around the 40s.

Josè Miranda 29:26

Yes, because it's the most common price for everybody. But the madness here is that the titanium bracelet or the rubber bracelet, they fell like they fall, it just goes straight down. So this is 47 millimeters, if I'm not wrong, and this will fit like a 40 or like a 42, depending on the way you want to wear it.

Blake Rea 30:01

What's the thickness? It looks a little like 15, 16 millimeters.

Josè Miranda 30:05

It's 14.9. I wanted this under 15. But it's like a drop style case.

Justin Summers 30:19

Yeah, the looks aren't too long yeah.

Josè Miranda 30:23

This bit will get into your wrist so it looks thinner. But in two years we'll have a manual one as well, and the manual will be 13 or 12 or something.

Blake Rea 30:38

Anything under 15 I'm good with.

Josè Miranda 30:41

Yeah, no, this is 14.9.

Blake Rea 30:43

I'm right there.

Justin Summers 30:48

I was going to say so what? Sorry to interrupt you.

Josè Miranda 30:56

No, I was saying that this is almost 15. We need the space for the movement. There's nothing we can do. It's very difficult to make it thinner with a movement like this.

Justin Summers 31:13

Yeah, so describe your process of designing a new watch model. Where do you start? Do you start with an idea? Do you start with something else that somebody's done and you want to tweak something? Just if you can describe that whole process for us.

Innovative Watch Design and Inspiration

Josè Miranda 31:29

Yeah, okay, so for that I will show you one that I have here. This is the upcoming jumping hour, which is a different concept from a jumping hour. So this is the oveny, what the oveny means UFO and the UFO it has a construction that no one has ever tried before.

Josè Miranda 32:06

That is so unique. It's a dummy. There is no movement inside yet because we had to change. I will explain everything about this, but basically, one of my favorite brands is Hurwark. They have the most amazing complications based in 1600s and 1700s, and then they have increased the difficulty. They have created miniatures of it. So they have some very amazing designs, and one of the designs that I most like I can't do it because it's done. I can't copy it. I don't want to make an evolution of their designs. It's their market, it's their area. I will never be able to reach what they do and I don't want to. We have our own space. I can do our own stuff.

Josè Miranda 33:12

But one of the difficulties was to make this case without looking at a Hurwark or without looking at an original Ikepod, for example, because of the round shapes. So we had to go a bit far from what people had been doing and I wanted to make the second jumping hour because we were so successful with the first one. And what's happening here is the following so we have a crystal that is like a donut, so this is an independent part from the rest of the case. We have a metal dome that in the future we will be able to hand decorate or to decorate the way we want to make it. Different approaches to this we have a crown at 12 o'clock to make it slightly more fluid in terms of the design.

Josè Miranda 34:20

The base for the design is the Jupiter II, the space ship from Lost in Space. This is the original shape of the Jupiter II with a few tweaks, but even the legs are quite similar to the approach. But then for copyright reasons, etc. We cannot make a direct collage with that and we don't want, because we have evolved In Portuguese, because I'm originally from Portugal, in Portuguese, ufo we say ovni, which means exactly the same as UFO. So I like this shape because it looks like an O, so ovni, okay. So everything matches and in the back we have a cool design of the ovni over here it's getting beamed up right.

Josè Miranda 35:32

Exactly, it's getting beamed up.

Justin Summers 35:37

Beamed up, Scotty.

Josè Miranda 35:40

And what is mad about this? Also, there are a few complications here. So when is the font? So we redesigned the font, inspired on the Star Wars. I love that.

Blake Rea 35:59

I didn't pick that up until now.

Josè Miranda 36:02

It's very difficult, so this is the 12., that's so cool. It's at 12 o'clock and what you see here it's a hand, so it's an aperture.

Blake Rea 36:17

And then, once it changes, the aperture is just going to change to the one, and then you've got your little minute track that's circling around the center.

Josè Miranda 36:27

Exactly so. What it jumps, it's the dial and not the hour.

Blake Rea 36:34

Yeah, that is so cool.

Josè Miranda 36:41

There is one, what only in the history of what's making that be that one brand only. I will not tell which one it was. People can look for it, sure it's about you, man, but I didn't know.

Josè Miranda 36:54

But when I created this one, when I have this, I don't know this mental orgasm about this. I didn't know what that. Any other brand that's done already before? Yeah, which is sad, because when I show this to one of our friends, he's a journalist, he knows everything about what's making and he told me oh, there is a brand that they did that about 10 years ago. Really, oh, that's annoying Because I wanted to be the first one.

Blake Rea 37:33

I know which brand you're talking about and the execution is totally different. It's very different. Same concept. It's a different approach.

Josè Miranda 37:43

Yes, because they have a transparent dial. They show the mechanics. Yeah, rotates the same way. It's a different approach.

Blake Rea 37:52

Yeah.

Josè Miranda 37:53

It's like it's a very traditional approach.

Blake Rea 37:55

For sure.

Josè Miranda 37:56

For hours. It's not traditional in any way. This case is 38 millimeters, it's also where We'll also have the same one with 44 millimeters. Oh, okay, so exactly the same watch, but in two sizes because the lugs are under the case. So the watch fits really. It wears really really small. Yeah, so this one will be for splendor wrists and the 44, which is usually a huge watch when you talk about the 44 millimeters.

Blake Rea 38:34

Yeah.

Josè Miranda 38:35

It's a normal. It's smaller than this one because it's going to wear like 40.

Josè Miranda 38:41

Exactly, that's exactly that Amazing. This is not going to be the bracelet. The bracelet, it will be a rubber, also specific for the watch, and this is being test. So the reason why we don't have a movement here, it's because we had a Landeron 24. We develop our own module so it can fit in this case and it can rotate the dial instead of rotating the disk. We have a few options in the market, but to rotate the dial there was no option at all, so we are developing it ourselves. That's one of the examples of being a proprietary development for us. I created the concept and they know how to execute it. So that's why we get together so well.

Blake Rea 40:00

It's safe to say that you take a lot of inspiration from modern culture when you are developing these watches, because you said this one was from Lost in Space.

Josè Miranda 40:15

I love how everything is either space related or the scientific table. Everything has a rhyme and a reason for it. Have you ever read the Incaul? The Incaul is a book written by Jodorowsky and Alexander Jodorowsky and the illustrations are made by Moibius, a French guy. They get together, they had some speed and probably other stuff and they wrote a book like this, with all the designs, in a week or so. It's madness. You should read that. It's called the Incaul On the Incaul, which is a science fiction history that is now, I think, finally being adapted for an animation film by what's the name of the director, takikiki Tamikiki. It's a very good guy.

Blake Rea 41:32

I forgot his name. I'm not plugged in with cinema like that.

Josè Miranda 41:40

He is amazing. I think he is now making the animation of that Taika.

Justin Summers 41:45

Watsiti.

Josè Miranda 41:46

Yeah, that's the one.

Justin Summers 41:49

New.

Josè Miranda 41:49

Zealand.

Justin Summers 41:51

He's hilarious.

Josè Miranda 41:55

Let's talk about. I'm sorry, go ahead. Sorry, just to finish. If you read that book, you will find elements that helped me find the solutions for some of these details. Yeah, that's retro engineering. It's a science fiction history in the future, but using elements from the 70s. That kind of design is my. That's where I am. I love it, so that's why we have these as well, and that's why the rectangular design is going to blow everyone's mind, because it's completely different from everything else.

Josè Miranda 42:47

But at the same time, we draw the line to make it usable, to make it comfortable.

Blake Rea 42:53

Wearable.

Materials and Technologies in Watchmaking

Josè Miranda 42:55

Yeah. Wearable, exactly Because there is no point for me to make watches with, you know, 20, a height, and I want people to wear it on a daily basis. That's why they are also affordable. That's the idea.

Blake Rea 43:12

There's no point in making watches people can't wear Exactly Something that you know segues right perfectly into our next question here. Obviously, your brand isotope, and you have fun with elements, right, that is where you, that's your sandbox, that's your playground. What materials and technologies are you most excited about incorporating into your watches? Like, is there any materials that you guys are working with that you just haven't figured out yet, or any other complications that maybe you feel like people haven't haven't brought out yet? I mean, obviously don't disclose anything that somebody would steal from you, but I'm sure you're having fun with materials that we don't know about, and, if so, would you disclose what those are or even some of the complications?

Josè Miranda 44:03

you guys are. We have, yeah, complications. I will not. We are making a few models that I will not tell what they are because otherwise it will open the game. No, yeah we don't want anybody to steal your sauce here. No, it's fine, but I think it's even more fun if I don't talk about them. I need the future people to see what. Oh, okay, this is cool.

Josè Miranda 44:33

This is new. But in terms of materials, we tried a few things in terms of new steels, in terms of new components, but the problem is most of those components are being used in new movements to make them lighter, to make them more accurate, to make them more resistant, etc. And the problem with those is that when you transport new materials for a watch case, people don't like it. People don't buy them. Some will buy them, for example, but for example, we have an experience of making a bronze watch or a bronze case and using it using the same components that Panerai is using, for example, for the case, which is very high quality bronze. It's exactly the same material. But even though even the quality that we have on that case, people don't really appreciate it. People prefer steel or titanium or white gold.

Blake Rea 46:01

Bronze is an acquired taste because, of course, if it's a patina you have to take care of it. I mean it comes with care. So on, steel you just boom, done whatever right.

Josè Miranda 46:11

Exactly so. We have created a case with a very specific component, but in the end it looks like plastic. People wouldn't like that. Too light, too different, so even for dials sorry.

Blake Rea 46:36

You're talking about carbon.

Josè Miranda 46:41

Yes, it's similar to carbon, but mixed with other products. But I'm very. Although we have this crazy stuff, I'm very traditionalist and I prefer to use materials that we know that people will enjoy them. For sure, Because they are simple, because they are not fashionable, you don't use it because it's cool to use it for a year or so and then you just drop it. For example, I try to use I try to make a dial with that paint that is very, very dark, very black.

Blake Rea 47:37

I'm talking about.

Josè Miranda 47:39

But you know we weren't able because they didn't like the design that we show them. So we are not using that. It's vent and black. We are not using it and you know the Mosa is using that same paint, because I think it's amazing, I think it's really. There are other options, but I think that if we want to make a deep black dial, it needs to be with the original color. If we use a secondary option, it's another one. It doesn't make sense. I don't like meteorite dials, for example. I don't like stone dials. I will probably we'll like them in the future. I just didn't find the right way to make them. It's for my taste, for the way I see watches, but there are a few, obviously. For example, christoffel Ward made one in Aventurine, I think it's called Aventurine.

Blake Rea 48:51

Aventurine.

Josè Miranda 48:53

It's beautiful. One of the freaking watches is beautiful. I would use that one, and it's not very common for me to say that I would use another watch from another brand, but I would use that one because I saw the watch for the first time in New York and it's beautiful.

Blake Rea 49:14

Aventurine is becoming more common in the marketplace. You see brands like Omega using Aventurine as well. It's not too challenging to work with because it's also a synthetic material, so it's manufactured, yeah, but it looks amazing.

Josè Miranda 49:34

It's beautiful because it's beautiful.

Blake Rea 49:37

And I think people respond.

Josè Miranda 49:40

Captures of the light. Yes, it just beats it.

Justin Summers 49:44

It's the sparkles and the deepness. Exactly.

Josè Miranda 49:47

It's beautiful.

Blake Rea 49:51

We just talked about meteorite. Every single dial will be a different yes, unique Meteorite. You cut it and then you produce the dial, and then you sand it and you polish it or whatever. Everybody's getting a unique watch to them.

Josè Miranda 50:11

Yeah, that's it Exactly.

Blake Rea 50:12

And the same.

Josè Miranda 50:16

Meteorite, for example. No, there's something missing there. That's the thing you need to build such a specific case to wear a meteorite dial. There are lots of divers with meteorite dials. They don't make sense to me, they don't match. It's not there. I'm trying to enjoy and there are a few brands that are making them and the cases are fantastic. They are brilliant, but then they apply the freaking meteorite dial there.

Justin Summers 50:59

And it doesn't match.

Josè Miranda 51:00

No, it's not. It doesn't no.

Blake Rea 51:03

Don't do that, since we're talking about meteorite and this is just a baby transition and I know we've got a very guided follow-up question for you. Obviously you did a watch and you used NASA branding. So what was that like? I'm assuming you probably had to file to make an application to use their branding or anything.

Josè Miranda 51:32

How did that?

Blake Rea 51:33

transpire.

Josè Miranda 51:38

About two years ago or more, I wanted to make a NASA watch and I started the process for certification, which is impossible At the moment. For what I could understand, only Omega have certification due to historical approach, although Omega just did a dial with a small rocket on it, which I think is hilarious, but that's fine. And then G-Shock, from Cassio. They also have certification, I think because of technical principles and there are other brands that they collaborate in terms of design with NASA. The questions I had were will this watch comply if, for any reason, it needed to go to space? And the answer is yes, it's very easy. If an Omega can go to space, any diver watch for me or for any other brand, as long as it can withstand 200 meters of waterproofness, will withstand the requirements to take the watch to space. Basically, very simply, we can translate it this way because a diver watch with certification will withstand the waterproof that is necessary, the G's that are necessary, the anti-corrosion that is necessary, etc. So that was the principle, the initial question. The second question was in terms of design, because I wanted to make it white and fun enough, our logo, which is the droplets. In the old days, or a few years back. There were no doors on the space ships, it was an Ingen. It was something that they had to open and pull like that, and that's it. That was to close. It was the same way. So the door had the shape of a water drop as well, which is cool. That's why we have it on the dial. Small touch yeah, it's our logo, but it's like out of curiosity, it's exactly the same as the door they used before.

Josè Miranda 54:40

And then I always wanted to make a distressed watch in terms of design, and in the US it's very common to use Cerakote and the Gans to make them whiter, to make them like rough. They look like rough and that's what we try to do. So we created, on the idrium, a distressed look. It looks like the case was or is part of the spaceship that got into the atmosphere and got burned. So every case is finished by hand. They are all different from all of them. So we made 200, if I'm not wrong. They are all different because they are all finished by hand. And then, in terms of the dial, it's the white dial. It's the white bezel with full loom also, but in that case, instead of C3, we use DigiW9, which gives it a bluish light.

Blake Rea 55:56

It's like the moon color at night or something it gives me that vibe, exactly that's the idea.

Josè Miranda 56:03

And then I saw a few straps made by Nick Monkey and I sent him an email listen, I'm making this watch. Will you be interested in making an ASA strap specific for the watch? And yes, he said yes, I love the watch, so let's make it. So it makes sense, a white dial in that case. In terms of design, in terms of resistance, with that strap, I love it. It's a dream come true.

Justin Summers 56:46

I'm curious, Jose, now that you kind of mentioned that and collaborating with him for the straps and I know Blake had mentioned the question about NASA Can you give us a description of maybe a collaboration or a partnership that significantly impacted your brand's journey up to this point?

Josè Miranda 57:06

Yes, with Second, second by far. We did that. So our logo is isotope. And what he did? He inverted and instead of isotope it became autopsy, and an autopsy because we were making an autopsy from the previous years of isotope. We changed the logo, we upgraded the logo and at the same time he made that hand that looks like the end of life. I don't know the name now, and so it's a memento mori watch without showing oh, what's the name for the skull? Without showing a skull. It's a memento mori without showing a skull, which is one of the first memento mori watches, if not the first one, that didn't use a skull to represent the memento mori design, and that one was impactful because we took one in the Alps here to bring that one to life.

Josè Miranda 58:40

We only made 50, unfortunately, this all out in a few hours and I wish I had made more, and we will make other collaborations within for sure. I wanted to make one in 2024, this year, but let's see if it's possible or not. But he's so bright, so intelligent, so fast. I don't understand how it's possible for him to make. How many did he make this year? 12? 13 collaborations last year, unbelievable, all of them brilliant, all of them different from it's unbelievable. I love it and that one showed me. That working with him showed me don't be a smartass because he's better than you, and keep cool. It's important sometimes because sometimes we make a few cool designs and we think, yeah, we are no.

Justin Summers 59:53

Genius.

Josè Miranda 59:54

Yeah because there is always someone doing really cool stuff, Of course. But for example and this is interesting when he started making those specific dials for very original dials for Rolex and for his own brand, when he started upgrading vintage watches with his hands, At the same time we were creating the hand for the wheel return and other hands that then we didn't release because they were too similar to what he's doing, which is cool. But we start developing a few things at the same time, which is very, very interesting. But he became very famous when he did that first approach with the Moser it was a leather. When Moser deleted the logo from their dials, that's what gave him a different position in the market, obviously, but we had a few ideas and we had to retract them because he was first showing them.

Josè Miranda 1:01:20

But this collaboration with him, the autopsy, it was really really high-hopening because it's fantastic to work with him.

Blake Rea 1:01:33

Amazing, something that I've heard you talk about, and it sounds like you have a lot of regrets in the brand, and it sounds like you regret that you haven't made more of a lot of your watches. You're never going to know when you release or watch, how the market's going to respond to it. But something that might be interesting that we don't hear a lot of brands talk about is some of the challenges that you faced as a startup, as a brand, and maybe some of the things that you've worked to overcome.

Josè Miranda 1:02:16

Do you?

Blake Rea 1:02:16

have anything you can give us there?

Navigating the Competitive Watch Market

Josè Miranda 1:02:19

Yes, Of course it's very difficult when you are using your own money, Because until the pandemic, I was working as a studio manager of post-production studio and I had a salary and I had my hobby. My hobby was to make a few cool watches and if I sell them, great. If I don't, no worries. I love them, so I will wear them. But when the pandemic came, I was lucky because a month before the pandemic I sold my shares in the company and then the pandemic came and everything went, everything closed down, etc. So I was at home, I was with money in the bank, so I decided to make. My plan B became my plan A. So that's when the company really grew and that's when it really started investing in more designs.

Josè Miranda 1:03:43

And it's complicated to have so many ideas, but I don't know how to know. If I do a scribble, it's horrible, it doesn't look good. So I was lucky to have, during my years in the area, to work with so many designers, with so many architects, and I work with one guy since day one. He's my friend for about no 20 years or more and he's a graphic designer and also a professor of 3D animation, so he is excellent in creating characters. He's excellent in creating animation. He is really really good and we have the same language. So, in terms of transporting the designs to the paper and then from the paper to 3D file and then make a 3D print out of it and then make it real, it's a very slow process, very, very, very slow.

Justin Summers 1:05:12

I could imagine.

Josè Miranda 1:05:14

We need to be very patient and we need to make many mistakes until we have something that is really, really good and in the end it's very expensive, because if you don't get it right the first time, you need to do it again and again, and again. And sometimes you make it perfect, but it took so long to make it that when it's time to release it, someone else will release it. Read something similar. I have a few prototypes that they will never see the light because, although they were made before, any other brand had a similar case or dial or hands, when it was time to release them, someone was already in the market with a similar product.

Justin Summers 1:06:09

If you're not first, you're last.

Blake Rea 1:06:11

That's a very famous saying Ricky Bobby that's right.

Josè Miranda 1:06:21

So we didn't release some of them. But in terms of company, in terms of what we try to make, in terms of investment, for example, at the moment it's very difficult because, as I explained, a diver watch requires a specific case, A dress watch requires a specific case, A chronograph the same, etc. We don't have a case that we can, with some tweaks, adapt for a pilot or for a field watch or for a dress watch or for something else. We create a specific case for each situation and that's very expensive. That's bad engineering. I'm aware of that. I know that, for example, I have a small fortune invested in stock. Some of that stock I will never be able to recover because I can't use them, but some stock I will be able to refurbish to do some stuff in the future. But the money I have stopped there is dangerous for a small company like ours and that's something that is very scary. That's something that is very scary, For example, when we create a new color code or a new design or a new approach. I don't know how the market will react If we don't sell that. It's a big blow for such a small company like ours. So it's scary. Every day it's scary. Every day it's a new day.

Josè Miranda 1:08:30

We could try to make a traditional watch approach, but we will be another one, and there are so many good things. At the moment. There are so many brands doing amazing, amazing stuff, and that is something that I comment. With a friend in New York when I was at the one and one watch fair. We were showing our watches there, and the second day before the fair opened, I went for a walk to see what the other guys were doing and I realized what the fuck am I doing here? It's so difficult because there are so many brands doing so amazing stuff. They are doing amazing designs. The quality is just brilliant, so it's for me an honor to be able to compete with them in the same market and to sell the watches the same way they are selling, Because it's really really, really highly competitive at the moment. It's very difficult.

Josè Miranda 1:09:48

And every day we see a new brand coming up and a new brand and a new brand, a new Kickstarter, etc. Etc. And when I see them selling watches for 300 pounds or 300 dollars or 400, I tell people buy them because they are not making money with them. They are not making money. So, if they are offering you the watch, just buy them, because there are a few amazing things out there and they are asking a ridiculous price for it, which is people who just buy them all because that is going to end, Because they are going down, because it's impossible to sell watches for 300 dollars or more similar. It's impossible, it's impossible.

Innovation and Competition in Watchmaking

Blake Rea 1:10:40

It sounds like you have a lot of business and some and you consider the business a huge priority versus a lot of micro brands approaches just hey, our number one priority should be just to get the watches out there, To get them on people's wrists and whatever cost, Right. So I'd be curious to know if you're willing to plug some of the brands that you're impressed with that. You've seen Some come to mind for me, but I'm curious to see what brands you're impressed by within some of those price segments.

Blake Rea 1:11:19

Yeah, if you're willing to say so. I don't want to put you on the spot.

Josè Miranda 1:11:22

That's I'm not afraid of competition. Most of them are my friends. We talk.

Blake Rea 1:11:30

I would argue that your brand is so unique in the sense that nobody's doing what you're doing, so you have a unique customer because we all technically will all watch. Brands technically share a very small customer base, but who's buying your watch is not going to be the same person who just wants another vintage style divers watch, you know.

Josè Miranda 1:11:54

Yeah, you know. Yeah, but there are. We can see now that some brands are starting to use the discs, some brands are starting to use the whites, the blues and the reds. The way we use Some brands are probably inspired by the same things that we got inspiration from. Maybe I'm not saying they are inspired from what we are doing, but they are going to the same roots that we use to get that inspiration. But we did that three years ago, so now we see some common ideas in other brands. That's fine. You know, even some watches will have the same name very soon, and I know that. And that somehow makes me sad, because it takes so much time to find the name for a watch. It takes about three to six months to find the name for a watch. It's not, you know, I could simply call it series one, series two, series three, period, and that's it, which is fine. For example, underdog is doing it and it works perfectly. And the dog? They are not the underdog anymore, because the thing they are doing.

Blake Rea 1:13:30

It's amazing.

Josè Miranda 1:13:31

Yeah, it's fantastic and you know it makes sense what he's doing. Richard is an amazing designer, he's doing an amazing job and he created the cult brand in three years, which is something I think it's. I've never seen that with any other brand. It's unbelievable, it's fantastic, it's oh yeah A few podcasts that we just had back.

Blake Rea 1:14:10

You know, obviously, if you're listening to this publicly now, we you know Ferlin. Ferlin Mari was just on and and it's a great brand. I mean three years in production and he's already got a GPHG award. It's just like exactly.

Josè Miranda 1:14:29

And I'm going to be seeing him in Geneva.

Blake Rea 1:14:32

He's a good guy.

Josè Miranda 1:14:33

Yes, we were nominated for a GPHG but we didn't want with the wheel return because it was so original, so different when it came out. With this here we will compete with at least two watches.

Blake Rea 1:14:51

Sorry, yeah, yes, with two watches.

Josè Miranda 1:14:54

Okay, yes, I will take this one, because this is a true moonshot. No one has ever done nothing like this in terms of chronograph, and this one as well, why not, but do they show no because this is. This is so crazy. No, let's see what happens.

Justin Summers 1:15:15

It's so small compared to the moonshot.

Josè Miranda 1:15:19

It's different. It's so yes, but the 44 we'll get? No, it's yeah, but for example, I forgot the name. I love the. What the? I forgot their name. It's so sad, I'm sorry. I'm terrible for names but very good for for faces. But Nevada, Nevada, Grants, yeah, oh my God they are doing some amazing stuff. I think they are doing some amazing stuff, and the data masters and stuff like that.

Josè Miranda 1:16:00

Yeah, the one they released with 36 millimeters, I think, and 30, though, or something like that. I saw it in New York as well. Up, I love it. It's really beautiful watches. No, I think it's 34. Not 30. It's really small one. It's brilliant, you know, and so I will say, under underdog studios, very good. I will say Nevada, excellent work. They are what they are doing as well, and I can, I can see others, I don't remember the brand.

Justin Summers 1:16:44

Yeah, that's fine.

Josè Miranda 1:16:46

But I assure you, they are different.

Justin Summers 1:16:49

They are quirky.

Josè Miranda 1:16:50

They are different from everything else. They are because if they look like everything else, I don't even look at them because I don't have time to look. Sure, it's true, you know, it's true. It's ridiculous. You know what we see from some brands. Why do they do that, you know? Just think a little bit more and do something really different.

Blake Rea 1:17:16

Another retro diver from another brand.

Justin Summers 1:17:22

I'll switch gears for a second. Jose, and I know that we've obviously talked about you know the watches to look out for from you guys, but are there any more upcoming releases or you know innovations that set you apart from the crowd, that we could be on the lookout for?

Josè Miranda 1:17:40

Innovations apart from the model that we are doing this one. So what? One of the things that we try to do is, when the design is ready, the watch is ready, okay, like this is, for example, what happened with this chronograph. It was ready and then, in that same year that our chronograph was ready, we could see 70 releases of chronographs, all of them inspired in the same chronographs, all of them, all of them with different colors, but the same case, the same pushers, the same approach. And I said, okay, so we are not going to be the 71st release of a typical chronograph, and that's why we made total new approach to get to this result. And even then, when it was ready, I said what if we cover the dial? We make a plain dial and we only discover what needs to be seen when people press the push buttons.

Josè Miranda 1:19:10

So we added the dials on top of it and to add the dials, the disc, on top of the sub dials. To do that it took six months to find the right torque on the dial, on the movement, to be able to support the weight of the sub dials. Discs, because they usually have one hand which is as heavy as your hair, but the discs they are heavier. They are heavier. So when you fit them, the axle, they bend. And if they bend, that's it. You need to I wouldn't say a new movement, but almost you need to start the process. So that's very different, that's very difficult. That is an innovation is to use an existing movement but adapt it in a way that you can add something new, a new interpretation.

Blake Rea 1:20:26

Are you able to tell us about the price?

Blake Rea 1:20:28

here, so I literally just I have the website up. Of course I'm flipping through stuff and come up with ideas to talk about. Yeah, are you able to tell us the price about the Moonshot, because I know you guys have a coming soon page and you have a little video and guys, I mean I can link this in the podcast description. It's an amazing little render but and the dial just doesn't do it justice. I'm assuming you got to see it in real life to experience it, but any possible expectations on where that is going to be sitting at?

Josè Miranda 1:21:03

Around $3,000, more or less. Okay, yeah, on the release, for example, we will also do something that I think it will be more interesting than only making 100 or 150,. We are going to open a window of time I don't know one day, one week we didn't discuss that and during that period you can buy the watch and that's it, the stealth version. It will only be made for revolution during that period, and that's it. We make 50, if we make 1000, we will make 1000. Then in the summer we will have the Terra Maris version, which is the one with brown and blue, with Terra Maris. Terra is Earth, maris is ocean and it's the mixing of the two elements that create the planet Earth, and the watch will represent that, with the tones of blueish and brown.

Josè Miranda 1:22:17

That will come in the summer. That will also be a limited edition, but then we will release the Panda version. The Panda version will stay in the collection. It will be probably the first one that will not be limited. It will be a constant presence in our collection. But in terms of new releases, the first releases will be new hydrants, two new hydrants with a metal bracelet, the metal bracelet. I promise it will be ready last May, then I promise for September, then I promise for November, and that was January.

Josè Miranda 1:23:04

Yes, it's very, very difficult to make them, because the Perfection takes time, definitely.

Josè Miranda 1:23:10

But it's not only perfection, it's the freaking finish, because the case is sandblasted and to have a In the match, a bracelet, a sandblasted bracelet. You use it one day and it's crushed. That's it, it's done. So we had to find a way to make it sandblasted to match the case, obviously, and they will retrofit all the items that we sold before this one, so it will be sold, apparently, from the case. So we had to find a way to make them. There is a spray or something like that, a sort of bath that you give to the metal that it will become hardened.

Blake Rea 1:24:14

Oh yeah.

Josè Miranda 1:24:14

And it will not scratch. But that was changing the color so when we tried to match the color it wouldn't fit the cases that we have done in the past. So it's a very complex way of making it perfect that will have a longevity. That is interesting At least we hope at least one year without big scratches. We need to obviously start to wear. So those will be the first releases. I'm waiting for the bracelets at any moment, but I don't know when anymore.

Josè Miranda 1:25:02

So I will not say another date, then we will have the chronograph, then we will have the mercury, then we will have in between probably four new hydrions, very interesting, some beautiful watches. Then we will have another mercury, but with a brushed dial, which is Nice. I'm in love with it. Give it some texture. Yes, it's unbelievably beautiful, it's amazing. Then we have another release. It will be the Good Do 2.0. So a few years ago we had the Good Do. It was our first diver. Now we have a proprietary mechanism for the inner bezel, we have better dimensions, we have a better movement, we have better everything. Basically, then it will be the Good Do 2.0. We will release it for summer, hopefully. Then we have a 36 millimeter watch. That is absolutely genius. It's a small watch but so beautiful with a crystal like, looks like a Pringle. The crystal is not flat or concave, it's so. It's very different. It's beautiful. I will share the renders in a few days.

Justin Summers 1:26:49

But the prototype is done.

Josè Miranda 1:26:50

It's a working prototype. Now we know that it works. Then we will have the jumping hour as soon as the movement and the model is working as I wanted to. Then we will have a rectangular watch using a new movement from Landron as well. For early next year or mid next year we will have our first integrated bracelet watch. I haven't done it until now because I like to wear my own straps. I like people to wear their own straps as well.

Josè Miranda 1:27:40

Yeah, of course, with an integrated bracelet, you can do that. You are subject to what we can offer you, so let's see if people like that one as well. We start creating it about six months ago and we already have one line, which is good it's a good principle Nice Can't wait to see. Yeah, so in between we will have a few versions of the Goode, though We'll have a few versions of the Idrium If the 36mm goes. It's called the flyway because it looks like the wings of birds.

Josè Miranda 1:28:24

That are flying, which is really cool. If it goes as planned, I think it will be your success, not only for men, but for slender wrists as well. But there is one that I can talk about one model that we are making that is going to be very, very high-end. That is another step for us, and we are going to start using Tritium in some of our watches. The problem is that we are using Tritium like no one has ever used it before, so it's going to be fun.

Blake Rea 1:29:12

Tritium tubes no, no go.

Josè Miranda 1:29:15

I will not tell you.

Justin Summers 1:29:18

He's full of secrets, man. You've tested him? I know.

Blake Rea 1:29:22

He wants my wrist to fall off too.

Josè Miranda 1:29:24

If I tell you how it will be fun for you, of course. I will not tell you. I showed it to my engineer last week and he said why don't you do simple things?

Justin Summers 1:29:47

You better get that patent pending.

Blake Rea 1:29:51

He just wants to make vintage divers. Man, Leave him alone. No it's serious.

Josè Miranda 1:29:56

It's going to be really fun to see how people react to that.

Exploring Watchmaking With Isotope

Blake Rea 1:30:01

We always like to end the podcast and we've taken so much of your time and we're humbled to have you here. We always like to ask and you've given us a hint into this year what to expect. But how do you envision the next decade from the isotope perspective, and I'm sure you have some milestones that you want to check off for the brand. Give us a little bit of insight there and then we'll say our goodbyes.

Josè Miranda 1:30:35

Yeah, when I created the brand, it was to be a one-off. I started with a very difficult one to make the jumping hour. As I told you before, I have two brands that I love them. It's one, it's Worldwork. Another one is MBNF. The stuff they do, it's very high-end. They are pioneers in making the designs that I really love. They tell me something and they were able financially to put something very expensive to make inside of them. I can't do that yet, but that's where I want to be in the next years. I want to get there. I'm not sure if I will be able to make it in the next 10 years. I hope so.

Josè Miranda 1:31:56

I want to make it under the same name. But you will start to see some differences on what we do. For example, on the watches that we signed the name Isotope, they have a price range. Then we have another watches that they don't say Isotope on the dial, they only have the droplet. And then there are other watches like this one they say Isotope and they have the droplet. So we have, within the same brand, three levels of watches being made that will probably address different price points. So what I will try to make is to explore, within the same umbrella, the same brand, three different levels of watchmaking and then a fourth, and when I get to the fourth I will be happy. Let's see.

Blake Rea 1:33:03

Any ideas? What you're going to call that fourth segment?

Josè Miranda 1:33:09

It will be Isotope as well. It will be Isotope as well. I don't feel comfortable using my name on the watches because I'm not a watchmaker. If you are a watchmaker, you can build your own movement, makes sense to sign with your name. But if it's just a design approach or a company because I manage the company, I manage the design, I manage many other stuff, obviously, but I don't make the movements with my hands and I don't think it's elegant to sign a watch without with your name, if you're using someone else's movements. But let's see what happens. I think I'm on a good path to get there, but under the same umbrella probably, probably with another name after my name. But let's see how things go.

Blake Rea 1:34:29

Hopefully in that decade we'll communicate before then, but hopefully we'll revisit that, this podcast in a decade and see where we're at. We might even be laughing looking back and be like, wow, this is obviously you've been doing watches for a while, but maybe we'll be shocked by how far you've progressed. Certainly rooting for you. I'm certainly rooting for you. I think I could speak for my audience and me personally and some of the people that I know that listen to our podcast that I communicate pretty regularly with. We're all huge fans of what you're doing. We had put and, funny enough, we had put out some messages about what brands people want to see next to bring on. You were actually, ironically, the most voted brand to come on. Thank you.

Josè Miranda 1:35:38

I had no idea. We were saving them, we were saving that juice for later.

Blake Rea 1:35:42

But no, we literally had a huge amount of people that begged us to bring you on. There's a lot of people out there that are really paying attention to what you're doing and there's, like I said, within my watch community and within the groups that I communicate with, everybody's been looking forward to hearing what you have to say and you just gave it to us Fantastic, no, fantastic.

Josè Miranda 1:36:10

Thank you all so much. Without you guys this doesn't exist. One thing is sure I wouldn't make a watch I wouldn't be able to wear it myself If there are so many people out there enjoying what we are doing and buying them. Thank you, that's incredible. That's incredible.

Blake Rea 1:36:41

That's what it's all about. It's all about giving back and that's a part of our mission here at Lonely Wrist to give people content that maybe they won't see elsewhere and to give a new perspective on brands and purchasing watches, or maybe even just the journey. We talk a lot about the journey of collecting watches more and not as much like hey, here's a press release from a brand. We just repackaging a press release and doing review videos. We really like to get our hands on watches. We really like to talk about the long-term wearability, because a lot of times people get watches in and they'll just drop a press release and say this is a great watch. You don't understand how this watch impacts your life when you have it for a week, unfortunately.

Josè Miranda 1:37:40

We have a synergy together. I have lots of watches, as you can imagine. This one I start wearing this one in November. That's it.

Blake Rea 1:37:55

Trust me One and done. One and done. I get scared.

Josè Miranda 1:38:01

Yeah, sometimes I'm because I pick the others and I tell myself I need to use this one, I need to show this one, but in the end of the day, it's this one that comes again to my wrist. It's unbelievable, it's really. You will see, you will have the opportunity to have one in your wrist, or more than one. You'll see what I'm saying.

Blake Rea 1:38:25

It's good, that's the hardest thing that I face. I'm a filmmaker, Justin's a photographer. We're watch nerds. I come from marketing. That's the hardest thing that I face. I know Justin faces it is once you get a watch in your hands. It's really hard to convey that through imagery, through video. Obviously, you can use the best Macarons that you have, but it's still.

Justin Summers 1:38:55

It's not palpable.

Blake Rea 1:38:56

Yeah, once you have a quality watch in your hands and on your wrist, that feeling cannot be simulated virtually Exactly, exactly. Yeah, we understand.

Josè Miranda 1:39:10

We're looking forward to that opportunity to get hands on with some of your pieces. We need to go back, for sure.

Blake Rea 1:39:18

All right, guys. We're just going to wrap up here. We have spent an hour and almost 40 minutes with Jose from Isotope Whoa.

Josè Miranda 1:39:26

That was fun yeah.

Exciting Content Creation Opportunities

Blake Rea 1:39:28

It goes by when you're having fun. We can sit here and talk for more hours, but hopefully you guys understand the journey of Isotope and understand the direction of Jose that is leading this brand into being such a unique force in the industry. We want to thank everybody for tuning in and listening. For those of you that hung on this long amazing. Obviously, we're going to link Isotope. If you haven't heard of them already, I'm sure you have. Yeah, Anything else you want to add to that Jose?

Josè Miranda 1:40:07

Thank you so much. This opportunity is really amazing. It was a very good chat. I think it was very.

Blake Rea 1:40:20

Amazing.

Josè Miranda 1:40:22

I try to expose as much as possible what we do, of course. Thank you so much for the invitation.

Blake Rea 1:40:30

We're glad to have you here.

Josè Miranda 1:40:32

In person one of these days.

Justin Summers 1:40:33

We appreciate you.

Josè Miranda 1:40:34

I think it will be really fun to meet you guys in person.

Blake Rea 1:40:38

Yeah, we're all about it. I travel quite a lot. Now I'm starting to. So, yeah, we're at a place right now where we're able to travel across the country and to other side of the world to start working on content. That's what we're doing this time. Tomorrow, I'll be in Geneva working on content with five watch brands. I'm not going to say who it is yet, but let's just say they make some of the best watches in the world. Let's just say that Fantastic. All right, guys, thanks for tuning in. Appreciate everybody who made it this far. We'll see you, guys on the next one.

Justin Summers 1:41:20

Thanks everyone, Thanks Jose.

Josè Miranda 1:41:22

Thank you.