It occurred to me one day as a fresh-hot slick of oil dribbled down my elbow. I realized that perhaps I shouldn't be wearing a watch. "A hundred-fifty meters water-resistant," I grumbled, backing out the drain plug until hot oil fed the basin in a fine black stream. "Sure hope so."

The Connection Between Watches and Cars

The author, his Seiko 7002, and a few choice rides share a unique connection. In the utility sink, I scrubbed the Seiko 7002 with an old frayed toothbrush, carefully cleaning those little unreachable slivers between the crown and its guards. "Watches and cars," I thought. It's a connection often drawn but never truly understood. Hodinkee's pages are filled with proof of this bond. Wheeled things abound here, along with Watch Spotting posts at various events. Porsches, Fords, Land Rovers, Ferraris – every automotive name has a watch story attached. These two objects seem to share their souls in a curious way.This connection has proven to be a useful marketing tool. The right badge on the right watch can attract a lot of money. But there is also an authentic connection that goes beyond corporate interests. At any local SCCA grid, you can hear the jangling of a vintage chronograph's bracelet. But why does this happen?Ted Gushue of Type 7 sports his 1665 Sea-Dweller behind the wheel of a vintage Porsche 550. This shows the deep connection between the two hobbies.Most days, I thought it wasn't worth looking too deeply into this connection. But that oil-covered Seiko gave me pause. Maybe my drive to tinker with cars and watches is just a basic instinct. On some level, I'm like a dog chasing the mailman. There must be something in my DNA that demands it.Cynics might point to materialism. People who like faffy watches also like faffy cars. But this doesn't explain the zealots who pack their desk drawers with cheap eBay G-Shocks and drive dingy Miatas to track days.Another explanation is that there is a natural cross-pollination between hobbies. The "Watch Dork" and "Car Nerd" are simply on different paths to the same goal. There must be a deep communal well within us enthusiasts that fuels our obsessions, whether it's old leaky BMWs, carbon racing bicycles, hand-wound chronographs, or vintage lever espresso machines.In a tin can flying over a faraway land, I found a friend. This happened when I sat next to a young man with a Tudor FXD "Cycling Edition" on his wrist. He worked for the Tudor Pro Cycling Team, and we swapped stories. In that hour-long flight, we connected over our shared passions.What a gift these obsessions are. As our old communes disappear and politics divide our families, it's harder to find real community. Obsessions like cars and watches offer us an antidote to isolation. They affirm our existence and give us a sense of belonging.See the dude rocking a vintage Speedy down the bar or the guy driving a two-stroke Saab? It's an invitation to share our enthusiasm. We love cars and watches because of the rabbit-hole aspect, but mostly because they connect us. Other watch nerds provide us with a much-needed space where our passions are not judged but celebrated.If our most basic desires are to breathe, drink, and eat, our most human desire is to be seen as we are – without judgment. That's why cars and watches are the most important unimportant things. They are conduits to human connection. Whatever our excuse, whether it's a ticking watch or a driving car, our passions are worth chasing and sharing.