June 3, 2025 
“Out of Office” is a series of stories accounting our experiences trying to find moments of solace outdoors, as well as our interaction with the gear that comes along with us, and that most certainly includes the watches on our wrist. Out of Office is an escape. It’s about finding an opportunity to put the world on pause, whether it’s the few minutes you take out of your day to read this article or the couple of hours you dedicate to getting out there. It’s where our experience meets our enthusiasm. Through this series, we’ve already seen our authors hike in the local hills with a Sinn, explore a glacier via seaplane with a Citizen, and a road trip through Route 66 with Oris. Let’s continue this journey together and see where it takes us.”
In the last 45 days I’ve traveled by planes, trains, and automobiles from Nashville, to Switzerland, and all the way to the coast of California. All great adventures but they were all mostly for work and I can definitely say I was on the go with them. As a couple of anniversaries were coming up (both work and personal), I knew I wanted to just “get away”. I mean really shut off. Like phone and laptop away and just me and a beach and some books. Okay…and some drinks too. That would make this dream vacation of mine perfect. Well, I did just that. I booked a couple of tickets to the Dominican Republic for a little R&R and to get away from the hustle and bustle of the watch industry for a few days. We succeeded.
When deciding where to go and stay in DR, I really had to do some research. There are dozens of resorts around Punta Cana and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the perfect place. I knew I wanted somewhere quiet that had less of a party crowd. I don’t mind nightlife activities but I didn’t want a party resort. I just wanted to chill and feel relaxed the entire time. Very “White Lotus” vibes if you will. Minus the murder of course. As much as I love road trips and excursions, I really wanted to stay somewhere where we could be happy most of the week with slow mornings and the ocean breeze hitting me all day as I sit drinking some fruity beverage that makes me smile. That ultimately led us to Zoetry Agua Punta Cana.
Now before we go all-in on the resort, I want to quickly call out some of the gear I took with me on the trip. Just because I was getting away from “work” doesn’t mean I don’t carry a few of my favorite things. First and very important was my Topo Designs Apex Global Briefcase and Suitcase. I love gear that’s built with comfort and usability in mind. I’ve had this travel set for a few months now and I’ve packed the Apex Global Traveler Roller with camera gear as well and clothing and it performs admirably for both uses. When traveling your bags kind of become “home base” so I wanted plenty of storage. I’m so attracted to the ripstop grid patterned fabric – I wish it was on more of my bags. The weatherproof zippers are also handy to have when traveling to the tropics. We arrived to a bit of rain on our first day and it put my mind at ease knowing my gear and clothing were safe.
Of course, I don’t go anywhere without a camera. On this trip, I wanted to slow down in the best way. Really framing my shots, examining the light, and focusing on my surroundings. I decided to bring my Leica M-P 240 Safari edition. It really does feel like this is the perfect vacation camera. That safari green paint just belongs outdoors and while it is a tad heavy, it’s still a good size to carry around on walks along the beach at dusk or dawn. This rangefinder manual focus camera isn’t super fast, but it was perfect for shooting my afternoon Mai Tai’s, palm tree shadows mid-day, and cool blue waters. It kept up with the pace of the trip… which was slow.
My Kindle Paperwhite was also part of my kit. Often overlooked in my usual gear kits, it really shouldn’t be. It’s got sand stuck in the corners from multiple beach trips because it gets used so much. I do love a good paper book in my hands but I have to admit when you’re going away for 7 days, being able to carry hundreds of books and options in a device that fits in your back pocket is just too convenient. I’m somewhat of an ADD reader in that I like to bounce around books, mostly going from fiction to non-fiction, and the Kindle just makes that so easy. Even in the hot sun, it didn’t overheat and I’d say this was certainly my most essential item of the trip.
Now it wouldn’t be a proper Out of Office if I didn’t mention my watch. On the wrist the entire trip was my newish purchase, the Formex Reef Radiant Bronze. A collaboration between Collective Horology and Formex, I lusted after this watch for a very long time (just ask Markus). Often looking at it at Windups I would always come so close but ultimately would decide to wait. Then they came out with a 39.5mm version and that just about sealed the deal. They had a customer back out of one in San Francisco at the Windup Watch Fair and I jumped on it immediately. I’ve been a longtime fan of the brand and can’t believe this is my first Formex. It was the perfect companion on the water. That golden, brushed bronze dial pretty much glowed in the Caribbean sun, like it was showing off. But it’s not just a pretty face, this thing handled saltwater swims, beach strolls, and sweaty beach naps with ease, thanks to its comfy rubber strap and super solid build. I didn’t baby it, and I didn’t need to. Inside it has a COSC-certified movement that keeps things precise—not that I was checking the time too often, although it was super helpful to time how long I’d been baking in the sun. It’s the kind of watch that looks like you made a statement without trying, and flys a bit under the radar which was exactly what I was after.
Okay, back to the beautiful resort. The Zoetry Agua in Punta Cana isn’t the hippest place to stay. There’s only one poolside bar and no clubs to hang out in at night. But what it lacks in social spaces, it makes up for on the beach and in the rooms. This resort set itself apart from others we looked at as it was super lush and had a laid-back luxury vibe. I’ll note it was an all-inclusive. Most in the area are. There were 4 restaurants on the grounds with only 2 open at night. I wondered while we were there if May was off-season as we barely saw anyone for the first 24 hours there. It didn’t really feel like a resort, more like someone invited you to their beautiful beachfront estate and then quickly disappeared to let you have the place to yourself. The staff were all super friendly and kept the drinks and food rolling our entire stay.
The suites are tucked into thatched-roof villas wrapped in greenery, with high ceilings, open-air showers, and sliding doors that lead straight to either the beach or a palm-shaded pool. Our mornings always started with coffee in the main restaurant while the ocean glistened in the distance, and afternoons were a rotating mix of ocean dips, beachside reading, or fresh caribbean cooked lunches. Time got away from me in the best way. The resort encourages it—no schedules, no pressure, just a kind of laid-back wellness vibe that you don’t need to sign up for. The only drawback and to no fault of the resort was the red seaweed. It was kind of everywhere. The resort was doing their best daily to sweep up what they could from the tide line but you still had to climb over it at times. Luckily, it didn’t keep me from swimming in the ocean. Call me crazy but I never really understood folks that went all the way to the Caribbean to swim in a pool. I get that pools are nice and clean but I’m here for the beach! That’s where I want to be as much as possible and I love to swim in the salty seawater. Having the staff bring me Piña Coladas by the waves all day didn’t hurt either.
The day before we left, we decided to book a resort night much closer to the airport. We thought it would be fun to stay in the “Castle” at the Sanctuary Cap Cana. This experience was more luxe with more of an architectural appeal. Even though it was just for one night, it was absolutely stunning. This is certainly the resort where things are happening, and it’s easy to see why so many people (mostly couples) were attracted to it. Unfortunately, the red seaweed was even worse here. So much so the beach was completely off-limits, but not to fret, I decided I’d just try out the pool finally and see what all the fuss was about. This place is part Mediterranean castle, part tropical fantasy—with massive stone archways, sweeping terraces, and endless sea views that make you pause every few steps just to take it all in. It had a nice “treat yo self” energy without leaning too heavily on the Vegas feel.
The vibe here was definitely different. More glam, more buzz, more people dressed up for dinner with somewhere to be (or at least somewhere to be seen). After the slower pace of Zoetry, it felt like stepping into the final act of the vacation, where everything’s turned up just a notch: brighter lights, fancier drinks, and the kind of pools that make you wonder if you should’ve packed something sparkly (I did not). The Castle wing really leaned into the fantasy, with dramatic stone walls that felt like a Spanish fortress. Even with the beach off-limits, there was no shortage of places to lounge, sip, and pretend you lived there—which, for one night, felt like just enough.
The Formex bronze shimmered on the wrist like it had been invited specifically for the golden hour. I threw on a linen button-up, we ordered too many courses, and time continued to move in slow motion. It was a final exhale before heading back to real life. Sometimes the best reset is just a beach, a book, and a good excuse to forget what day it is.
Latest Review
