Worn & Wound: A Home for Enthusiast Communities

Two years ago, I penned a letter to you, our audience, titled Worn & Wound – a Place to Discover Watches and Experience Enthusiasm. The premise was pretty simple: we’d grown over the years as a company, as people, and as a community, so the scope of our coverage was changing to reflect that. What tied the old and the new together was, and still is, our genuine enthusiasm for what we do.

In the time since our growth has accelerated, and so has our need for introspection. We reached a turning point as a company, a brand, and perhaps an industry that has inspired us to think about what we do and why we do it. Conveniently, we had the beginnings of our answer in the tagline we unveiled two years ago: Experience Enthusiasm. Seeking, creating, and expressing enthusiasm have always been the undercurrent of what we do. What we missed was an acknowledgment that enthusiasm goes far beyond watches. 

Enthusiasm is the force that unites groups of people with passions and interests. It’s why some of us can stare endlessly at watches, others at camera stats, others at pens, knives, and cars, and… well, you get the picture. Worn & Wound wants to bring these passions and communities together because while the products or experiences at the center of these communities differ, the enthusiasm is shared and can be exceptionally infectious.

I could go on, but this time, we thought it would be best if you heard the thoughts of the members of the Worn & Wound team that run our various departments and will be implementing this new vision over the coming years.

Zach Kazan, Managing Editor

Like everyone else here at Worn & Wound, I love watches. Probably to an extent that most would deem somewhat unhealthy. Watches have been my primary hobby for the last decade or so, and my profession for five years. I am, in every sense of the word, invested. 

But something else I share with the team is that there are many, many other things I like besides watches. Watches, in fact, have been a gateway to a lot of other categories of “stuff” that have given me a lot of joy in the time I’ve been in the hobby. And watches have illuminated connections to things I’ve been interested in that predate my watch obsession by decades (the space program is my favorite example of this – all of the documentaries I watched as a kid about the early years of NASA take on all kinds of new meaning after you’ve become a watch nut and begin noticing all the Speedmasters). 

A shift to covering other enthusiast pursuits, from my perspective, feels incredibly natural. The reason, I think, is that the way we write about watches has always come from a place of genuine curiosity. Not just for the watches, the physical objects, but for the stories behind them and the people who make and use them. As our own curiosity has taken us into the worlds of EDC, photography, pens, travel, and more, we’ve found (perhaps unsurprisingly) that there are stories to tell in those worlds too.

We’ll never not cover watches, but in the spirit of enthusiasm that has always driven us, we’re excited to discover more, along with all of you.

Kat Shoulders, Head of Content

As many of you know, I like things, all things. Things from watches, cameras, bags, pens – the list goes on and on. Over the last few years of producing content here at Worn & Wound, I’ve always kept my passion for these things at the forefront of the storytelling we do. I can honestly say I’ve been chomping at the bit to expand beyond watches in the way we’re about to. I’m so stoked to continue to put the spotlight on genuine people in the real world using these things they’re passionate about. My hope is for our audience and readers to see the enthusiasm and passion we have come through in our content. This is such an exciting new chapter for Worn & Wound and I’m honored to be a part of it.

Ricardo Simé, Shop Manager 

Every time I’ve attended one of our events, whether it’s our fair or a brand centered meetup, I try to find some time to chat with those in attendance. The opportunity to learn and speak to so many people, with so many different experiences is one I never want to miss.

Quite often the conversation moves away from watches. I find myself talking about the comfort of a well made boot. Or how I’ve picked up a new backpack for daily use. It happens so genuinely and without prompting that after a while you realize that there are multiple things those in attendance are passionate about. It’s never just watches. That’s why doubling down on Experience Enthusiasm is really a natural progression of who we are as a company and who we’ve always been. 

Kyle Snarr, Head of Partnerships

I’ve always viewed my watch as an important piece of the whole. Whether it’s a fit for a night out on the town or a kit for an upcoming outdoor adventure, I usually start with which watch and begin building from there. It’s clear that the Worn & Wound reader is a gear enthusiast audience. In their solar system of gear enthusiasm, a watch clearly sits at the center. But as much as they care about the watches in their kits, they care equally for what’s in their pockets, what’s on their back, what’s on their feet, and around their necks.

On the Partnership team here at Worn & Wound, we’ve already created multiple avenues for brands to showcase their watches paired with amazing gear for all kinds of adventures. This type of branded storytelling, such as our Tool/Kit series, has resonated with our audience in a way that has many of them actually looking forward to the next sponsored post, rather than just skipping it. For me personally, seeing this kind of response to our work is incredibly rewarding and it can be directly attributed to the fact that it comes from a place of passion for both watches and gear to an audience with precisely those same passions.

James Helms, CCO

Ever since I started down the path of making watches my career back in 2010, I was just as interested in other items as well. Through the years I have continued to cultivate relationships in these communities and collected many items in the EDC category, in most cases with the same passion I have for watches. I am really excited at what we can learn, create and build as we begin to cover new product categories, and to meet the new readers and enthusiasts that we will encounter along the way.

Blake Malin, CEO

Authenticity is a principle here at Worn & Wound that we talk a lot about. It’s probably the most important core value we share that has driven Worn & Wound to become what it is today. Readers come to Worn & Wound knowing that we’re motivated by a genuine passion for watches and a sincere interest in sharing our knowledge and perspective.

Spending time with our staff and so many readers at Windup Watch Fairs over the past several years, it has become apparent that our collective enthusiasm stretches far beyond watches. Walk the floor of a Windup event and you’ll see all sorts of cool backpacks, cameras, apparel, EDC (knives, pens, flashlights, etc), and more. And what’s even better, like with watches, most folks are eager to talk shop and share their enthusiasm for the gear they use daily.

So, if we’re being authentic to ourselves and to the folks in our community, the decision to broaden our scope beyond watches is natural, if not necessary. I’m excited to learn about and be inspired by the passions of our community. I hope you are too.

In the coming weeks, you’ll see a variety of articles on topics that are of interest to us, and to our growing enthusiast community, including camera reviews, discussions of the gear we use everyday, and guides to the world of pens, knives, backpacks, and more. To reflect this new approach, we’ve updated our mission statement, which gets the point across:

We are enthusiasts for the tools and experiences that enrich our lives. 

We believe thoughtfully crafted products and enthusiastic communities elevate our daily adventures, foster relationships, and provide enduring value.

Guided by this culture of enthusiasm, we share stories, showcase products, and create approachable spaces that bring people together.