For decades, it was the only way to display time and daylight globally before the Internet. Even though the company changed hands and moved from California to Oregon and then to Colorado Springs, Colorado, Geochron remains a niche product with a passionate fan base. Only a handful of skilled technicians can make these complex watches, and their limited production has made them an exclusive item rather than a mass-market hit.
Today, Bolan’s passion for the Geochron still shines: he has expanded into digital offerings in hopes of ensuring this anachronistic watch remains relevant in a world driven by data and convenience. During the pandemic, Bolan took the show on the road, riding his BMW RT motorcycle across the lower 48 states to visit a Geochron owner in each state. That trip allowed him to put faces to purchase orders, giving Bolan a better view of Clock’s small but fervent fan base.
Although the moment did not coincide, one of the possible visits was with the owner of Long Island WatchMarc Frankel, whose Geochron will look familiar to anyone who sees his youtube videos. Frankel, who trained as an aerospace engineer, is quick to point out not only that he has a Geochron but also the intricacies of a device that accurately captures the analemma of the sunits trajectory in the shape of an eight in the sky.
Frankel first found the watch in a Sharper Image catalog, which was very much in line with the clientele Geochron had targeted for decades. “Then I saw it in Hunting for Red Octoberand I was like, ‘Oh my God,’ and I know Reagan had one too,” Frankel says. “I love the map of the curve of sunlight and how, over time, through the planet’s orbit, the sun hits it. It just changes, and that’s amazing to me. I looked for something that could emulate it, but a 99 cent screen protector wasn’t mechanical enough for me. So I put in a few grand and it’s been with me ever since.”
Frankel draws parallels between the Geochron and an automatic watch: While a 99-cent screensaver, or an Apple Watch, can show you the same information and much more, the mechanical nature of a Geochron and an automatic watch tickles some nerds. fiber. For Frankel, that mechanical nervous system keeps the Geochron relevant.
