STANDARD H Podcast STANDARD H

I first learned about Katrina Vrakas through one of her pieces of jewelry worn by none other than her brother, Justin. I met him at my booth at WindUp Chicago nearly two years ago, and I find myself developing something with Katrina as we speak.



Her jewelry is unlike most, which is why I’m drawn to it, and it was wonderful to learn more about her background, how & why she got into jewelry, as well as her history with watches. I found my world shrank further when she told me recently that she’d once worked for Analog Shift - a company I’m sure most of you are aware of.



I’ll leave the rest for Katrina to share.



STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_



Katrina Vrakas

https://www.katrinavrakas.com/

@katrinavrakas

Growing up in North Carolina, in order to be as enthused about snowboarding as I was living in Raleigh, one resorted to VHS & DVD’s to get stoked. Some of you may be very familiar with this approach and even perhaps with some of the production companies such as Standard Films and Mack Dawg Productions. Well, those were great, but it was a small crew which made up Robot Food that absolutely had me watching videos over and over and among that crew was Jussi Oksanen.Jussi was always one of a handful of my favorite riders to watch year after year - his style was fun, his creativity was clear, and I truly believe Robot Food wouldn’t have been the same without him. Long story short, in combination of Instagram DM’s and our mutual friend Matt, we set up a time to record, and I’m thrilled to share it with you today.Though retired from snowboarding, Jussi is still very much outdoors, though behind the camera as a commercial photographer producing images with the same sort of stoke-inducing outcomes. We chat cars, his snow career, cycling, of course watches, and I’ll have you know Jussi’s a real one. I hope you enjoy it.



STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_



Jussi Oksanen

@jussioksanen

Mechanics. So many have the reputation that seamlessly dovetail into similar conversations about used car salesmen. Well, I can assure you today’s guest’s reputation precedes him, as I heard how amazing of a human Marco Gerace was prior to ever meeting him. Over the last several months, we began an Instagram DM dialogue, and have chatted at a few meetups where I took a chance on him coming on the pod. He obliged and here we are: me introducing one of the best-known Porsche mechanics in all of Southern California and for good reason. TLG Auto is incredibly reputable and his clients are everyone you probably follow online. Our conversation is full of heart in my opinion, starting with some horological enthusiasm, followed by some meaningful family discussion, and of course some car talk. Today’s episode is one of those that absolutely flew by for me, so please enjoy my conversation with Marco Gerace.

This edition of Pit Stop welcomes Bryan from Bad Art Nice Watch. Bryan told me he wanted to interview me many moons ago. I told him I'd be more than happy to do it, and though it took several months, I'm glad we were able to make it happen. This interview took place only a day before posting and on the heels of his return from New York City where he was plucked to create some art at none other than the Grand Opening of the new IWC boutique on Madison Avenue. I hope you enjoy our conversation, and as always, thank you for listening!



Links:

STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_



Bad Art Nice Watch

https://badartnicewatch.com/

@badartnicewatch

John Reardon is someone I’ve long wanted to meet, and even though it’s often I meet people in person prior to hosting them on the show, there are certainly episodes with folks I’ve never met. John is such an incredibly friendly and approachable person that this didn’t feel like a first meeting - it’s one of those situations where you’ve followed someone’s content long enough to where you almost feel like you know them. Perhaps some of you know feel the same about John. He and I bounce around in such a fun way, and obviously always land on Patek Philippe, the storied watch brand/family-owned company that has completed molded John’s career. I don’t think you’ll find a more educated person on all things Patek which is why there’s an inherent trust in his business, Collectability. And because he agreed to come on this podcast, you’ll also learn about his first car and his wide-ranging taste in music. Please enjoy my conversation with none other than John Reardon.



STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_



Collectability

https://collectability.com/

@collectabilityllc

Wes Wynne and I met through mutual friends back in October in NYC. We share a lot of the same passions including cars, watches and music, so it was only natural that we’d hit it off.With the growing number of watch dealers, I was excited to host Wes, who launched Collectors Corner New York only a few years ago after a career in the music business, which I was unaware of. Today, Wes focuses on the best examples of the pieces he sells, so rest assured if you’re buying from him, he’s done a lot of legwork for you already. His innate sense of research is apparent as you’ll soon hear, and he is one of the most down to earth people in the watch game, so I’m stoked to call him a friend.Per usual, the conversation twists and turns including his collegiate level Squash game.



STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_



Collectors Corner NY

https://collectorscornerny.com/

@CollectorsCornerNY