A Pro Skateboarder’s Rolex Journey Results In A Special Tyme Clock

Okay, this article will be different, but bear with me. The story I will tell you is one of watches, clocks, friendships, and the watch community as a whole. It’s about pro skateboarder Alex Mizurov and me and how we linked up years ago. This eventually resulted in the release of arguably the world’s first skateboard deck clock and Alex pulling the trigger on an amazingly beautiful Day-Date. It’s story Tyme, people.

I want to give you the whole story, so let’s go back to the beginning. We need to travel back to 2020 and the depth of COVID quarantine.

A skateboarder and a watch guy

I had a colleague named Markus who was (and to a certain degree, still is) a skateboarder and a fan of the sport. One day, he reached out to me with a favor to ask. A friend of his, a young guy he used to see in the skatepark many years ago who eventually went pro, got in touch with him. Alex, a seven-time German and one-time European skateboarding champion, was on the market for a watch, but as is often the case, he needed to learn about what he wanted. So Markus did his best, forwarded my details to Alex, and the two of us started talking. I explained the basics to him, showed some models, talked about history, and after an hour-long FaceTime call, the guy was hooked.

I let the info sink in, and a few months later, Alex, who had moved to Dubai, was visiting Germany. We met for a coffee and talked about his new brand Tyme Skateboards and the only watch on his wish list, a white gold Rolex Day-Date. Over the next few years, Alex and I kept in touch, messaging each other occasionally, talking about watches, skateboards, and other things. I’ve never been into skateboarding; I’m more of a basketball guy. But those who grew up in the ’90s and early 2000s remember how much this sport affected the culture. From fashion to movies and music, skateboarding was everywhere, so our friendship easily formed. In the meantime, Alex’s newly formed brand was releasing a few decks, one of which might be interesting for us watch guys as well.

Day-Date bagged

During Dubai Watch Week two years ago, Alex, his lovely wife, and I met again on my last night before Robert-Jan and I departed for Europe. We had a great time, had a few drinks, and enjoyed the DWW atmosphere one last night. Alex told RJ about his dream watch, and little to my surprise, our very own Flying Dutchman was more than supportive of Alex’s choice of a white gold Day-Date. Now fast-forward to the end of last year. I got a message from Alex that he was on his way to Tokyo from Dubai to finally pick up his new pride and joy. Yes, all those talks eventually resulted in him not only finding the timepiece he wanted but also pulling the trigger. The fact that he flew to Japan to pick it up was just a bonus.

Tyme

This could be the perfect end of the story, but it is not. Our initial FaceTime call was the spark that started Alex’s fascination for watches. What I did not know is that I also planted a seed of an idea in him. Alex wanted to combine skating and watches in Tyme beyond the brand name, so he developed a clock from a skateboard deck to celebrate his love for both. Named Timepiece, the clock features a unique deck design that will never become an actual skateboard. The inspiration came from yet another Day-Date, a rose gold model with a green dial that doubles as the clock face. According to Alex, nobody has ever released a deck clock, although many have later converted regular decks to clocks. Earlier this year, when Alex last visited Germany, this time with the Day-Date on his wrist, he came to my office and brought me a clock sample for the photos.

The significance of 21

He explained that the design is limited to 21 pieces only. Why 21? That’s the year he established Tyme, which takes inspiration from the Rolex Tower in Dubai. Located in the DIFC (where DWW will also happen later this year), the tower is close to a favorite skateboard location where Alex skates often. Little did he know then that he would connect more to time and watches than through a company name. Alex and his team are working on new designs. We’ll soon see new Tyme deck clocks featuring designs inspired by other classic timepieces. There won’t be any restocking, though; when these 21 deck clocks are gone, they’re gone. And last I checked, Tyme still has some left in stock. The price is €210, which includes free shipping from Germany. If you love skateboards and watches, be fast, and get yours before they’re gone. As far as I’m concerned, I’m still waiting for mine, Alex. 🙂