1. Please introduce yourself.

My name is Michael aka Cazalea. I live in California, I’m married with no children.

I’m (mostly) retired from a career in publishing.

The simplest way to describe my work was “I wrote books about how to fix cars - the process, the parts and the labor costs.”

My biggest contribution in this arena was inventing the first digital repair information library system for mechanics.

I still do some consulting — if you know Haynes Manuals, they are a typical client.

Over the course of my working years I flew about 3 million miles and visited 50 countries, helping companies figure out how to repair vehicles more efficiently.

I'm a mix of Detail-oriented, Order-demanding, Deadline-making character traits, along with being Creative.

I would describe myself as a collector, not a hoarder, and not really a people-person.

I am happier collecting things than collecting “experiences” or dealing with crowds.

I communicate as well or better in writing than face-to-face which is ironic because I was a Speech major in college and taught public speaking in graduate school.

2. How did you discover WatchProSite and what it means for you to be one of PuristS?

I was trying to learn how to repair watches, and I came in about the time the PuristsPro Network54 site was morphing to WatchProSite. 

And specifically I was searching for skeleton watches and found an advert by ThomasM for a Chronoswiss Opus.

That’s the earliest contact I can recall. My profile says I joined in June 14, 2007.

My photo database says I was taking apart my Grand Seiko that day, but I don’t remember anything else.

3. What watch are you wearing today and how do you choose your watch “of the day”?

Today I am wearing a Sinn watch on NATO strap - an 8828 ti - a rare early model.

That’s unusual for me, but I am having lunch with another watch collector today and he’s a Navy vet and wears vintage Rolex and Tudor military watches (when they are running).

Since I am retired, I can choose 2,3,4 watches every day, and I do. I am seldom wearing the same watch in the evening as I was in the morning.

This irritates my wife, as I tend to take them off when I am cooking, or using the keyboard, and I leave them laying around in the house.

4. What is your favorite watch/brand/complication?

 I have to answer Seiko or Grand Seiko as my favorite brand, because that’s the forum where I am moderator. Here's the latest one (which has arrived):

My favorite complication is the chronograph, after that the moon phase indication, and finally the perpetual calendar.

My favorite single watch is my IWC GST perpetual calendar moon phase chronograph.

5. When and how you discovered horology?

Along the way I met a talented watchmaker who took me under his wing and taught me how to service and repair simple watches,

including Grandpa Carl's watch.

6. What element of the watch is for you the “make it or break it” factor?

Visibility - specifically the dial and hands have to have good contrast.

I remember one time another guy slamming Sinn aircraft-style watches because

“strangers can look at them from across the room and tell the time”. 

And why is that a bad thing?

And it should be durable enough that I don’t obsess about wearing it. 

Like many people, I love blued hands.

7. If you could design your own watch what would it be and what it would look like?

 I am working on one right now with a watchmaker. It might end up like this, or it may evolve a bit more.

Next would be my GS Snowflake because it is light, comfortable, has good visibility and is beautiful.

9. What do you love and hate about watch industry today?

I love some of the new products that better looking and more durable/reliable than decades ago.

I love that Grand Seiko is coming to the rest of the world after hiding in Japan (and Asia) for the last 20 years.

I don’t care for the stylish shots of one’s leg, designer socks and custom shoes — or by extension,

the sites that focus on that leg exiting an expensive car on a custom-patterned block driveway in front of a ski lodge or swanky restaurant or home.

I’m not a social media person by inclination and I would much rather read than watch a video or listen to someone talk.

Thus the glamorous (and slow) websites with zooming and scrolling images drifting by tend to drive me nuts.

To be honest, I'm not really a fashion brand guy - since I don't pay much attention to the media, by and large I am unaware of what's happening.

10. What was the evolution of your collection and how do you see it in next decade?

Well, I started off with the grandpa watches I described earlier, then got my Seiko Kinetic Chrono

(that’s really the first watch I remember buying). From there I had a succession of inexpensive Seiko and various Swiss and German watches.

As I often go for the underdog in cars (Citroen, Lotus, Saab, Honda), so I went after underdogs in watches,

such as Genta, Ikepod, Sinn, Gerber, Hysek, Chronoswiss, Nomos, GO, MIH, Ochs & Junior, etc.

We will see if I succeed in this. If I could get to 40-50 it would be better than today where I have twice that many.

11. What other hobbies do you have?

I have owned almost 100 cars in the past 50 years.

I love to drive on deserted roads but traffic makes me crazy.

So I don’t drive my fun cars that often, and I think I’ll sell a couple of them this year.

On the other hand, I was offered a very nice, one-owner, low-mileage Jaguar XJR recently

We live near the ocean in a good climate, and I’ve spent many many hours on my bicycles, kayaks and chasing whales from a boat. In fact,

I wrote a book called 1000 Whales in 1 Year. But my dermatologist is encouraging me to reduce my sun exposure,

so I’m cutting back those activities (or avoiding the sun by going out later).

I collect other things besides watches and cars. Most notably,

I have acquired about 100 old Russian and Greek icons in the past 20 years. 

I have traveled around the world quite a bit locating these, and agonized over their purchase, importation and display.

Here are some of our icons of the Virgin Mary.

As I did during my “learning watchmaking phase” I have also been learning to paint icons, using traditional forms such as natural tempera paints on gesso on wooden boards.

I’ve attended workshops by a number of teachers and helped to teach others. 

As you may have seen in our Food & Wine section, I like to cook, bake bread, and drink wine.

My wife and I enjoy also entertaining friends who need respite from their kids.

In order to accommodate all these “preferred activities” we generally don’t go to movies,

watch television, listen to the radio or go to concerts or sporting events.

12. Your life motto and life philosophy is…

 I am a Christian, belong to an Eastern Orthodox church, and studied, taught and written books about the Bible.

My life philosophy is to be grateful to God for what I have been given, and to share generously with those around me who are less fortunate.