In my experience, the elusive exit watch requires two ingredients: 1) the right watch, and 2) the right circumstances.
I know it’s considered ill-advised to definitively announce that a particular watch you’ve purchased is your exit watch – the watch that signals the completion of your watch collecting hobby. But I know myself (also considered ill-advised to announce), and I’m saying it. The watch itself deserves some credit, and I’ll get into that. But it’s also the circumstances. It’s all coming together. I swear, my watch addiction is over.
First, the watch. It’s damn near perfect in my eyes. I wanted a field watch with a black PVD-coated case and white dial, and the Kilroy has it. I think this combo looks awesome, and I can’t be convinced otherwise by any Youtube watch influencer or Reddit reviewer.
It all started with the Timex field watch I got from Wal Mart a while back. Looked amazing, but ticked way too loud. I returned it, but the search was on. I found some options. The Laco Casablanca 39mm. A Corgeut on Ali Express. But then I was talking to my Dad, who was slightly disappointed in his recent purchase of an Orient Kamasu and now wanted something made in Canada. “Redwood,” he said.
I had seen Redwood ads on social media, but I didn’t even know they were Canadian. They gotta lean into that a bit more, especially these days. The watches never caught my eye because the pictures I was seeing were mostly those flat-looking renders. But my Dad’s sense of patriotism has always rubbed off on me, so I had to take a look.
And there it was. Another horrible render, but I knew this could be the one. Sapphire glass, 100m water resistance with a screw-down crown, and a Seiko VH31 sweeping seconds hand movement. Full dial lume. It was a bit big at 42mm in diameter, but I’ve been able to pull off a 44mm, so this was doable. On top of having the looks and specs I wanted, it was Canadian. I felt like a conclusion to my watch addiction was imminent.
I ordered it and got a Black Friday deal and a veteran’s discount. It was shipped from Laval, Quebec, and a week and a half later it arrived at my place in the Yukon. Total cost: $263.85.
And it’s absolutely worth the money. For an assembled in Canada watch, I’d say the quality you’re getting for the price is unbeatable. The 10.6 mm thick case disappears on my wrist. The “quad-pulse” movement looks to be running only a few seconds off per month. And because it’s a quartz, it’ll get a lot of wrist time because I won’t have to fiddle around setting the time when I want to wear it. The busier life gets, the less enthused I am about watches that need a lot of fussing. Bonus: no loud ticking sound.
The leather strap has quick-release spring bars and it feels like quality leather. It has broken in nicely and I don’t have to go looking for another strap, which I’ve had to do for almost all my other watches (yes, I’m picky and it’s a sensory thing). The drilled lugs were another pleasant surprise. Redwood didn’t skimp out. The 100m water resistance with a grippy screw-down crown means less anxiety about getting it wet. To top it off, as I predicted, this looks damn good on me. And it’ll work in civvies and in uniform.
Two minor complaints. First, the full dial lume is great, but as it fades, the hands, which are also lumed, start to become indistinguishable from the dial. Maybe fully blackened hands would have helped, but I’m not a watch designer. Second, there’s no date. This is just a personal thing. I would love to have had a date option. Redwood, if you’re listening…
My other field watch is a Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical, and it feels insubstantial and underwhelming compared to the Kilroy. Then again, the KFM has always felt that way, but it hits you harder when you realize what you can get for a lot less. OK, I understand the Hamilton heritage and all, but it’s still got a dainty Swiss movement that’s sensitive to little bumps and magnets, and it will probably cost me a lot to have it serviced years down the road. And winding it every day… I don’t know why, but the novelty has worn off.
And when somebody asks me about my Redwood (please, somebody ask me about my watch) I’ll be able to say it’s Canadian *Canadian national anthem plays*. Somebody is bound to ask with a watch that looks this badass. I await that day. Indeed, the Redwood Kilroy Ghost Stealth is exit watch quality.
But the circumstances also have something to do with it. For one, my watch box has 10 spots, and the Kilroy has just filled the last spot. I’m not buying another watch box. How watch-obsessed am I? Not enough to have multiple watch boxes lying around (but enough to write essays about my exit watch, apparently). No, I have other more important hobbies. Also, my partner would get wise to my obsession – and the money I’m spending. I can’t have that. I don’t want a guilty pleasure. That’s an oxymoron, right? Guilty pleasure. No thanks.
Speaking of money… with an impending move down south, I have to stop being a watch collector for a while, and just enjoy having a watch collection. Because things are about to get a lot more expensive. Besides, I was starting to look at four-figure watches. Christopher Ward. Longines. Maybe a
used Cartier. I also couldn’t stop looking at the Nezumi Tonnerre (she will be mine, oh yes, she will be mine). I thought about all the Ali Express watches I still wanted to buy. A submariner homage. A Sugess chrono or moonphase. In moments of clarity I could see this was never-ending. Some sort of neurosis, and almost certainly a coping mechanism. And while I
appreciate some of my (now in-vogue) neurodivergent traits, this one was about to cost me big bucks. No, no, no. I would need to re-direct that hobbyist-collector energy towards a less expensive endeavour.
And I found one. CDs. More to follow on that.
For now, thank you Redwood for saving me from my watch obsession with your exit watch worthy timepiece, the Kilroy Ghost Stealth.
Oh, watch collecting spirit/demon, thank you for the journey. I harbour no ill will against you. Leave me be with my full 10-slot watch box and giant Ziploc bag full of watch straps and bracelets, spare spring bars, demagnetizer, and other watch tools. It’s been fun, but my mortgage is about to double, my bonus pay for living in the Yukon is coming to an end, and I have CDs to collect. We had a good run.