Ask any spouse whose significant other happens to have particular tastes, or may be an enthusiast of any given collector community, and they will tell you that Christmas shopping can be one of the most difficult and dreaded tasks of the holiday season. Watch enthusiasts are no exception to this rule. Understanding the finite details that separates one item from the next makes finding the perfect gift a near impossible task. However one Cullman resident, Nathan Apodaca, is hoping that box on your holiday to-do list can be checked off a little easier this year with the launch of his fledgling business offering a wide selection of customized Seiko watches.

As a child Apodaca said he had always had a fascination with mechanical things. Years of tearing apart and rebuilding his family’s appliances led him to set his sights on a future in mechanical engineering along with an acceptance letter to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona.

“Growing up I was always a mechanical kid. I was the one who would take apart the toaster and put it back together or take the telephone apart to see how it would ring,” Apodaca said. “I was just always inquisitive and had an engineering mindset.”

However, “life happened,” he said. Just before beginning his college career, Apodaca learned that he was expecting his first child. This made him reevaluate his immediate future resulting in him enlisting in the U.S. Army where he would put his natural mechanical ability to good use a crew chief working on Apache helicopters. It was here where Apodaca found his fascination with the design and mechanics of watches.

“A lot of pilots wore watches. The horological history of watches is very neatly tied in with aviation,” he said. “That’s really when I got started, but I was on a low budget. So, what I would I do is try to find watches that matched the style of watch that I couldn’t afford.”

Throughout his 20s and 30s Apodaca continued purchasing and collecting watches, which typically involved him removing the cases and — pun intended — seeing what made them tick. His enthusiasm didn’t evolve into anything deeper than a hobby until earlier this year when Apodaca said he stumbled across an ad for a DIY watch kit.

“I screwed that all up and totally demolished it. I mean, it got together and sort of worked,” he said.

Apodaca was not deterred though. He continued disassembling and reassembling five or six “test watches” until he became confident enough to try at his hand at building a much higher quality watch.

“I felt that I was getting pretty good, so I bought some high end cases, some straps and hands that I liked so that I could get a good, quality, hefty movement that I was happy with,” he said.

Around the time Apodaca had completed his third quality watch, he had become much more heavily involved in the online Seiko modding communities. Seeing the success of others in those communities helped inspire Apodaca to sell his own builds. He said there are plans to open a brick and mortar as early as next year. In the meantime products can be found on his instagram or nmawatchguy.com.

Using Seiko as a base platform comes with a number of benefits. Apodaca said parts are highly accessible and come with a highly regarded reputation of quality and craftsmanship.

“A lot of guys associate quality with Seiko. Outside of Switzerland, Japan just makes the best watches,” Apodaca said.

Modifying watches also allows Apodaca to maintain a relatively low price point. Instead of five or six digit price tags found on many high end watches, he offers a base price of $350 which provide remarkably similar styles and silhouettes. 

“A lot of times, especially at first, when I was making these watches, I would find myself going back to that guy in Germany who, as a soldier, was just wishing that he could afford the same watches that the pilots were wearing. I would just think ‘Man, I’m going to make watches for the guys who might not be able to afford these other things.’ I want to make these to be the highest quality that I can so that you can have that watch you want and have that look and quality and feel and feel comfortable about it,” Apodaca said. 

Apodaca also offers a fully customized experience for those who may be looking for a unique watch design. He conducts consultations with customers to bring either completely new styles to life or to revive what some had believed to be long-lamented irreplaceable items.

“I made one guy a watch that he wore while he was in Vietnam. I met with him and he described for me and I made it. As soon as he saw it he got all choked up which in turn got me all choked up,” Apodaca said.

While creating these bespoke one-of-one creations is Apodacas primary focus, he is also able to locate and source high-end, luxury watches for those hoping to commemorate a special event or achievement for themselves or a loved one.

All of these services seem to meet the same goal for Apodaca, even if it is one he had not originally anticipated. What began as a hobby turned side-hustle has now become a source of deep satisfaction for Apodaca experiencing the joy he is able to provide.

“What I wasn’t prepared for, whether I’m building or finding something for someone, was the level of emotion involved. I know what a watch means to me, but I didn’t expect to see that in other people. I can’t tell you how many people have gotten emotional and say ‘I never expected to have a watch this nice,’ or ‘This watch you made for me is exactly what I wanted.’ That just lights a fire even deeper in me,” he said.