Interview: The Record Label That Made A Ghostly Timex

Ghostly International started as a boutique record label in 1999 specializing in dance music (what used to be known as "electronica"). It has since transformed into something else entirely, becoming a platform for artists of all kinds as well as a lifestyle brand reinventing the very idea of band "merch." Over the years it has collaborated with brands like Vans (shoes) and Warby Parker (sunglasses). Late last week Ghostly released its first watch collaboration, partnering with Timex. If you're familiar with Ghostly, you'll pick up on many of the styling cues from the literal ghost on the dial to the black and purple aesthetic. We had the opportunity to sit down with Ghostly founder Sam Valenti, who talked about everything from the new watch itself to G.I. Joe to '90s New York hip-hop. HODINKEE: What does this collaboration mean to you and to Ghostly? Valenti: Timex is a classic American brand. I read about its history and the kind of democratized design and timekeeping in its nascent years. One of our core principles at Ghostly is trying to get functional, beautiful work out to people, and what Timex has done with their collaborations with brands like Noah and Brain Dead, we just felt a real affinity with how they operated. What is it about the final product – the design – that works in your mind? The nitty-gritty is obviously the graphics. We worked with a designer that we work with often named Justin Hunt Sloane out of Los Angeles, who is fantastic and brought a lot of character to the product while keeping it really simple. The back of the watch has a graphic he designed for us that's kind of like a globe. The rounded text says Things of Quality, I Have No Fear of Time , which is something we've used before. We didn't make that up, but it's sort of a mantra. We chose this model because it's simple, you can kind of dress it up or down and it's really reliable and legible. The crown is the Ghostly purple. It's been our color for 20 years – and it's the sort of accent color that I think adds a little pop. It's kind of a conversation element, but it's also subtle against the black. How does making a watch fit into the Ghostly brand at large? We've been doing collaborations since 2006. We've done furniture, apparel, and all sorts of accessories. Usually, we try to find classic brands or items that people already know. It's not necessarily a direct relationship to music. With the Ghostly brand, we try to have a holistic approach. So we don't think of this as "merch" or, like, promotional, so to speak. The same level of quality should be in the products we make as in the records we put out. And obviously, we're not going to start from scratch and start a watch company. So we ask ourselves, "who's the best person to work with?" We've done shoes with Vans, Warby Parker glasses, and furniture with Floyd out of Detroit. Timex was an obvious fit as a heralded American brand. The Ghostly Warby Parker glasses from 2013, named "The Curtis." The connection was in choosing sort of an analog simple dial. It's not a reaction to technology, but obviously, we have plenty of digital devices around us at all times. There's something kind of nice about not having to reach into your pocket to tell the time – just kind of like a refusal of letting the phone dictate everything. So I think that's maybe the subliminal context. Did you grow up with watches, or would you consider yourself a collector? My childhood watch was probably like a G.I. Joe watch or something like that. I'm not really a watch guy in the classic sense. I'm a collector. And I sort of know not to get too deep into something if I'm not willing to go all the way. I collect vinyl – with over 10,000 records – art books, and music ephemera. So I know that it's too dangerous for me to dip too deep into the water because there's so much great product out there. I go in and out of phases. The last watch before this watch – which I wear every day now – was an Omega that I bought at a flea market in Berlin 10 years ago. I think originally it was a gift maybe to a train conductor or somebody who worked on the railroad in France. It has a little inscription on the back. So that's kinda like my alternate watch, but that's about as far as I go. What was the design process for this watch like – how did it come together? We developed a relationship with Timex and made sure that we were on the same page. We have a community of independent designers we like to bring in depending on the project. For this one, we loved the simplicity of Justin's work. It's very meaningful and has a sense of humor – a sense of play. We tried to get him to the schematics and made sure that he had a vision, and we iterated from there. There's no design guide or style guide that we employ other than like our PMS color and our logo. The typeface on the watch is one that was designed for us by designer/typographer Michael Cina. It's called Ghostly Gothic. So even the letters on the dial were custom for us. That's very cool. The Indiglo aspect was important to us. I think it has sort of a cozy, nostalgic quality. And I love the idea that it's a very soft amount of technology to apply, to be able to get function out of it without ruining the aesthetic. The main thing was just making sure it was visible through the watch and was still functional. How does it feel to wear this watch – a piece that is emblematic of a company you started? It's super meaningful. I think the execution came out great. I gave one to all of our team to say thank you. It's also not showy. It's not a big logo graphic shirt or something – which is fine, of course. It's something stately that I think people will enjoy. I also think the brand is personal and intimate enough that if someone recognizes it, it's almost like a shared wink the way band T-shirts used to be, where it's like, "Oh, you know Joy Division?" I still really value that for Ghostly. It's not a massive brand, but if you know it, you know it, and it's a conversation starter. So I hope some conversations take off. It's a really great way to open up a dialogue about music. If this watch were an album or a genre of music, what would it be? As a teenager I grew up on the golden era of nineties hip-hop, looking to New York for style cues like Timberlands and Polo and that kind of outdoor-meets-street aesthetic. I always think about "is there enough color?" but also " is it tough enough and hardcore enough?" I think those are the golden ratios for me. I'm not going to say that this is like a '90s hip-hop record of a watch, but I'd like to think I could see some of my heroes looking good wearing it. The Timex X Ghostly, 40mm "Allied 40 Timex" base featuring a matte black case, and black fabric strap with leather trim. 50m water resistance with Indiglo backlight and price of $99. It's available at Timex.com in the U.S. and Ghostly.com internationally. This interview has been edited and condensed.Ghostly International founder Sam Valenti on the brand's first watch collaboration.