Collector's Corner: Inside A Subculture of Nixon Fans, Exotic Customs

Andrew Prosser talks watchsmithing and wild collections.

Andrew Prosser doesn’t simply wear a Nixon every day. He collects and crafts them. Not only that, but he connects with a network of collectors and watchsmiths around the world. What does everyone in the subculture have in common? They choose to count time with Nixon.

Check out Andrew’s current collection, hear how he got started more than 20 years ago and find out which watch is his all-time favorite. HINT: it’s the one he was married in and is holding for his future child.

“??The Nixon collecting subculture: it’s wild out there. Most people that own a Nixon watch own more than one... some collectors own as many as 500 Nixon watches.” — Andrew Prosser

Let’s start with the basics: please tell the world your name, age and where on Earth you reside.

My name is Andrew Prosser. I live in the beautiful North County of San Diego. I’m 39 years old.

When did you first get a Nixon? Do you remember what it was, how much it cost and why you got it?

I have been collecting Nixon watches since 2002. My first Nixon watch was a Professional that a friend gifted me. That single watch started off a 20-year collection. Over the years, I’ve been through about 200 Nixons and I currently have a collection of 70 watches.

What watches do you have in your collection?

My collection tends to be full of Elite watches and hard to find LTD releases. Currently I have 20 automatic watches. A majority of them are Swiss made. The Regent, Automatic 2, and the Diplomatic are definitely a few of my favorites in the collection. The crown jewel is definitely the Automatic Chronograph LTD. I personally own number 1 of 60 of the Auto Chrono. Other notable watches are the Magnacon #00001, the Gold Don #0001 which was Nixon's first LTD numbered watch, and a Diamond Capital Automatic #1 of 10.

How did your clockwork experiments begin?

In 2004 I started making custom Nixon's. I think I was one of the first people to start doing it. I started by swapping movements to make one-of-a-kind color schemes. Eventually I started experimenting with airbrushing watch faces. Skipping forward, I recently made a custom set of movement-swapped Diplomatics. I also enjoy putting exotic bands on different models: snakeskin, gator, stingray. I have a ton of different Nixon exotic bands with Nixon deployment clasps.

Have you ever gifted someone else a Nixon watch? Was it new or one from your collection?

As far as gifting watches goes, I have given out a ton of them. I gifted watches to both of my older brothers – a Supremacy and an Automatic 2. I gifted my best man a Nixon for my wedding, and I was married in a Regent Automatic. I’m now saving that Regent to pass on as a family heirloom.

Another fun gift was a special Nixon 51-30, the back of which I had customized for a friend celebrating his recovery through Narcotics Anonymous. That was a special one. The Nixon custom shop made it happen.

How about any ideas for a dream Nixon collaboration?

As far as a dream collaboration, two companies come to mind: Volcom and Lib Tech snowboards. They’re two of my favorite brands besides Nixon. Either would be a great collaboration, from the graphics they create to the style they share with Nixon.

What about your perfect watch, what would it be and what features would it include?

I would love to see a gold-plated Skeleton face, automatic chronograph. The Swiss-made Valjoux 7750 chronograph was one of the legendary Swiss movements. It’s been used in countless high-end brands over the years and most in-house chronograph movements use a variation of that movement. It’s hands down my favorite Nixon. To see it in gold with a skeleton face, maybe on a brown gator band–that would be a dream. The Nixon Elite level watches really pushed the brand forward past that of merely a fashion watch.

We want to know a few of your all-time favorites.

My all time favorite Nixon offerings were the Mismatch, Gun Ship, and Midnight collections. I would love to see those brought back into different models. Mismatch Elite watches would be amazing.

I’m a hotel manager so I dress up six days a week. My go-to watches include the Regent Auto 2 and the Diplomatic. Outside of work, I regularly wear the Banks. I’d love to see that watch make a comeback.

Besides the quality and style that Nixon offers, the customer service has always been a central piece of what sets Nixon apart from other brands. The people who work at Nixon are part of the lifestyle that the watches represent. Nixon makes a statement without trying too hard. A Nixon is a watch that’s up for the adventure of life.

How about other Nixon collectors, do you have a network? Tell us what that collector subculture is like!

??The Nixon collecting subculture: it’s wild out there. Most people that own a Nixon watch own more than one… some collectors own as many as 500 Nixon watches.

A few years ago a man named Som Vongsonephet started a Facebook page called The Nixon Watch Owners Club. He started it just for fun for a few friends in Australia. Fast forward to 2022 and there are now 5,700 collectors on the page. It's been an awesome way to connect with people all over the world. Him and I are the administrators of the group.

There are a ton of legendary collectors out there.