Discover the origins of watch forums Timezone and The Purist, leading to WatchProSite. Learn about the link to brands like L.U.C and A. Lange and Söhne. | Horological Meandering

WPS history. Where to find it, please.

I vaguely remember back at the start of the century when Timezone ruled the internet watch world (Richard Paige was the founder who then sold the site and retired to Hawai?) And some time after the birth of TZ The Purist was created. Walt Odets wrote a very noteworthy review on the LUC 1.96 and shortly after disappeared from TZ. And thereabouts The Purist turned into WatchProSite. There was a very agreeable Chinese gentleman with close links to Lange and Phillipe Dufour who seemed to be behind The Purist, or it simply looked that way to me.

But I’ve never been one to track closely or even remotely the intimacies of the internet, so my knowledge and impressions are mostly just a mirage. Now, looking in hindsight, I’m curious to know what happened to TZ and what’s been the history and evolution of WatchProSite, if I may. Is there a place where I could find this information, or would someone care to clarify it for me, please? Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Cut my teeth on TZ almost thirty years ago… sad to see how the community deteriorated after the Rolex Explorer incident

By: j.jota : November 23rd, 2025-20:49

It was a harbinger of the darkness and anonymity of the web

There's a band here in Oregon called "The String Cheese Incident"

By: Gregineugene : November 23rd, 2025-20:58

The Rolex Explorer incident would sound just as funny and incongruous to people outside the watch enthusiast bubble! Unfortunate that it is a web darkness episode.

What is the Explorer incident? Is that when Odets found something inside an Explorer that wasn’t supposed to be there or something?

By: Besançon : November 23rd, 2025-23:22

Classic Review

By: jmpTT : November 27th, 2025-07:04

Walt reviewed a mid-1990s 14270 Explorer. The original review can be found here: Part 1: www.timezone.com / Part 2: www.timezone.com / At the time, the review would likely have embarrassed Rolex's QC team. Crudely finished parts, machine g...

I remember TZ and the purists

By: TeutonicCarFan : November 24th, 2025-00:38

Back then was just getting watch info to supplement my watchtime and iw and wrist watch annual (or whatever it was). Don’t remember the intricacies of the community then.

Thank God for this forum

By: Ichiran : November 24th, 2025-01:31

And Amanico (A) & Bill (B) & so forth to Z

By: cazalea : November 24th, 2025-06:25

There are many who have been instrumental in the transformation of this site from The Purists to today’s WatchProSite, speaking as one who’s been around 20 years. Primary difference from other sites? We are not selling you stuff; we are sharing knowledge ...

+1000 On our Community. Don't forget C for Cazalea, too. ;)

By: amanico : November 24th, 2025-06:45

here is a nice recent article about Walt Odet

By: donizetti : November 24th, 2025-08:21

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/fashion/watch-reviews-online-walt-odets.html It is paywalled however. It includes descriptions of TZ by him and Richard Paige. Best Andreas

archive.is

I remember TimeZone.

By: RabidManatee : November 24th, 2025-23:21

Was fun for awhile but I thought some of the interactions became needlessly confrontational. I also got the impression that at least one brand moderator was playing goalie, if you get my drift. “So it goes.”