How the Christopher Ward Sealander GMT Led to the Creation of 19th&

By Mitch Shulman

It began the way many obsessions do: with a question.

“What does ‘chronograph’ mean?” I typed, unknowingly stepping through a portal. It was sometime during the long, strange quiet of the pandemic, and like many others, I had more time than usual, and a growing appetite for something meaningful, mechanical, and beautiful.

What started as idle curiosity quickly turned into late-night YouTube rabbit holes, Reddit threads, and forum deep-dives. I had caught it. The watch-lover’s bug. And there was no going back.

The First “Real” Watch: Christopher Ward Sealander GMT

After weeks of research and self-restraint, I landed on the watch I couldn’t stop thinking about: the Christopher Ward Sealander GMT with a crisp white dial. It had all the right details. Sleek, versatile, and practical, with a touch of personality in the form of a bright orange GMT hand. I liked that it felt unique but not flashy, capable of dressing up or down depending on the strap and the occasion. Plus, with my brother living in Europe, the GMT functionality wasn’t just a flex, it was useful.

I saved. I waited. I got promoted at work. That was the push I needed. I hit “order” on the Christopher Ward site and braced for the notoriously tricky tango with customs. When it finally arrived, I tore into the box like a kid on Christmas morning. And there it was: even better in person. The polished indices, the smooth bezel, the oh-so-satisfying quick-release bracelet system. Everything felt intentional.

Except one thing.

 

A Tiny Clash: The Watch vs. The MacBook

I’m a tech worker. Which means, like most of us, I spend a lot of time hunched over a laptop. Almost immediately, I noticed something that pulled me out of the honeymoon phase: the clash between my bracelet clasp and the cold aluminum of my MacBook. Each time they met, I cringed. Not just because I feared scratching the watch, or the laptop, but because the tactile experience felt… wrong. Like sandpaper against silk.

It was a small problem, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

 

The Birth of a Business

Sometimes, good ideas don’t come from grand visions. They come from minor annoyances that no one else seems to be solving. This was one of those ideas.

What if there was something soft, durable, and sleek I could rest my wrists on while I typed? Something that could protect both the watch and the laptop without looking out of place in a professional setting?

That idea became a prototype. That prototype became a product. That product became WatchPads™. And WatchPads™ became the first offering from our brand: 19th&.

It’s now been over a year since we shipped our first order, and we’ve delivered WatchPads™ to collectors and creatives all over the world. Each one is made in San Francisco, still rooted in the same mission: to help people fully enjoy the pieces they wear and the work they do without compromise.

Full Circle: The Wedding Watch

The Sealander GMT hasn’t left my collection. In fact, it’s taken on new meaning with time. Not long before we started 19th&, it accompanied me down the aisle as my wedding watch. Its white dial matched my shirt; its orange hand, a subtle wink only I understood.

The watch that started my obsession…

…is also the watch that started our company.

And I’d say we’re just getting started.