The senior watch photographer opens up about the art of the shot.
Aram David specializes in shooting celebrities — the kind of subjects you’ll meet only once in a lifetime if you’re lucky. But he’s not talking about Beyoncé or Brad Pitt.
As Senior Photographer at Bezel, an Equinox Circle partner, David specializes in priceless objects: luxury watches that belonged to household names such as John F. Kennedy Jr. and Andy Warhol. He’s captured dive watches that have been to the deepest points in the ocean and watches that International Space Station crew members have carried with them into space.
We sat down with David to learn more about the nuances of watch photography — the way that color and light can change the way you relate to a timepiece — why he thinks certain watches are more famous than Elvis, and how he became an expert in one of the most niche industries in the world.
Tell us about your career trajectory. How did you get your start as a photographer, and what brought you to specialize in photographing watches specifically?
“As a kid, I followed my mother (a creative director for an ad agency) around on photo shoots for Brooks Brothers, Victoria’s Secret, Sulka, etc. In the summers, I worked stocking and organizing products in the still-life studio of her company. But I wound up as a designer and web developer out of college and stuck to that path for 10 years.
“My career as a photographer began when I found myself newly married, with a baby and a brand-new apartment, and jobless, thanks to an overseas employer that decided to close overnight without notice. It’s the kind of moment that sends you soul searching, and in an attempt to recapture the happiness of my youth, I picked up a camera and started mimicking the still-life and fashion shoots I fondly remembered going on with my mom. I started shooting jewelry, pastries, and whatever I could find around the house, using the natural light that streamed through my living room windows.
“I started photographing accessories and watches for online companies and shortly found my way to Hodinkee when it was in its infancy, eventually helping launch its watch shop with my photography. With newly minted connections, I started freelancing at Christie’s (as well as remaining a freelancer at Hodinkee), photographing thousands of exceptional watches each year between the two organizations. Before I knew it, I was a watch specialist — not only photographing them but also working as an extra line of quality control, given the details I had to highlight in photos and how many watches I physically handled and interacted with.
“After a while, I was looking for a change of pace and excitement. When I found out my former Christie's colleague, Ryan Chong, was working at Bezel, we started discussing how I could come on board and marry my watch photography with their innovative tech and marketplace.”
What does a day at work look like for you at Bezel?
“The exciting part about working at Bezel is living the start-up life again. I have had a chance to photograph dramatic close-up shots of watches, listing photos, environmental shots for promotional materials, events — you name it.
“Wherever I am needed, I can pack my gear into a backpack and go. I love that I can also help in other departments as needed, given my nearly decade of experience in the watch space, so the best part of my recent work at Bezel has been that every day is a new adventure. That is a rare thing for someone working in such a niche space.”
There’s an art to shooting watches compared to other fashion and product photography. What’s different about the process?
“I have photographed fragrance, bags, shoes, clothing, and jewelry, but watches are by far the most difficult of all to shoot, and therein lies the fun. Each one is a new puzzle.
“Watch bracelets and cases often alternate between textured and smooth surfaces, reflective and matte, steel, gold, platinum, or ceramic. Dials can vary from brass to mother of pearl, and even meteorite, with shiny metallic hands, all coexisting underneath the crystal, which can reflect or glare under the lights. The variables compound with vintage watches, which sometimes used materials like radioactive tritium, a substance that will age into its own custom colors as the years go on.
“The trick is to highlight what makes each watch unique, and often different surfaces react better to different types of light from slightly different angles. The most important thing is highlighting the interplay between the materials and finishings. This was integral for a series featured in the Bezel app and email series called ‘Our Take,’ which highlights the features and intricacies that make each model unique.”
What are some of the most important elements you seek to capture when shooting watch details?
“Aside from the differences I mentioned earlier (in surface materials and textures), a considerable part of the job is color accuracy. This sounds like it will lead to a lesson on e-commerce, which it sort of does.
“Someone wants to know the exact shade of blue of the watch they are buying. But they want to know the exact shade because colors speak to us in ways we cannot understand. [Artist Wassily] Kandinsky said, ‘Color is a power which directly influences the soul.’ This is why some people love green watches and some people will never wear them. So to accurately capture the essence and feeling of a watch is to perfectly capture its color, shade, and texture.”
How do you use light and technique to evoke certain moods or feelings?
“This is the trickiest part about watch photography. Sometimes the photo's mood requires a lighting technique that might not vibe with the materials on the watch. That's fine if the watch is only a part of the story. But when the watch is the subject of a photo, I find it problematic when the hands disappear into the shadows of the dial because of dramatic lighting. Conversely, a flat photo where everything is highly visible can be incredibly boring. So my use of light is always determined by how much mood I can interject while still staying true to the design and details of each watch.”
Why do you think people have become so intrigued by watches and, more specifically, watch photography?
“As soon as the watch stopped becoming a tool, it opened up our ability to appreciate watches in a new way. We have always enjoyed the designs and beauty of watches and watch materials, but since we don’t need a watch to function in society anymore, the watch has shifted for us in the way we categorize material objects.
“We once needed watches to track time zones, stay alive while diving, or time a precise fuel burn on space missions, but that is no longer the case. This is not to say that we no longer need watches in our lives, but we now need them in the same way that we need art on the walls and music in our ears. We can finally take a step back and admire their designs and heritage.
“In some ways now, not needing a watch for daily survival has given us the breathing room we need to appreciate them in a way we never have before, and hence we want to see them in their splendor, given the treatment of celebrity portraits. One could argue that the Omega Speedmaster or [Rolex] Submariner is as much of an icon as Marilyn Monroe or Elvis.”
What was the most memorable watch you’ve ever had the pleasure of photographing? Is any watch on your bucket list for photographing someday?
“I have shot some major pieces, ranging from relatively inexpensive watches that have been on the International Space Station, a watch that belonged to JFK, and even a $3 million pocket watch. But I have to say the watch that humbled me was when I was able to shoot Andy Warhol’s Patek Philippe 2503. The watch is a very intimate object, and to know it was on the wrist of an artist I have always admired was a real treat.
“I’ve always wanted to get up close with a Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar. I love the ornate dial, the unique design of the bezel, and the integrated bracelet. It can be dressy or casual. And it seems to fly under the radar behind the Nautilus and Royal Oak, but I feel it holds its own in that category. I’ve photographed so many personal ‘grail’ pieces of mine, but somehow it’s the one that has eluded me all these years!”
What’s your favorite part about the work you do?
“Since many of the watches I shoot are too valuable to leave the spaces they are currently occupying, a big part of my job has been condensing a still-life studio into a relatively portable travel package. So I have brought my equipment from coast to coast, setting up everywhere, from dark, confined spaces to bright, airy rooms.
“The challenge of creating photos at the level of others that were done in a dedicated studio or with vast teams of people but done in a small space on the go is gratifying to me. I have, of course, been able to work in large studios with an abundance of equipment, but the most fun and exciting photographs I take are the ones where people cannot believe I could shoot them in the spaces I was confined to.”
Through Equinox Circle, Equinox members receive a dedicated Equinox concierge at Bezel that can source any timepiece upon request, $250 Bezel credit toward purchase, and preferred pricing on warranty products; plus access to exclusive events.