Constantine Giavos is a multifaceted creator, seamlessly weaving his talents as a designer, musician, and DJ into a singular, dynamic persona. As one half of the DJ duo Love Club alongside Alex Delany, Giavos infuses his distinctive style into everything he touches—from crafting visually stunning artwork for top underground DJ’s, to building restaurant brands and identities, and curating a remarkable watch collection.

In Bezel’s exclusive interview, we sit down with the creator, DJ, and designer to discuss his introduction to the world of watches, his love for all things two-tone, plus the most prized watches in his personal collection.

In Conversation with Constantine Giavos

Bezel: How did you get into watches? 

CG: My fascination with watches started as a kid, traveling to the Caribbean on vacation. My parents had an appreciation for timepieces, and I have vivid memories of walking around, checking out the watches at the duty free jewelry stores in the islands–I must've been about 9 or 10 at that point.

Fast forward to around 19 or 20, and I started really getting serious about watches, figuring out what I liked, and why I liked it. So, yeah, like all great stories, this life-long journey started in duty-free.

Bezel: What watches do you remember your parents wearing? Have you had any pieces within your family passed down to you? 

CG: My dad has always loved his Breitling–it’s a SuperOcean, and it’s the watch I’ll forever remember him by. He’s not a super flashy guy, and he’s usually watch-less, but he’s very connected to that piece, and if he’s going to wear something, it’s that. My mom on the other hand–I’ll always associate her with her white dial-fitted, double-quickset Rolex Day-Date. We’ve got pretty similar sensibilities.

My mother-in-law recently passed down to me her father’s 1947 Patek Philippe Ref. 1431. It’s such a simple and beautiful piece, albeit extremely fragile. Needless to say, I’m incredibly honored to have it, and love wearing it whenever I can–usually with a tuxedo. Her father was a humble watchmaker near the Port Authority, and acquired the watch from a customer of his many years ago.

Bezel: What was your first watch, and what’s the story behind it? 

CG: I was 14 when the video for Reptilia by The Strokes came out, and I remember becoming obsessed with the gold-plated Seiko Day-Date that Julian Casablancas wore in the video. Like absolutely obsessed. 

I eventually tracked it down, and my mom bought it for me. It had a jubilee bracelet and a black dial, and I can remember wearing the absolute hell out of it until the gold plating wore off. It was quite a sophisticated piece for a 14-year-old. 

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Bezel: Julian seems to have caught the watch bug lately, too. He’s been seen around wearing a vintage Rolex Day-Date. Are there any other collectors you look to for inspiration? 

CG: I love Mark Ronson’s watches–he’s got impeccable taste. My buddy Ian Marcuse down here in Richmond also has some extraordinary pieces, and of course, I follow Mike Nouveau to keep my finger on the pulse of these streets.

Also shout out my brother Mike Cherman who was also featured on Bezel. I love his collection–if we’re not talking tennis, we’re probably talking watches.

Bezel: What’s your favorite watch in your collection and why?  

CG: Without question, my 1979 Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18078, which I got as a gift from my wife when we got married. It’s got a bark-finished case, a burl wood dial, and Greek day wheel. The combination is truly unique, and being Greek, it's extra special.

I feel like that watch just speaks to my personality in so many ways, and is more or less my grail watch. I’m proud to wear it all the time–dressed up or down–and every time I put it on, it just feels right.

Bezel: What’s next on your hit list? Is there anything in particular you’ve been eyeing as of late? 

CG: The Mediterranean blood in me really gravitates towards gold and two-tone watches, but I’d love to add a stainless steel piece to my collection. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the Breitling Navitimer Ref. 81600 that Serge Gainsbourg notably wore, and have been casually looking for a nice example.

He wore his on this sick, rally-style bracelet, and I just l can’t get enough of that combination. If I can find that exact reference, I’d be all over it. 

Bezel: Can you share 3 must-have watches listed on Bezel right now?

CG: All of the following watches are absolute must-haves. 

Patek Philippe Nautilus "3/4 Size" Ref. 3800/1A

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ref. 4100SA

Rolex Day-Date 36 "Stella Dial" Ref. 18038

Rolex Submariner Date Ref. 16808

Patek Philippe Aquanaut "3/4 Size" Ref. 5066A-001

Bezel: Why do you continue to enjoy collecting watches? 

CG: I think it’s because I've got highly specific tastes. I love the minutiae of style, whether it's watches, clothes, jewelry, or music. I've never been one to buy something only because everyone else has it, and I'm constantly expanding my idea of what I think is cool. While I definitely keep an eye on the latest releases, I would say I live for the hunt, and discovering older pieces I previously wasn’t aware of.

I get excited watching movies, seeing characters wearing watches I like, and tracking those exact pieces down. I remember I once went down a deep rabbit hole looking for whatever watch Jude Law was wearing in The Talented Mr. Ripley. While I never figured it out, I’ve now got a box with five different vintage watches with mesh bracelets, each of which more or less looks like whatever watch he was wearing.

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Constantine Giavos and Alex Delany's latest Love Club collaboration with Relax Lacrosse just dropped. Explore the capsule collection here.

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- Isaac Wingold

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