The Nixon co-founders showed up on r/nixonwatches for a two-hour AMA. These were the best moments.
On Friday, March 6th, Nixon co-founders Andy Laats and Chad DiNenna did something they've never done before: they sat down together, logged into Reddit, and opened themselves up to questions from the community that has been riding with the brand since the beginning.
Here are the highlights.
On Why Traditional Watches Still Matter
One of the first questions to come in set the tone perfectly: in a world dominated by smartwatches, what keeps people emotionally attached to traditional ones?
"Traditional watches are more personal and more durable than tech. They more accurately reflect my personality, and I believe when I pick out a watch to own that I will own it and wear it for the rest of my life — and potentially one of my kids would want it sometime in the future. I can't say that about tech watches. -Andy"
It's a philosophy that has guided Nixon from day one, and it hasn't changed.
The Origin of the 51-30 — and Why It's Enormous
One of the most detailed exchanges of the entire AMA centered on the 51-30: how it came to be, who inspired it and why it's so big.
Chad explained that surfers on the early Nixon team were the loudest voices driving the design. Spending up to eight hours a day in the water sharpened what they needed from a watch. The crown was moved to the 9 o'clock position to prevent wrist-bite while duck diving. The patented locking looper was born from real-world surf use. And legibility underwater was non-negotiable.
Andy added the full origin story:
"I remember it was kind of a team challenge to the designers: if we were stuck on an island and needed ONE watch we could rely on, what would it look like?"
The result was a watch that needed to be 51mm with thick walls for 30ATM water resistance, a countdown rotating bezel built for surf heats (not scuba diving), and enough presence to be read clearly underwater. The sales team was nervous. The team pushed it through anyway.
"The sales teams were scared of bringing a 51mm watch to market that weighs as much as those little tiny weights that Chad uses when he 'works out.' But the team wanted it so we built it and I'm glad we did. -Andy"
On the Nixon Name and Logo
Two origin stories that don't get told enough.
On the name, Andy kept it simple:
"We wanted a name that didn't mean much to us or our market, that looked and sounded cool, and we could trademark. It also needed to work from a graphic design perspective: can it fit on a small watch dial and also look good on our team's boards?"
On the logo, the answer was more layered. The Nixon icon wasn't random. It was built from a series of time-related concepts stacked into a single mark. The negative space inside the icon resembles the bottom of an hourglass. The positive space represents the wings of time. And the full shape is a stylized flame, a nod to an eternal flame. Chad added one more layer: a pendulum measuring timing in music.
The brand's first watch, The Don, shipped with the words "You Know" on the caseback because Nixon was never about telling you that you're cool for wearing their watch. The belief was always the opposite: you're wearing it because you already are.
The Hardest Watch They Ever Built: The Mission
When asked which Nixon was the hardest to design or produce, Andy's answer was immediate: the Mission, Nixon's connected smartwatch.
"Everything about it was a challenge. On the tech side there were issues with connectivity, UI, API feeds, charging capability, water rating, display brightness, battery life, etc. You name it."
Two custom apps were built: one for snow, one for surf. Customizable dial colors were a highlight. But the bigger challenge was economic: connected watches thrive inside ecosystems and struggle as standalone products.
"We didn't want to end up the fastest horse in the glue factory so we came back to what we do best. -Andy"
The Metallica Story
Someone asked for unexpected Nixon moments, and Andy immediately handed it over: "Chad tell the story about the Metallica show with Travis."
The story: Nixon brought staff and skaters Colin McKay and Danny Way to see Metallica at the San Diego Sports Arena. After the show, as the group was already in the parking lot, they got a call from the band. Metallica wanted to find them. They snuck back past security, ran to the meeting location, and found the band waiting.
James Hetfield spent real time with Travis, Nixon's repair specialist, getting help sizing and setting his watch. That relationship never ended. Metallica members have since visited the Nixon office, collaborated on products, and remained close to the brand for years.
On Collectors, Cult Models, and the Community
One of the most heartfelt threads in the AMA was about Nixon's collector community, people still hunting down discontinued models 20+ years after they were made.
Chad said he's consistently blown away by what people do with the models:
"I have seen a lot of different versions of the Banks that we never dreamed up and the way people are personalizing their Rotologs are next level."
One collector alone has over 100 different versions of the icon belt buckle.
The MusiCares Collab and the Dream List
When asked about standout collaborations, Chad pointed to the LTD Rock Collection created in support of MusiCares. Artists donated personal items like guitar straps, leather jackets, shirts which Nixon reimagined into one-of-a-kind watches.
"The support from icons like Keith Richards, Tom Waits, Flea, Ozzy, Dave Grohl, Pink, Tony Hawk, or Iggy Pop to trust us to make something so unique is truly an honor. -Chad"
The community followed up asking about future collabs, with Slayer and Carhartt both getting fan nominations. Nixon turned the question back to the room: who would you want to see?
On Design Philosophy: Then vs. Now
One of the most honest exchanges of the AMA came when a community member pointed out that Nixon's current lineup has become more conventional compared to the wild geometric designs of the early days like the Murf, the Rotolog, the Dork.
Andy agreed, and explained it:
"We'd like to think we are reflecting what people think is cool, not dictating what is cool."
He noted that non-connected watches are being rediscovered as people grow overwhelmed by over-connectivity and that people are starting with safer styles as they find their footing. But he sees that changing:
"I'm hopeful that, pretty soon, as the collective confidence grows, we at Nixon can help with that by bringing some innovative, design-forward styles. It's in our DNA."
He pointed to 4th Dimension, Fisheye, the Frankie, and the Sentry Wobble as proof that Nixon can still make strange and brilliant pieces.
The full AMA thread lives on r/nixonwatches. The conversation is still going.