Feb 27, 2024

Hodinkee

Talking watches with LORE’s Jay Kumar, restaurateur and watch collector from Basel to Brooklyn

Featuring

Feb 27, 2024

Hodinkee

Talking watches with LORE’s Jay Kumar, restaurateur and watch collector from Basel to Brooklyn

Featuring

A chef's three-continent journey, told through watches.

Hodinkee’s latest “Talking Watches” episode spotlights chef Jay Kumar — an Indian-born, Oman-raised talent who trained in Basel and now runs the acclaimed Brooklyn restaurant LORE — as he recounts his life’s three-continent arc through the watches he’s collected along the way. Each piece carries a story of hospitality and friendship: a gift-turned-conversation starter Hublot Ice Bang that won him a handwritten warranty from Jean-Claude Biver; a Rolex GMT-Master 1675 accepted as payment after catering a party and mirroring the model his father once wore; a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor from a late dealer friend; a rare Vogard Chronozoner Formula 1 edition that predates IWC’s Timezoner; an IWC Big Pilot Bronze sent as an apology for an unpaid bill; and a Valjoux 72C-powered Minerva triple-calendar chronograph now worn by his art-curator wife. The lineup, rounded out by a sentimental Breitling SuperOcean and a story-laden Rolex Daytona, shows how Kumar’s deep-rooted instinct to connect with people — diners, watchmakers, and collectors alike — has shaped both his culinary path and a collection that celebrates generosity, chance encounters, and cultural crossover.

Article author:

Mark Kauzlarich

Photo credit:

Jonathan McWhorter

Other credits:

Video by Joe Wyatt