What’s going on everyone! Hope all of you are doing well despite these wild times we are living in.
Very crazy how the country and the world looks currently, but we can still look forward to better things that are ahead and find hope.

I know its been a while since I wrote but I think timing is everything. For those of you that don’t know, my fiancé and I run a podcast/YouTube channel ((www.YoYoThePodcast.com & “Gray Speaks” on Youtube) where we talk about a lot of different life topics but we always like to add the Bible into it to really help us make sense of the many trials and tribulations that we all battle with on a daily basis. One episode is called “Character Vs. Reputation” where we go in depth of what those 2 words mean and the importance of making sure your character, or who you truly are, proceeds your reputation.

​i thought about it and came to the conclusion that this is a great topic to talk about in regards to watches as well.

​Today, the most popular watch is the “smart watch.” I guess there are many reasons for that. Maybe convenience because you can do many things on it. Basically everything you can do on a smart phone, you can now do on your wrist. In my personal and most humble opinion, smart watches take away from the beauty of a true watch.

There’s no character in a smart watch.
They aren’t very unique when it comes to design, and there is no true story behind a smart watch and the inspiration behind its functionality is almost non-existent, other than some lights and sounds it makes.

Being a designer, uniqueness and inspiration are absolutely important. I like for my watches to tell a story and to have the wearer feel rather special and unique when wearing it and to know that the designer really did have them in mind when making it. That once they pass this heirloom down to the next generation, they will have a good time explaining what it really means to them and why they decided to purchase it.

​A smart watch on the other hand, you won’t be able to pass it along to another generation because electronics become obsolete. Reputation is obsolete if it doesn’t speak to the upstanding character of an individual.

An automatic timepiece is never obsolete, especially a Verdure automatic. There is true character in the brand, and behind every watch. The character of the Verdure brand proceeds our reputation. We don’t care to keep up with other brands because we know God has chosen us to stand out from amongst the crowd. With us, it is more about providing a quality product for a great price. It is not just about a name, but the story behind the ‘Why’ of the brand.

So invest in a watch that describes who you are. A watch that is unique and makes you feel as such. God made you beautiful and different from everyone else on the face of the earth for a reason and that is what Verdure is here to express.

Your reputation means nothing if you are not being true to who God made you to be.

​So I hope you guys enjoyed this read as it is always a pleasure to drop off a few of my thoughts. God bless and be safe!

Signing off,
​Eddie J

Celebrating Juneteenth
Within the African American community, June 19th is a special day for the simple fact that slavery here in the US was completely done away with in 1865, although President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863.

There were many contributing factors that led up to this glorious day for all African Americans, but also to the country as a whole being that on paper they would no longer have the label of a country woven with slavery and oppression. Although it did not exactly happen this way, blacks were to be seen as having equal rights as any other American citizen.

We at Verdure believe wholeheartedly that it was the Lord God that allowed for this day to finally come to pass, setting us as African Americans free from slavery and giving us the ability and right to strive for the things we had always longed for.
Also, the same way that we were freed from physical slavery, more importantly we all as a human race have been set free from the bondage of slavery to sin and death by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Any issue and injustice plaguing society and the world today was eradicated when Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead.

Once we as a nation and world for that matter, believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ we all can freely receive that freedom and come to an agreement and live in peace and harmony with all and true justice will prevail.

So on this celebratory day of Juneteenth, we at Verdure want to celebrate and remember a day where blacks were set free, and also how we all have the ability to be set free from the old ways of living and subscribe to the new way of life and freedom given to us by way of Jesus Christ.

Take this day to reflect on the freedom of African Americans, and also on the freedom given to all men through Jesus Christ.

God bless!

Signing off,
​Eddie J

3. Lack of Faith. When I say Lack of Faith, I mean a lack of faith in who God is and His perfect will and plan for our lives. A lot of times we think we have total control of our lives and when one thing doesn’t go as planned, we get all out of sorts and frustrated because the plans we set for our lives and professions have been delayed or derailed. It’s in these times where we need to seek Christ and have faith in Him that everything will work out according to His plan. Let’s be honest we don’t know the future. We can make all the plans we want to but it is God who has the final say(James 4:13-15). A cancelled meeting, a deal that didn’t go through, a disgruntled customer/employer, a missed appointment, anything can throw us off but there can also be good that comes from it when we have the right perspective. Having faith in God and trusting in His plans certainly means being comfortable with the unknown and knowing that God knows all. Once we trust God with the unknown He gives a peace that “passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), that is, peace that doesn’t make sense from a worldly/human perspective. In this day and age, that kind of peace is so vital and priceless. I know I have been through certain things in life and in business that others would be like “Yo how are you so calm and comfortable even after these setbacks?” And my response is that I know God is in control. His peace is inexplicable because it helps you to be calm in those tough times especially in our professional lives and still smile because you know that all is well. Since we don’t even know what will happen tomorrow, we need to have a foundation in Jesus Christ who knows the future and is in complete control of everything. That deeply rooted faith is what allows for us to keep moving forward with peace and clarity no matter how hard our professional and personal lives may get.


I hope you all enjoyed this read and I hope it may have been of some assistance to some of you. Once these 3 things are figured out, it’s so much easier to navigate in our careers and professions and in life in general.
So God bless you guys!


Until next time,
Eddie J.

2. Versatility. I think it’s a beautiful thing that every Verdure Watch can be worn with literally anything. A suit, a dress, some jeans, some sweatpants, some leggings, you name it and a Verdure Watch looks like it is supposed to be worn with it. And it will still hold its elegance and class with any of these outfits.

3. Conversation Starter. Another great thing about Verdure is that it can be used as an ice breaker to start a conversation. I honestly have had many people tell me that as they have worn their Verdure Watch, it has sparked up many conversations. So you can say it does truly stand out even amongst the crowds. Something I feel is very special and unique about the craftsmanship of these watches.

Hello again! 
it's been a long while since the last blog post, so I decided to come back on here but to speak from a bit of a different angle from before. 
so recently I released my newest collection titled the "Lure collection" and this one here is very special to me for the simple fact of what inspired it. so I would love to take this opportunity to let the public in to how I came up with the design.

​

so when you take a look at the face, or "dial" of the watch, you can see that it looks like a fish scale pattern. well, at home I have a fish tank and one day as I was sitting on my couch I thought to myself that I could incorporate somehow their scales into a design. also there is crushed up coral at the bottom of the fish tank, so the spiked design on the bezel signifies the crushed up coral.
for the past designs, I decided to go with 5ATM waterproof, which is really basic. you can swim with it but it doesn't mean you should. but it is still ok if you wash your hands and water gets on it, it will have no effect to the watch. With the "Lure Collection", I decided to make it 10ATM which means you can actually go snorkeling in it with no effect to the watch. 
Also, a new feature with our watches is the screw-down crown. Call it a safety feature for a few reasons. 

1. It prevents any dust or small particles from entering the watch around the crown
2. Although the watch is waterproof, it too can prevent any water from seeping in when in the pool or snorkeling or anything like that.
3. if you are an active individual, it will prevent the crown from inadvertently moving around and altering the time.

The vulcanized rubber strap with the signature "Verdure" logo on the inside so you know it is an official Verdure piece, provides for an extremely comfortable wear, almost to the point where you don't even realize that its on. Add the butterfly clasp for an easy application and we are talking extreme comfort forreal.
ON the inside, we have a beautiful automatic movement. That's right, no batteries needed just like our "Sophomore Collection" and "Yves Medley Women's Collection". With the "seconds" hand located at the "6" position, if you need to time something for whatever reason, you can easily look to that sub dial "seconds" hand and time it right away.
Like the rest of the Verdure pieces, you can wear these with anything. Jeans, a suit, a dress, whatever you want to pair it with, it will go perfectly with any attire. 

For this model I wanted to make a correlation with the Bible. Jesus said in Matthew 4:19 "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." This also inspired the title of this collection, the "Lure Collection", and a lure is fishing bait used to attract the fish. As a believer in Christ, this is one of the main missions- to show the love of Jesus Christ to everyone that we come across, and being a great influence in this crazy world that we live in in order to bring glory to God and to "make fishers of men" by living according to the Word of God and proclaiming the name of Jesus in our every day lives. So along with the fishes in my fish tank, this too is what inspired the fish scale face of the watch. 
With all of my watches but especially this one, I would like for the wearer to truly think about what it is that they put their time to. In this day and age it is imperative to use your time wisely and to put it to things of meaning. For me personally I try to put my time to things that are pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ. Spending time with loved ones, giving time and/or resources to someone in need, making some really nice watch designs for my great customers, anything like that lol.
But I really appreciate you for taking the time to read this and to see inside the mind of the designer of Verdure Watches, Yours Truly.
I hope you all have a blessed year and remember to make sure your time is "Time WEll Spent".

Signing Off,
Eddie J.   

​

Hoodie Season is fast approaching us. Out here on the east coast, fall fashion is really special just because of the different types of clothing that make their way on the scene. During this time, my hoodie collection is brought to the front of my closet. Sporty, casual, doesn’t matter. The hoodie comes in many different styles and flavors that you can incorporate into any outfit whether you’re just lounging/chilling and want to wear sweats, or you’re wearing a casual jeans type of outfit.

Let me be clear. During hoodie season it isn’t just about hoodies. It’s good to mix it up once in a while, so we can also do sweaters. Again, sweaters come in many different styles also which means we can be as versatile as we want.

So let’s start up with some comfortable, lounge styled hoodies/sweaters like crewnecks, zip-up hoodies, pullover hoodies, etc. Say it’s a cool fall afternoon and you have some errands that need to be attended to. You’re a little pressed for time so you want to throw on something stylish but comfortable. For this we can throw on a simple crewneck pull over sweater. At this point, colors don’t matter which is the beauty about hoodie season. There are no colors that are off limits, but just for arguments sake, lets choose gray. A Gray crewneck pullover sweater with grey sweatpants. Or, if you don’t want to wear one color top to bottom, we can always mix match. A blue zip up hoodie with black or gray sweatpants works well too.
Crushed Gold (@Crushed_Gold) a hot, new up and coming line has a lot of heat in their arsenal that you guys have to check out. They have ladies gear too so ladies definitely those out as well. check the visuals here and their instagram to get acquainted.

I’ll also show a visual of what footwear to add to your attire. We’re going for the chill/comfort look so we have to be sure the sneakers match well. What I like to do is give an idea of the complete outfit and not just giving you bits and pieces, I like to deliver the whole package.

So let’s coordinate. Right now we are going to match the hoodie/sweater with the shoes. For example if we have a blue hoodie let’s choose blue sneakers to go along with it. Or we can do all gray top and bottom, then for the shoe game we can pick anything. I chose to put the all-white Nike Air Max CB '94 to really give myself a cleaner look. Check the visuals to get a better feel of what I’m talking about.
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Or maybe you want to be a bit more dressy than wearing sweatpants. You’re in the mood to throw on a pair of jeans, or cargo/khaki pants but still want to wear a hoodie or sweater.
No big deal.
This calls for maybe a dressier hoody. (Check the visuals to get a feel)
Now again, we have to have the right footwear to make the look complete. Timberland’s, Nike ACG’s, Polo Ralph Lauren Roadway Boots, Clark Wallabees, the list goes on and on. You can do just about anything (except dress shoes with jeans. I really cannot stand that. Either you’re trying to dress up or you’re trying to be casual. No in between in my book lol).
So when you’re doing your fall clothes shopping, keep in mind that you can be as versatile as you want. Mix and match is good in this case when it comes to colors.
So get your gear right because you want to make sure you are all the way correct for this great hoodie season!

Signing off,
Eddie J

It's time to bring the gentleman back in style. What better way to do that than to show your lady over a romantic candle lit dinner at a fine restaurant, or a home cooked meal for her at your place, right?
So fellas if we are going to do that then we need to have that look of a gentleman that will blow her away.

Let's say you want to take her out to one of the finest restaurants in town. They have a dress code which means you need to throw on your finest linens. In situations like this, it's time to impress without doing too much in terms of your attire for the occasion.

​The color scheme should be quite simple. I'm a big fan of blue and navy being paired together, brown and green, green and navy, and even burgundy and white being paired together. Doesnt matter what time of year, these colors are always in season.
So with that being said, let's get our outfit together. If we are going to a restauraunt, again we want to impress without doing too much. A navy blue blazer (double or single breasted, your choice) with a pair of gray slacks and navy or black dress shoes. Or we can do a white button up, burgundy blazer, burgundy slacks and black, navy, or burgundy monkstrap loafers if you know how to wear a pair of burgundy loafers.
If none of those appeal to you, we can go with some brown and green. This combo does sound like a sort of fall/winter combo but again these colors are always in season as long as you are wearing them correctly. A white V-neck t-shirt coupled with a forrest green blazer and khaki dress pants with a pair of brown monkstrap shoes or brown suede tassel loafers. Take a look at the visuals to get a feel for what im talking about.

Now for the green and navy color combo, we can really do a lot. Say you don't want to wear a blazer but you still want to have that clean, classy look. Well we can switch it up a bit. A green long sleeve oxford pullover shirt with navy dress slacks and your choice of either a pair of brown monkstrap shoes, plain toe oxford shoes, or again a pair of suede tassel loafers, and you most definitely will have that simple look of a gentleman.

The beautiful thing about formal attire is that you can be as versatile as you want. Some make it harder than what it really is when it comes to dressing formally, but it is really about what you are comfortable wearing. No need to pay attention to trends fellas becasue you create your own trends that work for you and only you.

But one last thing before I run out of here, to complete your look, you must have the proper accessories. Pocket squares, jacket pins, and watches.
Be sure to have your watch game correct. Any Verdure watch will give more light to your attire as a whole. The Brown Excellence timepiece can go with any colorway that you choose.

So now that you have the right look of a gentleman, its time to show that lovely lady a wonderful evening filled with chivalry and good looks that will leave her with a kool-aid smile by the nights end.
Oh, and dont forget to pull her chair out for her when yall sit down at the table together.

Signing off,
Eddie J