Ian M. Roth

My Story

I'm Ian Roth — Army Public Affairs Officer, MBA, CFP candidate, and the writer behind Own The Watch.

I started OTW because I couldn't find a newsletter that talked about watches and money the way I actually think about them. Not as opposites, but as expressions of the same thing: intentional ownership. The decision to buy a Rolex Explorer II after 24 years of wanting one and the decision to build toward work-optional living come from the same place. You know what you want, you do the work to get there, and you don't apologize for it.

Every week I write about one watch, one financial concept, and one number that reframes how you think about money and time. No brand deals. No deprivation tactics. No hustle culture. Just honest writing from someone who owns the watch, does the math, and shares both.

I live in Alaska with my wife Bethany and our three kids. The Explorer II is on my wrist right now.