A night on the Miami River
I met J.W. Foster about two years ago on the F.P. Journe circuit, at one of the monthly aperitifs where high-end collectors gather at the Miami boutique to talk watches and the other matters of life. It is a super casual evening. We ended up at a high top table outside the boutique, under a starry night by the Miami River, watching luxury boats navigate the canal on their way back home.
J.W. struck me immediately as someone different. He has a very special aura, the kind you notice before he says a word. Since that night we have become friends.
I am a strong supporter of his novel, Dead Beat Seconds. Not only because I love him and support my friend, but because the book is good. It is exciting, it moves fast, and it is built around the same crazy obsession that runs my life: horology.
Dead Beat Seconds is an action thriller starring Blaze McLain, a man who discovers he has radically enhanced intelligence, extraordinary physical capabilities and a past he doesn’t remember. Thirty-two watches appear in its pages, from Patek Philippe to F.P. Journe, and they are far more than decoration. With the sequel underway, I asked J.W. about Blaze, the friends he turned into characters, the watches, and what comes next. He saved the biggest news for last.
The interview
The man before the book
Before Dead Beat Seconds, who was J.W. Foster? Take us back to the moment you first realized a mechanical watch could be more than a tool on your wrist, and tell us what pulled you from that moment toward writing a novel.
My creative journey to writing my first novel had less to do with my love for mechanical watches, and more to do with the unexpected trip of a lifetime. My love of horology was always present. I had a burning desire to do something extraordinary. Blaze McLain is the fictional creation born from a dream where I combined my love of Technology, horology, literature, and Hollywood. The trip to Switzerland turned out to be the perfect catalyst to take bold action. I gave it plenty of thought, developed a vision, and took a leap of faith. And here we are.
The title
In watchmaking, a dead beat seconds is a complication that turns a sweeping hand into one decisive tick per second. Why did you choose that name for your book, and how much of that mechanical idea (stopping, waiting, then moving with purpose) lives inside your story and your characters?
DEAD BEAT SECONDS originally was the title of Chapter One. I didn’t officially name the book until I was close to publishing. The original title, “Holy Grails and the Lost Eagle”, understandably didn’t make the cut.
The title was in front of me all along. The title also sounds like the name of a Seattle grunge band from the 90s, so there’s that. It has a great ring to it. The first serious timepiece in the novel is a DeadBeat Seconds, it is a coincidence
Why watches?
Plenty of novelists use cars, art or wine to signal who their characters are. You chose watches. What can a watch say about a person that nothing else can, and was there a moment when you realized the watches had stopped being props and become characters in their own right?
Great question, Eduardo. It is difficult to answer without giving away spoilers. Obviously watch collectors have a heightened sense of what a watch says about the wearer, and yet collectors are never on the same page. There is no universal meaning. I was more concerned about readers with zero horological knowledge, so I established the watches as objects of desire for the .1%, suggesting the watches were unlike anything they’ve ever seen before. I knew the watches would be characters before I typed a word. How would I entertain collectors, and non collectors? Present the watches as aspirational, and out of reach for everyone.
Blaze
Every great series has a character readers feel they know personally, and in Dead Beat Seconds that’s Blaze. Who is Blaze to you? Where did he come from, and be honest with us: how much of Blaze is really J.W. Foster? Is there anything he does on the page that you’ve always wanted to do yourself, or something you’d never admit to sharing with him?
It’s impossible not to have some of my DNA in every character I write. When you read a novel you’re living in the mind of the author for a minute. I am the interface. Blaze and I relate in a manner similar to Ian Fleming and James Bond. Blaze isn’t exactly my alter ego, but there is plenty of J.W. Foster in Blaze. I identify with Blaze’s stoic behavior. And like Blaze, I appreciate technology and AI but I don’t trust it. I haven’t had the opportunity, but I’d love to kick ass and play poker like Blaze. What a Hemingway response. (and that’s as close as I get to Hemingway). My characters are very much alive. I must write every day to stay connected to them, or else they’ll die. If I didn’t have trust issues I’d like to consider augmenting my body with an implant. I could kick ass and score 20 points a game, but then again, I might be hacked. I would 100% need a way to unplug.
Friends on the page
Readers in the watch community have been delighted to recognize real collectors and friends of yours turning up as characters in the book. How did you decide to bring people from your own watch world into the story? How did you pick who made the cut, how did they react when they found out, and did writing real friends into fiction change the way you wrote them?
There are plenty of friends in DEAD BEAT SECONDS. Nick, Alejandro, London Wolf, and Sonny are all Miami friends who made the maiden trip to Switzerland. 9 total from all over. Initially, I thought I could write nine, but it was too much. The experience of writing friends into fiction was both rewarding and creatively restrictive. It’s difficult to tell your buddy they are being written as a heroin addict. I’m sure some would have shrugged it off, but what’s the point? This isn’t a spoiler at this point, but people do die. It was excruciating killing characters based on friends. It got easier though. Calico, Shaq, and Big Show were not based on real people. Big Show is a nod to Oddjob in Goldfinger. Shaq is a surfer, gambler, and grifter. They’re based loosely on people I’ve met but I wouldn’t call them friends. One might be a former boss. Maybe.
I am returning minor characters to the sequel. Shane, Horatio, Alex and Al, Simone, are a lock, however their names will be changed. While not a minor character, Dr. Haan is a real doctor and childhood friend. Of course Yui and E return. Longtime friends seemed to be the happiest, but it was hard to beat Shane’s enthusiasm. For everyone in the novel, there are dozens more who helped with research (weapons experts, poker experts, regional experts). For a solitary pursuit, I connected with a lot of watch collectors in the States and Europe. I’m grateful to the many watch nerds who were thrilled to help.
Getting it right
Collectors are a demanding audience. One wrong reference number or a misplaced complication and we notice. How did you research the horological side of the book, and how did you balance technical accuracy for enthusiasts with a story that a reader who has never heard of a tourbillon can still enjoy?
Ha. Double, triple, and quadruple checks. Eduardo, I was familiar with every clock in the book. All the research was a labor of love. There are 32 watches referenced. I only wrote about the watches I loved, focusing on characterization rather than an abstract explanation. While a detailed overview might win over some collectors, I’m sure I would have lost some non collectors. If anyone caught season 1 of “Your Friends, and Neighbors” They took the same approach. My book was already out.
“The gesture displayed the Patek Philippe 5270R with an incredible black dial peeking from his Titleist golf glove with a green Calatrava Cross, compliments of Patek. Nothing says “Fuck off” like a 5270R.”
I wanted to capture the feeling, providing key elements but not a drill down.
Effington’s bidder raised his bidding card for an exquisite F.P. Journe brass movement Calendrier in platinum and ruthenium. Only 99 pieces had been made.
Or this.
“We now bring up an early F.P. Journe Platinum Resonance with a brass movement, made in 2000. This was the prize. This one Alejandro had dreamed of for months. It was sheer aesthetic perfection, like being in the presence of a real Vermeer or Monet, or Michelangelo’s David, one of the most sublime experiences of his life.
I didn’t foresee the nuclear explosion in the value of independents. I wrote higher prices but they aren’t even close. Grateful I could capture a moment in time we can all remember, making DEAD BEAT SECONDS not only an action thriller, but a 234 page time capsule.
The scene that matters most
If a reader could read only one scene from Dead Beat Seconds, which would you hand them, and what does it reveal about the book and about you?
I’ll start with a personal anecdote. As some know, I was an executive selling applications for Oracle and Docusign. Early in my career, the way most software was sold (perhaps to this day) consisted of a terribly arduous, time consuming process. On my weekends I caught at least one film. More than 60 films a year. On Mondays before prepping my sales team for a client, we discussed films. Letterboxd before Letterboxd. During a very technical deep dive I wondered, what if we explained our value proposition with a popular film? I sold my consultants on threading “Why Oracle?” with film stories. We improved until the strategy put our team on a life changing winning streak. Focus on a protagonist with great potential. They venture, struggle, transform, and return. The hero’s journey.
When I created Blaze, I envisioned a man who suddenly discovers he has radically enhanced intelligence, extraordinary physical capabilities, and a past he doesn’t remember. In Chapter Seventeen of Dead Beat Seconds – The D.A.R.M.A Bums, we see Blaze at his lowest. Despite his extraordinary capabilities, he wakes up beaten, missing a tooth, and stripped of his possessions. Worse, Blaze finds out he is not the hunter, but the prey. So where am I going? Action heroes today never lose. I’m close to sharing spoilers. Blaze echoes my heroes, Philip K. Dick’s Rick Deckard, and Ian Fleming’s James Bond. I wanted readers to see Blaze struggle in tough situations. Heroes bleed. It’s easy to love someone when they’re up, but you find your real friends when you’re down.
The sequel
You’re now writing the sequel. Without spoiling too much, where does the story go next? What did the first book teach you that you’re doing differently this time, and are there new watches, maisons or watchmakers that readers should be watching for?
The follow up. Instead of using an outline for Acts I, II, and III, I chose to emulate Stephen King’s philosophy and let the characters drive the story. A significant change. I’m 23,000 words in. The characters’ voices are distinct. I expect the sequel to be about 100 pages longer, give or take.
For editing, I traded dozens of amazing beta readers for one editor: a CEO by day with a sixth sense for prose, who just so happens to be a watch guy, and a voracious reader. I’m grateful to have such a talented and technically savvy friend help navigate my more ambitious story in an increasingly complex world. Can’t wait to do a Pod with this guy.
The sequel begins a year later. One minute into the future, Blaze’s world is much bigger, and the stakes are way higher. His world is advancing faster than he can keep up. Blaze has been operating on older technology while newer generations of Neuralink have been deployed. Blaze is falling behind, no longer the only D.A.R.M.A. asset with a Neuralink. I move deeper into geopolitics, AI, and emerging deadly military technologies. The lines between friend and enemy have blurred. Blaze’s next assignment puts him between an assassin and a man whose next breakthrough could change the world. Readers can expect a jaw dropping first chapter, extraordinary new timepieces, global intrigue, outrageous supercars, and plenty of action. Blaze returns wearing a De Bethune. But which DB will it be?
E, Dr. Haan, and Yui return. A new doctor, Alexandra Romanov, joins D.A.R.M.A. to support the team. She’s based on a superfan from Moscow.
And new clocks? With so many extraordinary timepieces introduced in 2025 and 2026, choosing the final cast of timepieces will be harder than ever. Safe to say, until the book is finished, every watch is a placeholder. If all goes according to plan, readers will see the sequel between midsummer and fall of next year.
The first book took two years to write. At times it was very stressful. The follow up has been a joy to write.
The reader’s response
Since the book came out, what has surprised you most about how people have responded to it? Have collectors, watchmakers or brands reached out in ways you never expected?
Eduardo, this journey has been incredible, thanks to the watch community. To have readers DM me with kind words, photos of the book and their watches from all over the country and overseas puts a huge smile on my face. It will never get old. The book signings have been especially memorable. The reviews, super. Most would agree the hardest part for new authors is embracing the good and the bad reviews. We live in a critical world. All I can do is write the best stories I can. When people spend their hard-earned money on my book and dedicate 5 – 9 hours to my storytelling, it’s a privilege.
I lost my father last spring, and decided to go ahead with a book signing in NYC. Everyone could see I was a complete wreck, but the Journe staff took care of me, never once judging my tears. And for those in attendance, watch geeks are a special breed.
In a chance meeting, summer of 2023, I struck up a conversation with a non collector at the Miami FPJ boutique, James Madison France, who introduced me to Ernest Lupinacci, the co-producer of “The Offer” on Paramount+. Ernest shared guidance on how to craft a killer first chapter and critical lessons on creating and maintaining tension. Tragically, James died suddenly only days after the book came out. The story would not have been what it was without that special introduction. One of many serendipitous moments on this journey.
I can’t say enough about the extraordinary support from everyone at The 1916 Company. Blaze wears a DB thanks to 1916. We have a special partnership. From the start, they put all their weight behind me, from a Tim Mosso, and Armand podcast to hosting multiple book signings and online marketing. The cover photo is direct from De Bethune. Incredible! The delightful team from F.P. Journe was equally generous, from their CEO, who read and loved my manuscript, to the Miami, SoHo and LA teams. Their support has been immeasurable, and I’m deeply grateful for it.
Had an awesome time chopping it up with Perri Dash and Rashawn on Wrist Check Pod. Watching their careers take off has been no surprise at all. Shoutout to Lex and C.J. from the MIA Watch Club’s Zero to Sixty Podcast too … I barely survived the hot seat.
There have been more events: book signings with BAROSA, Jae Chung and Giancarlo of the Atlanta Watch Society. My good friends at Porcello Jewelers in Bellevue, WA, and the team at Ben Bridge Jewelers in Seattle. THANK YOU to the many who managed and attended these special events.
So, to wrap up your question, I put DEAD BEAT SECONDS’ success squarely on the shoulders of the watch community. It’s a great story within a story and I am very grateful.
Beyond the page
Dead Beat Seconds feels like it could live beyond a book. What are your plans for it? Are you thinking about screen adaptation, special editions, a watch collaboration or something else entirely, and what would the ideal version of that future look like to you?
The biggest surprise of all , which I couldn’t mention earlier, was the film development. A collector friend, David Canter, and fan of the book (see a pattern here?) convinced an established independent film producer that he had found his next film. (At a tequila conference.) Another serendipitous moment. Brad Feinstein, founder and CEO of Romulus Entertainment, built an extensive career in investment banking and Hollywood film financing. He founded Romulus Entertainment in 2016 and has produced films including The Banker, Bruised, Jungleland, and Killing Castro, a historical thriller about a plot to assassinate Fidel Castro, starring Al Pacino.
I flew to New York for one the biggest lunch meetings of my life, and we hit it off.
Brad really loved the story. He is also one of us, a watch guy. He has a tremendous vision for a franchise. It’s huge. He attended my book signing in Soho. You know, Eduardo, I wrote DBS all along with a film in mind. My biggest criticism from my editor was it read like a screenplay. She never understood why her criticism made me so happy. So the big news. Romulus Entertainment has authorized me to announce they are acquiring the film rights to DEAD BEAT SECONDS
While acquiring the film rights does not guarantee a film, every Romulus project has been greenlit, reflecting Brad’s exceptional ability to recognize compelling stories and bring them successfully to the screen. I trust Mr. Feinstein implicitly with his vision of a high-octane thriller. This is a very promising development. Very exciting.
What comes next for Blaze
When J.W. and I first talked under the stars by the Miami River, I had no idea his book would take him from boutique aperitifs to signings across the country, and now toward Hollywood. The film rights news is huge, and it is well deserved.
I can’t wait to see where Blaze goes and what he does on this new adventure. A year later, one minute into the future, a world moving faster than he can keep up with, and a De Bethune on his wrist. Which DB will it be? We will find out between midsummer and fall of next year.
In my opinion, this promises to be a crazy franchise, with everything it takes to become the next James Bond or Jason Bourne. Blaze McLain is just getting started.
J.W. Foster: “Imagine. A friendship beginning over a shared passion for watch collecting. What is it with these crazy mechanical pieces of art? Why do they move us? They certainly change my life and yours. Love you, Eduardo. Thanks for putting this together. Congratulations again on your launch, and I agree, we’re just getting started!“
