H ere in Arizona, the seasons knownto the rest of the world as winterand spring are referred to as “auc-

tion season” and “spring training sea-son.” The seasons collided recently, whenwe met up with former Diamondbackpitcher Randy Johnson at the home ofauto auction icon Craig Jackson.

On the mound, Johnson was known forhis deadly speed and precision. He rankssecond in total strikeouts, behind NolanRyan, and is one of only 30 pitchers tohave hurled an immaculate inning, strik-ing out three batters in one inning withonly nine pitches. Over the years,Johnson honed his skill, tweaked his tech-nique, and transformed raw power intoprecision by working on the mechanicsand ironing out the kinks in his delivery.

It’s that focus on mechanics, the desirefor precision, that fueled Johnson’s fasci-nation with watches, and his eventualdesignation as brand ambassador forexclusive watchmaker Ulysse Nardin.

“Watches always fascinated me. Inevery city I traveled to, I gravitated towardthe upscale watch stores. I started pur-chasing them, then following the differentcompanies to see when the latest watcheswere coming out,” says Johnson. “Initially,it was how shiny they were—the bling fac-tor. But there’s obviously so much more toit: the complications of the movements,the workmanship and craftsmanship, andunderstanding how they work.”

Johnson estimates that he owns 50 to60 watches, which are easier to collect, interms of storage, than are cars. But, thereare similarities in the two hobbies.

“When you’re buying something special,there’s something that draws you to it,” heobserves. “And then after awhile, you dig alittle deeper to find out about what it’s allabout. What went into making it? Howmany were made? Why is it so special?”

While Johnson takes that view onwatch collecting, for him, cars are moreof an accessory, something that will “gofast, look cool and be dependable.”Which isn’t to say that he doesn’t valuesome of the same characteristics in anautomobile that he does in a watch,namely, exclusivity. For example, parkedin Johnson’s garage right now is a BentleyGT Supersport, purchased because it wasmore unique than the Arnage that previ-ously occupied that spot, less prolific.

And for a guy who professes to be more

interested in watches than cars,Johnson has had his share ofimpressive rides. There was thecustom prototype DodgeDurango with Carol Shelby’sautograph on the dash, whichhe purchased at Barrett-Jackson and drove to andfrom the ballpark. Then atwin-turbo Porsche 993, cus-tom built by Uwe Gemballa toaccommodate Johnson’s 6-foot10-inch frame.

But it all started with a Ford Pinto.Drafted by the Montreal Expos aftergraduating from USC in 1985,Johnson traveled to Florida for minorleague spring training. In need of a vehi-cle, he went to a used car lot and paidabout $3000 for a blue Pinto with thewords “US Mail” stenciled on the side,and with the passenger seat removed to

ARIZONADRIVER • March-April 2014 • 2120 • March-April 2014 • ARIZONADRIVER

Randy Johnson and Craig Jackson enjoying“Men’s Night Out” at Craig Jackson’s house. •(Opposite page) We meet Randy Johnson amidclassic and modern muscle. • (Below) The col -lectible Ulysse Nardin Big Unit Chronograph.

make way for a mail crate.“A couple of friends and I went out to a

club one night and we had it valetparked. Here’s this mail truck car, withno passenger seat, and we go, ‘Yeah,here are the keys. Go ahead and valetpark this,’” he laughs. “That wasn’t reallya car that chicks dig.”

Eventually, the radiator went out andJohnson abandoned the Pinto on the sideof the road, never to hear or see it again.When he made the big leagues, hebought a nice “status car,” like a BMW orMercedes, and later, when he had themoney and the opportunity, a Ferrari.

“I will never forget that Pinto, though,”he says. “It reminds me where I started,and where I came from.”

In watches and in cars, for Johnson, it’sall about enjoyment, but he does offersome practical advice: “The one thingI’ve come to learn is that, if you’re goingto buy something, buy it. Get as muchinformation on the car, the watch, what-ever, and purchase it right then. Becausewhen it’s gone, it’s gone. And if you dofind it again, you’re not going to payretail for it. That’s the way business isand the way life is.”

Looking around at Craig Jackson’s col-lection, Johnson notes, “At one time, Iprobably could’ve had a garage like this.But there’s a lot that goes along withowning these kinds of cars.

“It’s kind of like the watches. You canhave a quarter of a million dollar watch,but you’ve got to keep the movementgoing. You have these cars, you have torun them. For me, it’s all about enjoying,whether it’s a nice car or a nice watch,but I never wanted to have the caretakersyou need for the cars.”

Today, Johnson is happy with hisBentley, his affiliation with Ulysse Nardin,and his life after baseball.

“When I was playing baseball, andyoung, it was a great time in my life,” hereflects. “I didn’t have a care in the world,and I worked hard for everything I had,and I enjoyed. I have no regrets about thecars I’ve had. Or the watches.”

Ulysse Nardin released a limited edi-tion Big Unit Chronograph in late 2012.Packaged in a baseball themed box, itcame with an official major league base-ball autographed by Randy Johnson. Only100 were made, and it originally retailedfor $15,500. ■

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(Above) Glenn Marshall, owner of E.D.Marshall Jewelers; Randy Johnson; NelsonLucero, vice president of Ulysse Nardin; andAhmad Shahriar, Ulysse Nardin regionalsales manager. • (Left) This Ulysse NardinFreak Phantom watch can be yours for just$137,000. • (Below) “Men’s Night Out” at CraigJackson’s house attracted fans of bothgenders, to mingle with watches and cars.