Page 43 - Sharp November 2024

GRAND SEIKO × SHARP
TIME IS MONEY
FOR CHRISTOPHER DEWDNEY, SMART FINANCIAL PLANNING IS A MATTER OF PERSONAL STYLE
By Jeremy Freed
B EFORE BECOMING A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER,
Christopher Dewdney went to school for fashion design and dreamed of becoming a menswear buyer. It turns out, however, that helping clients achieve their financial goals also comes down to a keen understanding of personal style. Dewdney, who is based in Toronto, approaches each client like a tailor custom designing a suit, considering their tastes, lifestyle, and objectives before coming up with a bespoke financial solution. SHARP spoke to Dewdney about his unusual career path, personal style, and why he believes Grand Seiko is the perfect “stealth wealth” timepiece.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
The people. We talk about stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and pensions, and that's fine, but what I'm more interested in is the “why.” It’s, “I want to travel more. Or, “I want a nicer house.” Or, "I want my kids to have a better lifestyle than I had growing up.” There's always a story behind it, and everybody's story is different. What I enjoy the most is helping my clients achieve their goals. It's not positioning products; it's getting to know people and then being able to add value.
What lessons from the fashion world do you utilize in your work as a financial planner?
Fashion should be personalized and individual, and so should personal finance. I'm not a big fan of cookie-cutter solutions, and I'm very much about the details. So, when it comes to my clothing, I'm looking at the stitching, the thread, the fabric, the colour palette, and the image I'm trying to portray. That very much carries over to the way I create, develop, and implement financial plans.
What roles do fitness and athletic achievement play in your life?
I train every day. Some people want to look good, and some people want to lose some weight, but for me, it's my therapy and my meditation. I work in an industry where people are so focused on gaining wealth that a lot of times it comes at the cost of their health. For me, it's always health and wealth. And health is always first. You can make money, but your health is there for a finite period, and you want to do your best to maintain it or make it better. I lift weights, I do a lot of cardio, and I compete in triathlons. I've recently completed an Ironman, and my next big thing is I want to climb and summit Mount Kilimanjaro.
How would you describe your personal style?
When people say, “fashion,” they think of brands and names, but I love style. I like to be comfortable, and I don't like to follow trends. More recently, I've fallen down the path of stealth wealth and quiet luxury. I’m not big on monograms and outlandish branding; I'm more focused on the fabric, the cut, and the tailoring. I also like to do a deep dive into the backstory and the manufacturing. Are they ethical? Are they giving back to their communities? Are they paying their workers fair wages? I'm not just looking at the product, but the story behind the product as well.
What appeals to you about Grand Seiko?
The first Grand Seiko that I purchased was a model called the Omiwatari, and what spoke to me was the design and the backstory. The Omiwatari is not only a beautiful, sleek, and stunning dress watch, but it uses a Spring Drive movement, which is a hybrid between a quartz and a mechanical movement with a beautifully smooth sweeping second hand. The Zaratsu polishing and finishing are also second to none. It’s very much an example of quiet luxury.
Do you have a motto or philosophy that you live by?
Do better. Every day I aspire to do better and be better. I don't like complacency. Life is fluid, life is dynamic, and life is always about change. So, every day when I wake up, I open my eyes, and I look at my watch. It gives me another 24 hours to be better and do better than the day before.
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