A bunch of random watch talk with a bit of a flavour of what have brands done for us lately and what could they do.
In the spirit of ever being the professionals that we are, here's an episode that we actually recorded a few months ago but have been too busy to upload (sorry everyone!). Hopefully will be back to regular programming shortly but this is a good one. Our first ever episode with a guest and our first ever episode done remotely. A few technical challenges (it wouldn't be a HTT episode without them). Join us as we chat with our good friend and local watch collector Anthony (give him a follow on insta @watch_lover_au). We talk all things watches, how he got started in the hobby and his particular love for a brand that a few of us probably write off sometimes and probably shouldn't!
Watch companies may as well make up whole new units of measure for water resistance (I vote squeezal) because it seems that neither meters or atmospheres mean what we think they mean when it comes to a watches water resistance. Why is that? Does it have to be that way? Then we finish up with a quick chat on how we decide what to wear each day.
So often the watch hobby requires us to wait. Maybe its trying to save for that new Omega or waiting for "the call" from your Rolex AD or twidling your thumbs while an indie watchmaker builds your watch - often we are kept waiting. Is this a good thing? Or would we skip the wait and jump to the buying process if we could. We chat about this a bit and go off on many tangents. Also the 75th anniversary Omega Speedmasters dropped and some interesting Tudor Pelagos' (Pelagai??) arrived. We rabbit on about those for a bit too.
Want to listen to two random guys chatting away in a spare bedroom critiquing incredibly successful professional media folks and telling them how to improve? Well you are in the right place because thats what we are up to this episode. There are some moments of insight but it also feels like there's quite a few places where we appear to backflip on what we'd said earlier. That said, we still think its worth us putting out and you guys having a listen. As always we'd love to hear your thoughts on all this so please leave a comment on whatever podcast player you are using. Thanks.
Today Pete and John discuss the idea of grail watches. Its a bit of a rambling journey around the topic running from what even is a grail through to "if a grail is an exit watch do you even want a grail?". The idea of a grail watch being super expensive gets a bit of a run - such as what would be the effect of putting all your horological eggs in one basket? Would the hobby still be fun or would the anxiety of a watch worth more than your car suck the joy from the hobby?
Today Pete and John discuss brand icons - the watches that have come to define a brand. Sometimes this is really easy (looking at you Breitling Navitimer) because there's only one, sometimes its hard because a brand is so powerful there are a couple of candidate (Rolex) and sometimes there just isnt a watch that define a brand but perhaps an idea (like Seiko). So listen to their ideas - feel free to disagree, let us know in the comments and also let us know what brands you'd like us to look at next time.
Pete and John tackle two questions or topics today. First, a quick look back at Watches and Wonders 2023. A show that somehow managed to only rise to vague satisfaction in the main with little that really got the heart pumping. The Rolex releases were, for a first time in our watch history genuinely interesting while everyone else appeared to be content painting well inside their well-established lines. That said, perhaps thats enough and after a rollicking 2022, maybe a more predictable 2023 was actually a good thing. Our second topic was a bit of a retrospective where Pete and John look back at what and how they bought watches in the beginning and contrast that with today. One thing they both agreed was that watch collecting as a newbie is a lot easier and a lot less expensive than as folks with a few years under the belt and knowing too much. They finish up with an interesting discussion on homages (really knock-offs) and fakes, both agreeing with the controversial hot take that while there may be a legal difference between the two categories, ethically buying a San Martin (etc) and a straight up fake is basically the same thing.
In our podcasts so far John has mentioned that has tended to buy (and sell) quite a bit in the past. Given that we've both been pretty negative toward dirty filthy flippers (sorry, couldnt help it) doesnt that mean we're being a little hypocritical? So today we unpack that, what is flipping? Is selling a watch always "flipping"? (btw no) or is flipping a particular kind of sale? (yes, yes it is). While we are talking flipping, this inevitably brings us to even getting access to the hype watches that are easily flipped and the dreaded question of "building a relationship". Here Jon and Pete discuss what that means, how it can be an incredibly fulfilling part of the hobby BUT it could also be soul destroying if you are trying for a purely transactional relationship, ie I buy stuff I dont really want and you (maybe) give me access to the good stuff.
Just what is "a watch"? Is a bracelet a watch part or an accessory? If you've changed a bracelet have you modified the watch? Is a watch with a non OEM band a frankenwatch? And what about servicing and warrantees? What should be expect and what would we like to see. Pete and John today discuss all sorts of issues around the basics of living with a watch.
Today Pete and John chat about transparency and discover, like always, that nothing is as simple as you imagine. We talk about transparency in watches including movements, swiss made but then wonder why not cases, or dials or even watch design. We then talk about transparency in the watch media and get right down to the important question - does the media lie to us to make the brands happy or do they lie to us to make us happy?
The retail experience for watches is changing - fast. Perhaps the biggest change happening right now are the watch brands taking more control (and a bigger slice of the pie) though the ever increasing use of single brand boutiques either operated directly by the brand or on their behalf by a third party. Is this a good thing? It certainly makes discounts (or at least big discounts) pretty rare. But on the other hand, we've both found boutiques seem to provide a uniquely satisfying - dare I say, luxury - experience. Also what does this mean for the multi-brand AD? All this and more in the podcast, so stop reading and get listening.
Watch pricing is one of the most contentious aspects of the watch hobby. As enthusiasts we think we all know better than brands what their watches "should" cost and get pretty vocal about it. Today we talk around this issue for an hour or so and find that its not so easy. Oh, its definitely the movement that sets the price, until we are actually asked to pay up then its brand power, or design, or rarity. What we really find is that like most topics, when you slow down, question your 'easy' thoughts and test yourself against different scenarios watch pricing, what a watch "should" cost and what we are prepared to pay is anything but straightforward.
Join Pete and John discussing a load of watches released in Jan 2023 including the revolutionary (and baffling) Omega Speedmaster Super Racing Spirate, Zenith Defy Revival, a couple of TAGs and.....whatever else came to mind
Ok, so be kind - please. We sat down to experiment, see if this would work, how to edit, what was required to create a podcast and figure out just what we are trying to achieve. This episode is babies first steps - we start slow, end up on our arses occasionally but find our feet towards the end. Today we introduce ourselves (briefly), talk about our entry into the hobby and then give our opinions on where we see the watch hobby today, the good, the bad and the spicey.
Sorry listeners! Been a while since our last episode but we're going back to basics and hopefully will get more regular with episodes! In this episode, Pete and John talk about the Watches and Wonders event 2024, and what our thoughts are. Spoiler: Not our favourite W&W year but still plenty to talk about.
Catch Pete and John talking about our watch predictions for 2024 - also for the first time this will also be in video format on Youtube! Quite a few tangents along the way though (what else can you expect from us really). A meandering journey that we hope you enjoy!
We are back - after a little break. The break was not planned or intended - you can blame my new found obsession with Baldurs Gate 3 more than anything. This week we are discussing the latest Swatch x Blancpain collab - because? well because its kind of compulsory.
Today we talk about a few brands that we reckon, rightly or wrongly, are underrated by the watch world. Whats really interesting is perhaps why we think they are underrated - perhaps its because they also make other things, or focus on women or are just trying to make us happy (yeah I know, obviously we'll hate someone trying to make us happy). We also chats about the recent trend to revive long-dead brands. Is that a legitimate path to success or a cop out? And also what does the future hold for these brands? Should they stick to their historic catalogs or do we expect more?