This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, the conversation kicks off with a round of applause for Tudor (applause is the new clap-in), followed by an examination of whether the watch industry needs a metaphorical “intervention.” Or maybe a literal one? The guys debate transparency, digital transformation, and sustainability as key areas careening through their horological brains. And speaking of horological…. There’s a playful riff on how watch geeks sometimes take their obsession too far — chasing ultra-niche complications or hyper-rare references. It’s a thing. The question is asked: “Are we torturing ourselves for the sake of tiny mechanical details?” It’s loving critique of the hobby’s tendency to overthink.“ Rick’s title, part of which is “Twerking Your Resence,” might seem tongue-in-cheek, but knowing Rick, it probably maybe isn’t. Tune in to find out!
Check Out This Week's Sponsor:
Ace Jewelers - https://www.acejewelers.com/
To Follow
Rick is bouncy-bright this morning, Ripley is clapping concrete, and Ariel is wearing a concrete watch — so don’t ever say we aren’t coordinated! David draws a line about what he will and won’t look at on the shared screen. ABTW Week #176 begins as such. The guys set about analyzing the nomenclature of the new Grand Seiko Tentagraph, and David offers some suggestions for improvement. On to the Chrono 25. More watch for less? Listen in to find out if that’s a thing. When talk turns precipitously to the touchy subject of outsourcing, Rick asks whether the Swiss have outsourced themselves into irrelevance. It’s all eyes on David where Chopard is concerned. (Spoiler alert: He really likes this brand!) The vibes turn to underwhelm when the spotlight is placed on the new pastel Blancpain. Is it a Swatch? Or is it a watch that costs as much as a new home? Sad that we have to ask. The mood is redeemed with an invigorating few rounds of Hit, Miss, Maybe.
This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly Rick is finally back from his Panerai adventures while David is the one we are missing. Rick, Ariel, and Ripley start the show by diving into a watch with a unique party trick, the Ball Engineer II Magneto S, and Ripley shows off what he is wearing with the exact opposite trick. Rick takes a look at Hublot’s website in order to “Return to Antikythera”, they play “Guess the price of the Seiko”, and they share what they think the love interest storyline in the new F1 movie could be. (Hint: a man and his car..) As always Rick, Ripley, and Ariel also play everyone’s favorite game, Hit, Miss, or Maybe with the Citizen Promaster Aqualand, the Ulysse Nardin Freak, and the Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto 79. Listen and join in on the conversation to hear an episode where third place feels like a win, (with a side of Mc Hammer and Muppet references), to witness an unveiling of the new unit of time, #KariTime, and so much more on this week’s episode of aBlogtoWatch Weekly!
To Follow
Note To Follow.
This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Rick starts the show with a question about Ariel's recent column about luxury watch pricing and its downstream effects. Ariel has much to say about this topic beyond the obvious. Who knew this was a can o' worms? Leave it Ariel to dig up questions in a space that seems well understood. Check your assumptions, people! Ripley and David weigh in from their own experiences as longtime enthusiasts. Rick then pops a photo on the screen of a luxury yacht designed to hold eight people, sinking under the weight of 32 souls. Not sure what this has to do with watches, except those sinking like they have stones in their pockets are likely debating how to save the watches they're wearing. In a similar vein, David presents his favorite marketing pitch — yes, this was an assignment — can you tell these guys get a lot of emails that seem quite random? (Don't miss the bit about the Trump watch error. We Americans love it when Rick rubs our noses in the country's current political administration. "No, I'm laughing WITH you!") The fun continues throughout the hour with a mix of levity and serious watch talk. Tune in!
To Follow
Rick starts the show by referencing the preceding rant edited out of the produced show. To wit: The live show took on the gazillion emails the guys have been getting about which celebrity wore what watch at the Met Gala. But onto something more important — grammar! Whether you could or couldn’t care less, that is the question. Now, down to some actual content. David’s latest “Grinding Gears” column is all about the gap between watchmakers and the consumers who don’t know what they’re looking at. This divide causes some problems, as David explains. Ariel has a lot to say about this, especially regarding value. Next up? Guess the Price of the Seiko! Then, onto a discussion of the Seagull Okeanos release, which also results in a discussion of pricing and tariffs. Ariel asks, “Why are tariffs invading our hobby?” And that is the question of the day. Kevin Roberts joins the foursome to discuss the latest from Doxa, Breguet, and other brands. Tune in to hear the latest.
This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, the quartet is a trio. Ariel is away, and David is super-excited about the new collab between Bulova and IFL. He waxes poetic about the hand-painted artwork on the dial, and it's hard to tell if/when he might take it off. And he's impressed with the price (just 1,200 Euros, including a Bulova movement). They move on to discuss two documentaries about brands — Bulova and IWC — before taking a look at the latest Gerald Charles release. Semi-usual suspect Kevin Roberts joins the show, as does Guy Blaskey. Ripley gets tuned in and heated up about the contemporary face of Bremont (there's a parallel to spam — don't ask), and the fivesome banters about the topic, which is more controversial with each passing day. Then, the segment we all wait for: Hit, Miss, Maybe! Listen in.
This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, it's a party! Rick has, count'em, five guests, all of whom are wearing black. In addition to Ariel, David, and Ripley, special guests Pete McConnell and Kevin Roberts are in the house. Ariel's presence was unplanned, as he's in Italy, where Pope Francis has just died, so he's feeling special in a strange way. Ripley is continuing to grow a mustache this week as he prepares to try to avert being placed on a jury. The guys get down to it with the question: Can one upset Rolex? Like, is it possible? Pete says "no," Ripley says, "kinda sorta, not really," and Ariel says, "heck yeah." There's only one way to find out the whys of these various answers, and that's to tune in to the show. Another big highlight of this festive episode is a conversation about Blancpain — lots of praise with a caution about the price (no surprise there, though). And guess what's back? Hit, Miss, Maybe. Join in!
This week on aBlogtoWatchWeekly, Ariel gets right to his most burning question: Why is everyone still so worried about tariffs? Because he isn't. In contrarian fashion, Ariel is worried about other things, like the watch industry eating its own tail. What does he mean by this? Tune in to find out. On the various home fronts, there are earthquakes in Los Angeles and wildfires in Scotland.Metaphor much? Along those lines, "regurgitation" is the word of the day, and it's not as icky as it sounds because Ariel argues that it can be an art form, especially in the context of Watches & Wonders 2025. David has a different view, and the guys bat around their ideas about Chopard, TAGHeuer, Hublot, and other heavy hitters to lend their expertise to the ongoing conversation. Ripley underscored the new tech and old design, a nicer way of approaching the regurgitation theme. This word itself is controversial. See what side you land on by listening in: strategy, art form, both, or neither?
This week on aBlogtoWatchWeekly, Rick, Ariel, and Ripley launch the show with thevestigial clap-in and get right to the hot topics of the week: Watches &Wonders, of course, and the many varying views on Trump's tariffs and howthey'll affect the watch industry. But first, Ripley puts in a plug for betterswag at the event next year. Underwear and socks would be awesome! He ran outof clean shirts before his flight home, so he was ever-so-grateful for abrand-new Oris t-shirt. And Doxa gave out passport covers so Americans couldobscure their identities — score! Rick asks the rapidly devaluing 64k question:What is the collective sound a gaggle of watch executives makes the day aftertariffs are announced? Ariel observes that already very high prices were apre-emptive strike among said execs, who'll just absorb these new costs. Davidarrives, wondering where the convo is at, and he commiserates on the swagissue. Post-W&W decompression has obviously been needed (folks are giddy!),but the guys DO get down to talking about actual watches — first, through thedoor of Ariel's parallels with The Brutalist. You'll simply have tolisten to understand this one. Rick scrolls down the list of 60 brands featuredat the show, and they proceed to talk about Chanel, Chronoswiss, Bell &Ross, Nomos, U-Boat, Norqain, and more. You'll have to click through to findout whether the news is good or bad.
Watches & Wonders is in full swing, as are the hot takes! Rick wrangles the usual suspects (and some potato-quality internet connections) for an unscripted, no-holds-barred roundup of standout releases, questionable design choices, and horological head-scratchers.
Highlights:
🕰️ Rolex Land-Dweller takes center stage—brilliant innovation or Tissot cosplay?
💥 The Dynapulse escapement has David calling it a "quantum leap."
🍯 Gold rush! Matt swoons over three standout gold watches.
🤔 Tag Heuer Solargraph – solar-powered F1 nostalgia or just plastic fantastique?
🧮 JLC’s Reverso Minute Repeater – love it, but don’t touch it.
💸 IWC goes full tech flex with an 80k perpetual chrono that no one can read.
🚽 Bathroom-scale vibes: Bremont and Cartier get dunked on for jump hour designs.
Remember, you never truly own the 8th day… you just look after it for the next generation.”
Show notes to follow
This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, the team isnow three. Where's Ariel? Rumor has it he's in Thailand, watch capital of....nowhere! We hope he's relaxing at a White Lotus hotel. Ripley is chilling inhis panic room, and Rick is home under the gray Scotland sky. David appears tobe having a normal kind of day. As you might guess, Formula 1 is the talk atthe top of the show, and Ripley and Rick debrief on the standings. Rick pivotsto the news of Frédéric Arnaud leaving LVMH, which leads David to surmise thatcompeting Richemont brands might be getting wise to the problem of"overlords" and cutting out middle management. This slippery slopeleads the guys to the Panerai website and a discussion of price-to-water-resistance ratio, if such a thing exists. Next, suddenly, aguest appears! It's Guy Blaskey of Detrash, a sustainability-focused brand that makes watches out of trash. On to talk of recent hands-on reviews, starting with the MB&F M.A.D. 2green watch, an homage to 1990s club culture. They turn their attention to anew release, the King Seiko Vanac watches, honing in on the excessive thickness of this time-only timepiece series. Hit, Miss, or Maybe? Listen in to find out. Switching gears to our newest game, Judge the Collab,the guys weigh on on the new Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Wotto limited edition.There are vast discrepancies! Listen to find out who your views most alignwith.
This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, all the guys are in a jolly mood. What's in the water? Perhaps spring has sprung, or somesuch, and as Alfred Lord Tennyson said, "In the spring, a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love" — only in this case,"love" is possible Watches & Wonders. Anyhoo, the team dives into the latest and greatest (or not altogether wonderful) watch releases, industry insights, and other watch-related thoughts that come to mind. This week, they discuss the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT, Seiko 5 Sports X Moon Eyes SBSA287, Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Ocean Commitment 4, Junghans Mega Futura, and the Hamilton Boulton DeathStranding 2. They pack a lot into an hour! And they even have some fun coming up with the most ridiculous watch name combination ever! I'm not allowed to say what it is, so tune in to find out!
Check out ABTW on YouTube to catch upon the latest episodes of ABTWW, Hit, Miss,Maybe, video reviews, and more.
We’dlove to hear from you with feedback or suggestions for future show topics orguests. Advertising opportunities are also available. Comment or contact podcasts@aBlogtoWatch.com. Youcan also send us a WhatsApp message at: +44 7386 690 897.
This week on aBlogtoWatchWeekly, Ariel calls in from a cabin in the woods, David ishome in Budapest sipping a hot beverage, Rick is at the farm office, and atired Ripley appears to be at home in L.A. — all reprobate seals clapping in,says Rick. Host-with-the-most Rick takes time to explore each person's space,perhaps to delay what's coming next. To wit, David has found a Morgan-Stanley2023-2024 report comparing watch brands, which reveals that the top 50 brandsdropped production of watches by more that 2 million between 2023 and 2024 — astat that causes some alarm — for everyone but Ariel, whose interpretation isthat some of these brands are playing with the notion of scarcity as amarketing strategy. Interesting.... What do the others think of this notion?Rick is struck by the fact the Zenith produced on 10,000 watches. "Shouldwe only talk about Rolex?" he ponders. The only brand that surprises Arielis Tudor, which dropped production by nearly 40 percent. Since Tudor doesn'tget as much"free marketing" as Rolex, maybe it needs to do more onthe marketing front. While you all bookmark this report to ponder later, theteam moves on to discuss some recent articles, starting with, speak of thedevil, the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic "Visa Blue" Master Chronometer,which Ariel likes because it's not for everyone — a "Swiss middle fingerto Omega," as he puts it. Next up is the Rolex Day-Date 36 with Roman Numerals, which David has afascination with — specifically, the deconstructed Roman numerals. AudemarsPiguet released an all-black ceramic Royal Oak Offshore, consensus about which seems tobe that, while it's not particularly new and creative, it's really pretty watchthat honors the brand name in refinement, if ambitiously priced. March L.A.B's new watch, whose name is toolong for Rick and Ariel to bother with, has more fonts than Rick can count. Theshow concludes with a riff on a Mission to Uranus. You'll have to listen to the show find out what that's about.
This week on aBlogtoWatchWeekly, Rick reveals that he's now deputy director of theFBI (now that podcast hosts can hold such roles), and Ripley confirms that Rickis a solid enough conspiracy theorist that.... well, it works. Rick thenannounces that this will be an "F1 episode," and it's hard to knowwhat that might mean. One clue is the red robin on which F1 team each teammember likes best. When talk turns to watches, first up is the IWC Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar in Green, and Rickshakes things up by starting with "Judge the Collab." The news isn'tgreat. Back to the F1 theme, we pivot to the eyebrow game of the Aramco team.David then departs for the airport after speed-packing just off-screen.Fiiiiiinally, it's back to watches with a look at the hands-on review of the Tudor Black Bay Chrono "Flamingo Blue" Watch. And there's some hemming and hawing about the new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Bronze Gold and Burgundy Watch.Ripley calls it by recollecting that "the road to hell is paved with goodintentions." Rick closes the show by introducing his new theme song forthe F1 Champions League. Tune in!
This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, the guys areall in their respective Brady Bunch-like squares, and speaking of square,SpongeBob SquarePants watches are high horology! This segues quite nicely intoAriel's experience as an attorney specializing in contracts and his articleabout what watch brands need from their owners. In his column, According to Ariel, Ariel discusses why buying a watchbrand isn't about extracting profit but rather thinking about the overall valueof the company — and even the future perceived value. Next up, talk turns tothe Hublot Big Bang Unico, which David says looks like it hasthe bubonic plague. Well, alright, then! Another recent release is Vacheron Constantin's 270th-anniversary watch (don't askabout the 275th anniversary, as VC only celebrates the whole numbers). It wasan innocent question, nonetheless, but the team was in lockstep with theanswer. And then the question comes up: Is the Louis Vuitton Tambour catching on? There's talk ofblue-chip luxury, and the guys muse about the future of the Tambour.Semi-regular Azad joins, and they end with our Rick-invented game, Hit, Miss,Maybe! We wondered if it was coming back, and now we know. Tune infor the fun!
Check out ABTW on YouTube to catch upon the latest episodes of ABTWW, Hit, Miss,Maybe, video reviews, and more.
We’dlove to hear from you with feedback or suggestions for future show topics orguests. Advertising opportunities are also available. Comment or contact podcasts@aBlogtoWatch.com. Youcan also send us a WhatsApp message at: +44 7386 690 897.
