In this closing episode of Watches & Politics, we step back from the history, the geopolitics, and the power struggles to reflect on what this journey has revealed. From cathedral bells to Cold War chronometers, from presidential wristwatches to Instagram collectors, timekeeping has never been neutral. Watches are stories of politics, diplomacy, conflict, and culture—miniature archives of power on the wrist.

This outro isn’t just a summary—it’s a personal reflection on why these stories matter today, and how the politics of time will continue to evolve. Join me, Edi Shipoli, as I close Series 1 with intrigue, reflection, and a call to keep exploring the hidden worlds where horology and power intersect.

Watches aren’t relics of the past—they’re still political, right now.

In Episode 10, we explore 10 ways horology intersects with power, money, and influence in today’s world: from sanctions and gray-market luxury, to blockchain authentication, to watch industry lobbying, celebrity diplomacy, and the politics of prestige at auctions.

This is a fast-moving tour through the living, breathing political economy of watches in the 21st century—where timepieces remain tools of identity, strategy, and control.

Time isn’t just measured—it’s controlled.

In Episode 9, we trace how time zones, daylight saving, and atomic clocks have been shaped by politics, empire, and power plays.
From the 1884 International Meridian Conference to China’s single time zone, from colonial “railway time” to the Cold War race for atomic precision—we uncover how controlling the clock has always meant controlling people.

This is the story of time as infrastructure, time as identity, and time as power.

n Episode 8, we step into the world of the collector—not just as a hobbyist, but as a political actor.

We explore how the buying, selling, and showcasing of high-end watches creates networks of power, influence, and cultural capital.

From heads of state whose collections signal national pride, to billionaires shaping auction markets, to elite gatherings where watches double as diplomatic tools—we break down the politics of collecting.

This is where taste meets strategy, and where a single timepiece can tell a story about money, status, and soft power.

In Episode 7, we explore the return of the past—not just in design, but in ideology.
The neo-vintage watch revival is everywhere: from reissued icons to auction-fueled hype, nostalgic aesthetics now dominate the modern wrist.

But what does this backward glance say about the present?
We examine how scarcity, exclusivity, and cultural longing have made vintage watches political symbols—of stability, identity, and rebellion.
From Cold War Rolex tool watches to neo-vintage drops engineered for collectors, we explore the economics, marketing, and memory behind the trend.

In a world of disruption, watches that echo the past have become more than accessories—they’re ideological statements.

In Episode 6, we explore the modern face of watches in a rapidly changing world—where globalization, geopolitics, digital disruption, and sustainability all reshape the industry.

From Swiss brands navigating the rise of China and the Gulf to smartwatches challenging the mechanical legacy, this episode unpacks the politics behind today’s watch world. We explore outsourcing, greenwashing, ethical production, and the battle between tradition and tech.

This is the modern battlefield of horology—where billion-dollar markets are influenced by trade deals, environmental debates, and the smartwatch revolution.

If you’ve ever wondered what keeps Swiss prestige alive in a digital age—or how luxury is being redefined across continents—this is your episode.

Watches don’t just tell time—they tell stories. In Episode 5 of Watches and Politics, we explore how watches have long been used as instruments of diplomacy, status, and soft power. From heads of state gifting horological masterpieces to allies and adversaries, to monarchs commissioning custom watches as symbols of authority, we uncover the hidden language behind horological gifting.

We explore stories of presidential Rolexes, diplomatic Vacherons, and the complex politics of giving and receiving luxury timepieces. What message does a watch send at a summit? Who wears what—and why?

Whether it’s a gesture of gratitude, a tool of flattery, or a subtle act of control, the gifted watch becomes part of the political theatre. Join us for a journey through ticking diplomacy.

The 1970s brought the watch world to its knees. In this episode, we explore how quartz technology—born from Cold War labs and Japanese innovation—shook the Swiss watch industry to its core. But it wasn’t just a tech revolution; it was a political and economic reckoning. We unpack the global fallout, Switzerland’s strategic response, and how this “crisis” reshaped not only watches, but also the global power dynamics of horology.

In this gripping episode, we trace the evolution of the wristwatch from battlefield necessity to cultural staple. From World War I trenches to Cold War espionage, watches became tools of survival, symbols of rank, and drivers of innovation. We explore how global conflict shaped the design, function, and meaning of watches—and how wartime pressures gave rise to some of horology’s most enduring legends. Discover the political life of the wristwatch in the age of war.

In Episode 2 of Watches and Politics, we explore how the Industrial Revolution transformed not only how watches were made—but who could wear them. From handcrafted luxuries to mass-produced tools of personal discipline, watches became democratized and central to the modern age. We trace how Switzerland and America pioneered different paths to global watch dominance, how marketing shaped consumer desire, and how the spread of timekeeping redefined work, class, and politics. This is the story of how time left the towers and entered our pockets—and why that change was anything but neutral.

Long before watches graced our wrists, mechanical timekeeping was a force of political, spiritual, and social transformation. In this premiere episode, we trace the origins of the first public clocks in medieval Europe—often funded by monarchs and the Church, not just to tell time, but to impose order. We explore how time was harnessed as a tool of discipline, from cathedral bells to city towers, and how the control of time itself became a symbol of divine authority and civic pride. This isn’t just a story of gears and bells—it’s about how the measurement of time shaped the foundations of power. Join us as we begin a journey into the earliest intersections of horology and hierarchy.

“Watches and Politics” is a limited-series podcast that explores the powerful intersection between horology and history, where timekeeping meets statecraft, diplomacy, war, and culture.

Across ten meticulously researched episodes, political scientist and horology enthusiast Edi Shipoli guides listeners on a journey that reveals how watches have silently shaped, and been shaped by, the most pivotal moments in global history. From medieval bell towers to presidential wrists, from Calvinist Geneva to Cold War summits, this is the untold story of how time became a tool of power.

This podcast is not about collecting watches—it’s about understanding them. It’s for listeners who are curious about how mechanical timekeeping, luxury brands, industrial revolutions, and diplomatic gifting have helped organize societies, discipline labor, project prestige, and mark identity.

Why This Podcast MattersWatches aren’t just accessories—they’re cultural artifacts that reflect who we are and how we organize the world. This podcast reveals how something as small as a timepiece has influenced labor movements, empire-building, trade policies, and social status across centuries. By weaving together political science and horology, Watches and Politics offers a completely new lens on both.