Watch Podcasts?!?
You should listen
My daughter has taken to calling these #Watchcology posts “Watch-icles,” which is funny when said out loud but when written, I imagine a Panerai that Andrew McUtchen dipped in chocolate. Had he then stuck it in the freezer…instant watchicle.
A brief note to last week’s piece:
Kingflum sent me a great piece he’d written some time ago on the topic of the highs we all get when we get a new watch...it’s real.
I definitely don’t have the ability to post a lot of #NWAs (New Watch Alert) on social media, but I have found it really powerful to make connections with other people in the #WatchFam, and the dopamine hit that you get from connecting with people who are in the same tribe as you or into the same thing as you is really fun. I have also really enjoyed seeing the small number of followers that I have on my Instagram page go up to over 200 now, which is a very small number compared to many people in the watch community on Instagram, but it’s where I’m at, and I’m
really happy with that. I’ve also really enjoyed seeing the number of subscribers and the number of readers go up fairly significantly on my Substack. When I first posted, I thought it was really cool when I got 10 people reading my first watch article, and now, in a matter of a few hours, I’ll have upwards of 20 to 30 people reading and over the course of a weekend, I can crest 50 people, which again, for people who are long-time writers or who have a following, that’s a fairly insignificant number. But for me, it’s really a group of 50 people that I don’t really have a personal connection to but have decided of their own volition to read something that I’m writing, and I think that’s really meaningful for me on a personal level. I really appreciate you taking the time to read this. I think that’s an incredible gift that I get from participating in the WatchFam.
I’ve been getting my own dopamine hits in the social media realm from interacting with the watchfam. Of note, I’m fortunate to talk regularly with a few folks including AJ Barse, James Bachici, and Zach Smith. I’ve also enjoyed a few side conversations with some of the editors at Fratello, Hodinkee, and Time & Tide, and I’m particularly excited for the new T+T channel, “Time+Tide Tribe.” It should be fun to see how they expand now that CEO Andrew McUtchen is London-based!
I’d also like to take a moment to mention Trish Hunt (behind.the.lume & watch_girl_life) who has a massive Instagram issue. They’ve taken down her main account for watch_girl_life and she is in need of anyone that knows how to get through the red tape of Meta. Her account was a staple for many of us, and hopefully, she can get back up and running. In the meantime, give her a shout and follow her new account.
So what I really want to talk about is watch podcasts! I want to take some time to mention a few that have been particularly great for me. If you had asked me at the beginning of my watch journey, I would have told you that a podcast about watches seems a little silly considering there's such a visual aspect to watches in general. But for those of you in the know, you understand that once you dive really deep into the watch community, you have an idea of what a lot of the typical watches look like. Now I certainly am not somebody who knows reference numbers, model numbers, things like that when talking about watches, but if you start talking about a common watch and or describe it, I have a pretty good idea of what it’ll look like. The other thing that I think is often paired with those of us that are really into these podcasts is we’ve seen a lot of the same watches on social media, or even on YouTube channels, and I’ve had the chance to get the visual in our mind when they’re being discussed in podcast form. And of course, there are some of these podcasts that are also available on YouTube, and for those of you who wish, you can watch it rather than listen to it, though most of the time I’m listening to these in the car as I’m commuting to and from work.
Here are a few I’ve been tuning into:
This Watch Life: A daily listen, which is amazing! Features Lydia Winters and Vu Bui. They both have very active Instagram pages and their commentary on a daily basis is really fun. They’re between 15 and 20 minutes in length, so time flies quickly and really feel like you’ve had a fun conversation along with them about what’s going on in their world and their emphasis on the watches that they like. In fact, they just took their first trip to Watches and Wonders, and it was really fun to listen vicariously to the excitement and preparation for their trip. I highly recommend you listen to these guys.
Analog Explorer: Hosted by AJ Barse, and based in the Pacific Northwest as am I, he has a very strong passion for outdoor life, diving, and watches. I’m only based in the same region…i’m not going diving any time soon. Some of his interviews are with brand owners and other people in the watch community. He even gets his family involved; his son is the proud owner of a Blok Watch, and his social media is also full of fun adventure photos. It’s very reminiscent of the types of adventure shots that you would see from The Grey Nato.
Timist Podcast: Hosted by James and Conor, Seattle-based podcasters who recently started the adventure into watch podcasting. The podcast really focused on connecting with a friend of his who is now his co-host and an AD. Conor and James have really connected and talk a lot about the watch buying experience and some of the really interesting conversations centered around, "If you are an AD, how do you choose who’s going to get the next watch?" I recommend checking it out.
Fratello: Nacho is the host of the Fratello podcast, and he’s often joined by the founder RJ as well as other editors for the publication. This podcast is based out of The Hague, and the banter back-and-forth is often very funny and comes with a great dry sense of humor, which really draws me into their conversations on a regular basis.
Hairspring: The hosts of this podcast have a really deep knowledge of watches and especially have a great appreciation for vintage pieces. Their podcasts are educational and interesting, and it’s nice to mix things up with Hairspring. They have almost 60,000 followers, and it’s always fun to hear the direction that their podcast will go.
That Watch Podcast: Solidcaseback, Diversewatchcollector, and pandlwatchcollection host a relatively recent podcast that features the three co-hosts talking about the adventures they have experienced in buying their watches, both new and vintage, their addiction to buying watches, and their experiences buying watches, combined with the occasional glass of champagne. This podcast is full of strong language, and at the onset of each podcast, they recommend that those with sensitive ears throw on their headphones, which is always funny to hear because they usually dive right in with the colorful language. These guys know a lot; they have a lot of watches that are really cool and their conversations are just that—it’s conversational. It’s not with a strict agenda, but they also have a really strong social media connection, and they’re just another fun podcast to listen to.
Worn & Wound: Zach and Zach are often the hosts of this podcast, and it’s always extremely informative. They’ve done a lot of research to know what they’re talking about. They are deeply embedded in the watch publication community and they’ve also done a lot of really cool collaborations with watchmakers, so their level of knowledge when it comes to both watchmaking and watch selling, and writing about watches is of the highest level. They definitely have fun making their podcast and I always enjoy listening to it.
Scottish Watches: As the name suggests, this is another European-based podcast and another group that has a really great ability to get guests who are of the highest level of watchmaking, and they have even done a few collaborations themselves that have been really interesting. This is a great weekly podcast that covers the spectrum of watches and watchmaking, and I highly recommend you tune in.
GB Talks: Hosted by George Bamford, who has really evolved over the years in his interview style, and his area of emphasis obviously has an amazing pedigree when it comes to watchmaking himself. The podcast is his way of connecting with people who are also into the wild and wonderful world of watches, and they cover some of the really intriguing pieces that are challenging to get hands-on, or are rare to see in the wild. George has a lot of great connections, he’s extremely personable, and his interview style is one that celebrates the guest and the work that the guest does well. Also, asking intriguing questions that help you better know the person
The Real Time Show: Hosted by Rob and Alon, I really enjoy this podcast as well. Rob has been working in the industry for some time. Alon has a wonderful breadth of knowledge about watches and watchmaking and owns a successful jewelry sales company. Together, they are really fun to listen to. They get some amazing guests, but they also have such great insider knowledge that the discussions are always entertaining yet deeply knowledgeable. I’ve really enjoyed how this podcast has been growing.
The Grey Nato: I’m pretty sure everybody knows this podcast, but I will mention it anyway. James and Jason have a great relationship with one another and it really shows in their podcast. They have really cool stories of traveling and wearing watches. They have a great knowledge of timepieces, especially divers, and combined with their presence in the watch publication world, along with their photography and their stories, they make for one of the best watch-related podcasts, hands-down. If you haven’t heard of The Grey Nato, you need to immediately download their podcasts and start listening.
Openwork: Hosted by Asher and Gabe, co-founders of Collective Horology, this particular podcast brings a lot of insights from owning their own business and selling watches, along with being able to promote both their podcast and their wares on social media. They are based in Southern California and have a very approachable podcast that brings a conversational chat about watches and high horology.
OT: The Podcast: Hosted by Felix and Andy, this Australian-based duo covers the watch industry, the latest trends, and great interviews with industry experts, and even a few watch influencers. They have a great rapport with one another and this podcast is fun to listen to, with discussions that are definitely pertinent and of interest.
A Blog To Watch (Weekly and Superlative): Ariel Adams and Rick Atkinson are hosts of the two amazing podcasts that ABTW hosts. Ariel is the founder of ABTW and Rick a co-founder of Scottish Watches bring some incredible horse power to their conversations about the watch industry. These shows also highlight many guests who are able to add their voices to industry and they certainly do not hold back when it comes to what’s working and what’s not in the watch industry.
About Effing Time (reruns are still fun): I had to at least mention this podcast because it was one of the first ones I listened to after jumping from videos from Teddy Baldassarre, Andrew Morgan, and Hodinkee interviews with the likes of John Mayer on YouTube. I obviously also watched the AET show, but the After Hours podcast was another great way to learn about the watches and the watch community as well as listen to Andrew McUtchen, George Bamford, and Adrian Barker talk about this really fun thing that is watches. I really appreciate the approach that each one of them takes when it comes to promoting what they do and how they talk about timepieces or watch collecting or buying watches, and I’m totally understanding that they are not in a place to be able to continue that effort. I will remain hopeful that one day there will be a reunion tour of the three rock ‘n’ roll rollers of watch podcasts and video.
Take a listen and follow along with this great group! I know this is not a list of all of the podcasts out there but hopefully you can add these to your already expansive list of great listens!
Enjoy listening and thank you again for reading #Watchcology!
Cheers 🥂
Hairspring podcast is decent for sure. 👌