A Blog To Watch Weekly

This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Ariel Adams returns alongside David and Ripley for a packed episode covering military watch history, controversial design decisions, and one of the most expensive G-Shocks ever made. Ariel shares stories from his recent visit to the Navy SEAL Museum in San Diego, including the history of Tudor Submariners issued to Navy SEALs during the Vietnam War and the mysterious disappearance of watches that were reportedly destroyed after being returned to military storage.

The conversation then turns to Tudor's new Northflag GMT, where the crew debates its design, proportions, and place within the brand's lineup. David takes particular issue with the dial's mismatched details, while Ripley questions whether the new GMT has lost what made the original model special.

The discussion continues with Casio's extraordinary $80,000 sapphire-cased G-Shock, prompting questions about luxury pricing, durability, and whether anyone outside the watch community would believe a G-Shock could cost that much. The crew compares Casio's latest creation with high-end sapphire watches from Hublot and considers the appeal of ultra-expensive versions of otherwise affordable designs. Ariel also raises concerns about algorithm-driven watch recommendations, arguing that human curation remains essential for discovering new brands and expanding one's interests as a collector. Along the way, the trio finds time to debate a Lufthansa-exclusive Sinn, poke fun at the idea of luxury tool watches, and question where the watch industry is headed.

To check out the ABTW Shop, where you can see our products inspired by our love of Horology:

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Key Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction and Ariel's return
00:02:38 - Lufthansa's limited-edition Sinn watch
00:04:28 - The history of Navy SEAL Tudor Submariners
00:06:24 - The mystery of the missing Navy SEAL watches
00:14:17 - Rolex connections and military watch history
00:18:45 - Tudor's new Northflag GMT sparks a design debate
00:23:47 - What the original North Flag got right
00:27:03 - Northflag dial details and design criticism
00:31:47 - Casio's $80,000 sapphire G-Shock
00:35:41 - More luxury G-Shocks and sapphire alternatives
00:39:13 - Is an $80,000 G-Shock worth it?
00:43:56 - Human watch curation versus algorithms
00:49:21 - The dangers of algorithm-driven watch recommendations
00:53:44 - Wind Vintage and the sold-out Dreamsicle watch
00:55:35 - The usefulness of flyback chronographs
00:57:21 - Brellum chronographs and affordable Swiss watchmaking
01:00:20 - Watch thickness and movement design
01:03:52 - Closing remarks

This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Ariel is away, which leaves Rick, David, and Ripley to make sense of a watch market where price and positioning seem increasingly difficult to untangle. The crew starts with Zenith and a lengthy debate over pricing, brand identity, and whether a good watch can still be a tough sell at the wrong price. Then things get sweeter with the Donut Watch Company, a new Ming adjacent project that brings familiar design DNA, a Miyota movement, plenty of lume, and an actual donut theme to the roughly $700 price point. The question quickly becomes whether offering a more accessible taste of an expensive brand is clever expansion or simply leaning a little too heavily on the name and design language people already recognize.

From there, Ripley introduces the Timex Atelier Chronograph Quartz M1q, another roughly $700 proposition that flips the entire conversation around: would you rather have an expensive version of a traditionally affordable brand or a cheaper taste of something more luxurious? The debate over an expensive Timex versus a cheap “Ming” gets surprisingly philosophical, with nostalgia, finishing, specifications, and brand equity all entering the equation. Finally, Omega Corner produces an actual mystery as the crew discovers a SPECTRE logo hidden in Omega’s website and starts wondering what secret Bond related Seamaster might be coming next. There is also time for David’s Marvin Bathyscaphe, some catalog cutting, and the usual detours that happen when Ariel leaves everyone unsupervised.

To check out the ABTW Shop, where you can see our products inspired by our love of Horology:

- Shop ABTW - https://store.ablogtowatch.com/

To keep updated with everything Superlative, aBlogtoWatch Weekly, and aBlogtoWatch, check us out on:

- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ablogtowatch/

- Website - https://www.ablogtowatch.com/

- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aBlogtoWatch

If you enjoy the show please Subscribe, Rate, and Review!

Key Chapters:
[00:01] Introduction and Ariel Is Missing
[06:01] Zenith Chronomaster Solo Sport and the Pricing Problem
[16:05] Can Zenith Compete With Rolex?
[29:21] The Ming-Backed Donut Watch
[35:00] Is a Cheaper Taste of Ming Worth It?
[40:22] Timex Atelier Chronograph Quartz M1Q
[42:23] Expensive Timex or Cheap Ming?
[47:46] Omega Corner
[48:12] Omega’s Secret James Bond Watch
[51:20] David’s Marvin Bathyscaphe
[52:47] Omega Cuts the Constellation Collection

This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Rick, David, and Ripley are back with an episode full of watches that are cheaper, pricier, and considerably weirder than expected. The guys start with H. Moser & Cie. going digital before turning to the state of watch marketing and why so many brands seem to have forgotten how to keep the conversation going. They also consider whether Cartier could ever truly challenge Rolex and what it would take for the brand to get there.

Then it is time for Rolex to break out the frying pan. The new Perpetual 1908 Padellone brings some real complication to Rolex’s dressier side, along with a price that has the guys questioning just how far upmarket the Crown wants to go. From there, Hublot and Jeff Koons provide plenty to talk about with Balloon Dogs, sapphire, wild pricing, and exactly the kind of watches that guarantee a reaction. Finally, the crew dive into matching watches with NFL teams, debating some of the more questionable pairings, and they start plotting an equally dangerous watch brands versus car brands comparison for next time.

To check out the ABTW Shop, where you can see our products inspired by our love of Horology:

- Shop ABTW - https://store.ablogtowatch.com/

To keep updated with everything Superlative, aBlogtoWatch Weekly, and aBlogtoWatch, check us out on:

- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ablogtowatch/

- Website - https://www.ablogtowatch.com/

- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aBlogtoWatch

If you enjoy the show please Subscribe, Rate, and Review!

Key Chapters:
[00:07] Intro and This Week’s Opening Chaos
[04:08] H. Moser & Cie. Goes Digital
[18:04] Has the Watch Industry Forgotten How to Treat People?
[21:54] Why Rolex Marketing Works
[31:02] Omega and the Problem With Watch Marketing
[35:28] Could Cartier Challenge Rolex?
[37:06] Rolex Perpetual 1908 Padellone
[38:24] The “Forever Frying Pan”
[47:00] Hublot x Jeff Koons Balloon Dog
[53:00] Hublot MP-14 Goes Full Sapphire
[01:03:51] Matching Watches With NFL Teams
[01:09:48] What You Like: Watch Brands and Car Brands
[01:13:02] What’s on the Desk?

This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Rick, Ariel, David, and Ripley are back to tackle watches that dazzle, watches that feel like furniture, and watches that may be listening to everything you say. The crew starts with a look behind the curtain at Dexel and the manufacturing capabilities that help make Formex such an interesting value proposition, including the cases, bracelets, clasps, and technology that often go unnoticed by consumers. Then things get considerably more colorful with the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Dazzle, a watch that leaves absolutely nowhere for your eyes to rest. From there, Hublot takes titanium in an entirely different direction with the rubber coated Big Bang Original Soft Touch, prompting questions about scratches, lint removal, carpeted watches, and whether anyone really needs a softer Big Bang. The Hublot conversation also leads into the latest Nico Leonard and Christopher Ward drama, the internet’s long history of hating Hublot, and whether the Big Bang should simply be reinvented from scratch.

The conversation then turns to aBlogtoWatch’s upcoming 20th anniversary and Ariel’s plans for brands to create watches inspired by the occasion, including one particularly unusual idea involving 5,000 year old fossilized tree rings. Apple enters the chat with its latest Apple Watch technology, including the ability to continuously listen, transcribe conversations, identify speakers, and generate meeting notes, which naturally makes everyone feel completely comfortable and not at all concerned. The guys also dig into the complicated relationship between watch media, auction houses, and charity auctions before wrapping things up with Louis Vuitton’s latest Tambour Spin Time collection, including an extravagant world timer and opal model. Along the way, expect the usual detours into watch industry drama, questionable materials, smartwatch rivalries, and exactly how much technology you really want listening from your wrist.

To check out the ABTW Shop, where you can see our products inspired by our love of Horology:

- Shop ABTW - https://store.ablogtowatch.com/

To keep updated with everything Superlative, aBlogtoWatch Weekly, and aBlogtoWatch, check us out on:

- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ablogtowatch/

- Website - https://www.ablogtowatch.com/

- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aBlogtoWatch

If you enjoy the show please Subscribe, Rate, and Review!

Key Chapters:
[00:00:07] Welcome and Opening Banter
[00:07:41] Inside Dexel and How Formex Watches Are Made
[00:18:53] Bulgari Octo Finissimo Dazzle
[00:25:32] Hublot Big Bang Original Soft Touch
[00:31:59] Nico Leonard, Christopher Ward, and Watch Industry Drama
[00:41:25] aBlogtoWatch’s 20th Anniversary Watch Plans
[00:45:34] Apple Watch Ultra 4 Is Listening
[00:47:48] Apple Watch Series 12 and Ceramic
[00:52:06] The Hermès Apple Watch and Its Price
[00:57:29] Watch Auction Houses and Charity Controversy
[01:02:15] What Happened to Only Watch?
[01:05:43] Louis Vuitton Tambour Spin Time
[01:09:46] Garmin vs. Apple Watch

This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Rick, Ariel, David, and Ripley are back together, with Ariel and David freshly returned from Geneva Watch Days and apparently still recovering from the heat. They recap the highs and lows of the event, from impressive watchmaking and questionable hospitality to the latest GPHG selections and the brands that did, or decidedly did not, make the cut. The conversation also turns to what makes Geneva Watch Days worthwhile despite its quirks and why the watch industry continues to descend on Geneva even when the city seems determined to make everyone sweat.

From there, the crew tackles the difference between collecting and investing, leading Ariel to declare collectors “natural born hoarders” and, naturally, a detour into knives, cheese, and the apparent collapse of cheese futures. Then it is back to watches with Chanel’s Blue Ceramic J12, the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Up/Down, the Tudor Northflag, and plenty more new releases and opinions along the way. As always, expect strong takes, questionable financial advice, and more than a little anxiety over whether a manually wound watch has enough power left to survive the day.

To check out the ABTW Shop, where you can see our products inspired by our love of Horology:

- Shop ABTW - https://store.ablogtowatch.com/

To keep updated with everything Superlative, aBlogtoWatch Weekly, and aBlogtoWatch, check us out on:

- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ablogtowatch/
- Website - https://www.ablogtowatch.com/
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aBlogtoWatch

If you enjoy the show please Subscribe, Rate, and Review!

Key Chapters:
[00:01] Show Welcome
[01:00] Sweating Through Geneva Watch Days
[09:40] Is Geneva Watch Days Worth It?
[16:31] Favorite Watches From Geneva
[17:19] GPHG Winners, Losers, and Controversy
[24:58] Chronoswiss and the Pulse One GMT
[33:41] Bulgari at Geneva Watch Days
[36:41] Watch Collecting vs. Watch Investing
[41:11] Natural Born Watch Hoarders
[42:13] Knives, Biver, and Cheese
[46:19] Chanel’s Blue Ceramic J12
[54:09] A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Up/Down
[56:30] The A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split
[1:05:00] Tudor Northflag Returns as a GMT
[1:18:19] Closing Thoughts