196. Phillips Gets The Clap, Timex Gets An Email List, And MoonSwatch Ain't Cheap
A Blog To Watch WeeklyShow Notes
This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Ariel, Rick, and Ripley kick off with a philosophical spin on time itself before diving into the irony of Phillips celebrating a watch that resold for less than before, and how auction houses keep fueling inflated prices that manipulate market perception. Ariel revisits his article on the realities of watch auctions, exploring how media hype perpetuates unrealistic valuations. The group then shifts to the retail side as Ariel breaks down why the luxury watch industry’s high pricing strategy has created its own worst enemy, and why consumers are growing weary of inflated retail tags. Their conversation expands to the fate of brands like Timex, Daniel Wellington, and Fossil, with sharp insights into how microbrands are reshaping entry level watch culture. They dive into Nick Jonas’ Fossil endorsement, questioning if anyone has ever actually seen him wear one or if it’s just the most expensive wrist costume in pop history, Trump’s “gold bar” moment, and the absurdity of “tiny window” watches. The team closes with two fiery rants, one from Ripley on why the MoonSwatch is not really affordable and another from Ariel on brands that think tiny illegible watch windows are the next big thing
More from A Blog To Watch Weekly
This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Rick, David, and Ripley explore a new chapter for Hublot, Audemars Piguet's latest venture into luxury jewelry, the 50th anniversary of the IWC Ingenieur, and much more. With Ariel away, the trio kicks things off with a discussion of Hublot's evolving direction under former Audemars Piguet CEO François-Henry Bennahmias, including the new Classic Fusion Original and Big Bang Original.
This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Ariel Adams is joined by David and Ripley for a conversation covering everything from affordable G-Shocks to luxury smartwatches and some of the most unusual designs coming out of Japan. Ripley kicks things off with highlights from the first Istanbul Watch Festival and a look at Turkey's thriving watch culture. The crew then explores Casio's new $180 G-Shock GW-BX5600, discussing its upgraded MIP display, solar charging, and Bluetooth connectivity before diving into the confusing world of Casio's product lineup. Next up is Garmin's latest MARQ Gen 3 collection, where premium materials, specialized features, and prices reaching $3,100 spark a debate about what makes a luxury smartwatch worth the money.
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.
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.
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.