A Blog To Watch Weekly

This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Rick, David, and Ripley kick things off with affordable watch enthusiasm before diving headfirst into industry introspection. The new VAER G2 Meridian GMT proves that a $399 quartz travel watch can still feel thoughtfully designed, well built, and genuinely useful, while David’s latest “Grinding Gears” article tackles a much bigger issue: have major watch brands retreated into tiny echo chambers? From disappearing marketing ambition to confusing corporate growth expectations, the team connects the dots between brand communication, Morgan Stanley reports, and the shifting realities facing names like Omega and Breitling.

Things escalate quickly from there. A nearly $2 million Richard Mille soccer watch attempts to track match periods, scores, and stoppage time in the most mechanically complicated way
possible, sparking debate about purpose versus spectacle. The Brand Wheel of Death returns to eliminate Baume & Mercier while sparing Laurent Ferrier for a hypothetical fifty year reset, and Moritz Grossmann lives to spin again. It’s the usual combination of market analysis, horological absurdity, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting.

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

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This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Rick is back in the hosting seat and joined by Ariel, Ripley, and David for a typical wide ranging conversation that moves from Japanese watch culture to retail power plays, with only a mild amount of chaos along the way. Ariel shares highlights from his recent trip to Tokyo, including how Seiko, Grand Seiko, Citizen, and Casio are presented at home, why Seiko currently wins the prettiest display contest, and what it feels like to stand in front of an entire rainbow of Mount Iwate dials. The team then dives into a deep discussion about Rolex and the growing pressure placed on authorized dealers, from costly boutique remodels to brand controlled retail experiences, sparking a lively debate about independence, real estate strategy, and who really benefits when luxury retail gets a facelift.

From there, the episode rolls straight into Hit Miss Maybe, covering a new pilot inspired release from Oris, a lightweight Zagato concept from Chopard, and a technical deep dive into a high end Ferdinand Berthoud piece, complete with chain drives, constant force mechanisms, and strong opinions about skeletonization. The Brand Wheel of Death makes its long awaited return, putting Tudor and Tissot back in the spotlight, while Czapek quietly exists. Along the way, the crew debates value, design direction, and whether some brands need a 50 year timeout. The episode wraps with plenty of laughs, sharp industry takes, and just enough Brand Wheel energy to remind everyone that no watch company is ever truly safe.

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!

This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Ariel is once again holding down the host chair while Rick continues his mysterious multi week sabbatical (last we heard he was crossing mountains by donkey, so fingers crossed). Joined by Ripley and David, the team digs into Ariel’s latest essay on why luxury watch brands should embrace controlled discounting, unpacking how pricing psychology, gray market realities, and unrealistic investment narratives have distorted modern collecting. The conversation then shifts to Ariel’s recent trip to Tokyo, now arguably the world’s most exciting city for watch enthusiasts, with deep dives into Japan’s booming pre owned scene, Grand Seiko sightings, tax free deals, and how local retailers are reshaping displays to match global demand. From there, things jump wildly upmarket with a breakdown of the Louis Vuitton and De Bethune collaboration and its four million euro Sympathique clock fantasy, before crashing back to earth with tiny G-Shock ring watches, blind box buying culture, and whether gamified collecting is the future or just Pokémon with timekeeping. The episode wraps with thoughts on Breguet’s latest Type 20 chronograph, vintage inspired design choices, and why watches should probably go back to being worn instead of treated like speculative assets, all delivered with the usual mix of industry insight and playful cynicism, plus one conspicuously empty chair while Rick continues his mysterious travels.

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!

With the aBlogtoWatch Weekly crew unavailable this week, we’re doing something a little different. In this special crossover episode, we’re revisiting standout conversations from our Superlative podcast to bring you three perspectives on watch collecting, craft, and the culture that surrounds modern horology. You’ll hear from Jay Leno on his personal relationship with mechanical watches and why tangible objects still matter in a digital world, Fred Savage on how watches create connection, identity, and community, and George Bamford with candid insight into collector psychology, industry risk, and what it really means to navigate trust in the watch space. Each segment comes from a longer Superlative conversation, curated here for aBlogtoWatch Weekly as a look back at classic moments that highlight the human side of timepieces and why this hobby continues to resonate across generations.

Check out each episode with our featured guests:

Jay Leno - https://youtu.be/y6Lhs0h0S-I

Fred Savage - https://youtu.be/-vthxT-uSsM

George Bamford - https://youtu.be/SOBwXcXXm3A

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!

This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Ariel is joined by Ripley and Sean, proving that the show can still stay on the rails even without Rick in the room, before cutting straight to the heart of modern watch collecting, originality, and why taste and intention matter more than rigid rules. The discussion kicks off with Sean’s modified 1960s Omega Seamaster and quickly expands into a thoughtful debate about vintage purity versus lived-in character, the difference between collecting as time travel and collecting as personal expression, and why aftermarket changes are not always the sin the internet makes them out to be. From there, the conversation moves through current releases, including Maurice Lacroix’s heavily skeletonized offerings, and Zenith’s Defy Skyline lineup (why it continues to punch above its weight), and the strange appeal of ultra-luxury skeletonized gold watches that are impossible not to smile while wearing. The team also touches on Marathon’s Arctic Edition diver, the ongoing fixation with faux-aged lume, and the widening gap between functional tool watches and fashion-driven design. The conversation also takes a candid turn toward Tudor’s current identity struggles, questioning whether the brand has lost its experimental edge and what it says when Rolex appears more willing to innovate than its so-called adventurous sibling.

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!