A Blog To Watch Weekly

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!

In this episode of aBlogtoWatch Weekly, the team dives headfirst into the watch media identity crisis sparked by Ariel’s recent essay on who actually pays for honest coverage and why everyone seems to want it without footing the bill. The conversation then shifts into the uncomfortable reality of independence, sponsored content, and where the line gets drawn in a very small industry. From there, things take a sharp turn into horology with a deep discussion of a very serious watch that also happens to look suspiciously like Mickey Mouse. Ariel breaks down Breguet’s high frequency chronograph history, magnetic escapement technology, and why the brand is simultaneously capable of brilliance and baffling aesthetic decisions.
The episode then moves through the not quite LVMH Watch Week releases, including Louis Vuitton’s Escale complications explosion, which quickly devolves into an on air world timer geography quiz no one was prepared for. Along the way, TAG Heuer’s latest Seafarer revival sparks a spirited debate about tide complications and dog walking use cases, raising the question of whether modern watches sometimes try a little too hard. The group also touches on TAG’s ongoing CEO turnover, broader brand direction questions, and why some watch companies appear to be having fun while others absolutely are not.
As always, tune into their conversation this week to hear a blend of industry insight, watch nerdery, and exactly the kind of chaos that makes aBlogtoWatch Weekly feel less like a roundtable and more like group therapy with bezels.

Check out this week’s sponsor - Movado Watches:

- https://www.movado.com/

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 Ariel off on a mysterious, possibly horological, possibly diplomatic mission somewhere in Germany, Rick, David, and Ripley take the wheel. They immediately veer into Hungarian folk heroes, goose-based revenge myths, and the comforting knowledge that Disney will eventually monetize all of it. From there, the clappage gives way to Oris’ Year of the Horse watch and the genuinely baffling decision to celebrate an animal by wearing part of it. That choice sparks a long, ethically curious spiral involving cordovan straps, zodiac logic, pet straps, April Fool’s trauma, and whether anyone thought to ask a horse enthusiast first. From there, the episode turns into an unintentional audit of the modern watch internet. SevenFriday, U-Boat, and Swatch demonstrate that search functions are optional, vowels are negotiable, and websites may simply choose not to work. Along the way, the group revisits the watches they “missed” in 2025, including aggressively plastic divers, kindergarten crayon designs, watches that tick loudly enough to inspire resonance experiments, collabs that feel more like t-shirts than timepieces, and diamond-studded bison fantasies that send at least one host mentally relocating to Texas. The chaos culminates in a brutally honest round of the Picker Wheel of Death. Chronoswiss, Tutima, and Jaeger-LeCoultre face resurrection, mercy, or total erasure from the timeline as the debate somehow becomes philosophical, existential, and deeply online. It ultimately proves, once again, that this is, in fact, a watch podcast, even if it refuses to behave like one.

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!

In this episode of aBlogtoWatch Weekly, the conversation opens exactly where it should for a new year: questioning whether the word “master” needs to be retired from watch naming altogether, before immediately veering into geopolitical hypotheticals, Swiss invasion logistics, and the undeniable truth that Geneva traffic would stop any army dead in its tracks. Once the dust settles, the group dives headfirst into Seiko’s latest releases, kicking off a familiar round of “guess the price” that once again proves Seiko pricing remains as unpredictable as ever, with King Seiko, Prospex Speedtimers, anniversary models, and Astron pieces all seemingly priced by different departments that may or may not be speaking to one another. From there, the discussion broadens into material choices, marketing language, sustainability footnotes, and the growing frustration with watches that feel overexplained yet under-justified. The episode then shifts gears into a full-fledged Omega marketing rant, unpacking celebrity placements, perceived popularity, and whether the brand has stopped explaining why its watches are actually good, before reluctantly admitting that Omega still makes excellent watches despite the noise. Things spiral further into horological absurdity with a deep dive into ultra-high-end independent watchmaking, including Roger Smith’s painstakingly handcrafted Series 6 and the realities of six-figure handmade perfection. The back half of the show fully embraces chaos with the return of the Brand Death Wheel, debates over which brands deserve resurrection or oblivion, and a surprisingly passionate detour into vacuum cleaners, industrial design, and why some machines, much like watches, are built to last while others are just shiny distractions. As always, the episode wraps with sharp opinions, running jokes, and the lingering sense that no matter how much the industry changes, confusion, contradiction, and spirited debate remain the true constants.

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!

[00:00] Intro: Playing the "Guess the Seiko Price" game

[00:48] Banter: Should "Master" be removed from watch names?

[05:32] Discussion on new two-tone black and gold Seikos

[09:50] Guessing the price: King Seiko KS1969

[12:32] Critique of the new "movable lug" Seiko strap

[13:51] Rant on "Leather Working Group" and sustainability marketing

[17:25] Shock at the actual Seiko prices (Astron & Prospex)

[20:10] Ariel's rant: Omega's celebrity-obsessed marketing

[22:43] "Omega Corner": Trying to find technical positives for the brand

[26:40] Review: Hautlence Sphere Series 3 (The "Muppet Strap")

[31:23] Game: "Brand Wheel of Death" (Keep, Kill, Resurrect)

[32:52] Brand 1: Brew Watches

[33:16] Brand 2: Dornblüth & Sohn

[33:43] Brand 3: Romain Jerome (Discussion on resurrecting it)

[37:22] The Final Verdict: Resurrect RJ, Keep Brew, Kill Dornblüth

[38:18] Tangent: The Kirby vs. Dyson vacuum cleaner debate

[41:16] Highlights of the handmade Roger Smith Series 6

[46:07] Browsing the Roger Smith configurator

[48:20] Review: Atelier Wen Tantalum (Integrated bracelet)

[54:45] Industry News: The decline of LVMH Watch Week events

[56:14] Teaser: Ripley’s upcoming review involving a tiny Hot Wheels car

[57:44] Rating the episode's "Watch Content" vs. "Filler"

[58:16] Final Debate: Kirby the vacuum vs. Kirby the Nintendo character

[01:00:55] Closing remarks

This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Rick, Ariel, Ripley, and David stumble headfirst into a horological fever dream that begins with their favorite Christmas gifts and quickly escalates into “God complex watches”, starting with Vacheron Constantin’s wildly unsettling Métiers d’Art creations that somehow manage to combine astronomical complications, golden humanoid figures, cult leader aesthetics, and a price tag that suggests you might also receive a henchman with purchase. (Prompting a spirited debate about whether watches are meant to tell time or simply assert dominance over humanity). From there, Ariel dives into the increasingly uncomfortable question of whether there are simply too many watch brands in the modern market. He explains why brand failure does not automatically equal industry collapse and how pricing, distribution, and ego have quietly set the stage for a long overdue reckoning. That discussion naturally inspires Rick to introduce the “Brand Death Wheel”, a highly scientific and extremely responsible method for deciding which brands live, die, or are Thanos snapped out of existence. The process includes eulogies, resale speculation, and the unanimous realization that Tissot is not the brand we deserve but the brand we absolutely need.The conversation then swings through some of the most talked about articles of the year, including why rage drives engagement, why accuracy ranges that resemble guesses are no longer acceptable, and how discounting might actually save the industry’s soul. The group also explores why wealthy collectors complaining about prices may be the loudest warning sign of all. From there, the episode moves into a rapid fire tour of notable releases from Timex, Casio, and TAG Heuer, along with the ongoing identity crisis between flagship models and halo pieces. They ultimately circle back to the most important unresolved question of the episode: if this group truly has the power to decide which brands survive, should they also be trusted to choose a watch for Rick in 2026. Finally, (and appropriately), the episode closes with a solemn and completely earned send off set to the Hungarian national anthem.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!