FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Hey brands, put all the spec cards on the table or your bluff will get called
Zach BlassEarlier this week, the watch community joined the author of this piece in expressing their disdain when a particular watch brand, to put it nicely, was not forthcoming about what was powering their new novelty. In short, there are accusations the brand’s purported “in-house movement” on a particular model was, in fact, made by ETA with a Dubois Dépraz module. As we touched on in our five things that we wish brands told us story, we believe transparency is key when it comes to disclosing watch specifications. Ultimately everyone has different tastes when it comes to both the internals and externals of a watch, so there really isn’t any need to be vague or hide details when it comes to new timepiece releases.
If a brand chooses to obfuscate, well hey, we’ve got news for them. They’re going to get caught. The rise of online watch media has resulted in the most informed watch community in history. As more and more people go down the rabbit hole, and understand more obscure concepts such as the importance of the lug-to-lug measurement to name just one, you will be hard pressed to sneak anything past the watch community – if you were so inclined. Honesty is the best policy, so my personal recommendation is to ensure that both the consumers who buy your watches, and the journalists who report on them, are as informed as possible when it comes to your new novelties.
To be clear, it’s not so much that there is anything wrong with the actual watches. It’s really that there is a right (or better) way to introduce a watch to the watch community than the days of yore, when sizzle alone could sell the steak. I am not asking anyone to divulge state secrets – although feel free if you’d like – but let’s make sure that, whenever possible, diameter, thickness, lug-to-lug, and full caliber information are readily available to all within the ecosystem of watch buying. After all, as enthusiasts, these are the first questions on our minds.
Have a great weekend,
Zach
Watch meme of the week: Brodinkee nails it once again…
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Living in New York City, under normal circumstances, there are always a ton of people walking around and riding the train. Inevitably, I will always find my eye-line connecting with someone’s wrist – clocking the watch they are wearing. There is an art form we all can relate to when watchspotting in the wild. You can’t just aggressively stare, but at the same time you want to get a good look to take it all in. I was once on the train, and sitting across from me was a gentlemen wearing a Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5712/1A. Recognizing a packed train car was not the moment to have a watch geek moment and out him for wearing a very pricey and hot wristwatch, I resisted the urge to totally geek out with him and instead sneakily glanced at his wrist – interchanging the position of my gaze so I would not get caught staring. I suspect we’ve all been there.
Wrist shot of the week: Watch Femme and Zoe Abelson host watch meetup in NYC
I am all about this energy. It is a mandatory moment of watch meetups to take the obligatory wrist pile shot, like putting your hands in a huddle to get pumped up for the big game. Where this shot really hits home, however, is that it showcases that women are a growing force in the watch collecting community and are packing some serious horological heat to back up their equal enthusiasm for the hobby. A quick glance and you’ll catch a white gold Rolex Daytona, F.P. Journe Elegance, IWC chronograph, and oh so much more. Kelly Yoch, director of client relations for Watches of Switzerland, captioned her own post celebrating the festivities: “About last night… The NY ladies gathered. They drank. They laughed. They played with watches. This is what we do.” A clear celebration of individuality, women, and watches, be sure to follow @watch_femme on Instagram to join in on the movement.
Recommended reading of the week: Quill & Pad breaks down Perpetual Calendars
Complications can be… well… complicated. Earlier this week, Chris Malburg of Quill & Pad took a moment to do a deep dive on the complication – touching on all of the nuances of various forms of calendar functionality. If you are interested, it is a great read to truly become acclimated with what they do and how they do it. You can check it out right here.
My favorite T&T coverage of the week
Gone but not forgotten – a love letter to the Tudor North Flag
Ricardo Sime writes a love letter to the discontinued Tudor North Flag, exploring his appreciation for its value and design – as well as its potential that had yet to be fully explored.
Don’t Feed the Hype: 3 alternatives to the Rolex Daytona
In the second installment of the “Don’t Feed the Hype” series, by popular demand I tackled three alternatives to the wonderful, but unfortunately unobtanium, Rolex Daytona.
Patty Mills reflects on his NBA career, the Olympics and the importance of managing time
Last week, Aussie NBA player Patty Mills finally got the Olympic medal he craved. That’s a good enough reason for us to look back at this video we recorded with Patty Mills back in 2016, in which Australia’s co-flag bearer discusses how he’s learnt to manage time, on and off the court.