If there’s one thing we can say about 21st-century watch collecting, it’s that the ways we communicate and share our love for these little machines are more powerful and diverse than ever before. What once was an insulated hobby that many participated in solo has become a worldwide community of individuals who have formed friendships through our shared passion for watches, despite never actually meeting. I have found some of my closest friends through this hobby and am forever grateful for it.
We’ve seen forums rise and fall in popularity bringing the watches they focus on to new levels of awareness, and some brands have even become household names as a result. While forums are still popular, there is no denying that social media has had a lasting impact on their efficacy. Social media platforms quickly became the de facto space for brands and collectors to communicate with each other. Of course, a good thing never lasts.
We are now seeing an extremely adverse reaction to the monetization of social media platforms. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which much of the community has come to love, now make it incredibly difficult for casual watch lovers to feel like they are part of the conversation. To give the greater watch community and aBlogtoWatch readers a place online to meet, share their passion, and engage with each other, we have launched the aBlogtoWatch Community Discord Server.
Discord is a hugely popular mobile, desktop, and browser app for online communities. Since its inception in 2015, it has rapidly grown and is one of the most popular apps for hobbyists from gaming, investing, watches, and pretty much any other hobby you can think of. It is free to use and can be easily tailored to your use.
To celebrate the launch of the server, we are kicking things off with a live ABTW Team AMA (ask me anything) on Thursday, March 2nd, 2023, at 2:00 PM PST (10:00 PM UTC). The panel will be hosted by Ariel Adams and feature members of our senior editorial team. If you have ever had any burning questions for aBlogtoWatch, now is the time to ask. Drop your questions and topic requests in the submission box or comments section below and join the server here.