For this episode of aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Ariel is on the road with Norqain in Switzerland to cover an exciting upcoming launch, so Rick and David are joined by George Bamford from Bamford Watch Department and Simon from Escapement24. After kicking off the show by discovering that George enjoys roller skating, our hosts briefly discuss the recent funeral of Queen Elizabeth II before diving into a deep conversation about watch companies and their brand ambassadors. After talking about why Roger Federer was such a good ambassador for Rolex and who might be able to fill his shoes, the discussion then shifts to Richard Mille and some of the genius tactics it has used in regard to maximizing the exposure generated by famous people wearing its watches. Once the conversation about brand ambassadors is wrapped, we then get to learn which stainless steel Rolex sports watch Simon recently passed up the opportunity to purchase at retail because he feels that profit-seeking behavior takes the magic out of this hobby, and as he so eloquently put it, “every time somebody buys a watch purely as an investment, a watch fairy dies somewhere.”
From there, our quartet of hosts start talking about the various watches that they regret passing up purchasing, and we learn that Rick probably should have bought a lot more watches over the course of the last several years. After spending some time dwelling on missed opportunities, it’s an in-depth conversation about the new Bulgari Octo Finissimo Sejima Edition and why this mirror-finished watch is absolutely fantastic, despite also completely failing at the one actual function of a wristwatch, which is telling you the time in an easy and straightforward manner. After our hosts all agree that the Sejima Edition is the model that officially proves the design of the Octo is iconic, it’s on to a discussion about the new Tag Heuer Formula 1 watches and how the modern range fits into the greater legacy created by the originals. After figuring out which colors are everyone’s favorites, our hosts close out the show by talking a little bit about the Tag Heuer brand itself, along with the overall importance of the Formula 1 collection to the brand outside of watch enthusiast circles.
Each week, the editors of the timepiece enthusiast publication aBlogtoWatch.com come together to discuss some of the latest new releases and hottest industry stories for the aBlogtoWatch Weekly news podcast program. Listeners can learn more by clicking on any link below to view the articles discussed by the aBlogtoWatch crew in the program.
This episode features Rick and David, plus George Bamford from Bamford Watch Department and Simon from Escapement 24.
Show Notes:
- 14:50 — Richard Mille Debuts RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal Watch
- 20:00 — Rolex Explorer II 42mm 226570 Watch Debuts For 2021
- 29:30 — Review: IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition Lake Tahoe
- 32.22 — Hands-On: The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Sejima Edition Watch With Mirror Dial
- 43:04 —Hands-On Debut: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph Colors Watches
aBlogtoWatch launched the first-ever podcast about watches back in 2010 and continues to be the most referenced and respected publication for watch enthusiasts, buyers, and collectors in the world. Today, in addition to the website and social media channels, aBlogtoWatch produces the SUPERLATIVE podcast interview program as well as aBlogtoWatch Weekly.
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