This week on the Superlative Podcast, host and aBlogtoWatch Founder Ariel Adams is joined by Joe Kirk, the Brand Curator for Grand Seiko. To start the show, Ariel and Joe talk about how they first met when Joe was creating videos on his passion for Japanese watches, and how he was early on the Internet frontier for watch-related content. Ariel asks about Joe’s initial meetings with the people of these Japanese brands that he talked about, and his shift from working at a retailer to working at Grand Seiko. The two chat about Japanese watch culture as a whole, what Joe has learned visiting Japan over the years, and the brand’s infatuation with hospitality. Ariel dives into some of the changes that occurred before and during the official split of Seiko and Grand Seiko, and how the separation has changed the atmosphere around the two brands. As the discussion continues, the two touch on subjects such as demand generation through storytelling, the element of practical watchmaking being the heart of the company, and bullet points for what going into a Grand Seiko store is supposed to be like. Listen below or on the player of your choice.

Keep up with Joe and Grand Seiko!
Instagram: @josep.kirk
Website: www.grand-seiko.com
GS9 Club: www.grandseikogs9club.com