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February News — LVMH Watch Week, Piaget Hype and Taylor Swift

Release Date: 02/08/2024

Tony Traina on his newsletter Unpolished and watch pet peeves

OT: The Podcast

Everyone’s favourite Chicago-based watch newsletter publisher is back for his second (or third?) chat with OT:, and as is now customary, we’ve caught at something of an interstitial moment. Traina left Hodinkee late last year and has dived head first into his newsletter, Unpolished (née Rescapement). We talk to Tony about the premise and pitch of his newsletter and (inevitably) the state of watch media in 2025. We also talk about industry pet peeves, press trip weirdness and why glazing billionaires is never a good idea. and at Christopher Ward (1:50) (5:11) Tony Traina main interview...

Kenneth Lam, founder of Arken Watch Company

OT: The Podcast

Arken Watch Company was born (like so many creative projects), in the middle of a lockdown. Kenneth Lam, always interested in modding Seiko’s and the like, decided to design his own watch. The result was the Arken Instrumentum, a limited release followed a few years later by the clever travel timer that is the Alterum. Arken aims to create genre-free titanium tool watches with unique and practical functions — and it’s safe to say the young brand is delivering on that mission. We talked to Ken about the future of the brand, how to engage with the community and preferred emoji use. ...

Zoë Abelson, founder of Graal Watch on the watch market and finding grails for other people

OT: The Podcast

This week, we've got the final file from Felix's Hong Kong adventure, and we've undoubtedly saved the best til last. Zoë Abelson, better known on Instagram as @watchgirloffduty has built a life and a career hunting down rare timepieces. These days that business has coalesced into Graal Watch, which makes her the perfect person to find that obscure reference. We chat with Zoë about the pros and cons of hunting other people's grails and explore the ambiguities implicit in the watch dealers' role as tastemakers, as well as what those tastes are looking like today: pro tip — smaller watches...

Fiona Krüger on watch design and being inspired by pearls

OT: The Podcast

Today’s guest is Fiona Krüger, a fine artist and watch designer who’s independent in the truest sense of the word. Perhaps best known for her timepieces shaped like skulls and defined by fractures and imperfection, Krüger is a watchmaker who finds her own path. Felix caught up with Krüger in Hong Kong as part of Horology Forum 10, where they chatted about design integrity, the tricky nature of luxury and why it isn’t always the best idea to have a business plan when starting out. They also chat about the Face of Tasaki, a watch Fiona Krüger has made with a Japanese pearl manufacturer...

Bremont CEO Davide Cerrato on the brand’s evolving identity

OT: The Podcast

Bremont CEO Davide Cerrato has been in the role for a little over a year at this point, and it’s safe to say that 2024 has been a rollercoaster. The brand, rooted in British identity and aviation, unveiled a brand new collection, logo and strategy at its Watches & Wonders debut and has, in the months since, been experiencing the ups and downs of public opinion. We caught up with Davide a few weeks before Christmas and found the irrepressible anglophile reflective about the year that was for Bremont, but more than that, excited about what the future holds. This episode has been...

Robin Tallendier, Atelier Wen co-founder on the future of Chinese watchmaking

OT: The Podcast

In the second instalment of the Hong Kong Horology Forum files, Felix chats with Atelier Wen co-founder Robin Tallendier about the rich history of Chinese watchmaking and what the future of the industry in China looks like. From the sheer number of watchmaking students attending Chinese schools and the depth of artisanal crafts in the country, Tallendier hopes that within a generation, Chinese watchmaking will be far more respected and recognised. On top of that, Andy and Felix chatted about some of their favourite releases this year and dived into the details of Grand Seiko's design....

Carson Chan on excellence in Asian watchmaking, plus Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive

OT: The Podcast

When Felix was in Hong Kong for Dubai Watch Week’s HF.10 he caught up with one OT:’s OG guests, Carson Chan. Carson is a legend in the watch community, a passionate collector and advocate who educates watch lovers around the world through the Watch Professor Academy. Felix chatted to Carson about some significant Asian watchmakers you may not have heard of and where the region is at. Before that, Andy and Felix reflect on the Patek Philippe Cubitus — what it’s like on the wrist and if it deserves the hype. This week’s episode is Sponsored by Kennedy, official Grand Seiko...

Guido Terreni, Parmigiani Fleurier CEO

OT: The Podcast

This week, we sit down with the man at the helm of one of the most interesting and exciting Swiss watch brands: Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Guido Terreni. Terrini stepped into the leadership role in 2020, a turbulent time for any brand, and since then has rapidly injected energy and excitement into one of the most credible brands born in the 1990s. We chat about Terreni’s strategy and the opportunities that the excitement around the Tonda and the Toric provides. We also touch on what it’s like to have the King of England send his watch in for service and why a Parmigiani Fleurier boutique on...

Christopher Ward CEO Mike France on the game-changing Bel Canto

OT: The Podcast

Today, we sit down with Mike France, co-founder and CEO of Christopher Ward, the UK-based direct-to-consumer brand that has (you may be shocked to learn) been around since 2004. We chat to Mike about the early days of the brand and how they evolved from a design-led microbrand into the fully-fledged brand they are today, with in-house watchmaking expertise that rivals that of the Swiss. Of course, it doesn’t take long for the conversation to veer to their incredible breakout hit, the Bel Canto. Mike tells us how the innovative chiming watch was an unexpected byproduct of...

Marc Montagne on Investing in Watches in 2024

OT: The Podcast

We thought we knew what we were getting into when we asked Marc Montagne, author of 'Invest in Watches: The Art of Watch Collecting' onto the pod. We prepared questions around market motility, hot models and the ethics of flipping, but it quickly became apparent that it wasn't going to be that kind of interview. Marc, a watch industry professional, wasn't interested in buying and selling to make a quick buck — he was in it for the long haul. Marc is more interested in investing in quality and the style of watch that works for you. It might not be the textbook definition of investment, but we...

More Episodes

LVMH Watch Week, which was recently held in Miami, marks the start fo the flood of new releases for the year, and for our first news episode, we fly through some of the highlights from TAG Heuer, Hublot, Bulgari and Zenith. Of course, LVMH doesn’t have a monopoly on the news, and Piaget’s hype-y new Polo 79 is bringing u80s realness back to the wrist. But all these new releases pale compared to the biggest news story of the last few months, about a woman so cool she doesn’t even need to wear watches on her wrists. Yes, the one and only Taylor Swift ruffled feathers by wearing a custom choker with a Concord watch front and centre. We have thoughts. Beyond that, the big news in OT: land is that we’re getting into video, so if you’ve ever wanted to see the faces we make while recording your favourite watch pod, you’re in luck.

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