I sometimes wonder just how much of a broken record I sound like on these Audicles, because the same themes keep popping up over and over, and I’m back again to say that while I understand how and why the luxury watch industry is going in this direction, my hypothesis is that this is detrimental to the long-term health of the business.

In my professional life I’ve tried to train myself to remember that insights alone aren’t worth nearly as much as those associated with implications and possible courses of action. With that in mind, in this Audicle I’m going to outline (with some help from a watch industry legend…) what I think various watch industry stakeholders could do if they believe, like I do, that the lights have been turned on and it’s time to leave the party that’s been happening since 2020.

Going forward, I do believe that the watch industry will face a contraction. However, this does not mean the luxury watch industry is going away, but rather that brands will have to be hyper-focused on the return of their marketing spend.

It seems to me that WRC is an untapped market and presents a favorable test-bed for the development of new markets and customers.

For those who only came into watches during the pandemic, it can be hard to believe that the watch industry would behave in any other way than a rocket ship upwards, but actually the intensity of the market’s recent surge has been nothing short of remarkable.

I have not tried all of the world’s hobbies, but I have a hard time thinking that many of them could be more addictive and bottomless than watch collecting; one day you’re thinking “I’m looking for a nice watch, that’s all I’ll need”, and the next you’re weighing out different GMT options because you’re driving over to your in-laws’ place for the weekend.

One of the more intriguing features ChatGPT is rolling out is “GPTs’’ along with an associated store, where people can create their own chatbots, essentially AI “apps” trained to do one thing in particular.

I thought it would be interesting to create a GPT that enables watch sellers to create better sales listings, of course with the goal of maximizing their sales revenues, and one of the factors I baked in was timing. In other words, if you have the option of waiting “is now the best time to sell, based on industry or macro-specific factors?”

Since we’re at the end of the year, trend predictions for the upcoming one are always popular, so I thought: “why not give the GPT a shot”?

The truth is that if you love watches, you love, well, watches plural, and it will be very hard to commit to just one watch for the rest of your life. Like Jason (and probably every one of you reading this), I’ve tried many, many times to commit to just the idea of one watch, and every time I’ve failed miserably.

Luxury watches have an undeniable appeal that goes beyond their mere functionality, and that appeal has only grown with the rise of social media and its associated “flex culture”. Supply and demand considerations aside, the inherent qualities of craftsmanship and timelessness mean that the price tags that accompany them often make them seem out of reach. Fortunately, purchasing a luxury watch pre-owned can be a smart alternative that offers several advantages over buying new.

If you have a moment and these seem interesting, I’d be very grateful if you could please check these out - or any of the other projects - and share your thoughts and feedback if you have any. You can reach me at contact@davidvaucher.com, or find me on The Real Time Show!

If you’re looking for something different, please do give The Real Time Show a listen (or two!). If you take the time to do that, I can almost guarantee that you will learn something, and you might even find yourself refreshed by the honest, open thoughts that Alon and Rob share with each other.

Unlike the dive watch, the pilot’s watch has not become ubiquitous in the public view, and when a company like IWC tries to sell a Big Pilot based on how authentically designed and functional it is, I feel as if I’m being sold a costume accessory.

If you’re still unconvinced, consider that I also like to wear aviator sunglasses and Schott bomber jackets. These are two items that, like dive watches, have shed almost completely their military origins, but would I ever wear them together?

The One Watch is the endpoint somewhere off in the distance of a journey that is highly personal, but for me, I think I've gotten as close as I may ever get with the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600 m in 39.5 mm sizing, with a black dial (reference number 215.30.40.20.01.001).

Tudor DID do everything right with its North Flag, and yet this is a model that went nowhere. I’d go so far as to say that there is Tudor “pre-North Flag”, and Tudor “post-North Flag”, and the current trajectory that Tudor is on is almost entirely due to this model not taking off, when in fact it objectively had everything going for it.

Saying the Rolex Datejust is a “nice” watch is a take so obvious as to be basically useless, so in this article I’m going to take my time to unpack my own experiences with the Rolex Datejust 36 mm, and try my best to lay out why this watch is as good or bad, exciting or boring, as you want it to be.