Fratello Talks: Are Watch Brands Doing Too Much?

February 20, 2024

Every other week, we re bombarded with an onslaught of new watches. And though we re not too upset about it in principle, the incessant pace at which the majority of watch brands pump out new products has recently had us asking, Are watch brands doing too much? Today, on Fratello Talks, Nacho, Thomas, and Gerard join forces to discuss the topic. Of the three, Thomas has the unique perspective of owning and managing a watch brand. Gerard can provide some perspective as a former retailer and from his longtime involvement in watch media. Though we re usually thrilled to see new watches, we can t help but feel that things seem to be on a precipitous crescendo. Today, we dive into the topic and look at what underlying factors might be leading to this trend and what we think will come of it. But before doing that, it s time for a wrist check.This video is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Wrist checkWe kick things off with Thomas, who is wearing a… wait a second, what the hell is that? Oh! It appears to be a prototype of the upcoming VPC Type 39VM diver. Set to debut later this year, this is the exciting next step after Thomas s Type 37HW. If you want to stay up to date with all the latest on VPC, we suggest you sign up for the newsletter here.On Gerard s wrist is his Sea-Dweller 16600. Before we had time to snap a picture, he hit the road for warmer climes, so we ve used an image from the archives. Regardless, there s nothing that quite compares to the no-nonsense appeal of the Sea-Dweller.Finally, Nacho is wearing his Omega Speedmaster 3570.50.00. This classic Speedy was his first luxury watch and still holds a special place in his collection. Though he hasn t worn it as much as his Seamaster 2254 or Tudor Pelagos FXD, it has recently seen a return to favor.Fratello Talks: Are Watch Brands Doing Too Much?Wait, didn t Tudor just release a new carbon-cased chronograph for its Formula 1 partnership? What do you mean there s another one? Not even a week later? And this time, it s for its cycling partnership and ties to the Giro d Italia? Well, all right; the more the merrier, I guess. But at what point is it all too much? That s the question we re asking ourselves today. And this is not to single out Tudor because more than a handful of brands are joining in this frantic pace of releasing new watches. Still, The Shield has released eight new watches in just five months. Of course, those are rookie numbers compared to brands like Seiko or Citizen, but it s not exactly apples to apples. Could this be a constant quest to remain relevant in an increasingly competitive market? Or are brands embracing our three-second, TikTok-brain attention spans? It may be a mix of many factors, but for us, keeping an ear to the ground on the comings and goings on all things watches does seem like a bit much, especially as we re talking about products designed to last a lifetime. These are not disposable products or fast fashion. Today, we tackle the topic, sharing our thoughts and theorizing why things have gotten this way. We d love to hear your thoughts. Do you enjoy this deluge of novelties? Or do you agree with our take on it? Leave your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below, and tune in next week for more Fratello Talks!