Forward Momentum

This week on Forward Momentum , I caught up with my good friend and recurring guest C’Q The Watch Guy to unpack the state of the watch industry—from auction house trends to independent watches at auction. We covered a lot of ground: the resurgence of yellow gold, the rise of quiet product launches, the importance of collector experience, and the ongoing discussion around pricing. Auctions continue...

I caught up with C’Quon Gottlieb, C'Q The Watch Guy, to breakdown the results from Hong Kong. We look at the strength of independent brands at auction, and the current trend towards classic watch designs. We explored the significance of the Hong Kong auctions, how the landscape of auction houses is evolving, and why timeless watchmaking continues to resonate so deeply. Our dialogue touched on the...

I asked friend and collector advisor C'Q Gottlieb of Gottlieb & Co. (@C'Q_TheWatchGuy) to jump on with me and discuss the Spring 2025 Geneva watch auctions, the evolution of watch events, and the contrasting experiences offered by different auction houses. We look at the impact of auction results on the market, the rise of independent watchmakers, and the importance of collecting knowledge. Our di...

In this episode, Todd from Idea 33 joins Alex and Leonard from Geneva Seal, along with special guests Dr. Mack and Claude Greisler from Armin Strom. They discuss their excitement about the unique identity of Armin Strom watches. Claude highlights several new releases from Watches and Wonders, including the dual time GMT Resonance in stainless steel, the titanium skeletonized One-Week watch, and th...

What's happening watch fans? It's taken me a long time to get out a GWD reaction podcast - simply because there wasn't that much to get excited about. There weren't many new releases, unlike years past, and that's clearly in reaction to what's happening in the watch market. Instead of being a shot in the arm, I actually GWD has proven to serve as a community event and an ev...

I should have realized this was episode 33, but I forgot! Welcome back watch fans, Geneva Watch Days is two days away, so I guess that means my summer break is over and it’s back top bringing you updates on the watch industry and independent watchmaking. This week I do a preview of what’s coming at Geneva Watch Days, what it signals in the market, and what to expect as the fall opener for the watc...

What's happening, watch fans? I am excited to bring you the second episode of the MB&F Tales from the Tribe podcast in this special interlude that features me! I was honored to be asked by Max to participate in the podcast and to be the second episode. What a joy to share some time with Max and the team, and I hope you all enjoy the episode. You can find MB&F Tales From the Tribe on yo...

This is a special Forward Momentum interlude to bring you the MB&F Tales From the Tribe Podcast. This first episode of our series features Wen Hsieh. He was, until recently, a managing partner at Kleiner Perkins, one of the world's most prominent venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, he's an expert at fostering tech innovations through startups, and he just started his own Hardtech...

What's happening, watch fans? I am back with a quick interlude to share the MB&F Tales From the Tribe podcast. Max and team asked me to be a guest on the show in Episode 2, and I am honored to be featured on the show alongside Wen Hsieh. Please enjoy these two episodes of Tales From the Tribe, and you can find their show in your podcast player of choice. ---- To Maximilian Büsser, founder...

In Part I of our Gerald Charles episode I was joined by Franco and Federico Ziviani of Gerald Charles, Alex Kats of Geneva Seal in Chicago, @Jardins_des_rois, and @gregwatchman for a chat on the brand, building on the legacy of Gerald Genta, and the future of design at Gerald Charles. In Part II, we return well fed thanks to GT Prime Steakhouse, but return with special guests Evan Turner and Andre...

What's happening, watch fans? I am back with another episode in my live collection. I have really enjoyed traveling to and getting to meet with brands, retailers, and collectors, and having the opportunity to record these episodes in person. In this episode of Forward Momentum, my guests are Franco Ziviani and Federico Ziviani of Gerald Charles, and we are joined by Alex Kats of Geneva Seal, J...

This week I caught up with Christopher Daaboul of EsperLuxe in his space inside Date & Time in Boston. Chris and I caught up live in the boutique, which was a fantastic atmosphere and Chris shares his journey in the watch industry, from working with his father in wholesale distribution to becoming a retailer of independent watchmakers. We discuss the significance of independent watchmaking, th...

This week it is my extreme pleasure to welcome Niels Eggerding to Forward Momentum. Niels is the CEO of Frederique Constant, part of the Citizen Holdings Group. I've wanted to talk to Niels since our panel discussion at Watches & Wonders 2023 on the Frederique Constant Monolithic Oscillator. The brand delivers innovation and incredible watchmaking at a very attainable price point, offering...

In this episode, Stephen McDonnell is back for Round Two to discuss his recent projects, including his experience at Dubai Watch Week and his insights on watch innovation. We explore the inspiration behind the MB&F LM Sequential EVO and the fascinating integration of vintage sports timing into modern watch design. Stephen's passion for vintage motorcycles, especially Norton, shines through...

I caught up with Felix Baumgartner of URWERK during Geneva Watch Week. We caught up on the SpaceTime Blade, the UR-230 launched at Dudai Watch Week, and the recently released UR-100 Lightspeed. We speak about how URWERK's watches help you see and feel our palce in the universe, and how URWERK is a singularity in watchmaking. Their design is so focused on the end-user and so deeply philosophica...

Sylvain Pinaud and I discuss his journey in independent watchmaking and the unique atmosphere in Sainte-Croix, where he is based. He talks about the beauty of the surroundings, including the mountains and forests, and the independent spirit of the watchmakers there. Sylvain also mentions the helpfulness of the watchmaking community and their willingness to share tricks and tools. It is clear that...

Vianney Halter has been creatively, financially, and spiritually independent as a watchmaker since he made the Antiqua. I caught up with him at the AHCI in Geneva during Watches & Wonders week to discuss Vianney's journey in the watchmaking industry and his decision to start his own company. Vianney shares his experiences working with François-Paul Journe and the challenges he faced as an...

Kari Voutilainen discusses his new tourbillon watch inspired by his pocket watch from 30 years ago. He talks about the joys and challenges of creating the design and making all the pieces by hand. The dial layout is unique, with an ellipse shape and a small second at 5 o'clock. The watch is part of a limited series with customizable colors and guilloche patterns. Kari's workshop has 37 peo...

I have to admit, coming into Geneva Watch Week I was jaded. I was burnt out on the watch industry. I was feeling uninspired. In fact, the long winter of no new releases that I wrote about in my What’s Changing in Collecting in 2024 even caught me up. Landing in Geneva on Monday morning, I was prepared to be uninspired by releases during Watches & Wonders and the entire Watch Week. But then, ev...

The novelties from Watches and Wonders and Geneva Watch Week left us feeling a little uninspired, but we are focused on the trends and highlights of the event. My guest, Paul Blandofrd, and I discuss the evolution rather than revolution that we saw this week, with brands making changes to their lineups and focusing on dial swaps and material changes. We are also seeing peak trend towards smaller c...

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit idea33.substack.com

Today I welcome URWERK Co-founder and head of design at URWERK , Martin Frei as my guest on Forward Momentum. Martin is a wealth of knowledge on the philosophical thinking and design at the root of URWERK. He has created and amazing design language at URWERK that puts the humans and collectors at the center of their design. We begin our discussion with the UR-230, URWERK’s latest release from Duba...

Today’s guest is someone who thinks differently about the watch and the watch industry; none other than the founder of Ressence, Benoît Mintiens. Benoît is an industrial designer who has worked on trains, planes, and firearms. As a generalist at an industrial design consultancy, Benoît had the opportunity to work on so many different products and projects that have inspired and influenced his desi...

Maximilian Büsser is the founder and creative director of Maximilian Büsser and Friends, MB&F. It’s a watch brand, a gallery, and a movement to promote independent watchmaking. His brand, MB&F, exists to inspire people to think differently, to inspire people to be more creative, and to inspire people to take risks. MB&F, in a nutshell, exists to create communities around mechanical and...

My guest this week on Forward Momentum is watchmaker Stephen McDonnell, who is the creator behind the MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual, Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO, and the MB&F Legacy Machine Sequential Evo. He is an incredible watchmaker, a genius, and an incredible storyteller who has gotten to live his passion. He’s the type of watchmaker who when people meet, they stop and listen to him...