Superlative

New day, same great conversations. Catch new episodes of SUPERLATIVE every Wednesday! This week on SUPERLATIVE, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host Ariel Adams sits down with Thomas Baillod, founder of BA111OD, for a conversation about challenging the traditional rules of Swiss watchmaking. Thomas looks back on the original idea behind BA111OD, which started as a proof of concept for a new way of se...

New day, same great conversations. Catch new episodes of SUPERLATIVE every Wednesday! On this episode of SUPERLATIVE, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host Ariel Adams is joined by Nathan Clapp, founder of Wraven Labs, to explore the intersection of product design, watch collecting, and entrepreneurship. Drawing on his experience working on the Apple Watch and his passion for thoughtful industrial des...

New day, same great conversations. Catch new episodes of SUPERLATIVE every Wednesday! On this episode of Superlative, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host Ariel Adams is joined by Sylvain Berneron, founder of Berneron Watches, for an in depth conversation about independent watchmaking, creative risk, and what it takes to build a lasting brand. Best known for the unconventional Mirage collection and h...

New day, same great conversations. Catch new episodes of SUPERLATIVE every Wednesday! In this episode of SUPERLATIVE, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host Ariel Adams sits down with Becca Florence Davis, founder of CHP Caliber, to explore the rapidly changing world of independent watch brands and what it really takes to succeed in the U.S. market. Drawing on her years of experience in luxury goods an...

In this episode of Superlative, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host Ariel Adams sits down with Jason Chevrolat, co-founder of Bonniksen, to discuss the philosophy, ambition, and craftsmanship behind launching a new independent watch brand rooted in traditional watchmaking. Jason shares the story behind Bonniksen’s connection to the historic carousel complication, the influence of the Time Æon Founda...

In this episode of Superlative, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host, Ariel Adams, sits down with Olof Larsson, co-founder of Aera, to explore the philosophy behind building a modern tool watch brand from the ground up. With decades of experience in the watch industry and a family history in retail, Olof shares how a chance friendship through Ikepod eventually led to the creation of Aera. He discusse...

In this episode of Superlative, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host, Ariel Adams, sits down with Stephen Cox, founder of Sopwith Watch Company, to explore the fascinating intersection of aviation history and horology. Stephen shares the incredible story behind building a watch brand that uses material from authentic historic aircraft, including World War I planes and iconic military machines, to cre...

In this episode of Superlative, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host, Ariel Adams, sits down with Kristian Dowling of Leica Watches to explore the fascinating connection between photography and watchmaking. Kristian shares how his background in photography and marketing, along with his work training Leica watch teams around the world, shaped his role at the brand. He also explains why authentic watch...

On this episode of Superlative, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host Ariel Adams sits down with Justin Jakobson, founder of Camp Watches to discuss how industrial design, automotive culture, and personal storytelling all come together in modern independent watchmaking. Based in Los Angeles, Justin explains how his background in consumer electronics and industrial design shaped the identity of Camp Wa...

In this episode of Superlative, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host Ariel Adams speaks with design historians and authors Charlotte Fiell and Peter Fiell about their ambitious book Ultimate Collector Watches, published by TASCHEN. The conversation explores how the duo approached curating some of the most important watches ever made, from analyzing auction results to balancing representation across b...

On this episode of Superlative, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host Ariel Adams sits down with Jim Wirth, co-founder and CEO of GiantMouse Knives, for a deep conversation about knives, collecting, and the surprising overlap between blade enthusiasts and watch lovers. Together their discussion explores how design, craftsmanship, and function come together in modern knife making, while also touching o...

In this episode of Superlative, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host Ariel Adams sits down with Cornelius Ye of CIGA Design to explore how a modern watch brand can stand out in a crowded global market. Cornelius explains his role as a “go to market manager”, acting as the bridge between design, production, and sales, while helping bring each watch from concept to launch. He shares how CIGA Design gre...

In this episode of Superlative, our host and aBlogtoWatch founder Ariel Adams sits down with Marine Lemonnier-Brennan, founder and managing director of 289 Consulting, to explore the often unseen forces that drive the watch industry forward. Marine shares how her career evolved from the entertainment world into watchmaking, and how her experience helped shape a more strategic and globally connecte...

  In this episode of Superlative, Ariel Adams sits down with Alex Rosenfield, CEO of Urban Jürgensen, to explore the revival of one of watchmaking’s most historic yet often overlooked brands. Alex shares the story behind his family’s acquisition of Urban Jürgensen and the philosophy guiding its modern relaunch, from preserving centuries of design and engineering legacy to working alongside master...

In this episode of Superlative, aBlogtoWatch founder Ariel Adams speaks with Kuruvilla “Diny” Markose, CEO of Titan Watches, about leading one of the most dominant watch brands in the Indian market and guiding it into a new era of global relevance. Diny shares how Titan built its success through design, manufacturing scale, and quartz innovation, while now shifting focus toward premiumization and...

This week on Superlative, Ariel Adams sits down with Chris Wiegand, president of LÜM-TEC and founder of Wiegand Custom Watch, to explore the reality behind building watches from the ground up. From hand applying lume to early Omega and Panerai dials to running manufacturing and design for over one hundred brands, Chris shares how a self taught approach and obsession with improvement shaped his pat...

On this episode of Superlative, our host and aBlogtoWatch founder Ariel Adams is joined by Richard Benc, founder of Studio Underd0g, to discuss the evolution of one of the most recognizable modern microbrands. Richard explains how the brand grew from a small proof of concept release into producing thousands of watches per year, and why focusing on long term decision making has been critical to bui...

  On this episode of Superlative, our host and aBlogtoWatch founder Ariel Adams is joined by entrepreneur and music industry executive Lex Borrero for a wide ranging conversation about culture, storytelling, and the evolving world of watch collecting. Drawing from his experience building artists and shaping cultural moments in the music industry, Lex explains how similar storytelling principles ap...

On this episode of Superlative, our host and aBlogtoWatch founder Ariel Adams speaks with Jose and Anita Salas, founders of Santurce Collection, about their journey from passionate collectors in Puerto Rico to launching their own enthusiast driven watch brand. Drawing from years of experience attending boutique events and building community gatherings, they share how hospitality, trust, and belong...

On this episode of Superlative, aBlogtoWatch founder Ariel Adams sits down with watch collector and author Mitch Katz to explore how a lifelong passion for horology turned into a surprising second career as a novelist. Mitch shares the journey from documenting his personal collection to writing Time Eternal, a murder mystery rooted in real watch history, including the fascinating story of an exper...

  In this episode of the Superlative Podcast, host and aBlogtoWatch founder Ariel Adams sits down with Abduljabar Totonji, better known as Jabs, for a wide ranging conversation about what it really means to be a modern watch collector. Jabs shares how he started collecting over a decade ago, how informal meetups turned into thriving local communities, and why seeing watches in person still matters...

On this episode of Superlative Podcast, host and aBlogtoWatch founder Ariel Adams sits down with automotive journalist and enthusiast Jonny Lieberman for a wide ranging conversation that connects watches, cars, and emerging technology. From mechanical alarms and G-Shocks to Rivian electric trucks and self-driving systems, Jonny shares firsthand experience living with EVs and explains how autonomy...

In this episode of Superlative, Ariel Adams sits down with Sébastien Chaulmontet, founder and owner of Albishorn Watches and Director of Innovation and Marketing at Sellita, for a wide ranging and candid discussion on the realities of modern watchmaking. Drawing on decades of experience across design, movement development, and independent brands, Sébastien shares insights into chronograph history,...

In this episode of Superlative, host Ariel Adams speaks with Pascal Ravessoud, Vice President and President of the Cultural Council at the Fondation Haute Horlogerie, about why education and cultural understanding have become central to the future of mechanical watchmaking. Pascal explains the original mission of the FHH, its evolution alongside SIHH, and the decision to separate from Watches and...

 In this episode of the Superlative Podcast, host Ariel Adams speaks with John Isaac, founder, CEO, and creative director of Artisans de Genève, about what it truly means to personalize a watch at the highest level. John traces his journey from early restoration work in Paris to building one of the world’s most respected bespoke watch ateliers in Geneva, shaped by his grandfather’s philosophy of d...