PODCAST REVIEW: The Grey NATO

What do you get when you take two accomplished journalists and “virtually” put them in a room together for an hour to discuss watches, photography, cars, gear, travel, and adventure? The answer depends on who the journalists are, how they interact, and what each brings to the discussion. In the case of The Grey NATO podcast , the result is like having your favorite adventure magazine articles and watch reviews come to life to be read by your favorite authors.

To me, The Grey NATO podcast is a watch-related launching pad to adventure, entertainment, education, inspiration, and a horological mentorship rolled into a nice tidy package that is freely available to listen to on phones, computers, and tablets. It is a gift to watch nerds made by watch nerds, and they know what we want. That includes watch and product reviews, opinions, tips, industry news, interesting stories, and links to a bigger world that we might not have realized existed. In short, this is my top rated podcast for anyone who has an interest in watches, gear, and adventure.

It’s a fact that any show will only be as good as the writers behind it. In my opinion, the two hosts of The Grey NATO podcast are heavy hitters in the world of watch journalism. Those are my words, not theirs and perhaps they might be embarrassed by being described this way. My gut feeling is that both are humble, down-to-earth, thoughtful and highly intelligent writers who can formulate balanced and nuanced opinions, yet are open enough to allow their audience to have their own.

James Stacey and Jason Heaton of The Grey NATO podcast are generous in spirit and seemingly tireless in their pursuit and sharing of their hard-earned knowledge. While each host is what I would consider an intellectual with facts to back up their opinions, they also seem pragmatic and practical. Their watch opinions are rooted in wearing them as intended on the sides of mountain treks or deep in a cold water dive. Each has spent years writing about watches (and other interesting subjects) for various popular online and print publications. Each has covered Swiss watch tradeshows like BaselWorld and SIHH. Each has a spectacular resume as an adventure traveler, scuba diver, alpinist, photographer, writer and influencer in the online watch world. To say that I look up to these guys as someone I aspire to be would be an understatement. To have 2 writers of this caliber on one podcast, only makes it better. The show is balanced with both speakers respectfully sharing the stage and seamlessly “sharing the mic,” something that some podcast teams could learn from.

The Grey NATO podcast on Soundcloud

The other benefit to their generosity to their audience can be seen in the organization of The Grey NATO podcast. I listen to several watch-related podcasts and none are as organized or packed with more information than The Grey NATO. I believe that this sense of organization is a direct effect of the personalities of James and Jason. Each is a consummate professional writer and adventurer who knows what it takes to get to point A to Point B, whether they are planning an adventure or writing an article. Having done both myself, I see the similarity of pursuits. You want to spend as much time as is required, and little more. This efficiency means NO FILLER in the podcast. If they have covered a subject before, they will refer back to it. They do not ramble, repeat previously covered ground or waste your time with boring or superfluous banter. This kind of restraint only comes with maturity and experience in knowing when a story is done.

Every podcast has a personality, and The Grey NATO podcast is open and friendly. It is never preachy or judgemental. There can be a certain amount of snobbery and overly strong opinions associated with watch collecting, but you will never find it on The Grey NATO podcast. James and Jason cover a variety of brands in the episodes and they spend as much or more time geeking out about a Seiko or Doxa watch as they might a Rolex or Omega. This kind of honesty about the value versus quality of watches across a wide gamut of MSRP (and used pricing) is refreshing and only adds weight to the opinions they share. While they are diplomatic in their criticisms of watches, they are beholden to no brand.

Helpful show notes and links on The Grey NATO podcast

The Grey NATO podcast is segmented like a magazine might be. Think of each section as a column which again only reveals the way the minds of the literary hosts work. I made a brief synopsis, but it is really best to just download episode one and start binge-listening. Or, you could download the latest and work backward. Or you can just jump around to the episodes that strike your fancy.

• New Business – The guys tell you what they are up to. They could be flying to some exotic location, covering a watch event or working on a review. They are busy!
• Question and Answer – Questions from the audience are answered. Sometimes, whole episodes are dedicated to catching up on the backlog. The questions are general enough that everyone can benefit from the host’s opinions.
• TGN Chats – Instead of stuffing an interview into part of a podcast, dedicated episodes with great interviews are found here. Industry leaders and interesting people are the norm.
• Collection Inspection – Watches from the host’s personal collections are discussed.
• Event coverage – Things like watch tradeshows and news are covered here. These are fascinating looks at what it takes to be a watch journalist… and it usually involved little sleep to make the deadline.
• Product Reviews – Sometimes whole episodes are dedicated to covering a type of product such as travel bags or photo gear
• Brand Coverage – Watch brands are covered in a good level of detail in these episodes
• Final Notes – James and Jason leave the listeners with things to check out including book, podcast and video recommendations. These tidbits might hold you over until the next TGN Podcast.
• Show Notes – If you thought that James and Jason’s generosity ended when the podcast was over, then you would be mistaken. Each podcast comes with a long list of everything mentioned in the show and links on how to experience it. This is a valuable curated list to guys like me who are always looking to learn more. Because The Grey NATO podcast is sound only, this gives the listeners a reference point… no more pausing the podcast to make a quick Google search. Clicking a link is so much easier.
• Much more… honestly, just go check it out… there is so much here.

By now, I hope you are starting to get the itch to look up the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. For those not familiar with podcasts, this format is similar to a pre-recorded radio show that you can take with you on mobile devices or computers. This makes them a wonderful tool for multi-tasking because you can be listening and doing something else at the same time. The Grey NATO podcast is a perfect way to spend a commute, a plane ride or as a companion on hikes. An audio format is more liberating than watching videos that demand your undivided attention. To make access easier, I have listed the major ways to get the podcast below. If you are on a cellular data plan, download the episodes on wi-fi before venturing out.

• The Grey NATO Podcast on Soundcloud
• The Grey NATO Podcast on Apple iTunes
• The Grey NATO website

If you want to know more about The Grey NATO podcast hosts, then check out the introductions for each below. Along with the podcast, you could easily fall down the rabbit hole of excellent watch, adventure, and automotive journalism by these two gifted writers.

James Stacey, professional enthusiast and host of The Grey NATO podcast

I’ll mention James Stacey first because I have read many of his articles on ABlogToWatch.com over the years. If I am being completely honest, he is my favorite writer on that popular watch blog. This is important if you are going to spend time with someone, even if that is listening to a podcast. I did not realize that at first, but his name always seemed to appear on the reviews that I had the most interest in.

Perhaps I like James’ literary work so much because I have an interest in the watches he reviews. Those might be considered more tool watches, and less tourbillion trinkets. Also, James’ writing style is direct and his thought process is sound. Some other ABTW writers never commit to an opinion or at least a clear-cut one. It could be THIS or it could be THAT… all in the same review. Some might call that waffling. Though watch brands might like it, readers don’t. I think James would tell you what he thought… end of story. His other freelance outlets include Hodinkee (watches) and NUVO Magazine (automobiles).

You can learn more about and follow James Stacey’s work here:

Jason Heaton, adventurous freelance journalist and host of The Grey NATO podcast

I think being an author might give a podcaster an advantage because nothing makes one know a subject more than formulating an opinion about it. I know that I don’t really know what I think about a watch until I have sweated over the details of it for an article. Testing watches in the field and writing about the experience is the best way to sharpen a thought or defend a position about a watch. I believe that this statement sums up Jason Heaton who can deliver a great review, and put it into the right context for his listeners. He can speak to the actual scuba divers and also desk divers of the audience without losing or offending either. Jason is a writer that I first learned about on The Grey NATO podcast, but I am seeking his past articles because I like what I hear.

Jason is also a professional do-it-all journalist. He dives, adventures, writes, reviews, photographs and videos his adventures. He has a secret weapon named Gishani who is his spouse and partner in adventure. Talk about hiring a package deal. Jason’s career spans many years and he has had the privilege of writing for Gear Patrol, Hodinkee, Men’s Journal, Revolution, International Watch, Tourneau Our Minutes, AskMen and Australian Geographic Outdoor. That’s an impressive resume for sure.

You can learn more about and follow Jason Heaton’s work below:

To wrap up, James and Jason’s generosity of knowledge in the form of a densely packed watch and adventure podcast, and suggestions for interesting content to discover between podcasts should be seen as a wonderful gift to the watch collecting community. Podcasts of this caliber are not just done on the fly. They require a lot of thought, preparation and planning to do at this level. Not only that, each of the hosts is an avid traveler with other deadlines and commitments so pushing out a show every two weeks is pretty special. I would like to personally thank both James and Jason for enriching my life, informing and entertaining me on my exploits, even if those are currently just dog hikes in the local woods. I gotta start somewhere! Widening your understanding of the world by listening to mentors can be the first step to a more adventurous and fulfilling life.

Visit The Grey NATO podcast for yourself to see what I mean. If you are interested in sponsoring this excellent podcast, you can contact The Grey NATO.