When one of the oldest and largest watch blogs on the internet, A Blog to Watch, decides to create a new podcast, it should naturally be something that any red-blooded watch collector should consider listening to. Technically speaking, Spending Time with “A Blog to Watch” does not start out as a podcast, but that is how I choose to listen to it. The show begins as a videocast on YouTube. Luckily, the hosts realize that providing Spending Time in different formats can reach different audiences. In today’s climate of self-served content, that is a good thing.
While videos can be great to immerse yourself in detailed watch reviews, podcasts can be a better option for listeners who multi-task. I can consume several podcasts a day while I am sitting in traffic or walking the dogs. These shows fill my head with new ideas and can be inspiring for someone like me who considers learning to be an actual hobby. If the content is about watch collecting, then that is even better!
I have made it my mission to find the best horological podcasts on the internet and Apple iTunes. As I have complained before, the search functions in iTunes do not always do a great job of finding shows with the words “watch” or “time” in the titles because those words can be used in ways that do not necessarily talk about horological podcasts; for example “Dinner Time” podcast or “Politics Watch!” podcast”. See what I mean?
A Blog to Watch is not new to podcast production. They had another long-running podcast that ended in 2017 named the Hour Time Show podcast. I have not listened to that podcast yet, but might review it in the future. You can check it out yourself at the link to the right.
Ariel Adams. Photo: ABTW
If you read watch blogs, then it is likely that you have heard of Ariel Adams. This guy is the Godfather of internet watch blogs starting his popular A Blog to Watch website in 2007. Back then, it went by a different name, A Blog to Read, but the focus on watches and the lifestyle that surrounds them has fundamentally been there since the beginning. To put things in historical context, the first iPhone was released in 2007 by the then breathing Steve Jobs. You could say that A Blog to Watch grew up on the early internet and that many of us grew up reading the site as a trusted source of watch information.
Many of the articles on A Blog to Watch are long format articles that span several pages. ABTW’s articles are not designed to be concise blurbs of text. Instead, they go beyond the surface of watch collecting. Some of this can get lost on an audience with a short attention span. Heck, a lot of people just don’t take the time to read long articles anymore. People seem to communicate in 140 characters or worse: emojis. 😎 LOL.
If I am being completely honest, I sometimes fall into the group of people who do not want to read long articles because I just can’t sit still. haha. I often have my computer read the articles to me so I can rest my eyes or do something else while I listen. I often speed up the pace of the robotic reading voice to hear a 10-minute article in just 5-minutes of time. This process sounds similar to how I listen to podcasts at 1.5X or 2X speeds, which condenses a one-hour podcast into just 30 minutes. It is amazing how quickly your brain gets used to the supersonic delivery of content. Now listening at “normal” speed sounds downright slow.
If you’ve made it this far, you may be curious about what to expect from the show. While the title of the podcast is Spending Time with “A Blog to Watch”, I don’t think it would be a stretch to think of it as Spending Time with Ariel Adams. Ariel is the host of most of the shows and direct access to his thought processes is why you should tune in. I am not sure if Ariel would agree or disagree with my assessment of the podcast, but I feel like this show is like having unfiltered access to his brain and the vast amount of watch-related information stored in it. Being in the watch journalism field for so long, Ariel has probably forgotten more about watches, brands and their models than most of us know. He may not be an encyclopedia of exact Speedmaster references, but he has interesting and surprising views on watch collecting. This comes to light when he interviews guests or has discussions with other journalists from A Blog to Watch.
Spending Time with “A Blog to Watch” Podcast on iTunes
As an aspiring writer myself, I am convinced that there is no better way to form an opinion than to write an article about a subject. This process of formulating a viewpoint and possibly defending it solidifies the key points in a writer’s mind. I can testify that sometimes I do not know what I think about a watch until I spend time with it, photograph it, research the history and look at it under a loupe. Ariel Adams has been looking at the watch industry under a loupe professionally for over a decade now, and his mastery of the subject matter is apparent.
I have been pleasantly surprised several times by the opinions that Ariel had or the detailed explanations that he provided for different watch-making trends. He can quickly pivot to redirect a line of questioning with a guest to delve deeper into a subject. It would be hard to keep up with him mentally so my advice to guests is to be prepared.
I have to admit that some of my long-held watch opinions were challenged by what Ariel shared. His different point of view made me question some of the “facts” I took for granted. This is a good thing because I am constantly learning and still have an open mind about watch collecting. Ariel is an expert so it would be silly not to listen. By the way, tapping into all his knowledge is free. All you have to do is subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
Ariel’s strength is his ability to distill complex industry trends and historical data into easily understood explanations for his audience. He has been doing this for years in his articles, but hearing it is different than reading it. The content is more distilled and to the point when used within the context of an interview. Practical application of information, and not just knowledge for knowledge’s sake is more valuable. In other words, Ariel provides great insight based on years of experience writing articles, interviewing brands and reviewing watches in both written and video formats.
The Spending Time with “A Blog to Watch” podcast began making episodes in 2017 so starting at the beginning means that the content is still relevant as of May 2018. The audio podcasts can be difficult to find on the A Blog to Watch site because frankly, they are not listed there yet. Unlike some other horological podcasts, this show does not seem to have its own web site either. The best way to listen to Spending Time with “A Blog to Watch” podcast is to head over to Apple iTunes and subscribe there. You can do this easily from your phone. If you want to watch the videocast, then visit the Spending Time with “A Blog to Watch” on YouTube. Either way, you will be tapping into a wealth of nerdy and entertaining watch talk with one of the best-known watch journalists working in the business. Can you really think of a better way to spend time sitting in traffic?
