The Fine Watches Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Kyle Schut, the creative mind behind not one, but two independent watch brands, Straton and Signum Watch Co.s, , joins us for an epic chat about the cars, watches, designs, eras and music that fuel his passion.

Two distinct brands with their own individual style, Straton which builds on the aesthetic and spirit of the motorsport watches that helped make racing in the 60s and 70s so cool, and Signum, which focuses on tool watches, but uses materials and minerals for their dials that makes each watch unique.

In this episode we continue the Fine Watches mission of discovering more about independent brands, and most importantly, the people behind them.

Send us an email! podcast@finewatches.com.au

We're now on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@Thefinewatchespodcast/

Check out Ben's Instagram here: @finewatchesau
Straton's Instagram is here: @stratonwatchco
And Signum's is here: @signumwatches

Australian motorsport legend John Bowe joins Ben to discuss:
the commonly held shared love of both cars and watches,
what it takes to be a successful racing driver,
some of John's favourite machines, both on the track and wrist,
and the fact that sometimes the biggest names in both arenas don't necessarily deliver the best product. For the motorsport fan, we also chat about "that" Bathurst, and why Jim Richards may have been justifiably put out by the crowd on the day.

Send us an email! podcast@finewatches.com.au

We're now on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@Thefinewatchespodcast/

Check out Ben's Instagram here: @finewatchesau

Should you use a sourcing and collection curation service when buying your watches?

Lewis and Ben share thoughts on why you should, what the specific benefits are, and make a case for why it delivers value as a paid service.
As usual, the lads rant about this fortnights outrages in the industry, and laud those delivering interesting quality work.

If you're the type of collector Ben mentions as being one in a million, and would like to join us for a special episode of the show, please do reach out! We'd love to hear your story.

Send us an email! podcast@finewatches.com.au

We're now on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@Thefinewatchespodcast/

Check out Lewis' Instagram here: @gcwatchguy
And Ben's is here: @finewatchesau

We'd love to hear from you with comments, questions and any suggestions on guests or topics you'd like to hear.

As always, please take a moment to rate and review. It's greatly appreciated and helps us reach more good people like you!

We're back!

After a short unavoidable break, Ben and Lewis review the landscape of the watch industry, how Watches and Wonders 2023 fits with the trends for the year so far, and, as always identify brands and models delivering exceptional value.

Let us know what watches have caught your eye this year so far.

Send us an email! podcast@finewatches.com.au

We're now on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@Thefinewatchespodcast/

Check out Lewis' Instagram here: @gcwatchguy
And Ben's is here: @finewatchesau

We'd love to hear from you with comments, questions and any suggestions on guests or topics you'd like to hear.

As always, please take a moment to rate and review. It's greatly appreciated and helps us reach more good people like you!

Considering buying a Rolex? They're arguably the world's best every day wear, and the brand offers up some of the most enduring designs for both sports and dress watches available. The market for popular pieces including the Submariner, Yacht Master, GMTs, and others, has been hot for several years.

Lewis and Ben share their thoughts around if this is a good time to buy in to the brand, and what to consider and look out for if you decide to make the jump.

Send us an email! podcast@finewatches.com.au

We're now on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@Thefinewatchespodcast/

Check out Lewis' Instagram here: @gcwatchguy
And Ben's is here: @finewatchesau

We'd love to hear from you with comments, questions and any suggestions on guests or topics you'd like to hear.

As always, please take a moment to rate and review. It's greatly appreciated and helps us reach more good people like you!

What would you put in a watch collection with no limit on budget or availability?

Ben and Lewis discuss their choices, with very different results.
There are some very rare heavy hitters in collection.
Without giving too much away, the only brand with two watches here is MB&F! Hear also why neither of us ended up including a Rolex......The answer is not what you'd expect.

Let us know what you'd put in your sky's the limit collection,  and, of course, your pick of which of our collections you think comes out on top.

Send us an email! podcast@finewatches.com.au

We're now on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@Thefinewatchespodcast/

Check out Lewis' Instagram here: @gcwatchguy
And Ben's is here: @finewatchesau

We'd love to hear from you with comments, questions and any suggestions on guests or topics you'd like to hear.

As always, please take a moment to rate and review. It's greatly appreciated and helps us reach more good people like you!

Last episode we looked at how to start a watch collection. This time, we've put together each of our thoughts on what we'd buy with $10,000 (Australian) dollars to spend.

It's a diverse mix and includes some great value pieces, all worthy of consideration.

Of course, Lewis thinks his lineup won out over Ben's.... Let us know who you think nailed it, which of the models named you'd include, and anything else we might have left out.

Send us an email! podcast@finewatches.com.au

You can now find us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thefinewatchespodcast/

Check out Lewis' Instagram here: @gcwatchguy
And Ben's is here: @finewatchesau

We'd love to hear from you with comments, questions and any suggestions on guests or topics you'd like to hear.

As always, please take a moment to rate and review. It's greatly appreciated and helps us reach more good people like you!

Getting started with watch collecting can be as daunting as it is exciting.

Ben and Lewis discuss the do's and don'ts of starting a luxury watch collection. From Rolex to Tag Heuer, collecting as an investment, to throwing caution to the wind, the guys discuss everything you need to know.

You can now also find us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thefinewatchespodcast/

Check out Lewis’ Instagram here: @gcwatchguy
And Ben’s is here: @finewatchesau

We’d love to hear from you with comments, questions and any suggestions on guests or topics you’d like to hear. Send us an email! podcast@finewatches.com.au

The first episode of Season 2 sees us welcome new co-host Lewis Butterfield of The Watch Dealers to the show,  joining Ben Kushinsky of FineWatches Australia.

After a great conversation in episode 20 of Season 1, we've decided to join forces to bring you a new chattier format which will still cover current happenings in the watch market, trends, bubbles, a deep love of vintage pieces and brands, horological history, amazing guests and more. We're committed to bringing you the story beyond the latest press releases the FineWatches Podcast is known for, there's just two of us now, and a broader perspective on these little wrist machines we love.

You can now find us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thefinewatchespodcast/

Check out Lewis' Instagram here: @gcwatchguy
And Ben's is here: @finewatchesau

We'd love to hear from you with comments, questions and any suggestions on guests or topics you'd like to hear. Send us an email! podcast@finewatches.com.au

As always, please take a moment to rate and review. It's greatly appreciated and helps us reach more good people like you!

In his capacity as owner of The Watch Dealers, and his guise as @gcwatchguy on Instagram, Lewis Butterfield is at the leading edge of the watch trade in Australia.

In this, the FineWatches Podcast's 20th episode it was a great pleasure to have a free and frank discussion with Lewis and to get to express some of the things I've always wanted to say on the cast.

From the state of the market, through profiteers, to what actually constitutes a Micro-Brand, among other tasty morsels, we cover a lot of ground, and we're just getting started. Look out for more conversations with Lewis coming up in 2023.

If you enjoy the FineWatches podcast, please rate and review! It helps us reach more people and is greatly appreciated.

You can find The Watch Dealers' website here: Visit now.
Lewis' Instagram account is here: @gcwatchguy

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, and who or what you’d like to hear next. You can reach me any time on Instagram @finewatchesau or via email hello@finewatches.com.au

Find all our other content and current watches here: www.finewatches.com.au