Explore every episode of the podcast This Watch Life

Lydia went to Watches and Wonders this year, but Vu didn't! Here's our catch up on everythign she saw and liked and some of the coolest watches she got to try on and check out!

In this episode we compare our 2016 vs 2026 watch lives, and also hear the stories of our friends Derek Mon (@theminutemon), James Crichton (@gearetal), Ken Lam (@arkenwatchco), and Britt Pearce (@watch.gringa).

In this episode we answer questions from a few of our amazing listeners! We discuss the future successes and failures of watch brands, what makes us pivot between brands over time, what watches we love but still won't buy, underrated watches and more!

Thanks for the questions, @watch_girl_life, @nomoschino, @syktgrei.elgada, @thewatchshowfinland, @enjoy.your_time, @rabcho!

In this episode we discuss Tudor's 100 year anniversary and what that might mean for their releases this year.

2025 marked some real changes for both of us in terms of our collections... with Lydia taking a more measured approach than previous years and Vu going wild. Perhaps for the household this is a good strategy, to take turns?

We discuss which watches we bought and why, and what was different about 2025 and what that might mean for the future of our collections.

Believe it or not, 2026 is here! In this episode we go over some of our predictions for the year, talk about some things we are hoping to see, and speculate a bit about this year in watches.

In this episode we dive into the wonderful world of bird watching as it relates to watch collecting. It turns out many hobbies and passions share so many similarities in the way people enjoy them, in the communities surrounding them, and even sometimes in the downsides to them.

Feel free to watch this documentary:

Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching

Feel free to follow this bird photographing friend of ours:

@jeff.rivait

In this episode we talk about whether or not enthusiasts should be more involved in watch design, if "hand made" matters, what complications we want, whether or not to modify luxury watches, and name some of our favorite podcasts!

Thanks so much for the amazing questions, @nesqydave, @naturalescapement, @watcherism, @watchmedicine, @christofferdidrichsen, @lovemedonuts, @notsimplybrent, and Andrew!

Mentioned in this episode:

Casio F-91W gold

Swatch Sistem51

Omega DeVille Hour Vision

Otsuka Lotec No. 5 KAI

Habring2 Erwin Pilot

Otsuka Lotec No. 7.5

True Patina's BB54

Chris Reeve Sebenza 31 Small

Victorinox Compact

Victorinox Companion

Victorinox Rambler

Daily Customs

BMKT Small Explorer

Podcasts we listen to:

The Grey NATO

Worn & Wound

Form & Function

Fratello Talks

It's been a long time since our last Q&A, and we got some great questions from you all! We discuss how a brand's watch photography can be misleading, what we'd do if we were put in charge at Rolex, a This Watch Life collab watch, who we will leave our watches to since we don't have kids, what to do with a wedding watch after divorce, and more!

Thanks for the questions, @bytereview, @jbobswatches, @right.arm.watches, @alpharo_uk, @watch_girl_life, @nomoschino, @ten10fiftynine, @hour_you_doin, @supinderbedi, and @dials_crown.

If you have a question you'd like us to answer in a Q&A episode please send an email of voice message to questions@thiswatchlife.com or message us at @thiswatchlifepodcast. Or you can leave a comment directly on this post!

In this episode we go through our choices for the five watches we would each keep from our existing collections if we had to just own 5, and couldn't buy any more, EVER. Essentially building our forever collections.

This was inspired by the #fivewatchcollection Instagram community hashtag started by Nacho and Morgan.

Yes, Vu has another NWA but this time it's totally not his fault. We also talk about his new camera, the Sigma bf, and our recent trip to Glashütte for the weekend and extra tour of the NOMOS manufacture.

Mentioned in the episode:

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms in 38mm

Sigma bf

NOMOS Club Campus 36 Future Orange

The Best recommendations for the week:

The Naked Gun

Wednesday

If you have questions for our next Q&A episode you can ask them by emailing questions@thiswatchlife.com or send a dm to @thiswatchlifepodcast

Vu sold off his last Rolex! So in this episode he tries to articulate why he got rid of all his Rolex watches and what's changed about his entire collection.

The Best Recommendations:

Articles of Interest on Spotify

Articles of Interest on Apple

Binoculars!

In this episode we discuss our two new watches… both chronographs… and how at least Vu’s new watch has set him on a completely new path.

Watches discussed in this episode:

Tudor FXD Chronograph Cycling Edition Limited Edition Pink

Jaeger LeCoultre Master Control Chronograph

The BEST recommendations:

Project Hail Mary

Nintendo Switch 2

In this episode we discuss the lengths we can sometimes go to in our efforts to justify a watch purchase, Vu gives an update on his Zombie Apocalypse Watch plans, and we touch on a recent Rolex event we attended and whether our thoughts have changed on any of the new releases.

We decide to go on a two week vacation to Portugal with just one watch each, and talk through how we chose what we chose, why they were the right watches for this trip, and how that ended up working out. Also, we have two new watches to discuss! Vu decides that one watch might be fine, but asks Delugs to help out with additional straps so he can keep changing the look.

Habring2 Erwin Pilot

Kurono 34mm Star Dial

Delugs straps for Vu’s watch (provided by Delugs):

- Black Epsom Slim Strap

- Olive Green Sailcloth Signature Strap

- Black Pilot Rubber CTS Strap

- Orange Pilot Rubber CTS Strap

- Delcro Woodland Tri-Weave

In this episode we discuss our time at Watches and Wonders, some of our favorite things from and around the show, Vu's new watch, and some of the people we got to see in Geneva!

We're back! Again! This time for real? In this episode we talk about the big life and work changes that Lydia has gone through... discuss our Watches and Wonders plans... and talk about the future of this podcast and our plan for its triumphant return!

In this 200th episode of This Watch Life we talk about what we've learned, how our thoughts about watches and the industry changed, and what we've discovered about our listeners.

In this episode we answer questions from @katshoulders and @alexmjryan about the most surprising watches in our collections as well as what types of watches we find most and least photogenic.

In today's episode we discuss Vu's newest watch, the Otsuka Lotec No. 7.5. Coming right off the amazing success of the No. 6 winning the GPHG Challenge Prize, the arrival of the No. 7.5 couldn't have been better timed.

Although they share a design language, the No. 6 and No. 7.5 are very different watches. Vu explains what he loves about the design of the 7.5 which takes some inspiration from vintage cameras.

Otsuka Lotec No. 7.5 page

In this episode we answer questions from @casebackintime, @been63, @arkenwatchco, and @nesqydave.

In this episode we talk about Lydia's new watch, the Credor Locomotive. Her second Gerald Genta designed watch, but also a limited edition remake of a little known collaboration from one of the world's best known watch-designers and Japan's most well known brand, Seiko.

https://www.credor.com/en/special/locomotive/

In this episode we discuss Lydia's family cruise and the watches she chose to bring on it, and why. The cruise has very specific and diverse needs, because of the variety of activities you partake in, all packed into a singe experience.

So what did she bring?

In today's episode we talk about Vu's new watch, the Arken Alterum limited edition Year of the Dragon, and why Vu thinks it's probably the coolest watch under $1000.

Check out Arken here: https://arken.uk

Here's my first photo of the watch: https://www.instagram.com/p/DCbsx0jI3Dq/

NOTE: Although Vu had intended to pay full price for this watch and tried to purchase it, founder Ken sneakily gave it to him as a gift from a friend. He didn't ask for anything in return, and as usual has not paid us to make any media about it, nor has any say over the content we choose to make.

Today we answer a question from @watchrolling about whether or not Rolex watches are necessary for watch enthusiasts, from @watch_girl_life and @nomoschino about our best/favorite watch purchases of the year, and a question from @jordonia about what we wish we knew when we got started in this wild hobby of watch collecting and enthusiasm.

In this episode we talk about Lydia finally discovering the joy of changing watch straps, and our experience with Delugs, our favorite watch strap company, which I've been buying straps from for 4 years, and they've been making straps and leather goods now for six!

NOTE: Delugs has provided us with watch straps for free but have not paid us and have no input into what we do with or say about the products they have given us.

In today's episode we go back in time and answer a frequently asked question... how did we even meet? We also talk about how we chose our 10th anniversary watch gifts for each other, and the difficulty in making that seemingly simple task work.

In today's episode Lydia tells us the story of the Pole Router, Universal Geneve's watch commemorating the Polar Route for SAS flights that significantly reduced the flight time for international flights.

See Masaharu's post here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCZMHZDN1I2/

In this episode we talk about Lydia's trip to Geneva for the GPHG Awards show and gala. Also Vu finally let her borrow a watch, and it's his current favorite one!

In this episode Lydia talks about her trip to Schaffhausen to visit the IWC manufacture with Nymans Ur, and the coolest Ingenieur she’s seen yet!

We finally got hands on with 47ZERO Watches! In this episode we talk about why these watches really drew us in and the powerful story of overcoming adversity and turning a traumatic event into the beautiful and thoughtful designs behind them.

See them at 47zero.com

Note: We were lent these watches by 47Zero, and had to send them back. We didn’t get paid or compensated in any way, and 47Zero didn’t get to request or approve any content we made about them.

Lydia takes us on a deep dive into movement decoration, some of the history, the techniques, and we discuss yet again whether casebacks should be closed!

We have been gone for 6 weeks, but we are back this week! We discuss a bit about what has happened, what is coming, and our plans to finish out the year with this podcast.

We're back! We had an unplanned break and missed two episodes, but we're back and in this episode we talk about an amazing watch event Lydia attended, and a new Glashütte Original that our friend bought!

In this episode Lydia takes us through a bit of history and information about both perpetual and annual calendars, and we talk about which watches we are most interested in.

In this episode we discuss some of the awesome watches we saw on the red carpet and on the winners of The Emmys.

In this episode we talk about Lydia's quote in Bentley Magazine and find out that asking AI about yourself can actually be quite nice.

In today's episode we talk about Britt Pearce's video about the worst watches to come out in the past 3 years. And we have opinions about her opinions!

Britt's Video

In this episode we answer a question by our dear friend Owen, that he came up with in the midst of international travel airport boredom, that we couldn't help but answer. What dog would your favorite watch be? The answers we got from some of you are surprisingly insightful!

In this episode we discuss a recently released post by Chrono24 detailing the results of a survey they had conducted about first time luxury watch buyers.

https://about.chrono24.com/en/press-release/first-time-buyer-report-part-1-luxury-watch-survey-what-makes-first-time-buyers-tick/

In this episode we talk about some of the watch news we have found interesting in the last week. Watches from Moser/Studio Underdog, Longines, Sarpaneva, Laurent Ferrier, and King Seiko.

In this episode we answer a questioner from Jordi about how we actually time things with mechanical watches. Except for a very select and expensive few watches, there aren't many options in mechanical watches for minute-level accuracy timers which actually notify you. So, what are we to do?

We also talk a little about the new Apple Watches and some of the very watch industry terminology they seem to be using when talking about their Apple Watch (don't call it a smart watch!).

In today's episode we discuss the recently released Biver Automatique, and the fact that the MoonSwatch is now FINALLY available online! Well, sort of.

In this episode Vu asked an AI to recommend 6 watches for his stylish but adventurous partner that were between $3000 and $10000. Then he asked her to react to them.

In this episode we answer a question from ⁠@time2_myself⁠ about the best season to buy watches, and from ⁠@watch.hightower⁠ about collecting other things that pair with watches.

In this episode we answer a question from @watchmedicine about what dress watch we would choose from the Holy Trinity, and a question from @time.the.destroyer about whether or not we'd consider moving to Switzerland.

In this episode we answer a question from @see_me_watch about what's more important in watch buying decisions, the dial, or the movement?

We use a couple of Grand Seikos that Vu is extremely interested in as examples:

Grand Seiko SLGW003

Grand Seiko SLGW005

In this episode Lydia shares with Vu some of the watches that have been announced at Geneva Watch Days and Shanghai Watches and Wonders.

In this episode we talk about the watch Lydia borrowed from Oris for a week while she was visiting Florida last month. We talk about her thoughts on the watch and on Oris's new 2024 Sustainability Report.

⁠Oris Aquis Date 36.5 Mother of Pearl⁠

⁠Oris Sustainability Report 2024⁠

In this episode we answer a question from @spillingcoffeeoncars about vintage watches and whether or not service history is factored into the pricing.

For the first time we have a guest expert on the podcast, because @windsmeup recorded a detailed answer for this question!