Christopher Ward CEO Mike France on the game-changing Bel Canto

Today, we sit down with Mike France, co-founder and CEO of Christopher Ward, the UK-based direct-to-consumer brand that has (you may be shocked to learn) been around since 2004.   We chat to Mike about the early days of the brand and how they evolved from a design-led microbrand into the fully-fledged brand they are today, with in-house watchmaking expertise that rivals that of the Swiss.    Of course, it doesn’t take long for the conversation to veer to their incredible breakout hit, the Bel Canto. Mike tells us how the innovative chiming watch was an unexpected byproduct of COVID-induced working conditions and how the smash-hit watch has changed their business.   We also talk about the brand new release, the Bel Canto Classic. But before that, Felix debriefs on his jaunt to Hong Kong for Dubai Watch Week’s Horology Forum 10.  Felix reports on HF.10 in Hong Kong Tim Mosso at Horology Forum Christopher Ward Watches The Bel Canto Classic on Andy’s IG Frank Skinner’s poetry podcast Like watches? Join our Discord. How to follow us: Instagram: @ot.podcast Facebook: @OTPODCASTAU Follow hosts: @fkscholz + @andygreenlive on Instagram. Send us an email: [email protected] If you liked our podcast - please remember to like/share and subscribe.

We thought we knew what we were getting into when we asked Marc Montagne, author of 'Invest in Watches: The Art of Watch Collecting' onto the pod. We prepared questions around market motility, hot models and the ethics of flipping, but it quickly became apparent that it wasn't going to be that kind of interview. Marc, a watch industry professional, wasn't interested in buying and selling to make a quick buck — he was in it for the long haul. Marc is more interested in investing in quality and the style of watch that works for you. It might not be the textbook definition of investment, but we respect the hell out of the approach. Before chatting with Marc, Felix and Andy ponder what Hodinkee's acquisition by Watches of Switzerland means for the industry (and how much it sold for). Show Notes: https://www.otpodcast.com.au/show-notes Watchpro reporting on Hodinkee's acquisition of Watches Of Switzerland Ben Clymer's announcement of the sale on Hodinkee Invest in Watches: The Art of Watch Collecting by Marc Montagne Marc Montagne on Instagram The picture of Dorian Grey Like watches? Join our Discord. How to follow us: Instagram: @ot.podcast Facebook: @OTPODCASTAU Follow hosts: @fkscholz + @andygreenlive on Instagram. Send us an email: [email protected] If you liked our podcast - please remember to like/share and subscribe.

This week's guest is James Kennedy, the Managing Director and CEO of Kennedy Watches & Jewellery, one of Australia's leading luxury retailers. We chat with James about what it's like to be an Authorised Dealer for some of the world's most prestigious and desirable watch brands/ James shares (in detail) about how he turned a small family business into an Australia-wide business and the lessons he's learned along the way. We discuss the booming popularity of watches over the last 15 years, and what his thoughts are on the future of luxury, including the perennially thorny questions of allocation and investment, as well as the state of the Australian market more broadly. You don't have to have walked through the doors of a Kennedy boutique for James' insights into the industry to resonate, this is an insightful discussion for anyone interested in the business of watches. This episode is sponsored by Kennedy. Like watches? Join our Discord.  How to follow us: Instagram: @ot.podcast Facebook: @OTPODCASTAU Follow hosts: @fkscholz + @andygreenlive on Instagram. Send us an email: [email protected] If you liked our podcast - please remember to like/share and subscribe.

One of OT:’s very favourite people is Chris Hall, the guy behind The Fourth Wheel Substack — which bills itself as an honest, opinionated and informative insight into watches and the business around them. Given that every week or so we’re Chris’ newsletter on the pod, we thought it was high time to get him back on and talk about his approach to reporting on watches and what his plans are for the Substack in the months ahead. Show Notes: https://www.otpodcast.com.au/show-notes OT: Discord - https://discord.com/invite/X3Vvc9z7aV The Fourth Wheel The Fourth Wheel on Instagram Horological Dictionary on the Fourth Wheel (10:00) Felix’s brutal burn on geezer watches (15:35) Chris Hall on the business of Bremont (24:25) Mark Cho’s 12 rules for watch collecting (32:40) The Bear (35:50) How to follow us: https://www.instagram.com/ot.podcast https://www.facebook.com/otpodcastau https://instagram.com/andygreenlive https://instagram.com/fkscholz Send us an email: [email protected] If you liked our podcast - please remember to like/share and subscribe.

  In this episode, we chat with the man behind one of 2024’s most-discussed watch brands, Anoma. Matteo Violet-Vianello developed his love of free-form vintage watch aesthetics while working at A Collected Man, and decided he wanted to create his own watch. Despite having no formal design training, Anoma’s debut watch, the A1, is an assured and sophisticated design that tackles the seldom-seen triangular case. Matteo explains his design choices, the production process and the philosophical underpinnings of this exciting new brand. Before that, Andy and Felix try and get some watch ambassador deals for Olympians.  Like watches? Join our Discord. Show Notes: https://www.otpodcast.com.au/show-notes Unpolished Please (1:02) Wristcheck’s Olympic Watches Guide (6:30) Matteo Violet Vionallo Interview (12:00) Anoma Watches Anoma Watches on Instagram  Perfect Days Trailer  (57:20) PLEASE - be sure to check out our YouTube channel. How to follow us: Instagram: @ot.podcast Facebook: @OTPODCASTAU Follow hosts: @fkscholz + @andygreenlive on Instagram. Send us an email: [email protected] If you liked our podcast - please remember to like/share and subscribe.

Today’s guest is Arthur Touchot, an incredibly knowledgable (and unfailingly charming) individual who’s worked at watch titles like Hodinkee and others before ending up in Phillips Watch Department as Head of Digital Strategy and Watch Specialist. Arthur takes the time to educate Felix and Andy on what goes on behind the scenes of an auction, from sourcing watches to marketing and the importance of storytelling in watch sales. This episode is sponsored by IWC. Find out more about the brand and it's watches here.  Like watches? Join our Discord. Show Notes: https://www.otpodcast.com.au/show-notes Kennedy Event in Perth IWC Manufacture Arthur Touchot on Instagram Phillips Watches on Instagram Phillips Watches Mark Cho’s The Beauty in Everything Sale IWC IWC on Instagram IWC Australia New Zealand on Instagram Show Notes: https://www.otpodcast.com.au/show-notes OT: Discord - https://discord.com/invite/X3Vvc9z7aV How to follow us: https://www.instagram.com/ot.podcast https://www.facebook.com/otpodcastau https://instagram.com/andygreenlive https://instagram.com/fkscholz Send us an email: [email protected]   If you liked our podcast - please remember to like/share and subscribe.  

  This week, Andy continues his chat with IWC’s MVPs, and this time, he chats with Markus Bühler, Associate Director of Watch and Movement Assembly. From job satisfaction to having a tourbillon  (or two) with bearing his name, Bühler provides insights into IWC’s meticulous approach to watchmaking. Before this chat, however, Felix goes wildly off-topic with an impassioned defence of one of the greatest works of cinema of the 21st century.  This episode is sponsored by IWC. Find out more about the brand and it's watches here.  Like watches? Join our Discord. Show Notes: Mamma Mia - 2:23 Christopher Ward C65 Super Compressor - 7:21 Felix’s Troubled and Problematic Accutron Bulova Snorkel (or at least one like it) - 7:37 Porsche Design Hodinkee Collab - 9:07 Markus Bühler Interview begins - 15:10 IWC IWC on Instagram IWC Australia New Zealand on Instagram Show Notes: https://www.otpodcast.com.au/show-notes OT: Discord - https://discord.com/invite/X3Vvc9z7aV How to follow us: https://www.instagram.com/ot.podcast https://www.facebook.com/otpodcastau https://instagram.com/andygreenlive https://instagram.com/fkscholz   Send us an email: [email protected] If you liked our podcast - please remember to like/share and subscribe.

Andy is still time travelling back to Watches & Wonders with IWC, and this week, he’s chatting to the charming Lorenz Brunner, who talks about the brand’s most important innovations, as well as the importance of ‘silent’ innovation. Before that, Felix and Andy chatted about IWC’s involvement in an exciting new F1 film, the 2024 edition of the Richemont shuffle, and why Nickelback deserves rehabilitation.  This episode is sponsored by IWC. Find out more about the brand and it's watches here.  Like watches? Join our Discord. Show Notes: F1 Official Trailer IWC’s role in the new F1 movie The Innioasis Y1 MP3 player Hate to Love: The nickel back Documentary IWC IWC on Instagram IWC Australia New Zealand on Instagram   Show Notes: https://www.otpodcast.com.au/show-notes OT: Discord - https://discord.com/invite/X3Vvc9z7aV How to follow us: https://www.instagram.com/ot.podcast https://www.facebook.com/otpodcastau https://instagram.com/andygreenlive https://instagram.com/fkscholz Send us an email: [email protected]   If you liked our podcast - please remember to like/share and subscribe.

This week, we get to see Andy in his natural environment of Watches & Wonders as he chats to IWC CEO Chris Grainger in the middle of the packed IWC booth to discuss everything that makes the Schaffhausen-based manufacturer such a force to be reckoned with. From the ongoing evolution of the Portugieser to the future of the brand’s partnership with Mercedes and even the very nature of time itself. Before the headline act, Felix and Andy chat about some of the interesting developments in the world of watches, including Bernard Arnault’s investment in Richemont and LVMH’s acquisition of L’Epee. This episode is sponsored by IWC. Find out more about the brand and it's watches here.  Like watches? Join our Discord.   Show Notes: https://www.otpodcast.com.au/show-notes OT: Discord - https://discord.com/invite/X3Vvc9z7aV How to follow us: https://www.instagram.com/ot.podcast https://www.facebook.com/otpodcastau https://instagram.com/andygreenlive https://instagram.com/fkscholz   Send us an email: [email protected] If you liked our podcast - please remember to like/share and subscribe.

Cornell Watch Company is an old name but a new brand. Chicago native John Warren has long had a fascination with the historic American brand founded in his home city. Most people would be content with collecting old pocket watches and letting history stay in the past, but Warren isn’t most people. He’s taken the steps to revive the defunct brand and, with the help of American watchmaking legend Roland Murphy of RGM, bring it into the 21st century. We chat with Warren about the ins and outs of bringing an old brand back, why he thinks American watchmaking is important, and why his debut model, the 1870 CE, is special. Like watches? Join our Discord. Show Notes: Danny Milton Leaves Hodinkee Chris Hall’s The Fourth Wheel  The New York Times explore sexual assault allegations against Nirmal Purja The Bremont x Brompton x Cheaney Cornell Watch Company Cornell Watch Company on Instagram Roland Murphy and RGM How to follow us: Instagram: @ot.podcast Facebook: @OTPODCASTAU Follow hosts: @fkscholz + @andygreenlive on Instagram. Send us an email: [email protected] If you liked our podcast - please remember to like/share and subscribe.