Watchonista’s 30 Under 30(ish) Honoree Update: The Pod Squad

Just when we thought that podcasting had peaked during the pandemic, the space has blown up in 2024, shaking up not only how watch enthusiasts share their voices but also how brands market their wares.

Why are we listening? Podcasts offer opportunities for new voices to make their way into our community. And just when we think we’ve heard it all, a unique perspective will enter the arena, and we’ll find ourselves hooked again.

That brings us to Uhr Talk, one of the most engaging podcasts we’ve ever come across.

Hosted by a trio of friends – one of which, Lucas, is a 2024 30 Under 30(ish) honoree – each comes from a different place in the watch industry, and even though the podcast is in German, it has a global outreach either through their individual Instagram accounts or via their work in the industry.

That is why we were so delighted to talk to three of our favorite podcasters and get their take on the future of both podcasts and watchmaking.

Our favorite podcasts have always featured a compelling cast of characters. We’re thinking of past 30 Under 30(ish) honorees such as Perri Dash, Ben Grullon, and Rashawn Smith of @wristcheckpod and Jaclyn Li, Daniel Sum, and Lung Thun of The Waiting List Podcast.

With each of these podcasts, we’ve enjoyed following the hosts’ journeys as they discover new watchmaking stories. Uhr Talk has followed a similar trajectory.

Hamburg-based co-founder Lucas (@wristwatches.de) is a social media polymath, beginning his journey as a collector and photographer through the online watch world via Facebook groups in 2017.
 

His fellow podcaster Chris is a blogger and the brains behind @mr.nice.watch and Mr. Nice Watch Magazine. The third member of the team is Raffael Frenner, an Italian living in Switzerland who works as the head of brand communication at Berneron SA.
 

And so it was, about five years ago, the trio first got to know each other through Instagram and soon found themselves in a group with other watch collectors, where, in addition to discussing various models, new launches, and their collections, they realized that there was no German-language podcast for watch enthusiasts.

They remedied this by starting the German-language podcast Uhr Talk in 2020 (Fun Fact: “Uhr” means “hour” in German).
 

Like many inspired endeavors, happenstance played a big role in Raf, Lucas, and Chris becoming podcasters. For example, each of them happened to receive a microphone for Christmas 2019. They then used their vacation time to produce their first episodes.

Since then, they have posted over 250 episodes and have drawn from their diverse communities to nab interviews with many big personalities from the industry.

As individuals, the Uhr Talk team is also making its mark in watchmaking.

Raf told us that the first watch that sparked his interest was a little Chinese desk clock from his childhood that he rediscovered 10 years after first receiving it. His interest in the unconventional led to a passion for timepieces that buck tradition.

His favorite watch is the Gérald Genta Gentissima Oursin because it’s an “amazing watch in wonderful dimensions and astonishing design language,” he explained us.
 

It’s not surprising that Raf would land at Berneron, an indie brand that set the watch world on fire when, earlier this year, it introduced the quirky (and winner of the Audacity Prize at GPHG 2024) Mirage.

Thus, through the voice of Uhr Talk, the trio is steering the collecting conversation away from watches as just commodities. Or, as Raf told Watchonista: “People finally realized that buying what others like is never as rewarding as buying what they like themselves.”

Lucas’ passion for watches was sparked by a gift from my grandfather about seven years ago. “Even though you’ve probably never heard about the brand Precisa, it created a lovely 34mm hand-wound watch in a 14ct yellow gold case in the ‘50s,” Lucas explained. “And after a local watchmaker explained all the details to me, especially about the movement, I was hooked.”

Lucas’ story about his Precisa reminds us of another reason why Podcasts are so influential: Many younger collectors who have been priced out of “The Big Three” are keen to rediscover heritage brands like the soon-to-be-reborn Universal Genève. They are also excited by independents.
 

“I really like the new Toric Petite Seconde in platinum from Parmigiani Fleurier with the grey celadon dial. In my opinion, the all-over aesthetics, the proportions, as well as the attention to detail are outstanding,” Lucas told us.

He continued: “With the worldwide popularity of luxury watches increasing, two closely related things have happened: the continuously rising list prices of current models and a trend to focus on mono-brand boutiques as a preferred sales channel.
 

“These topics are part of almost every detailed discussion in our podcast, and I think they are about to have a huge influence on the future of the watch industry.”

Another reason Podcasts are becoming more influential is because they draw the attention of a younger, broader audience. “This,” commented Chris, “is the most powerful shift in watchmaking in recent years.”

Younger collectors, like Chris, didn’t need to inherit their grandfather’s Patek Philippe to get into the game. “The first watch that really got me hooked was a Breitling Navitimer from the early 2000s,” Chris told us.

“I bought this watch from a private collector through a German watch forum, and it was the first time I really fell in love with a mechanical watch,” Chris recalled. In a way, forums, social media, and podcasters serve as this generation’s mentors.
 

Through Uhr Talk, Chris has also discovered that podcasting is a two-way street with fewer walls between enthusiasts and people who work in the industry. “Five years from now I still see myself sharing the passion for mechanical watches with my community on social media and with our amazing audience of podcast listeners,” concluded Chris.

To learn more about Uhr Talk, check out the show’s Instagram page.