211. Brand Echo Chambers, Omega Reality Checks, and a Very Expensive Goal Counter

This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Rick, David, and Ripley kick things off with affordable watch enthusiasm before diving headfirst into industry introspection. The new VAER G2 Meridian GMT proves that a $399 quartz travel watch can still feel thoughtfully designed, well built, and genuinely useful, while David’s latest “Grinding Gears” article tackles a much bigger issue: have major watch brands retreated into tiny echo chambers? From disappearing marketing ambition to confusing corporate growth expectations, the team connects the dots between brand communication, Morgan Stanley reports, and the shifting realities facing names like Omega and Breitling. Things escalate quickly from there. A nearly $2 million Richard Mille soccer watch attempts to track match periods, scores, and stoppage time in the most mechanically complicated way possible, sparking debate about purpose versus spectacle. The Brand Wheel of Death returns to eliminate Baume & Mercier while sparing Laurent Ferrier for a hypothetical fifty year reset, and Moritz Grossmann lives to spin again. It’s the usual combination of market analysis, horological absurdity, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. To check out the ABTW Shop where you can see our products inspired by our love of Horology: - Shop ABTW - https://store.ablogtowatch.com/ To keep updated with everything Superlative, aBlogtoWatch Weekly, and aBlogtoWatch, check us out on: - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ablogtowatch/ - Websi