So...what happened to the Timepiece Gentleman?

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S Shay
What is baffling for me is a number of YouTube channel are popping up with very basic content, and they have more than 100k subscribers. Then on the other side you have channel who produce absolutely world class content like ‘Time4aPint’ which doesn’t have a lot of subscribers. How is this possible?

World class content is maybe a little strong - but we've had a lot of interesting people come on and talk honestly about watches they own.

If I understood what YouTube wanted, I probably wouldn't want to make it. 😁
 
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World class content is maybe a little strong - but we've had a lot of interesting people come on and talk honestly about watches they own.

If I understood what YouTube wanted, I probably wouldn't want to make it. 😁
If Roger Smith and Kari Voutilainen are not world class then I don’t know who will be in the watch world. Eric Wind, James Downing etc.. this is a very strong line up of interviews. Anyway it’s people loss! Hopefully you can get Phillipe Dufour next time 😀
 
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Between Mat and I we’ve been very lucky to meet many interesting people over the years - and even more lucky that when we asked, a lot of them agreed to come and join in during our pandemic virtual GTGs.

Now that I’m back doing the podcast, I continue to be amazed as the people who say yes when I ask.
 
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When are people going to say out loud that what is going on here is a scam?

Even the most cursory glance at what's being going over the past week or two indicates a business that is about to go under.

The only question in my mind is: when the dust settles will their "business decisions" be better characterized as "horrible" or "criminal"?

I've been pondering something after some of their comments when they removed videos - they were saying that people were deliberately trying to sabotage their business. I do wonder if the negativity generated by all this, and the fact that people bid the charity watch up to a crazy number )with no obvious intent to buy it at that price) is in a way giving them an "out" to say that it wasn't the poor business practices that made them go under, but the acts of the "haters" who gave them bad comments and have said sabotage of their business...
 
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[…] is in a way giving them an "out" to say that it wasn't the poor business practices that made them go under, but the acts of the "haters" who gave them bad comments and have said sabotage of their business...

Bingo. “They hate us ‘cuz we’re too smart, too disruptive. We’re just too good at this to be any good at it.”
 
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Looks like their webpage had to close for a bit, says it’s reopening July 12th.
 
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S Shay
What is baffling for me is a number of YouTube channel are popping up with very basic content, and they have more than 100k subscribers. Then on the other side you have channel who produce absolutely world class content like ‘Time4aPint’ which doesn’t have a lot of subscribers. How is this possible?

It is absolutely possible because the two offerings are not catering to the same crowd at all.

On the one hand you have a crass reality TV show followed by people who are in the immediate and effortless "bling bling" side of watches...

...and on the other hand, you have a sensible show that caters to people who have knowledge and genuine interest in wristwatches, which takes intellectual effort and time.

The latter crowd being also tougher to please, it does take "world class efforts" to satisfy it and get their subscription.

Yup!! Social media has indeed been accelerating the dilution of humankind's gene pool.... 🙄
 
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The 'apology video' opener is telling.

"it's taken me a few days to get this video out.. I wanted this message to come with truth & sincerity - not scripted, no bullshit".

So does this mean that this little charlatan believes that it takes a few days to prepare sincerity & truthfulness... And scripted content = bullshit? If so, then ALL of his scripted content was, by his admission, bullshit.

Now you and I know that this is true - the distasteful parade of 'baller lifestyle' content currently inundating Youtube IS bullshit, but this clown just admitted that his entire MO was to deceive his audience.

Brotrepaneurs like this are cut from the same cloth as the MLM sheisters - so the schadenfreude is strong.

And of course, we watch collectors were never the target market - this was never about watches, this was always about status symbols and exploiting the insecurities of those who are attracted to them.

What a glorious shitshow.
 
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“I didn’t care about money”. Really?!?
 
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The part in all of this that I cannot fathom, that has never made any sense: the stunt was immediately and obviously harmful to them, their business, and everyone ever seen to have had business dealings with them, and yet ego kept this genius prank going for, what, a full week?? To fold their arms and smirk at the carnage happening all around them, confident in their infallibility, was astonishing.

Clearly not one of them has a milligram of common sense, or, are able to stand up and challenge this man-baby as he works out his daddy issues on YouTube.
 
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Apology video was just uploaded.




Effects it would have on the watch market…….😒 Umm buddy you didn’t effect the watch market.

I want to go back to being the real me…… Umm your always the real me buddy 😉

I want to get back to the love of watches and not the fame and money….
Two minutes later 😗
Going to spend more time building the business…..


Going to take a week off social media to do some strategising and some thinking and reconnecting….. Umm going to be hard buying watches off or selling watches to anyone for a touch more than a week I would say buddy.
🍿
 
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I'm not getting this whole thing and there's something I'm missing obviously.

I didn't watch any of this youtuber's content but I've seen plenty of the "where's he gone? what's happened?" posts on other watch channels. Has he defrauded customers/clients? Stolen some watches? Ripped people off? Judging from this "apology video" it would seem not. So I'm guessing that his business was driven more by social media than by established reputation?

Nope, this whole thing is going right past me and look, I'm not even flinching.
 
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Allegedly he had some watches on consignment.
Unclear if he still has them, has sold them and forwarded payment to the owners, or returned them unsold.

IF he still has them, can't/won't sell, and won't return them- fraud or theft is still very possible.
Apology videos are irrelevant.
 
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I can’t keep up with any of this but the apology video made me think of an old quote

Sincerity - if you can fake that, you've got it made.
 
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Allegedly he had some watches on consignment.
Unclear if he still has them, has sold them and forwarded payment to the owners, or returned them unsold.

IF he still has them, can't/won't sell, and won't return them- fraud or theft is still very possible.
Apology videos are irrelevant.

And even if there isn’t any outright fraud or theft, if I had consigned a watch with these guys, I would be pretty upset with this shit show because now the chances of a quick sale at a good price for me have flown out the window due to these clowns.

Now I would have to get the watch back, find another outfit to consign it with, or do the sale myself, so a whole lot of extra hassle because these guys decided to pull some bullshit stunt...
 
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I've been pondering something after some of their comments when they removed videos - they were saying that people were deliberately trying to sabotage their business. I do wonder if the negativity generated by all this, and the fact that people bid the charity watch up to a crazy number )with no obvious intent to buy it at that price) is in a way giving them an "out" to say that it wasn't the poor business practices that made them go under, but the acts of the "haters" who gave them bad comments and have said sabotage of their business...
The auction website was demonstrated to be sham in itself (either that or a hurriedly constructed webpage with improper function) and bids could be left without any details left. Make of that what you will - the page is down. I expect what happened is that disgruntled followers were mocking that.
I suppose you are right that the most loyal fans will use all the usual methods to preserve their heroes - shouting victim is a potent one. But how many diehards will remain after this wreck?
 
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@all

Sorry if this seems a bit harsh but at this point if you don't have a watch consigned with them or you are buying a watch from them
"Who FFFFFing Cares"

Marc
 
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@all

Sorry if this seems a bit harsh but at this point if you don't have a watch consigned with them or you are buying a watch from them
"Who FFFFFing Cares"

Marc

Lots of people do apparently. I do think this has potential implications beyond these yahoos...