This month in watch news we have new Patek Philippe, very blingy Audemars Piguet and, more importantly, Andy and Felix go hands on with the Apple Watch Ultra and Google Pixel Watch respectively. What a time to be alive.

This week we talk to Stan Barrett, a stuntman with over 50 years experience, and the fastest man on earth. In 1979 he strapped into the Budweiser rocket car and broke the speed of sound. But mostly our conversation drifted to his friend and colleague Paul Newman. Stan worked as Paul’s stunt double over many movies, becoming fast friends. Obviously we talk to Stan about the Rolex’s Paul gave him over the years too.

Australia is about as far away from the watchmaking centres of the world as it's possible to get. That hasn't stopped Reuben Schoots, hailing from our nations capital, from learning the art, and building his own watch, from scratch.

In this episode, we managed to do what rugby teams worldwide have been failing to do for years — pin down Beauden Barrett. We caught the All Black and Tudor ambassador between matches and chatted about the life and pressures of being one of the best rugby players in the world, in one of the most legendary teams of all time. Naturally, we also talked Tudor, legacy, and how to travel with a watch.

In the middle of our chat with Carson Chan, Chief Advisor to the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, he makes a bold claim — that no other type of object has changed from the category of ‘need’ to ‘want’ as profoundly as the wristwatch. This insight is one of Carson’s many pearls of wisdom. We also speak about his role at the FHH; the state of collecting, the future of the industry and how to improve the GPHG.

Neha Bajpai is a veteran of the watch journalism biz who’s currently looking after Wristcheck’s editorial. Neha shares her experience in watches including learning about the sort of stories that Neha loves to write, and why commerce-based sites are writing (arguably) better watch stories than watch news sites. We also get a crash course on the Indian watch scene.

This week we talk about two extremes in watchmaking. First, Andy and Felix ponder the theory that 2022 might actually be one of the most unexciting years on record when it comes to watch releases. Secondly, Felix speaks to a man who directly contradicts this claim — CEO and Creative Director of Van Cleef & Arpels, Mr Nicolas Bos. Van Cleef & Arpel’s watchmaking is less concerned with the passing of minutes and seconds and more about creating emotion.

Our conversation with veteran vintage watch dealer Jacek starts off strong, as we dive into the finer point of the perfect Hawaiian shirt. From that point on, we get a little more on-topic and find out what it takes to become a vintage watch dealer and, more importantly, what it takes to sustain it for 14 years. Jacek talks about the realities of dealing, as well as imparting some hard-earned watch-collecting wisdom. Plus, he tells us about some of the weirdest areas of Rolex collecting, like fast-food Airkings and the tridor watches — for when three tones are better than two.

One of the late 20th century’s most distinctive watch designs comes from the design-led brand Ikepod, founded by Marc Newson. Today we speak with the current owner and custodian of this cult brand, Christian-Louis Col about Ikepod's history, and significance as a concept watch, as well as how it became of the first ‘it’ watches of the silicon valley set.

Time for a taste of something a little different. No watches this week, only whisky. We speak to Gordon Dundas, a whisky industry veteran who is International Brand Ambassador for Ian Macleod Distillers, responsible for well-known (and well-aged) Glengoyne.

Today’s guest is fellow Melbourne-based watch podcaster Roman, host of Independent Thinking on Fifth Wrist. Roman and Felix talk about the appeal and importance of independent, artisanal watchmaking, especially when compared to the mainstream Swiss offering.

Today we speak to one of the nicest people in watches, the one-and-only Stephen J Pulvirent. The former Hodinkee mainstay talks to us about watches, watch-related regret and the importance of art.

If you’re a fan of vintage Heuer and TAG Heuer’s history, today’s guest has the dream job, the Heritage Director at TAG Heuer. It’s not a role you step into without living, breathing (and most likely dreaming), Carreras, Autavias and … divers.

If you’re in New York and in the market for an Audemars Piguet, this week’s guest is a good guy to know. Yoni Ben-Yehuda is the Head of Watches at Material Good and Audemars Piguet x Material Good, one of America’s premier watch retailers.

This week we speak to Josh Bozin, a freelance luxury and watch writer who’s a key part of the Australian lifestyle journalism landscape, and a regular at GQ, Harper’s Bazaar and more. We chat about Cartier, travel, pirate gold, Barbie and more.

This week we dusted off the (sapphire) crystal ball and gazed into the multiverse of madness, and played out some hypothetical watch scenarios. What if Rolex doubled production in a few years? Could Apple make a mechanical watch? Will sports watches ever go out of style, and what would it take for Andy to buy a Seahawk. Tune in and find out.

We joke about National Treasure a lot on OT: But this week, we get as close as we’re ever likely to get to the real deal with explorer, lawyer and exploration consultant David Concannon. His CV covers off multiple dives to the Titanic, the discovery of the world’s deepest wooden shipwreck and helping Jeff Bezos find Apollo 11’s engines, and that’s just the top line.

Today we speak to Gerry Nelson, one of Melbourne’s best dressed and a master of the knit fit. Naturally, we get some top tips on shawl collars and sweaters, but we also find out why Gerry suddenly got back into watches and why, after years of wear, he decided Rolex wasn’t for him. In a period of a few short months, Gerry has a stacked watch box, full of key pieces that aren’t the usual suspects.

Strap into the cockpit with Andy ‘Flex’ Green and his RIO Felix ‘Meathook’ Scholz as they take it to the limit one more time in this high-intensity, adrenaline-fuelled episode. From debating the correct pronunciation of ‘mach’ and analysing the IWC Pilot’s Watches that made a big-screen appearance, it’s fair to say Top Gun Maverick lives up to the hype. There’s also a new AP collab, curveball chronometry from Zenith and more.

The Hilltop Hoods have more than earned their place as Hip Hop royalty in Australia. The pioneering trio has racked up massive numbers of streams and awards aplenty, as well as supporting up and coming artists. So it was only a matter of time before they teamed up with another legend in the hip hop scene, G-Shock. OT: caught up with Mat and Dan (AKA Suffa and Pressure) to talk about their limited edition collab, what they want in a watch and more.