We watch folk in the enthusiast bubble often lose sight of the larger view of the watch industry. Longines is a great example - the watches marketed to us lately have been killers so we imagine the brand is doing well - but in truth they are losing marketshare rapidly.

Tudor is similar - by the airtime they get in watch media you assume they are huge, maybe top 5, certainly top 10 brands in the world. Nope, while they had a great run they've ground to a halt and now are locked in 15th.

I doubt this division would be considered profound ever - I rarely aim for more than 'helpful'.

Im unsure if VC is an isolationist - the introduction of the 56 collection a few years (and which is now wait listed) openned the brand up to huge numbers of new buyers. But otoh since then perhaps they've been consolidating.

JLC is the worst kind of isolationist - just barely playing to their base and like Breguet tumbling out of commercial relevance. The Polaris simply hasnt worked (yet - perhaps it might take)

For IWC I'd throw in their massive move into ceramics (waitlisted and trading at or above retail), the not so big (43mm) big pilot and the emphasis on the top gun, now the configure your own portofino (I think) and the recent genta re-issue. Definately looking to bring in new buyers (reflected in a massive climb up the MS world cup of watches league table).

Ok Rolex - absolutely agree, what we are seeing now is the outcome of decisions made 3-5 years back. Also agree its not a simple switch - ok, lets expand now! - rather for rolex is more gradual and limited in scope. Hence I think they are a tweener.

Remember 2018/19, pre-pandemic and we were beginning to see articles "has the rolex bubble burst?" "where is rolex heading?" "is rolex to dependent on sports models"? I think thats when Rolex started making the changes we are only seeing now (actually probably started last year):

1. 1908 into development and Cellini for the scrap heap

2. all new (for rolex) material - titanium planned for

3. off catalog watches moving away from just bedazzling and playing with enamels etc

4. increasing use exhibition casebacks - my guess, complications are coming next for the 1908

5. a bit of rationalising - airking cleaned up/milguass gone.

6. oh - and new factories openned up.

Disagree completely. The huge growth of Tudor starting about 6 years ago has been fuelled by the self described Tudor bros on places like youtube and instagram - almost all younger late 20's to early thirties. People getting into watches, dont have really well developed aesthetic tastes so want designs that are proven ok but are well specced, good value and associated with Rolex.

This ad is for them and they are already tudor lovers.

Of my current collection I'd take this - JLC is always the right choice.

If I was able to buy something new today for the trip?

Breitling Aerospace Evo.

To answer your question - why is Breitling seemingly disregarded?

In two words - shocking timing.

The watch hobby changed forever in the years 2008 to 2016. Instagram, youtube, a new brace of sites like Hodinkee ushered in a wholly new type of collector in vast numbers looking at watches through new eyes and forming their opinions afresh.

This coincides with Breitling's nadir. Big macho, blingy watches with sexists ads and poor inventory control and distribution leading to wholesale dumping on the grey market and zero resale. Completely out of sync with their times and little more than a punchline.

Breitling in 2015/16 was dead in the water so was sold and all new management brought in and EVERYTHING has changed.

The Breitling you see in 2023 is a completely different company to the one so many now influential watch media personalities (reporters and just even well-regarded commentators in places like here) remember but they havent moved on, havent got over the sins of the past administration.

Hence a really vibrant, rapidly evolving brand with a long list of killer watches doesnt even rate a mention on a lot of sites.

Because to Seiko there's nothing to fix, all our complaints are irrelevant to them because these watches are in spec so no QC problem.

Ceramic Bezelled watches in 10 years.