The podcast industry is booming, and with Spotify’s recent acquisitions of Anchor and Gimlet (for a reported combined total of $340 million), it’s only going to continue growing for the foreseeable future. Watches are inherently visual: It’s hard to adequately describe dials, movements and details with words — much as some may like to wax poetically about hand-engraved balance cocks. But, there are stories behind the watches that are often fitting for an auditory medium like podcasting. Here are some of the best podcasts about watches out there right now, and a few #menswear podcasts for when listening to guys recite Patek reference numbers becomes too much (support the homies).

Two Broke Watch Snobs

These guys have been podcasting for about two years now, and they fill a real void in the watch blogging world. Here’s how the hosts, Michael and Kaz, describe the format of the show: “ a natural, organic, and honest conversation about horology that could best be described as ‘horology bar talk’ complete with inappropriate jokes, personal neuroses, as well as a candid and often cutting perspective into the nature of authentic watch collecting.”

Horology bar talk. I think that’s something we can all get on board with. The guys focus largely on the affordables category, or whatever else is on their minds when they’re recording. It truly is like your local RedBar meetup, but these two are probably a little bit funnier and more knowledgeable than your RedBar friends.

The Grey Nato

The podcast of James Stacey and Jason Heaton was recently brought under the Hodinkee umbrella. Production quality has gone up since, even if (imho) the episodes are sometimes more awkward now. The watch content is always great on this pod, but the guys are two adventurers who often get lost talking about cameras, scuba gear and other stuff I’m more tangentially into. Or perhaps I’m just jealous of the globetrotting lives the two guys seem to lead (and that lovely green jacket Stacey is always wearing). That said, TGN has been at it awhile, and their casual format, seamlessly wandering from watches to swimming with turtles, to other exotic adventures I can only dream of, has been copied (deliberately or not) by many of the watches podcasts on this list. Well done to these pioneers.

BLAMO! Podcast

Admittedly, it’s not strictly speaking a “watches podcast”, but Blamo! Podcast sometimes has watch experts on the pod. Host Jeremy Kirkland is a fashion industry vet, and every week he interviews a big name in the wide world of men’s fashion. He’s a lovably enthusiastic host, always effusing praises for his guests while giving them enough room to tell their stories. Kirkland is at least something of a watch guy, and he frequently has watch experts on his pod. His recent episode with Eric Wind of Wind Vintage was a true clinic in vintage watches, and Wei Koh similarly had great stories to tell.

So yes, it’s not a true watch podcast, but a watch is part of an entire outfit. And if you listen to Blamo! for even a couple episodes, you’ll pick up a few fashion tips from Kirkland and his guests.

Hodinkee Radio

Of course, the self-described “‘‘dink” is on the list. Much as some of their episodes are totally pretentious and met with much eye-rolling and scoffing on my end, but they have also put out some good ones. Alton Brown is always a treat, and Daring Fireball’s John Gruber provided insight on the Apple Watch from a watch lover’s perspective, while Jason Fried is something of a workplace yoda for me. They also conduct a lot of interviews with the movers and shakers of the watch world — but with Hodinkee often running ads for some of the brand CEOs they’re interviewing, these interviews are rarely insightful or hard hitting, and the podcast sometimes devolves into a thinly veiled infomercial for the brand. Like how can you have Audemars Piguet’s CEO on to talk about the new Code 11.59 series and not be like “hey yo Francois a lot of people hate these watches: what do you say to the haters?”

40 and 20

40 and 20 is a relative newcomer to the podcasting world, having released their first episode towards the end of 2018. It’s hosted by two dudes from Oregon who crack beers and talk about a bunch of random stuff (or, mainly hot sauce, wings and EDC) before diving into their watch-related topic for the week. Like Two Broke Watch Snobs, they’re most at home when discussion affordables — for example, I left their recent episode “$200 Watches” with a list of watches to check out. They’re less comfortable when they move up market. But hey, brands like Omega and others are more than adequately covered by other publishers, so no need to reinvent the wheel there. Here’s to hoping there’s more to come from the 40 and 20 guys.

By the way, the name refers to their ideal watch dimensions: 40mm diameter, 20mm lug width (a less misogynistic version of Nelly’s 35-25-34).

Worn & Wound Podcast

Worn & Wound the blog serves a much-needed place in the wider watch blogging community. Its focus on affordable watches and microbrands offers a platform for upstart brands to gain publicity and consumers. It’s now-annual Wind Up Watch Fair in New York City has become a gathering place for these brands and their fans to meet each other and see some watches in the metal.

Worn & Wound Podcast has been going strong for a couple years now, and the content is typically strong, with some weak episodes in the bunch. Their best episodes feature interviews with the leaders of microbrands or other watch collectors, while some of the less-interesting episodes seem more like filler conversations between the regular hosts. That said, Worn & Wound serves an important role in the watch blogging ecosystem, and I’ll continue listening for that alone.

Watch and Listen Podcast

The Watch and Listen Podcast is hosted by seasoned podcast host/content creator Matt Farah and Cameron Weiss of Weiss Watch Company. Weiss is a true watchmaker, crafting the movements for his eponymous brand right in Los Angeles. He consistently brings this knowledge to the podcast and is a joy to listen to because of it. I’ll often end up watching the video-cast they post on YouTube, with the video they simulcast adding a little bit to the experience. Farah hosts other car- and watch-related podcasts as well, and has the personality you’d expect from a seasoned podcast host — loud, opinionated, and occasionally entertaining. Besides Weiss dropping some watch knowledge and Farah cracking some jokes, the podcast also regularly features some pretty good interviews: chef Tyler Florence and Panerai CEO Jean-Marc Pontrue being particular highlights.

More #Menswear, Please

Like Blamo!, there are a couple other non-watch podcasts worth mentioning for those interested in #menswear more broadly. I’ll admit, I listen to these podcasts more than some of the watch podcasts above. Support the Homies, the first is Failing Upwards, the fashion podcast/Jonah Hill fan club that’s probably the most fun listen in fashion. The other is GQ Style’s Corporate Lunch. When my watch podcasts are a drag or go to far down the rabbit hole of reciting reference numbers just to get off, I turn to these pods to see what else is happening in men’s fashion. Both put out episodes about once a week. (p.s. peep Jonah Hill’s gold Nautilus here)

Happy listening, watch enthusiasts! And if these aren’t enough, listen to Dave Ramsey answer the question “Should Mimi Buy Her Husband a Rolex?” fwiw, Dave gives some advice that will ring familiar to watch enthusiasts: buy what you like, not what you think others will like.