Ariel Adams Has No Shame

“The world does not need or want as many luxury timepieces as the industry was [producing] and continues to produce.” The founder of aBlogtoWatch doesn’t mention The Watch That Shall Not Be Named pulling the rug from under the traditional market, but he’s not wrong. “Brands new and historic will need to either shrink or go away,” Ariel Adams pronounces. Correct! Meanwhile, Mr. Adams is busy hitting them up for ad bucks, watches and junkets . . .

Before Ariel Adams makes his play for WatchPro.com  readers’ sweet, sweet marketing money, he offers a piercing glimpse into the obvious: the soon-to-be-defunct Baselworld  gabfest was an enormous waste of money.

Baselworld and other watch trade shows are one of the current battlegrounds [for the shrinking market]– and the brands who exhibit there continue to ask the question “am I getting my money’s worth?”

In better times the question was easier, since the value of Baselworld visibility and prestige was real. As the world and the watch industry tightens its belt, collectively managers are re-evaluating many of their traditional expenses – Baselworld being a not insignificant one.

Indeed, if attending the Baselworld trade show was not as formidable a financial investment, much of this hoopla over the cancellation of the show would likely have been avoided.

True story! Baselworld evolved from a friendly little trade fair to the watch industry’s champagne-soaked enactment of Robin William’s pronouncement “cocaine is God’s way of telling you you’re making too much money.”

Mr. Adams proceeds to point out that Internet marketing costs a fraction of the old back-slapping, glad-handing sales techniques (which now spread disease and death). And then he turns on the red light:

I appreciate the incredible value of industry people coming together as it is one of the only venues to actually conduct business in our increasingly remote world.

With that said, the aBlogtoWatch team reminds me that the millions and millions of dollars freed up from exhibiting at the show will go to more effective places such as media investment and advertising – that should benefit my business sooner than later.

Already, as a digital publication that routinely experiences over 750,000 unique page views a month, aBlogtoWatch is probably the most logical place for watch brands to go when needing to share news of their new products to the world’s seasoned watch collectors and buyers.

Mr. Adams’ team reminds him that he should hoover-up watch industry cash freed-up by Baselworld’s death? aBlogtoWatch is “probably” the best place for the brands to spend their money? Just in case watch brands don’t know false modesty when they see it, Mr. Adams should remind them that he never met a watch he didn’t like.

Don’t get me wrong: Mr. Adams knows his horological onions. But he doesn’t know much about boundaries. As Baselworld should have learned a long time ago, a little bit of humility goes a long way.