The Real Time Show — "Has 'Taste' Abandoned Watchmaking? Are More Gatekeepers The Answer — Audicle Analysis"

Hosts: Rob Nudds & Alon Ben Joseph
Guest Contributor: David (author of the analyzed article)
Date: February 22, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives into a provocative essay arguing that "taste" has largely departed from watchmaking, leaving the industry (and its consumers) in a shallow arms race of flexing and hype. Inspired by a piece from fashion writer Eugene Rabkin titled The Case for Gatekeeping, guest contributor David proposes a surprising remedy: a return to cultural (not financial) gatekeeping in watches, restoring standards for taste and meaning. The hosts dissect, challenge, and expand on David's thesis, exploring the nature of taste, the impact of democratization and social media, and the nuances of leadership and imitation in watch collecting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Problem: Taste, Access, and the State of Watchmaking

[00:05 – 08:25]

• Watches as Capitalist Trophies:
  David sets the stage by observing how watches have long been marketed as rewards for personal achievement, but now the industry is raising prices to chase newly affluent buyers, leaving core enthusiasts behind.

  • "Why care about the person who is scraping and saving to buy a watch in a few years' time when you can jack up prices immediately and still get crypto bros to line up?" (A, 01:27)

• Democratization Has a Dark Side:
  The spread of information (blogs, social, forums) led to a historic boom in interest and sales, but also, paradoxically, eroded the fun and exclusivity of the hobby.

  • "Put simply, watches are becoming less enjoyable and more inaccessible precisely because the information about them has become too accessible." (A, 02:00)

• Rabkin’s Argument for Gatekeeping, Summarized:

  • Cultural gatekeeping historically preserved meaning and required effort to access subcultures.
  • Mass adoption (social media-driven) has flattened experiences into “commodified spectacles.”
  • Democratization has slid into entitlement and meaninglessness.
  • Modern gatekeeping is only financial, not cultural or based on knowledge/effort.

• The Royal Oak as Example/Avatar:
  David singles out the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak as the archetypal “flex” piece, now bought out of consensus (and for clout), not discernment—losing its meaning as a result.

2. The Solution: Bringing Back Meaningful Gatekeeping

[05:58 – 12:24]

• Not Financial, But Social Gatekeeping:
  Instead of access through money, Rabkin/David propose that real “gatekeeping” should be based on understanding, respect, and curiosity.

  • "Gatekeeping is already happening via money ... rather than wealth, it should be values, curiosity and respect." (A, 05:58)

• Social Friction:
  The idea that subcultures and art need a degree of exclusivity—i.e., not everyone should be applauded for accumulating the mainstream luxury icons.

  • "If we started casting just a hint of disapproval at people proudly showing off their 10 or 20 watch Rolex collections…?" (A, 06:44)

3. Reflexes, Flexing, and the Loss of Taste

[07:58 – 12:24]

• Flexing, Approval, and Insecurity:
  The repetitive posting and boasting over iconic, expensive watches (like the Royal Oak or Daytona) is framed as both symptom and cause of insecurity and taste collapse.

  • "It is absolutely wild to me ... that the people who can afford to nonchalantly buy a Royal Oak need people's approval. But ... the more I'm convinced many of them have skin like wet tissue paper." (C/A, 07:58)

• Difference Between Taste, Style, and Following:

  • Tastemakers are those with a genuine, earned perspective, not simply those with money or a collection of icons.
  • "To be a tastemaker is to be admired as a leader and someone with a point of view." (A, 08:53)

• The Modern Dilemma:

  • “Taste” now often just means being able to buy what’s hot. Real discernment is lost.
  • "Not all consumption implies taste, and if I'm picking on the Royal Oak...that is not a tasteful watch ... it's an icon of design, but it's not tasteful." (A, 09:57)

4. Hosts Dive In: Is It About Pricing, Exclusion, or True Knowledge?

[12:24 – 19:24]

• Misconceptions About Gatekeeping:
  Rob initially interprets “gatekeeping” as excluding the less wealthy, but on closer read thinks it’s about time spent—the “currency” being effort and knowledge, not income.

  • "Time is the currency that's of importance here, and that draws a line...there are collectors on all levels that probably shouldn't be there because they may be buying watches for the wrong reason." (B, 15:27)

• On “Taste” vs. Informed Decision-Making:
  Hosts argue taste is too loaded/subjective; the real theme is informed choice in the face of peer-group trends and hype cycles.

  • "Maybe a better definition ... is informed decision-making rather than taste, because taste is very subjective." (B, 19:24)

• Practical Gatekeeping—How?
  Rob asks, how can the industry encourage actual learning, not just content consumption or flexing?

  • "How do we inform people better, to stand out above the noise of social media?" (B, 20:49)

5. Who Gets to Gatekeep? The Role of Media & Industry Voices

[24:44 – 30:43]

• Who are the Gatekeepers?
  Is it media? Influencers? Experienced collectors? Do industry professionals have a greater responsibility?

  • "Who do we decide that are the gatekeepers? ... David, who do you think in the watch industry and/or luxury industry are good gatekeepers for you personally?" (D, 24:45)

• Knowledge, Authenticity, and Courage:
  David: Anyone willing to genuinely learn (and speak against the crowd) can be a tastemaker.

  • "The tastemaker could be anyone ... it just comes from being willing to look into things, and having ... courage to go against the grain." (C, 27:43)

• Role of Expertise and Experience:

  • "There's got to be knowledge and there's got to be experience. It's no good having one person; obviously you need a whole church of gatekeepers." (B, 28:54)

6. Wealth, Taste, and the Social Dynamics of Watch Buying

[30:43 – 36:48]

• Can the Rich Have Taste? Or is Wealth = Tastelessness?

  • Rob pushes back: Money and taste aren’t mutually exclusive, but social media visibility warps public perceptions.
  • "You can't say because they have money, they don't have taste ... Those two things aren't a corollary." (B, 31:08)

• Style Versus Taste:

  • "Style" is individual and more interesting than "taste," which is heavily policed and loaded.
  • "I don't even want to use the word taste ... It's about style. Somebody has his or hers own style and ... the more it deviates from the average, will link it to good or bad." (D, 34:28)

7. Social Media’s Flattening Effect & the Call for Individual Courage

[36:48 – 41:36]

• Social Media as Equalizer and Eraser:

  • "We are at a time when 6 billion people could want 6 billion different things ... but ... everyone has just converged onto the same maybe 10 ..." (C, 38:30)

• Mass Approval & Imitation:

  • Why do even the ultra-wealthy chase social clout? Is anyone really setting the trends, or are we just copying?
  • The “dancing in a park” metaphor—someone needs to have courage to go first, but it’s the second person who cements a trend.
  • "To get people dancing ... you’ve got to have someone start ... but then the second person that's the most key..." (C, 41:36)

8. Uniqueness vs. Context: The Allure and Limits of Custom Pieces

[41:36 – 51:02]

• Unique Pieces: Status or Alienation?

  • Some want one-of-ones, but hosts/guest agree total uniqueness can become meaningless: “if everything is one-of-one, is anything special?”
  • The hosts ponder: Are modern ultra-wealthy buyers less interested in true originality and experience, favoring icons instead?

• There Exists an ‘Invisible’ Class of Discreet, True Collectors:

  • "A gigantic stealth world society that you don’t see on Instagram ... they do have their own taste, we just don’t see it." (D, 51:02)

9. Historical Parallels, Tastemaker Archetypes, and Industry Examples

[53:43 – 55:03]

• Historical Tastemakers/Liaisons:
  • In earlier times, “bear leaders” (taste guides) and dandies defined style for European elites.
  • Modern analogues: Nick Foulkes and Waco (with hosts nominating their own contemporary tastemakers).

10. Final Reflections: Motivations & Solutions

[55:03 – 60:16]

• David’s Motivation:

  • The article was prompted by a visit to overcrowded, over-marketed Chamonix—a parallel to the overrun world of watches. He wanted to articulate frustration with the flattening of culture/meaning.
  • "Rather than just rant to my wife about watch industry pricing, I want a larger forum to say what I think." (C, 57:18)

• Can Behavior Really Change?

  • David is realistic: not hoping for revolution, but urging listeners/readers to “look beyond what's just being presented” and do their own research.
  • "Don't be lazy ... don't just go to a Facebook group and say, what should I buy?... Take risks." (C, 57:36)

• Media Responsibility:

  • The hosts grapple with the outsized influence of paid, shallow media and call for elevating academic, rigorous voices (like Europa Star, Peter Braun, Gisbert Brunner) to help cultivate actual taste and knowledge.

  • "Do we need more industry professionals in media, or would that ... result in even heavier bias?... How can we trust the information on these major, major players unless we know they're being totally transparent with us?" (B, 58:41)

Notable Quotes & Moments

"Put simply, watches are becoming less enjoyable and more inaccessible precisely because the information about them has become too accessible."
— David (A), [02:00]

"Mass culture flattens meaning ... What once required effort and passion is now a passive, commodified spectacle."
— David (A), [03:15], paraphrasing Eugene Rabkin

"To be a tastemaker is to be admired as a leader and someone with a point of view ... it's why a Swatch worn by a rock star looks 50 times cooler than a Royal Oak worn by some NPC banker in a sleeveless vest."
— David (A), [08:53]

"Time is the currency that's of importance here..."
— Rob (B), [15:27]

"The tastemaker could be anyone ... it comes from willingness to look into things and having a certain level of courage to go against the grain.”
— David (C), [27:43]

"If everything's unique, it's ubiquitous."
— Rob (B), [47:03]

"There is a gigantic stealth world society that you don’t see on Instagram or socials ... they do have their own taste, we just don’t see it."
— Alon (D), [51:02]

Key Timestamps

• 00:05: David sets up the crisis of taste and value in watchmaking
• 03:00: Examining Rabkin’s arguments about mass culture and flattening
• 07:58: The culture of flexing and approval-seeking among luxury buyers
• 12:24: Hosts jump in with reactions and initial misreadings
• 19:24: The hosts reframe “taste” as informed decision-making
• 24:45: Who gets to gatekeep and how?
• 27:43: Tastemaking as courage and research, not just money
• 36:48: Social media and the homogenization of desire
• 41:36: The dance metaphor: who leads, who follows in watch trends
• 51:02: The hidden society of collectors uninterested in visibility
• 53:43: Historical and modern tastemakers (Nick Foulkes, Waco, Worn & Wound)
• 55:26: David’s motivation for writing the article and cultural parallels
• 57:36: (Advice) "Don't be lazy"—a call for individual effort in taste formation
• 59:25: A plea for media transparency and amplified academic voices

Conclusion & Takeaways

• "Taste" in watches has been overwhelmed by the democratization of information and the pursuit of mass approval, resulting in a crash of individual discernment and originality.
• Rather than more financial gates, the answer is deeper, more intentional social and knowledge-based gatekeeping: celebrating individuality, expertise, and courage to diverge from the obvious choices.
• Media and industry have a responsibility to foster critical thinking and to champion diverse voices and "deep" knowledge, rather than simply amplifying what’s hot or who pays the most.
• For listeners: look beyond the mainstream, don't be lazy in research, and reflect on your own motivations for collecting.
• For the industry: more transparency, more responsibility as curators and educators.

Final Memorable Moment:

"If the search for approval from strangers on the Internet can drive prices through the roof, maybe, just maybe, they can help bring a little sanity and a lot more taste back to the watch world."
— David (A), [11:45]