These are trying times for the watch media as Meta and Google capture an ever-growing share of the advertising market.
If Adam Craniotes is troubled, he isn’t showing it.
He prefers to focus on the positives in life, which this year have included expanding watch community RedBar to more than 20 additional cities and using its platform to help raise $250,000 for food charity World Central Kitchen’s drive to support Ukrainians.
RedBar and watch magazine Revolution, at which Adam is the USA editor-at-large, have different business models, but a shared goal to educate and entertain watch enthusiasts and collectors.
For Adam, that means eschewing the usual sycophancy that watch brands expect, and focusing on what readers and members want.
“The absolute best thing that anyone can give to this industry is themselves, warts and all,” he says.
“Be prepared to make mistakes and be mocked for them, but know that in time you’ll leave your mark on your own terms.”
True collectors are growing disillusioned with artificial scarcity making otherwise affordable watches out of reach to all but the most connected of individuals.
Adam certainly gives himself wholeheartedly to the industry, but he holds as much back as possible for his family.
“All I ever wanted to be was a husband and a father,” he says.
“Sure, I’d love to collect and race supercars and vintage jalopies, indulge in high fashion, and generally be thought of as cool, but, alas, my bank account and physical mien doesn’t allow for such frippery. When I’m not traveling for work or stuck in front of my laptop I’m at my country house in Connecticut blowing up stuff with my son and daughter, or just kicking back with my long-suffering wife and marveling at the fact that such an intelligent, kind, sensitive and strong woman still puts up with me.”
From his vantage point, Adam sees the same supply shortages that retailers describe, but he does think the brands could and should do better.
“True collectors are growing disillusioned with artificial scarcity making otherwise affordable watches out of reach to all but the most connected of individuals, while the secondary market is pretty much the Wild West at this point,” he poses.
“Brands are losing goodwill by the bucket load, and sooner or later they’re going to have to reckon with the folly of their decisions.”
