242: An $80,000 G-Shock, A Northflag Design Debate, And The Lost Navy SEAL Tudors

This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Ariel Adams returns alongside David and Ripley for a packed episode covering military watch history, controversial design decisions, and one of the most expensive G-Shocks ever made. Ariel shares stories from his recent visit to the Navy SEAL Museum in San Diego, including the history of Tudor Submariners issued to Navy SEALs during the Vietnam War and the mysterious disappearance of watches that were reportedly destroyed after being returned to military storage. The conversation then turns to Tudor's new Northflag GMT, where the crew debates its design, proportions, and place within the brand's lineup. David takes particular issue with the dial's mismatched details, while Ripley questions whether the new GMT has lost what made the original model special.The discussion continues with Casio's extraordinary $80,000 sapphire-cased G-Shock, prompting questions about luxury pricing, durability, and whether anyone outside the watch community would believe a G-Shock could cost that much. The crew compares Casio's latest creation with high-end sapphire watches from Hublot and considers the appeal of ultra-expensive versions of otherwise affordable designs. Ariel also raises concerns about algorithm-driven watch recommendations, arguing that human curation remains essential for discovering new brands and expanding one's interests as a collector. Along the way, the trio finds time to debate a Lufthansa-exclusive Sinn, poke fun at the idea of luxury tool watches, and question where the watch industry is headed.To check out the ABTW Shop, where you can see our products inspired by our love of Horology:- Shop ABTW - https://store.ablogtowatch.com/To keep updated with everything Superlative, aBlogtoWatch Weekly, and aBlogtoWatch, check us out on:- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ablogtowatch/- Website - https://www.ablogtowatch.com/- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aBlogtoWatch If you enjoy the show please Subscribe, Rate, and Review!Key Chapters:00:00:00 - Introduction and Ariel's return00:02:38 - Lufthansa's limited-edition Sinn watch00:04:28 - The history of Navy SEAL Tudor Submariners00:06:24 - The mystery of the missing Navy SEAL watches00:14:17 - Rolex connections and military watch history00:18:45 - Tudor's new Northflag GMT sparks a design debate00:23:47 - What the original North Flag got right00:27:03 - Northflag dial details and design criticism00:31:47 - Casio's $80,000 sapphire G-Shock00:35:41 - More luxury G-Shocks and sapphire alternatives00:39:13 - Is an $80,000 G-Shock worth it?00:43:56 - Human watch curation versus algorithms00:49:21 - The dangers of algorithm-driven watch recommendations00:53:44 - Wind Vintage and the sold-out Dreamsicle watch00:55:35 - The usefulness of flyback chronographs00:57:21 - Brellum chronographs and affordable Swiss watchmaking01:00:20 - Watch thickness and movement design01:03:52 - Closing remarks