Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air. We’re back from the road with your latest dose of watch talk. Today, we’re entertaining a topic from one of our favorite listeners, Roy! No, we’re not talking about Speedos by the pool, but we’re trying to answer whether it’s safe online to discuss our hobby. Enjoy the show!

Is it safe online to discuss watches? Well, we think the answer is challenging, but as we’ll see, it depends. Today, we touch on several points regarding Roy’s topic and even share some of the advice we follow. No, this isn’t another big city safety discussion. This time, it’s about online safety.

Citizen Promaster BN0220 Watch 18

Handgelenkskontrolle

Before answering whether it’s safe online to chat about timepieces, we cover a wide range of topics in our banter session. Regarding TV, we’ve been on a tear. The Hunter Wives, Mobland, Slow Horses, The Wargame, and Lanterns have all graced our big screens recently. Then, we get into a discussion on German watches and whether or not they ultimately leave us cold because of their instrument-like styling. Then, Balazs mentions the 1998 Game 4 NBA Finals Michael Jordan jersey that sold for an astounding $12.3 million! On top of that, his former Ferrari 550 Maranello hammered for a record $2.7 million. That’s crazy! Balazs also shared a recent trip to the Black Forest, where he attended a release event for the latest Hanhart 417 ES Steve McQueen model. For the Handgelenkskontrolle, Mike is wearing his Citizen Promaster BN0220 after some lawn work on the weekend. Meanwhile, Balazs is a hipster with the surprise hit DWC Terra. Look out for a hands-on review soon!

Frontal view of the Off-catalog Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 126502-0001

Is it safe online to post and discuss watches?

Our eternally tan friend Roy sent a lengthy suggestion for a topic. We’ve done our best to boil it down to his concerns. He brought up instant messaging platforms and their security. Perhaps more timely, though, he mentioned the current word that dominates most conversations: “AI.” In other words, with AI truly spreading like wildfire, does this mean our supposedly secure online chats are safe? When we use an AI chat helper, questions like “Who has the best collection in our chat group,” is this information kept secure?  Well, we aren’t tech security folks, but I think that most of us act on the presumption that our chats are protected and held in confidence. Still, makes sense to read further about which controls are in place by platform and decide which is safest.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Diver with black and pink dial on wrist

Regarding social media platforms, including Instagram, it was fun in the beginning to collect followers and likes. However, many of these feel-good indications were either bots or sellers of fake watches. For several years, Mike has held a private account and even blocked many followers. Other tips are to turn off location services, refrain from sharing exact locations unless they’re well-known landmarks, and to think twice about who is actually on the other side of a conversation. We’re not scaremongering, and, thankfully, we’ve never suffered any ill effects from our online ventures, but plenty have. Let us know what steps you take to keep yourself and your watches safe online. We’d love to hear your suggestions!

Thanks for listening to this latest episode, and thanks to Roy for his topic suggestion. In the meantime, feel free to let us know if you have any other ideas for show themes.

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