Interview with Adrian from Bark & Jack

This week I had the immense pleasure of chatting to Adrian from Bark & Jack. Adrian is someone I’ve really enjoyed following over the last year. He’s an honest and relatable kind of guy, which really comes out in the content he produces. It’s laid back but informative. He talks about high end brands, but is in no way pretentious.

Over the last year he has collaborated with the likes of Red Bar, Oris, Mont Blanc, Casio & more, which makes subscribing to his channel a real joy. Interestingly this is something no one else really does, so it’s been insightful to hear from the brands directly.

I put together some questions which Adrian has graciously responded to.

If you could sit in on a Rolex design workshop, what are some of the suggestions you’d put forward and want to see implemented?

I can imagine changing anything at Rolex is a real pain, however If I could have input on new releases for Rolex I would put a lot of the watches on a diet and try to bring back a range of true tool watches. I’d make the following changes:

– Explorer: launch a new 36mm version, but keep the 39mm for those who like it.
– Explorer II: reduce to 40mm and remove the 42mm version.
– Submariner: reduce the height of case and size of lugs.

It would also be cool to see a model that is a complete mix of the best parts from the Submariner over the past few models:

– 16610 case
– Matte maxi dial from 1680
– 116610 bracelet
– 3135 Movement
– Aluminium bezel insert

You spoke rather fondly of your AD experience when purchasing the BLNR. My brother and I (let’s be honest – I tagged along) recently went into our local AD and went on the waiting list for an Explorer 39 and Pepsi GMT – they were super friendly. This is quite contrary to what I’ve read and heard others say. Are there really ADs out there who will laugh at you if you don’t spend big coin? Is this a myth / over exaggerated?

Really glad you guys had a great experience as well. It’s really difficult to comment on people’s bad customer experience. It takes two sides to create a good customer experience; a good assistant and a good customer. I can absolutely imagine some Rolex customers walking into ADs feeling they are god’s gift, and because of their wealth, feeling they are entitled to have this and that. It would also be understandable if the assistant puts Billy big balls in his place.

I also do believe that some people work in ADs simply for the commission and not because they are interested in watches. I’m sure these types can give crap service. I don’t believe Rolex ADs give a bad service any more than any other ADs. In fact, I’ve had some incredible service at Rolex ADs and terrible service in lower brands and high street watch shops.

Do you buy into the theory that people will treat you differently if you’re wearing a Rolex? Personally, my experience with watches in general is that most people don’t actually care or notice that you’re wearing a watch. But maybe that’s cause I’m not wearing a Rolex lol? There are guys at work with Rolexes. I don’t look at them differently… i just really want their watch!

I agree with you, people generally don’t care about your watch. Also, the majority of people assume a Rolex is fake. At work, people notice my Kermit because the green is unusual, but apart from that no one really cares. People tend to make judgement if you tell them your watch is a Rolex. The problem is that non-watch people just assume rich people own Rolexes and it’s hard to explain that you’re not rich but you’re a watch enthusiast. Either way, you can come across a bit of a d!ck

Who would you put in the holy trinity?

I would keep Patek and AP in the trinity as they make watches I really aspire to own, but I’d swap VC for Lange. There isn’t a VC that I’d chose over a Lange.

The Fujifilm x100f (i think that’s the one you got?) – it’s been a few month now. How’s it holding up? Would you recommend it to someone wanting to start out on Youtube?

I’m a massive Fujifilm fanboy – of course they make great looking cameras but their X trans sensor is incredible and their lenses really are stunning. That being said, the X100F is rather useless for watch photography, as the minimum focus distance is only good if the lens is stopped down to f4 or over. It doesn’t have a flip screen, so pocket shots are hard. It’s also utterly useless for youtube as the video quality is terrible. It is a super street / travel photography camera. My main watch camera is my Panasonic G80. The micro four thirds sensor is great for watch photography and the G80 (G85 in the US) is a great workhorse when it comes to video.

Loved your review of the Railmaster. What’s your favourite all time Omega? I know you didn’t love your time with the Reduced… did this put a dampener on your quest for a Speedy?

My favourite Omega of all time would have to be a vintage one, the Omega Ranchero from the 1960s – that thing is a super hot watch. Favourite modern day Omega would have to be the First Omega In Space version of the Speedmaster; the hands and case size/design are all awesome. I wouldn’t buy it though because it’s not a true Speedmaster, if you’re going to get a Speedie, it has to be a Pro.

Haute Horology. Is it worth the money when you can get a killer Rolex / Tudor / Omega for under 5,000 pounds? I mean the AP Royal Oak is something I hope to own one day but probably won’t… Does value exist at Haut Horology prices?

It’s all down to you and what’s important to you. What attracts you to a watch and what will bring you the most enjoyment. I could buy a decent Patek Calatrava for the value of my watch collection, but I know I get more enjoyment from my few watches than I would from one high end piece. When it comes to something like watch collecting, there’s one very powerful factor at play, and that’s money. I think people should aspire to own great things, but live within their means.

I don’t think I know enough about watch making to appreciate the movements that are in typical haut horology pieces, for example I think there are some gorgeous Patek Calatravas, but you can get equally gorgeous, and similarly looking, JLCs pieces for a fraction of the cost. So I think at the moment I’m not ready for super high end watches; the detail is wasted on me, plus I don’t have the cash.

Thanks again to Adrian for being a legend and having a chat! I’ve linked some of my favourite episodes below. These make me laugh and honestly I love to make a Nespresso, sit back and watch: