Rolex, Omega, Zenith – these luxury watch YouTubers are rewriting the rules of how to sell high-end timepieces

YouTubers reviewing and talking about luxury timepieces are changing the landscape of luxury watch marketing – some of their videos can number millions in views

While Rolex remains aloof to the power of video influencers, other luxury watchmakers are taking notice and sending timepieces to popular watch vloggers for review

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YouTubers like Adrian Barker (pictured) are making six- to eight-figures for videos where they review and talk about luxury timepieces – and watchmakers are beginning to take note. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 4:15am, 19 May 2022

In the white-gloved world of Swiss luxury watchmaking, a floppy haired Briton armed with a camera, lighting kit and best-mate charm is rewriting the rules of how to peddle Rolex and Omega timepieces.

A former corporate trainer, Adrian Barker has muscled his home-grown YouTube channel into a luxury wristwatch taste-making empire in the space of a few years.

A Barker video entitled “I bought a Rolex Submariner off eBay!” has more than 700,000 views. Another, asking “Why is Hublot the most hated luxury watch brand?” has been seen more than a million times in just eight months.

Like fans of other high-end kits favoured by men of a certain age – think espresso machines, racing bikes or bespoke tailoring – watch aficionados can come off as fussy and stilted.

Barker, by contrast, appears equally at ease discussing his first timepieces – “absolutely foul” – as he does fawning over his current Rolex Explorer II, which retails for about US$9,000. It’s all delivered in a rapid-clip narration that’s both disarming and dissecting.

A Vacheron Constantin watch featured on Bark & Jack. Photo: Instagram

The platform earns the 36 year-old what he calls “a healthy salary” in the six figures, though Barker makes a point about watches being not just for people with silly cash to throw around.