With our first full year in the books, I wanted to pause and reflect on the most popular content produced as judged by view count, in 2024. This year was a huge learning experience, and I hope to continue to dial in the content produced in these pages with a greater level of focus, not only on what the community is looking for, but on what I personally find compelling. With more of my own writing appearing on Teddy Baldassarre, where I serve as something of an Editor at Large, as well as Robb Report, where I am sent on assignment from time to time, I want to bring you more of my own, unfiltered thoughts and views alongside the weekly podcast production.
This may mean a return to the video format, however if it does, they will be more focused and likely further apart. Instead of bringing you news of every new release under the sun, news which can readily be had elsewhere, I’d prefer to bring you a curated view of my experience of this space. With that, these are the five most popular stories of 2024.
5. Fortis Official Cosmonauts Chronograph
This was a surprise hit of the year for me. A watch that’s long been out of production, from a brand scarcely known on a broader scale, I was thrilled to see this post connect with a wide audience. This watch remains an absolute joy, and I’ve even used it as a prime example of what many watches produced today are missing in terms of sheer character. Fortis is in a very different place these days, but they are indeed keeping the space connection alive and well, and for that I salute them.
4. Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 Retrospective
This watch has turned into a real sleeper hit for me this year, and is even one of my most worn since receiving. In this retrospective, I wanted to capture the charm of this somewhat overlooked reference, and why I think it makes a more compelling case than a Submariner of the same vintage. There’s something genuine about the Sea-Dweller, and this era is likely the most approachable today, finding a nice sweet spot that captures the best of the Rolex 5 digit production span.
3. Zenith Rainbow Flyback Retrospective
Like the Fortis above, this watch represents the absolute best of the mid to late ‘90s when it comes to sport watches. This watch boasts one of the most famous chronograph movements ever produced within a wholly original design. There’s also a great story around its origins that is worth understanding. Trust me when I say that this watch must be seen and worn to be fully appreciated, the case and dial are absolutely on-point. This is the kind of watch that should be challenging more of the new releases of today in terms of ergonomics and creativity.
2. Rolex Daytona 126500 Review
This is an in-depth review of the newest generation of one of the most popular watches on the planet, so no big surprises here in seeing it being one of the most popular stories of the year. I followed this up with some additional thoughts after having owned the watch for about a year over at Teddy Baldassarre right here. Spoiler alert, it’s still pretty good. As the secondary market cools down, and the hype culture that once surrounded this space moves along to the next big thing, watches like this are a bit easier to wear casually for folks like me, and it’s that I hope sees more wrist time in 2025.
1. Tudor Black Bay 41 Monochrome Review
This new release from Tudor ended up being the most popular post of the year. It’s a black dial diver with no date, that ditches the tan lume and gilt dial altogether, making it squarely up my alley. In hindsight, this is one of my favorite releases of the year for its simplicity, and for the culmination of improvements made by Tudor on the original Black Bay formula. The result is a watch that pulls one over on the Submariner, providing exactly the kind of vibes I look for in the all-time great diver.
That wraps up the first year for The Deep Track. Thank you for taking the time visit, and please don’t hesitate to reach out in the comments or on the contact page with suggestions or thoughts on what you’d like to see moving ahead.
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