# The Urban Gentry



## RobMc (Dec 27, 2015)

Anyone know what’s up with the channel? I usually only check watch YouTube channels every so often, and catch up on videos. I went to The Urban Gentry’s channel and noticed he hasn’t uploaded a video in a month. 



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## DiegoCastellanos (May 13, 2016)

RobMc said:


> Anyone know what's up with the channel? I usually only check watch YouTube channels every so often, and catch up on videos. I went to The Urban Gentry's channel and noticed he hasn't uploaded a video in a month.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


He's probably just busy. His Instagram is still very active


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## Vicious49 (Mar 8, 2012)

His next free Squale watch shipment got lost. He will post another video as soon as he receives it.


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## DocScotter (Dec 15, 2016)

AC3's got a video up suggesting that TGV ran into some copyright trouble. Don't know if it's true or not though.


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## RobMc (Dec 27, 2015)

DocScotter said:


> AC3's got a video up suggesting that TGV ran into some copyright trouble. Don't know if it's true or not though.


I don't think he could be too busy....that channel is his business. Copyright issues sounds possible.

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## City74 (Apr 20, 2015)

Hopefully it doesn’t come back....he’s a pretentious idiot


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## RobMc (Dec 27, 2015)

City74 said:


> Hopefully it doesn't come back....he's a pretentious idiot


I like him. It surprises me, because he's the polar opposite of who I am and where I come from, but I enjoy his videos. After I skip the 7 minute intros.

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## Dan T. (May 24, 2018)

He seems like a nice guy, and with good intentions, so I hope he's okay.

I don't agree with him a lot, but that's the thing about tastes and preferences.... there's no right or wrong, so I just move on when he goes nuts on something I wouldn't go nuts over (like the Dan Henry 1964 - you would have thought it was his first ever chrono by the way he splooshed all over it...). The watch 'Tubers can get a lot worse than him though, so again, I hope he is okay and makes a comeback.


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## Jale (Jul 11, 2018)

He’s very respectable and professional. That’s why I like over some others. Huge plus is that he reviews and lists the bang for your buck, affordable watches! He definitely helped me get into watches in a diff way. 


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## craigr812 (Mar 4, 2018)

RobMc said:


> Anyone know what's up with the channel? I usually only check watch YouTube channels every so often, and catch up on videos. I went to The Urban Gentry's channel and noticed he hasn't uploaded a video in a month.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I noticed the same thing recently and just assumed between holidays and everything else, he was collecting new ideas/material. I know there are varying opinions on the channel, and although I have my concerns about certain things surrounding him, I still enjoy watching from time to time and he definitely set me down the watch journey, so for that I thank him.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

He pretends to be from an aristocratic background yet speaks like a thug.


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## haxonwax (Nov 27, 2018)

RobMC it's funny that you started this thread, i was just thinking the same thing myself yesterday. I actually like him too. He does a great job with his videos and spends a lot of time giving the viewers a detailed perspective. Perhaps at times, he's too kind, but still enjoy watching.


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## haxonwax (Nov 27, 2018)

DocScotter said:


> AC3's got a video up suggesting that TGV ran into some copyright trouble. Don't know if it's true or not though.


Who is AC3? Don't think i'm familiar with that dude.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

haxonwax said:


> Who is AC3? Don't think i'm familiar with that dude.


Archieluxury


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## haxonwax (Nov 27, 2018)

papayaseed said:


> Archieluxury


Thanks....I do know that guy. Didn't know he was AC3. Lol.


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## haxonwax (Nov 27, 2018)

Ok....watched most of the Archie Luxury video with nutty opinions on what's happened to Urban Gentry. Not sure if i can believe any of it. Archie's a bit too crazy in my opinion.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

haxonwax said:


> Ok....watched most of the Archie Luxury video with nutty opinions on what's happened to Urban Gentry. Not sure if i can believe any of it. Archie's a bit too crazy in my opinion.


He's an entertainer


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## 6R15 (Mar 3, 2015)

I think the problem with AC3 is that he doesn't have a family crest.


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## City74 (Apr 20, 2015)

papayaseed said:


> He's an entertainer


Make that a complete loudmouth moron


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## zharko (Feb 1, 2011)

Looking at the pattern of his uploads, I.e regular uploads at least once a week, I think it’s likely something’s happened which has barred him uploading. He should just come clean in his FB or IG and stop trying to stage manage his life. Christ, it’s only a hobbyist watch channel not the BBC. 


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## rob_honer (Jun 19, 2007)

When I first watched Archie Luxury I almost crapped my pants it was so funny, but then after watching more of his videos, his schtick got old and tired. As for the Urban Gentry, I watched a few of his videos but never cared much for his videos he seems to try to hard at being some kind of blue blood who is a watch expert, at least Archie you know is shtick but Gentry takes himself to seriously.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

zharko said:


> Looking at the pattern of his uploads, I.e regular uploads at least once a week, I think it's likely something's happened which has barred him uploading. He should just come clean in his FB or IG and stop trying to stage manage his life. Christ, it's only a hobbyist watch channel not the BBC.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


This is very serious business.


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## katfromTN (Dec 31, 2017)

I read something regarding his health on the FB group but I’m not too sure if that’s true or not. I do enjoy his videos like others have said, he’s professional and while he does have his favorites (don’t we all?) he tends to review watches I think most people getting into the hobby are after. I’ve never seen him be rude in his comments or videos and that’s a huge plus for me. 

Can’t believe all the hate I see here for him. There’s several watch reviews/youtubers I don’t care for but I simply just don’t watch their stuff. I respect a lot of these guys though for putting high quality videos together so I can look at all these watches before I buy them. Pictures just don’t do them justice a lot of the time. 


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## rudestew (Jul 2, 2017)

Was it just me that thought he had one to many sherries ? i do like his channel though . EDIT KatfromTN looks like i posted at the same time as you , hope my sherry coment caused no harm if it is a health issue it could be meds then , fingers crossed hes ok.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

katfromTN said:


> I read something regarding his health on the FB group but I'm not too sure if that's true or not. I do enjoy his videos like others have said, he's professional and while he does have his favorites (don't we all?) he tends to review watches I think most people getting into the hobby are after. I've never seen him be rude in his comments or videos and that's a huge plus for me.
> 
> Can't believe all the hate I see here for him. There's several watch reviews/youtubers I don't care for but I simply just don't watch their stuff. I respect a lot of these guys though for putting high quality videos together so I can look at all these watches before I buy them. Pictures just don't do them justice a lot of the time.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


People do not generally of approve of undisclosed product placement, he has connections to Long Island Watch and and generates a lot of hype around their brands (Squale and Seiko) yet never mentions the true nature of the relationship.


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## Rakumi (Nov 11, 2015)

When I first got heavy into watches in 2015, I use to watch his channel a lot. I really liked his channel because he seemed like a nice guy and early on started to have guest appearances which was pretty cool. But I started to become less of a fan when he began to push away the new Youtube friends he made that use to guest appear on his channel. I think nothing is wrong with his channel but I do not feel the same about it. Now he does not even mention on his channel how he received his Pepsi GMT and even speaks of possibly selling it knowing the original owner would love it back and I know he is not considering to sell it back to the original owner.


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## mav (Jan 25, 2008)

Neither Archie "cursing every other word" Luxury or Urban Gentry are watchable IMO. But I do hope he's well though.


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## cuthbert (Dec 6, 2009)

mav said:


> Neither Archie "cursing every other word" Luxury or Urban Gentry are watchable IMO. But I do hope he's well though.


I agree, all these youtubers are completely clueless.


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## mkws (May 11, 2014)

A self-designed "crest", signet rings with just that... The guy's narcissistic. I used to watch his modern watch reviews, but after some time, I was fed up with all that pretentious gibberish. I absolutely can't stand the guy's take on vintage watches - it's a topic, where poor advice can cost serious money, and there, he can't tell a steel case from a chrome plated one, and brags about his Zenith (a redial in a case overpolished like a soap bar) resembling a Rolex Explorer... By Jove. 

If he's gone from YT for good, that's swell, although I doubt that's the case.


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## dan.05 (Sep 27, 2018)

haxonwax said:


> Who is AC3? Don't think i'm familiar with that dude.


Do yourself a favour, keep it that way.


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## katfromTN (Dec 31, 2017)

papayaseed said:


> People do not generally of approve of undisclosed product placement, he has connections to Long Island Watch and and generates a lot of hype around their brands (Squale and Seiko) yet never mentions the true nature of the relationship.


Yeah, I can understand that. I assumed he has a relationship with them and therefore does push Squale and Long Island a lot but it has never bothered me. I'm thankful for some of the reviews he has done as it helped me make a decision on a piece. As does the many other reviews I'll watch. But incredibly thankful I joined his UGWC FB group, lots of great watch people on there and I've made some really awesome connections and friends through it. So I guess even if he's not the most stand up guy he portrays, I'm still glad he's up on YouTube.

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## RobMc (Dec 27, 2015)

Like I said, I like him. He’s upbeat and positive. So what if it’s a bit fake. There’s enough real negativity all around me. I’ll take some positivity, even if it’s fake. 


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## jkpa (Feb 8, 2014)

He does make the best videos bar none. Some may not love his style but who cares? He’s enthusiastic about something we all like so why hate on that? Wish him the best.


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## Horologic (Apr 26, 2012)

haxonwax said:


> Thanks....I do know that guy. Didn't know he was AC3. Lol.


AC3 = Archibald Chesterfield the III.

It's his fake aristocratic name, as a joke.


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## Adventureman (Sep 5, 2018)

He certainly puts a lot of effort and time into his channel and reviews. One of the better ones on Youtube. Hope the reviews will return soon.


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## RobMc (Dec 27, 2015)

jkpa said:


> He does make the best videos bar none. Some may not love his style but who cares? He's enthusiastic about something we all like so why hate on that? Wish him the best.


Exactly. Some people just feed off of negativity.

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## JParanee (Oct 28, 2018)

I was just wondering myself why there have not been any recent TGV videoes 

I come from a background of bow , knife and gun reviews so even though he and I are very different in our ways I enjoy watches and people that do things well and his channel is very well done and he has great attention to detail which I admire 

Hope all is well


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## JParanee (Oct 28, 2018)

Just looked at Archie’s video 

He’s a slob and I can’t get through one


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## TwentiethCenturyFox (Mar 8, 2014)

Yep, missing nothing.


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## Kmcmichael (Dec 16, 2018)

I liked some of his stuff. The watch snobbery was pretty good. I never noticed any pretentiousness. 

I cannot imagine doing those shows to just a camera. I took a class once teaching managers to deal with the media in the aftermath of a disaster. I was filmed doing a mock interview. I thought I was pretty calm, felt like I conducted the interview in a professional manner. When I was shown the film for the critique, I looked like I was on the verge of jumping over the desk to administer corporal punishment to the mock reporters. Despite the fact that I gave lectures on a regular basis, that showed me that I have no clue how I am perceived. It is likely that we are all clueless although not to the extant that I seem to possess.


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## Victor Cruz (Aug 27, 2013)

I don’t suffer from a short attention span but his 20+ minute videos are yawn inspiring.


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## 7Pines (Jun 28, 2007)

I like him. He seems like a regular guy to me. Good sense of humor and self-effacing at times, which I like.
And he reviews some really affordable and attainable pieces, and praises some of them for what they are.
Seems like a dude you could have a beer and laughs with.

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## GregoryD (Jan 31, 2009)

katfromTN said:


> I read something regarding his health on the FB group but I'm not too sure if that's true or not. I do enjoy his videos like others have said, he's professional and while he does have his favorites (don't we all?) he tends to review watches I think most people getting into the hobby are after. I've never seen him be rude in his comments or videos and that's a huge plus for me.
> 
> Can't believe all the hate I see here for him. There's several watch reviews/youtubers I don't care for but I simply just don't watch their stuff. I respect a lot of these guys though for putting high quality videos together so I can look at all these watches before I buy them. Pictures just don't do them justice a lot of the time.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I've got nothing against him personally, but I think generally people are fed up with the all undisclosed shill-posting. It's not just UG, it's everywhere. Almost every watch site/blogger does shill-posting and don't disclose it, despite it being an FTC requirement. It's tiresome.


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

When I first got into watches, I watched a lot of his videos. I learned from them. What I liked was his anti-watchsnob stance. He seemed as excited by a Royal Oak as he was by a modified 007. That's pretty refreshing, considering that this hobby full of "I wouldn't be caught dead with that watch" attitude.

As for the shilling, I took it with a grain of salt because, well, it's rampant in the watch media, and he didn't seem any more of a shill than anyone else. 

After a point, I stopped watching because he stopped being a resource. I think that for a lot of people in this hobby, after a point in time, they become more informed, better educated and they figure out what their style is. They know what they like, what they don't, what they can wear and what they can't. And when that happened to me, I didn't need to watch another video about a microbrand diver or an affordable German flieger. I figured out my style and where I want to go with my collection (and my current collection is not indicative of where I want to go), and TGV's videos were no longer speaking to me.

I think TGV is a good resource for helping people get into watches. I am all for people turning people on to Seikos and Stowas and Bambinos and even Dan Henry's away from Apple Watches and MVMTs.


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

Victor Cruz said:


> I don't suffer from a short attention span but his 20+ minute videos are yawn inspiring.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


His videos could be shorter, that's for sure.


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

papayaseed said:


> People do not generally of approve of undisclosed product placement, he has connections to Long Island Watch and and generates a lot of hype around their brands (Squale and Seiko) yet never mentions the true nature of the relationship.


In his videos he was pretty clear that he was a friend of Marc from Long Island Watch, and that he recommended him as a place to by watches.

As for the "hype", he doesn't need to hype Seikos. People love them. Just look at the sub-forums.

And Squale's are popular as well. Polarizing, but Squales have more than enough interest that he doesn't need to hype them.


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## Lo0o0o0n (Nov 28, 2018)

I used to watch his videos when I started out in this hobby. His general philosophy creates a wholesome, open-minded watch community I guess which set my path for a happy collector journey. However, he just gets excited at watches I do not really care for in recent times and yes his videos are too long as well.


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## todoroki (Jul 19, 2018)

Overall, I like TGV, but I do think he goes OTT with the masonic symbolism in his videos. I mean, he takes it so far that in one of his Q&A videos he had to address the question "are you a member of the Illuminati?"


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

I just saw the Archie Luxury videos.

I don't know, the copyright thing seems plausible. 

The best was "Mutiny on the Balcony and Fletcher Christianson." I am still laughing.


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## dan.05 (Sep 27, 2018)

jkpa said:


> He does make the best videos bar none. Some may not love his style but who cares? He's enthusiastic about something we all like so why hate on that? Wish him the best.


You should check out relative time. Damn fine reviews


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## Michael Fox Jr. (Nov 13, 2018)

People often don't realize a popular social media personality is basically equivalent to a celebrity in the traditional sense in the entertainment industry. You have an outreach to thousands if not millions of fans worldwide, sometimes just as wide reach as a traditional celebrity. The constant perceived fame and pressure to push out more entertaining materials to satisfy viewers and sponsors can take a toll on your personal life and health. It's hard work to produce original and quality materials in regular basis. It's not easy for some to have healthy balance of life in reality and in social media. That's why you see youtubers just dropped out and stopped producing videos. Either they just went out of ideas or just stressed out.

One month is not a very long time in real life. Let the guy take a break. Whatever it is, I hope all is well with him.


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## T1meout (Sep 27, 2013)

For those who haven’t or are unwilling (read: can’t stomach) to watch Archieluxury’s video, the urban gentry’s YouTube channel is currently blocked due to alleged copyright infringement. Supposedly in an episode dedicated to Grand Seiko he posted copyrighted content without permission.

Personally I prefer Achieluxury’s candor to the Gentry’s snobishness.


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## Cosmodromedary (Jul 22, 2015)

I preferred his earlier videos, because they were shorter and felt more focused. The Watch A vs Watch B showdowns were my favourites. While I don't find his channel as entertaining anymore, I'm not sure to what extent that is his show changing vs me changing. I think videos are a great way to see new watches, but eventually, after having seen a lot, it becomes tempting to fast forward and skip all the exposition aimed at newbies.
Either way, hope he is well!


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## stevebarajas18 (May 19, 2017)

AC3 just made another video confirming he has been banned from uploading new content. Whether you believe it that is another story. 

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## Weetabix (Jun 10, 2018)

People upload entire movies. How do THEY get away with that, and just what did HR upload to offend the YouTube gods?

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## yankeexpress (Apr 7, 2013)

Weetabix said:


> People upload entire movies. How do THEY get away with that, and just what did HR upload to offend the YouTube gods?


Lately youtube has been a genuine PIA to many longtime channels I watch, not just watches, but all subjects. Very nitpicky silliness. Many folks who make a living off of it and in the process, make yt buckets of advertising money, have been hassled relentlessly by yt management. Google and yt have changed and not for the better.


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## irish0625 (Mar 10, 2013)

RobMc said:


> I don't think he could be too busy....that channel is his business. Copyright issues sounds possible.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Family issues, someone got pretty sick.and wants to spend time with them.

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## T1meout (Sep 27, 2013)

yankeexpress said:


> Lately youtube has been a genuine PIA to many longtime channels I watch, not just watches, but all subjects. Very nitpicky silliness. Many folks who make a living off of it and in the process, make yt buckets of advertising money, have been hassled relentlessly by yt management. Google and yt have changed and not for the better.


Well ripping off other people's work without due compensation nor permission shouldn't be the norm. The Wild West that used to be the internet has to stop. Laws apply to everyone, everywhere, and that includes content sharing outlets. Want to be creative? Go right ahead. But don't rip-off people's work without compensating them for it.


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## algoth (Jan 23, 2018)

T1meout said:


> Well ripping off other people's work without due compensation or permission shouldn't be the norm and is deserving of consequences.


If you have seen any of the Gentry's videos you will now that they are not lacking in original content. It's not like his content consists of bootlegs of other people's work.


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## T1meout (Sep 27, 2013)

algoth said:


> If you have seen any of the Gentry's videos you will now that they are not lacking in original content. It's not like his content consists of bootlegs of other people's work.


I've seen some of his stuff, but that's not the point. The point is that when it comes to copyright infringement, there is no letting someone off with a warning or a simple slap on the wrist. Once legal action has been taken it will have to run its course. And all it takes for that to happen is a single infraction.


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## Joved (Jul 29, 2016)

papayaseed said:


> People do not generally of approve of undisclosed product placement, he has connections to Long Island Watch and and generates a lot of hype around their brands (Squale and Seiko) yet never mentions the true nature of the relationship.


Well we all can't be Nick Shabazzes! Although I do appreciate "Old Nick's" approach more, it doesn't really bother me if a reviewer gets his material from certain sources. 
Mind you I do believe, that UG does (from time to time) declare where he got a certain watch he is reviewing.

Anyways, this whole general animosity towards/between watch content creators have pretty much made me unsub certain channels and driven me towards other areas of interest where the rivalry between channels and/or fans isn't so pronounced (Bourbon Night / Whiskey Vault, anyone!?).


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## algoth (Jan 23, 2018)

T1meout said:


> I've seen some of his stuff, but that's not the point. The point is that when it comes to copyright infringement, there is no letting someone off with a warning or a simple slap on the wrist. Once legal action has been taken it will have to run its course. And all it takes for that to happen is a single mistake.


Apologies for missing your point, I agree that if and when there's been a copyright infringement action should be taken according to existing legal framework. Whether extant copyright laws are up-to-date in the context of the digital information economy with its zero marginal cost of reproduction is another thing entirely.


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## chelseacjd (Aug 15, 2017)

I'm a big fan of his reviews, was his review of both the Oris Aquis 39.5mm and Montblanc Heritage Chronometrie Ultra Slim that helped me decide to go with both of these pieces.


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## dt75 (Nov 26, 2017)

Teddy Baldassarre is a better version of Urban Gentry


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## sunmoonstar.13 (Dec 26, 2018)

dt75 said:


> Teddy Baldassarre is a better version of Urban Gentry


Most of Teddy's videos are "lists" like "11 digital watches under $100" using photos of watches cribbed from the internet. AFAIK, he's only done a handful of in-depth reviews where he's actually handling the watch, usually a watch that is new to his personal collection. The "list" videos essentially just mention the basic features and specs of each watch and not much else. I'd wager that he has never handled (or even seen in the flesh) most of the watches he talks about. At least TGV makes a point of never reviewing a watch that he's never seen or handled.

Teddy's girlfriend is cute, though.


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## Jez.PM (Jan 7, 2019)

After reading through this thread and checking the aforementioned YT channels i don't really like both of them, one is loud and to me obnoxious and the other rather pretentious. I think i'm just going to stick to Watchfinder & Co, the content is more professional although they only cover luxury brands i always enjoy the uploads.


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## City74 (Apr 20, 2015)

If you want quality watch Watcfinder & Co or Watchbox. To me those are the best channels for watches. They only other watch channel I subscribe to is Federico. He owns a company and promotes it, as he should, and he knows watches. I don’t always agree but that’s ok. He seems like a decent dude and has some interesting views


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## bigclive2011 (Mar 17, 2013)

I enjoy TGV’s channel and like AC3 said I think it is a shame that one of the main WiS channels has been lost.

If we are voting on the best content then the guy who does the Watchfinder and Co reviews Is streets ahead of all the others.

I hope TGV sorts out whatever issues is stopping him posting though, if you find some bits cheesy simply scroll through a bit, the wonders of modern technology eh!!


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## Hazy Davy (Jan 22, 2019)

City74 said:


> If you want quality watch Watcfinder & Co or Watchbox. To me those are the best channels for watches. They only other watch channel I subscribe to is Federico. He owns a company and promotes it, as he should, and he knows watches. I don't always agree but that's ok. He seems like a decent dude and has some interesting views


Watchfinder & Co is owned by Richemont.


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## City74 (Apr 20, 2015)

Hazy Davy said:


> Watchfinder & Co is owned by Richemont.


And??


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## Mirabello1 (Sep 1, 2011)

He pulled all his recent Grand Seiko videos, apparently due to copyright problems

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## Vicious49 (Mar 8, 2012)

Independent George said:


> In his videos he was pretty clear that he was a friend of Marc from Long Island Watch, and that he recommended him as a place to by watches.
> 
> As for the "hype", he doesn't need to hype Seikos. People love them. Just look at the sub-forums.
> 
> And Squale's are popular as well. Polarizing, but Squales have more than enough interest that he doesn't need to hype them.


I have never heard any other person talk about Squale or seen a single Squale wrist pic in the main forums on here. Every watch has a Sub forum but that doesn't mean it's getting much traffic or is popular.



City74 said:


> If you want quality watch Watcfinder & Co or Watchbox. To me those are the best channels for watches. They only other watch channel I subscribe to is Federico. He owns a company and promotes it, as he should, and he knows watches. I don't always agree but that's ok. He seems like a decent dude and has some interesting views


Watchfinder definitely captures the best images in their vids but I like Federico's style and content more. He's pretty honest and is extremely knowledgeable. Archie can be knowledgeable too when he wants to be. TGV was a noob who seemed like he was 1 step away from starting his own cult. Especially the way his FB page is policed and the way he tries to protect his image in comparison to other reviewers.


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## Hazy Davy (Jan 22, 2019)

City74 said:


> And??


And it shows. It's a biased channel.


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

Vicious49 said:


> Independent George said:
> 
> 
> > In his videos he was pretty clear that he was a friend of Marc from Long Island Watch, and that he recommended him as a place to by watches.
> ...


Um, Squale has a thread in the Dive Watch forum that is over 5000 posts long. That is at least as many posts as the entire Bremont forum, Montblanc forum, Cartier forum. I am going to go out on a limb and say Squale has sold a few watches.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

Independent George said:


> In his videos he was pretty clear that he was a friend of Marc from Long Island Watch, and that he recommended him as a place to by watches.
> 
> As for the "hype", he doesn't need to hype Seikos. People love them. Just look at the sub-forums.
> 
> And Squale's are popular as well. Polarizing, but Squales have more than enough interest that he doesn't need to hype them.


He drives traffic to Long Island Watches by showcasing the same models he sells, while pretending to be unbiased reviewer.


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## sunmoonstar.13 (Dec 26, 2018)

I've watched quite a few Urban Gentry videos in the past, and found them enjoyable, but I've watched less in the last few months. TGV puts a lot of work into his video production so I give him props for that, and his passion for watches is infectious. I think TGV has done a lot to bring more people into the hobby, myself included. He's not perfect and he's not to everyone's taste (no-one is), but hey, you can't please everyone.

As for other watch reviewers, I really like Bruce Williams' videos. He's a down-to-earth guy who reviews a wide range of stuff from Seiko and Citizen to Omega and Breitling to microbrands. The videos are usually 5-7 minutes in length, so not too long at all, and he wears the watches for at least a few days so he has some real world experience with them before reviewing them. 

After watching a few of Archie's videos last year, I quickly got tired of his schtick and found him rather repetitive and, worse, repulsive. I just can't watch him anymore.

Federico is good. Teddy is okay. Watchfinder only review watches from the high end to the stratospheric end of the price spectrum. My patience for sitting through 20-minute videos - of ultra macro shots of complicated mechanical watches that I'll never see, let alone afford - is limited.

The guy from Theo & Harris is entertaining, but his focus is on vintage luxury watches, which is fine if that's your thing.

I like Maverick's watch reviews too, he's unpretentious in his approach like Bruce Williams. His focus is on affordable watches, which I appreciate.


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## Reeser1 (Jan 18, 2019)

I never got into his channel. I also would describe it as trying to be like the BBC documentary with 20 minutes of nerdy giggling and constantly referring to his watches with pet names. 
In conclusion, I found him annoying.


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## arogle1stus (May 23, 2013)

WUSers:
At least he's not an insufferable ass like Archie Luxury (Paul Pluta)
Wondering how he might run afoul of Copyright laws?
I like Scorpio. Really do.

X traindriver Art


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## Gavinr (Dec 29, 2018)

As annoying as he can be (urban Gentry) as long as YouTube has FF to get through his stupid intro and the dull spots of his videos he can be informative. He reviews some good stuff, and usually has some valid input. I do find it amusing that his little ..... wrists can’t handle anything over 40mm and he will dog on a watch and call it unwearable because it is 42mm. I only own one watch that’s less than 42!


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## Jale (Jul 11, 2018)

No one is perfect.... say what you want, but TGV has brought a lot of people into the watch world with his passion, enthusiasm, and hard work. You can tell he puts in the work compared to other peers. Not for everyone obviously and once you become a watch veteran, yes you will be fast forwarding his videos. But what he did for the watch community is what’s important here. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## wis_dad (Jun 13, 2012)

RobMc said:


> Like I said, I like him. He's upbeat and positive. So what if it's a bit fake. There's enough real negativity all around me. I'll take some positivity, even if it's fake.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Exactly this mate. I find him a little over the top sometimes but there's no harm in what he's doing as far as I'm concerned.


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## Reeser1 (Jan 18, 2019)

I would love to know why there was a falling out between him and Federico. Fed won't say or mention his name on his channel.


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## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

I liked the variety of watches he reviewed. Covered everything from cheapie Seikos to Rolex and Omega. He did big brands and micros alike. A lot of watch channels only do affordable or only do high end. Also, as someone with small wrists (though a bit larger than TGV's), I could get some sense of how a particular watch might look on my wrist. Moreso than a lot of reviewers with >7" wrists.


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## Squatcho (Nov 26, 2018)

Michael Foxtrot Jr. said:


> People often don't realize a popular social media personality is basically equivalent to a celebrity in the traditional sense in the entertainment industry. You have an outreach to thousands if not millions of fans worldwide, sometimes just as wide reach as a traditional celebrity. The constant perceived fame and pressure to push out more entertaining materials to satisfy viewers and sponsors can take a toll on your personal life and health. It's hard work to produce original and quality materials in regular basis. It's not easy for some to have healthy balance of life in reality and in social media. That's why you see youtubers just dropped out and stopped producing videos. Either they just went out of ideas or just stressed out.
> 
> One month is not a very long time in real life. Let the guy take a break. Whatever it is, I hope all is well with him.


This is all amplified by changes in the YouTube business model. Lots of channels had built a library of video content that would catch and hold new viewers. Many quit their day jobs to live comfortably off a pile of past content and publishing something new once every month or two. These days, a channel that isn't uploading new content on a weekly basis isn't making nearly the money it did in the past. This is the source of much of the stress and infighting with 'youtubers'.


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## OnlyOneMore (Feb 28, 2018)

I'm surprised at the number of people on here who can't seem separate an internet persona from real life. Do you honestly believe when your watching Archie or TVG that you're seeing their real day to day personality? It's an act. If you don't like the persona, so be it, but don't confuse it with what the actual person is like. TGV in particular probably spends in excess of a 100 hours on each 20 minute video. It's hard to imagine a pretentious hoity toit being bothered with it.

Lady Gaga's public image must be driving some of you nuts


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

OnlyOneMore said:


> I'm surprised at the number of people on here who can't seem separate an internet persona from real life. Do you honestly believe when your watching Archie or TVG that you're seeing their real day to day personality? It's an act. If you don't like the persona, so be it, but don't confuse it with what the actual person is like. TGV in particular probably spends in excess of a 100 hours on each 20 minute video. It's hard to imagine a pretentious hoity toit being bothered with it.
> 
> Lady Gaga's public image must be driving some of you nuts


This is a good point, no aristocrat speaks as if he were raised on a council estate.


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## mav (Jan 25, 2008)

arogle1stus said:


> Wondering how he might run afoul of Copyright laws?


Basically if he took and used content, like photos, video, music, created by someone one else without their permission and the content owner filed a complaint with YouTube, he could get into trouble.



Squatcho said:


> This is all amplified by changes in the YouTube business model. Lots of channels had built a library of video content that would catch and hold new viewers. Many quit their day jobs to live comfortably off a pile of past content and publishing something new once every month or two. These days, a channel that isn't uploading new content on a weekly basis isn't making nearly the money it did in the past. This is the source of much of the stress and infighting with 'youtubers'.


That's the thing - first you need to have A LOT of views to make decent money, enough where one could consider quitting their day job and do YouTube full time. I'm talking about 250K views or more per day. Plus you have to be consistent with uploading.

In my mind, there are two basic types of YouTubers: people who love making quality videos and content and those trying to maximize earnings and ad revenue. The former has high quality videos, might not upload often or inconsistently, but focused more in videos that people may enjoy. The latter uses clickbait tactics (video description in all caps, adding words and graphics into thumbnails), extends videos beyond 10 min or more, thus the long intros and a lot of filler content. All of these are done with a single goal in mind: maximize ad revenue.


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## Michael Fox Jr. (Nov 13, 2018)

OnlyOneMore said:


> Do you honestly believe when your watching Archie or TVG that you're seeing their real day to day personality? It's an act.


Precisely. Probably with planned scripts on what he's going to say, and lots of outtakes. In his earlier days, may be more spontaneous talks. But with more popularity and more videos, it's likely scripted.

Don't forget the social media is also a great source for disinformation. Sponsored "reviewers" like these are paid, and they can't bad mouth their sponsors. Always use your head, and not believing everything you hear. Of all the decisions you have to make in life, deciding on which watch to buy should be incredibly easy! ;-)

I am also more of a reader. I prefer a review in written form, rather than some guy babbles about it, or a video I have to fast forward or reverse to obtain the information.


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## gamechannel (Aug 23, 2012)

Tim from WatchBox and Nick Shabazz are hands down the best reviewers IMO. No nonsense, just an in-depth look at watches.


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## brooklynfanatic (Apr 24, 2017)

horology house and watchfinder are the most visually appealing channels, and Federico talks watches is the best personality


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## sticky (Apr 5, 2013)

I’ve no gripe with TGV or his channel - it just doesn’t rev my engine for some reason and there are plenty of watch channels out there that I like watching more.


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## PetrosD (Jun 18, 2017)

gamechannel said:


> Tim from WatchBox and Nick Shabazz are hands down the best reviewers IMO. No nonsense, just an in-depth look at watches.


I can't see a Watchbox review without wanting to slap the sunglasses off of Tim's head. That might sound a bit aggressive, but I find him wearing those sunglasses on the top of his head during a show to be distracting and unprofessional.

I find the videos produced by Watcfinder to be the best. Although, as it's been pointed out, they were bought by Richemont last year, I've noticed no difference in video quality, approach or bias. In fact, I appreciate that they recently had a video of more affordable watches, including a Ball. I do think that their videos were always based on watches they have on hand for sale.

I used to watch many TGV videos but find them to be tiresome lately. I didn't even notice that he hasn't posted new content in a month until I read this thread.


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

papayaseed said:


> He drives traffic to Long Island Watches by showcasing the same models he sells, while pretending to be unbiased reviewer.


How so?

Orients? There are like 7 ADs for Orient in the entire US, and LIW is one of them.

Besides, Bambino's are super popular. The Bambino Small Seconds review was one of the top ten most popular articles for all of 2018 on ABTW, right up there with Rolex and Omega reviews.

Besides, LIW is straight up honest and professional and a pleasure to deal with. I've recommended LIW on other Orient forums, and I have recommend pruchasing a Bambino thru LIW to my non-WIS brother. Am I a shill for Orient and LIW and getting kick backs? I wish.


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## haxonwax (Nov 27, 2018)

Horologic said:


> AC3 = Archibald Chesterfield the III.
> 
> It's his fake aristocratic name, as a joke.


Thanks for that. I've watched many of his videos, but it's hard to get through them with all the screaming. I get the shtick but it's not that funny after the 1000th time.


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## Cryslay33 (Nov 19, 2018)

You should check on him again. Am sure he'll resurface soon enough.


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

As for those who complain about TGV's shilling, Musso works for Watchbox, which is one of the largest pre-owned watches dealers in the US. Tim tends to focus on watches that Watchbox has in stock, and since he wants to move product, he never says anything bad about the watch he's showcasing.

Granted, Musso is more transparent than TGV, but I think accusing of TGV shilling considering what the rest of the watch YouTubers do is the pot calling the kettle black. 

TGV has other issues, but I personally find his "shilling" the least objectionable of some of his practices. And he does make an entertaining watch video, which isn't easy to do (i.e. Hodinkee podcast and video snoozefests).


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## X2-Elijah (Dec 25, 2009)

City74 said:


> And??


wow.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

Independent George said:


> How so?
> 
> Orients? There are like 7 ADs for Orient in the entire US, and LIW is one of them.
> 
> ...


People view the videos and think they would like to buy that watch, it is only natural they will checkout the retailer that re recommends.


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

Michael Foxtrot Jr. said:


> Precisely. Probably with planned scripts on what he's going to say, and lots of outtakes. In his earlier days, may be more spontaneous talks. But with more popularity and more videos, it's likely scripted.
> 
> Don't forget the social media is also a great source for disinformation. Sponsored "reviewers" like these are paid, and they can't bad mouth their sponsors. Always use your head, and not believing everything you hear. Of all the decisions you have to make in life, deciding on which watch to buy should be incredibly easy! ;-)
> 
> I am also more of a reader. I prefer a review in written form, rather than some guy babbles about it, or a video I have to fast forward or reverse to obtain the information.


I watched an ABTW video interview with AC3. He referred to himself as "Paul Plata, the method actor who plays Archie Luxury." I do think AC3 does follows Paul Plata's general tastes, i.e., he's a watch snob, but AC3 is just Paul Plata's id set free. And I admit that the schtick can become tiresome, especially because he likes to draw out his videos (see Mav's previous post #90 about ad revenue and video length), but he is the only watch YouTuber who has ever made me LOL.


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

papayaseed said:


> People view the videos and think they would like to buy that watch, it is only natural they will checkout the retailer that re recommends.


And if he's recommending LIW he's doing right by his viewers.


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

brooklynfanatic said:


> horology house and watchfinder are the most visually appealing channels, and Federico talks watches is the best personality


FTW videos are to the point, and he really understands the second-hand market. He's isn't great on the "horology" side of watches, but he seems very credible when talking about the used market. Plus he isn't lazy and only discusses Rolex and Omega's, he actually enjoys other brands. He just bought himself a Ming.


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## playinwittime (Feb 22, 2015)

I personally watch TGV, Federico, WatchBox, Horology House and others that may review or touch upon a subject or past watch of interest. I find TGV’s presentations to be the hardest work in terms of editing efforts and appearance. He also has great content most of the time. Federico has good content, but is very lazy in production. Low res graphics and simple issues. HH does a great job with macros and content and WatchBox is the most informative pound-for-pound IMHO. WatchBox also publishes with greater frequency than the others. So, I’m on that most often.

I do hope TGV works out his kinks to get back up and running. We can’t affford to lose channel choices in watch collecting/horology.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

Independent George said:


> And if he's recommending LIW he's doing right by his viewers.


The whole point is that he doesn't disclose the business relationship while fawning over these watches, the quality of LIW is irrelevant it is about TGV not being upfront about it.


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## CristobalGordo (Jun 28, 2014)

Independent George said:


> And if he's recommending LIW he's doing right by his viewers.


I second this- Marc from Long Island Watch seems like a genuine, trustworthy guy. He also produces some great watch content himself. If you are just getting into watches, his watch and learn videos are great.


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

papayaseed said:


> The whole point is that he doesn't disclose the business relationship while fawning over these watches, the quality of LIW is irrelevant it is about TGV not being upfront about it.


And you have proof he has a business relationship with LIW?


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## mav (Jan 25, 2008)

papayaseed said:


> The whole point is that he doesn't disclose the business relationship while fawning over these watches, the quality of LIW is irrelevant it is about TGV not being upfront about it.


Spot on. And since he doesn't disclose this relationship, if true, it just makes the entire thing fake. It's just one long ad for whoever is sponsoring it.


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## Mirabello1 (Sep 1, 2011)

So we still haven't gotten in answer to the original question in this thread...does anybody really know what happened to this guy?

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk


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## RobMc (Dec 27, 2015)

mav said:


> Spot on. And since he doesn't disclose this relationship, if true, it just makes the entire thing fake. It's just one long ad for whoever is sponsoring it.


The same can be said for every single radio/television show ever made. Anywhere in the world. It's entertainment. Somewhat informative, but still entertainment. It's harmless. Anyone naive enough to think every one of these big time bloggers/youtubers don't have sponsors are living in lala land.

Anyone that has hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and who's videos have gotten millions off views, is going to have sponsors.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Filandro (Mar 3, 2018)

The Urban Gentry lost me @ calling himself the governor and basically being one more 33mm watch aficionado. His Royal Oak quartz (at like 32-33mm!!) review and excitement is IRRESPONSIBLE. Bad, bad, bad purchase, with all risk and no real pause to inform and warn. Buy what you want, but ethically... damn, best explain that everyone knows you're a loon for the purchase and certifiable for the excitement.

We have an excess of frail dudes with tiny wrists and 32-34mm watches are perfect for them (Urban, Theo) and they wear their femininity and pretentiousness with honor... then we have the Torys, Matt Farahs and Federicos, who need 44mm at the smallest, because they are 'husky.' 
*
COPYRIGHT TROUBLE:* TGV has read directly out of copyrighted materials, then he has flipped through the copyrighted materials from which he read, and with the materials under the camera -- showing text, paragraphs, merchandise, captions, etc.

He has quoted all sorts of materials, and sometimes used the little watch stories in his intros, then not credited them and then continued to let all think all content was his.

He didn't do one little thing. Or two. He did three, and if I created and copyrighted those materials, and watched him go into a full-time career and sort of use them all the time (various sources), then we'd have a problem. For TGV, he has pissed off large corporations whose brands and related materials are worth billions.

Also, when you burn bridges, as he has done, those who you left on the bridge will watch and report all your content. He cut off everyone, and his enemies are not very close. *Irony for Mr. Flieger *and his military fascination. *He has been outflanked*.

#peace


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

Mirabello1 said:


> So we still haven't gotten in answer to the original question in this thread...does anybody really know what happened to this guy?
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk


Apparently, he cribbed some photos off Instagram and was given a strike. Unless TGV settles it with the personal who complained, I think it a 90 days time-out? Anyone know what YT policy is about gettign takedown notices and strikes?


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## djcoronel (Mar 31, 2018)

Filandro said:


> We have an excess of frail dudes whose thin wrists and 32-34mm watches are perfect for (Urban, Theo) and they wear their femininity and pretentiousness with honor' then we have Matt Farahs and Federicos who need 44mm at the smallest, because they are 'husky.'


femininity? Since when is wrist size correlated with femininity? that's an absurd statement to make.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

Independent George said:


> And you have proof he has a business relationship with LIW?


He has referenced him many times in videos, saying he was lent a watch by his "friend" Marc.


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## yankeexpress (Apr 7, 2013)

papayaseed said:


> He has referenced him many times in videos, saying he was lent a watch by his "friend" Marc.


Circumstantial is not proof.

Close, but no cigar.


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## Filandro (Mar 3, 2018)

djcoronel said:


> femininity? Since when is wrist size correlated with femininity? that's an absurd statement to make.


I think you should walk back your comment. Femininity is a real trait, and if you're implying something negative by that, then you're living in the wrong century.

Also, probably super safe to say that wrist size is related to gender. TGV and Theo are best suited to watch sizes that are now more feminine. Feminine is not a negative -- not a pejorative. Sorry.

.


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## X2-Elijah (Dec 25, 2009)

I cannot help but feel that some wannabe-competitor youtuber set TGV up with the aforementioned false-video-claims. For example, that notorious scammer/huckster from Theo&Harris... Wouldn't put it past him to be a jerk like that.


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## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

papayaseed said:


> He drives traffic to Long Island Watches by showcasing the same models he sells, while pretending to be unbiased reviewer.


How does that make his reviews biased? LIW is local to TGV and they carry a number of brands. It's no different from YouTube car reviewers going to their local car dealer to borrow a car for a test drive and review. LIW were the only AD for Squale in North America for a time and while technically a separate entity, Mark from LIW also manages the current Squale USA webstore, which is the only AD for North America. Also one of very few Orient ADs in the US and they carry a lot of JDM Seikos that you can't find at US Seiko boutiques and other brands like Laco that I don't believe have much of an AD network in the US.

He also gets watches sent straight from manufacturers or other Jewelers, as well as watches sent in by viewers or pieces he bought himself. If a watch is given to him for review, he's pretty straightforward about where it came from based on the videos I've seen. Besides LIW, he's been known to work with and give shoutouts to Saltzman's (the only Glycine AD in the Eastern US and one of 2 or 3 in America) and Watchgauge (online seller of various micros, including NTH) and a couple of different strap makers.


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## mav (Jan 25, 2008)

RobMc said:


> The same can be said for every single radio/television show ever made. Anywhere in the world. It's entertainment. Somewhat informative, but still entertainment. It's harmless. Anyone naive enough to think every one of these big time bloggers/youtubers don't have sponsors are living in lala land.
> 
> Anyone that has hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and who's videos have gotten millions off views, is going to have sponsors.


The difference between a product placement in a TV show or movie is that the show/movie is fictional entertainment versus a guy on YouTube reviewing a product, claiming to give his honest opinions about it, when in fact it's sponsored and due to it being sponsored, the review will be overwhelmingly positive.

Of course anyone would expect these guys to have sponsors. Even the small guys are being contacted by companies to be an influencer. It's about disclosure and being honest. And by the way, it's also the law.

FTC: https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/bus...tcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking
Good Disclosure Guide: https://beanstalkim.com/learn/internet-law/2018-guide-ftc-disclosures-facebook-instagram-youtube/


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## X2-Elijah (Dec 25, 2009)

Independent George said:


> I watched an ABTW video interview with AC3. He referred to himself as "Paul Plata, the method actor who plays Archie Luxury." I do think AC3 does follows Paul Plata's general tastes, i.e., he's a watch snob, but AC3 is just Paul Plata's id set free.


I recall that interview... But it was really weird, imo. Like a faulty AI trying to replicate a regular person. It felt more like "Archie" was the real deal and in that interview, the "Paul Pluta" persona was the facade & excuse, more faked than "Archie" ever was.


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## X2-Elijah (Dec 25, 2009)

Filandro said:


> Also, when you burn bridges, as he has done, those who you left on the bridge will watch and report all your content. He cut off everyone, and his enemies are not very close. *Irony for Mr. Flieger *and his military fascination. *He has been outflanked*.
> 
> #peace


Hmmmmmm #conspiracytheorytime


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## CristobalGordo (Jun 28, 2014)

papayaseed said:


> He has referenced him many times in videos, saying he was lent a watch by his "friend" Marc.


I'm still not seeing a great conspiracy here. He gets a watch, he reviews it, he shows it from all angles, he talks about it...Presumably, if you like the watch, you'll watch some more reviews, read some posts and make up your own mind. If you are "steered" toward Island Watch to buy it, well, that guy has a pretty good prices and a good reputation...so...where is the crime? Does anyone feel like they were "conned" into buying a bad watch from a crooked dealer by TGV?

And by the way, if you don't like the fact that he's referenced his friend "many times" in videos, and you feel his integrity is compromised, why do you keep watching?


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## X2-Elijah (Dec 25, 2009)

CristobalGordo said:


> I'm still not seeing a great conspiracy here. He gets a watch, he reviews it, he shows it from all angles, he talks about it...Presumably, if you like the watch, you'll watch some more reviews, read some posts and make up your own mind. If you are "steered" toward Island Watch to buy it, well, that guy has a pretty good prices and a good reputation...so...where is the crime? Does anyone feel like they were "conned" into buying a bad watch from a crooked dealer by TGV?
> 
> And by the way, if you don't like the fact that he's referenced his friend "many times" in videos, and you feel his integrity is compromised, why do you keep watching?


Well, legally *and* ethically, if you get a thing from a retailer or reseller, you have to explicitly disclose it. "My friend Marc lent me one of his personal watches" is very different from "the watch seller Marc from LIW gave me some of his stock to advertise".

Idk if TGV legit has any connection or if people are just making dirt up, but... IF he has these links, THEN he must disclose them, in plain english, without obfuscating it.


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## Filandro (Mar 3, 2018)

Long Island Watch is an authorized dealer of certain brands that TGV fawns over. Fawning over something that a dealer can give you or give access to, or who can reward you for sales is okay, if you present yourself as advertising for them.

Local athletes advertise and fawn over local dealers and their cars and trucks. But they don't review them.

TGV reviews stuff and he is actually *promoting* that stuff (basically he is giving ad time as review time). He's advertising Squale, and the local Squale dealer stands to benefit.

Bogus review.


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## vanilla.coffee (Feb 27, 2011)

The sycophantic followers of the UG are even more repulsive than the character himself. Just awful. 

I've been following a UK channel on Youtube called 'Bark & Jack' and I am looking forward to his video of his visit to Roger W Smith's workshop on the Isle of Man. 
Compare that to the TGV crested Squale rubbish and the quartz engined PP on that awful UG channel and there really is no comparison.


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## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

Filandro said:


> Long Island Watch is an authorized dealer of certain brands that TGV fawns over. Fawning over something that a dealer can give you or give access to, or who can reward you for sales is okay, if you present yourself as advertising for them.
> 
> Local athletes advertise and fawn over local dealers and their cars and trucks. But they don't review them.
> 
> ...


I'm assuming this made more sense to you in your head.

"_Fawning over something that a dealer can give you or give access to, or who can reward you for sales is okay, if you present yourself as advertising for them._"

Where exactly does one obtain something if not through a dealer or seller? Should TGV, or any other reviewer, only review pieces/samples donated by his viewing audience? Is that still OK, or is he now promoting whomever or wherever he got the review piece from? Oh wait, there's more...

"_TGV reviews stuff and he is actually promoting that stuff (basically he is giving ad time as review time)_"

IOW, all reviews (I assume limited to the positive sort) are product promotions and should therefore be dismissed as bogus. How am I to know if a product is any good, then, if any positive review of said product is dismissed as promotion?

And how are Tim from Watchboxes reviews any better? Watchbox is owned by Govberg Jewelers. Literally every video Tim does contains the statement "and if you like this watch, you can buy it or many others like it from our website". Literally every "review" is in fact a short infomercial (and they are indeed informative videos with good shots of the product). Might as well be watching the Home Shopping Network.


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

Filandro said:


> The Urban Gentry lost me @ calling himself the governor and basically being one more 33mm watch aficionado. His Royal Oak quartz (at like 32-33mm!!) review and excitement is IRRESPONSIBLE. Bad, bad, bad purchase, with all risk and no real pause to inform and warn. Buy what you want, but ethically... damn, best explain that everyone knows you're a loon for the purchase and certifiable for the excitement.
> 
> We have an excess of frail dudes with tiny wrists and 32-34mm watches are perfect for them (Urban, Theo) and they wear their femininity and pretentiousness with honor... then we have the Torys, Matt Farahs and Federicos, who need 44mm at the smallest, because they are 'husky.'
> 
> ...


I might be wrong, but i don't think flipping through OEM sales materials, or even doing to without attribution, was the issue. It's a little tricky, but in most circumstances I can show third party materials on camera. And I can read from them in the case of a "review" It's called fair use. I just can't claim I produced them. Again, it's complaicted and there are a lot of contigencies. But I don't see many watch companies having a problem with that, if that's what he did, because why not regurgitate there sales fluff. I

If's it's true about Grand Seiko, and I have, in a past life, dealt on the media side with Japanese OEMs, well, they can be very sticky about how their materials are presented. And it may be why he's been off so long. I know from experience that once Japanese OEMs act, they don't settle quickly or let bygones be bygones.

I would think that if it were his "borrowing' from independent Instagram sites, he would have eaten some humble pie and worked something out. I have heard from a somewhat connected AD that TGV has a bad habit of liberally borrowing from Instagram, especially from what he perceives as smaller accounts who won't notice or cause a ruckus.


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## Filandro (Mar 3, 2018)

MX793 said:


> I'm assuming this made more sense to you in your head.
> 
> "_Fawning over something that a dealer can give you or give access to, or who can reward you for sales is okay, if you present yourself as advertising for them._"
> 
> ...


Baby Talk:

He is pretending to be a reviewer when he's a paid shill.

He's an advertiser and not a reviewer.

.


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## Filandro (Mar 3, 2018)

Independent George said:


> I might be wrong, but i don't think flipping through OEM sales materials, or even doing to without attribution, was the issue. It's a little tricky, but in most circumstances I can show third party materials on camera. And I can read from them in the case of a "review" It's called fair use. I just can't claim I produced them. Again, it's complaicted and there are a lot of contigencies. But I don't see many watch companies having a problem with that, if that's what he did, because why not regurgitate there sales fluff. I
> 
> If's it's true about Grand Seiko, and I have, in a past life, dealt on the media side with Japanese OEMs, well, they can be very sticky about how their materials are presented. And it may be why he's been off so long. I know from experience that once Japanese OEMs act, they don't settle quickly or let bygones be bygones.
> 
> I would think that if it were his "borrowing' from independent Instagram sites, he would have eaten some humble pie and worked something out. I have heard from a somewhat connected AD that TGV has a bad habit of liberally borrowing from Instagram, especially from what he perceives as smaller accounts who won't notice or cause a ruckus.


It's a combination of things, and at the spearhead are the people he cut off. The IG thing might be the 4th point.

He has attempted to retaliate, but he doesn't pay attention to others, because he's self consumed. So, he doesn't have enough info on them.

I'm not guessing. I post here like... never. I'm here because of this thread. In the YouTube world, you are guilty. Then the mock trial might happen. Might not. Whatever. YouTube is the wrong platform to be technically right on. You get shutdown, even if you're right to the letter of the law. You might come back, but being shutdown was not a matter of right or law or legal review.

His enemies know this.

.


----------



## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

vanilla.coffee said:


> The sycophantic followers of the UG are even more repulsive than the character himself. Just awful.


That I don't get. He's a watch vlogger, not the head of a political movement.

His Facebook fans are really something else.


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## Filandro (Mar 3, 2018)

Watchbox:

See how that works. Tim is advertising watches. We all know that. Why do we know that? Oh, I don't know, because they tell us... repeatedly... proudly... etc!

TGV couldn't sniff Tim's horological jock. Tim is building a brand for Watchbox through entertaining ads, reviews, chats and sheer knowledge -- something horologists buying PP and FPs appreciate. TGV? Shilling goods while leaving (apparently) many confused about his objectiveness, motivations, etc.

Ethics and laws come in to play.

Watchbox isn't in YouTube jail, by the way. Talk about a class shop and class crew. TGV isn't worthy of being discussed in same context. Jeesh!

.


----------



## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

Filandro said:


> Baby Talk:
> 
> He is pretending to be a reviewer when he's a paid shill.
> 
> ...


Can you give me an example of a reviewer who is not a paid shill?


----------



## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

MX793 said:


> Can you give me an example of a reviewer who is not a paid shill?


Jeremy Clarkson


----------



## yankeexpress (Apr 7, 2013)




----------



## dan.05 (Sep 27, 2018)

stevebarajas18 said:


> AC3 just made another video confirming he has been banned from uploading new content. Whether you believe it that is another story.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


In a vid where he goes to pick up his patek from a service, he goes to a pawn shop to hock a milgaus. Then in the next shot at patek, he is wearing the Rolex again. Man is full of .

He was entertaining but now he is just anoying.


----------



## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

Filandro said:


> It's a combination of things, and at the spearhead are the people he cut off. The IG thing might be the 4th point.
> 
> He has attempted to retaliate, but he doesn't pay attention to others, because he's self consumed. So, he doesn't have enough info on them.
> 
> ...


I understand TGV has enemies. And not just the fourm dewllers who don't like his schtick, but other YouTube and Instagram watch people. And he seems to have pissed off alot, in fact, it seems almost every Watch YouTuber, Instagram person and big watch media (ABTW, Hodnikee) have had a negative experience with him, some wrose than others.

Could he have reached out to those he cribbed from, and those people are essentially giving him the middle finger? I get the impression that's unlikely he would do that, because he's has a bit of an ego.

Is that what you are hearing?

Anyway, at one time I enjoyed his videos, and he was a gateway for me to this hobby. The more Watch YTers, the better, and he's shut down for good, then I don't think that's a good development.


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## Captain Bluebeard (Jan 21, 2018)

So it looks like the story on the facebook group about family health issues is a smokescreen to cover up a 90 day YouTube ban for a copyright infringement on his Grand Seiko video that got pulled, an image that was owned by an instagram user and Seiko enthusiast who has invested in a lot of expensive photographic equipment to be able to take great pics, and hence guards his intellectual property very keenly. Shame as it was a very good video. Hopefully they can work something out with appropriate credit, compensation or whatever. 

Not sure why TGV feels the need to be economical with the truth about his absence from his Channel ... sometimes you just have to hold up your hand and admit you made a mistake ... that would be the Gentlemanly thing to do anyway ...

Of course if the family health story is genuine, then I wish that person a speedy recovery !


----------



## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

Filandro said:


> Watchbox:
> 
> See how that works. Tim is advertising watches. We all know that. Why do we know that? Oh, I don't know, because they tell us... repeatedly... proudly... etc!
> 
> ...


Tim is also a true Watch Savant. He forgets more in a day that I will learn in a year.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

Independent George said:


> I understand TGV has enemies. And not just the fourm dewllers who don't like his schtick, but other YouTube and Instagram watch people. And he seems to have pissed off alot, in fact, it seems almost every Watch YouTuber, Instagram person and big watch media (ABTW, Hodnikee) have had a negative experience with him, some wrose than others.
> 
> Could he have reached out to those he cribbed from, and those people are essentially giving him the middle finger? I get the impression that's unlikely he would do that, because he's has a bit of an ego.
> 
> ...


The Urban Gentry has many enemies but no friends, all of the other watch Youtubers are against including the ones he used to collaborate with.


----------



## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

papayaseed said:


> Jeremy Clarkson


Au contraire, my friend. Jeremy Clarkson is a walking, talking, breathing conflict of interest.

I am a big fan of Clarkson-era Top Gear and the Grand Tour, but Jeremy Clarkson is far from a paragon of objective, unbiased virtue.

You will need to do better than that.


----------



## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

Captain Bluebeard said:


> So it looks like the story on the facebook group about family health issues is a smokescreen to cover up a 90 day YouTube ban for a copyright infringement on his Grand Seiko video that got pulled, an image that was owned by an instagram user and Seiko enthusiast who has invested in a lot of expensive equipment to be able to take great pics, and hence guards his intellectual property very keenly. Shame as it was a very good video. Hopefully they can work something out with appropriate credit, compensation or whatever.
> 
> Not sure why TGV feels the need to be economical with the truth about his absence from his Channel ... sometimes you just have to hold up your hand and admit you made a mistake ... that would be the Gentlemanly thing to do anyway ...
> 
> Of course if the family health story is genuine, then I wish that person a speedy recovery !


AC3 says TGV does have chronic health issues, and so does Frederico, and I think once they were tight, so they's know.

But I have also I've read the same about the GS video and the Seiko photographer.


----------



## Filandro (Mar 3, 2018)

MX793 said:


> Can you give me an example of a reviewer who is not a paid shill?


The entire staff of Consumer Reports.

.


----------



## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

Independent George said:


> AC3 says TGV does have chronic health issues, and so does Frederico, and I think once they were tight, so they's know.
> 
> But I have also I've read the same about the GS video and the Seiko photographer.


Used to watch his videos a lot and TGV himself has said on multiple occasions that he has chronic health issues (something with his lungs, he's mentioned he can't scuba dive because of it). I believe he spent some time in the hospital a couple of years ago.


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## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

Filandro said:


> The entire staff of Consumer Reports.
> 
> .


Where do they get their review pieces from?


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## Filandro (Mar 3, 2018)

MX793 said:


> Where do they get their review pieces from?


They buy them and accept no ads.
.


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## Filandro (Mar 3, 2018)

You don't have to be Consumer Reports, which is an extreme model, but use them as the benchmark, and an honest review would lean in that direction. You will see people review a watch (or anything) that someone mailed them. They review it. They don't have any connection to the dealer, the watch company or even the strap supplier. They are leaning in the most favorable way possible to being objective. Being 100% objective is an ideal and unrealized state, but you should pursue it as best as possible.

Consumer Reports is subject to bias and prejudice, even running the most non-biased model possible. But that is the direction to lean. You might review a Korean washing machine, and all your life experiences come into play, and whittle away your ability to be 100% objective, but you've not created massive doses of bias by accepting a machine made in China to compare it to, when you receive it from your dealer friend whose entire business model is being an authorized dealer for Chinesium dryers. Suddenly, you drool over the Chinesium dryer, and you're less enthusiastic about the Korean one. #dubious

I mean... Squale love alone demonstrates this. Kind of sickening. 
.


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## torquemada (Mar 20, 2010)

MX793 said:


> Can you give me an example of a reviewer who is not a paid shill?


I don´t know if it will help you, but

https://www.youtube.com/user/HeldderSteine/videos

this guy owns a Lego-Shop and is reviewing Lego, and he destroys some of the kits, f.e. a 370€ disappointment Bugatti Veyron






and he has had legal trouble with Lego, he got a written warning / dissuasion. Sorry, it´s in german, no english subtitles.


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## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

Filandro said:


> They buy them and accept no ads.
> .


So they gain access to their pieces from a dealer of some sort?

"_Fawning over something that a dealer can give you or give access to..._"

So if they fawn over one of the products they obtained from a dealer and don't claim they are advertising/promoting that product, then doesn't that make them phony shills as well?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I get what you're saying, but your line of reasoning, at least as expressed, is nonsensical.

Additionally, getting pieces from a dealer and getting them from the manufacturer are different. If Marc/LIW loans him a Seiko for review and he doesn't really like it and give it a less than favorable review, that reflects badly on Seiko, not LIW. LIW doesn't make the watch, and they sell many other products beyond that particular model. If anything, they still get good press by getting their name out there as a retailer. I don't see the dealer/retailer ever being upset by an unfavorable review of a product they carry so long as the retailer itself is always cast in a positive light. Now, if he's being given his pieces direct from the manufacturer themselves, then his "sponsor" is far more directly affected by his reviews. Manufacturers generally don't like their products being put in a negative light, so there's incentive for the reviewer to always give a positive review because if they anger their sponsor, they lose sponsor dollars and/or access to future pieces for review (more lost revenue).


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## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

Filandro said:


> You don't have to be Consumer Reports, which is an extreme model, but use them as the benchmark, and an honest review would lean in that direction. You will see people review a watch (or anything) that someone mailed them. They review it. They don't have any connection to the dealer, the watch company or even the strap supplier. They are leaning in the most favorable way possible to being objective. Being 100% objective is an ideal and unrealized state, but you should pursue it as best as possible.
> 
> Consumer Reports is subject to bias and prejudice, even running the most non-biased model possible. But that is the direction to lean. You might review a Korean washing machine, and all your life experiences come into play, and whittle away your ability to be 100% objective, but you've not created massive doses of bias by accepting a machine made in China to compare it to, when you receive it from your dealer friend whose entire business model is being an authorized dealer for Chinesium dryers. Suddenly, you drool over the Chinesium dryer, and you're less enthusiastic about the Korean one. #dubious
> 
> ...


Practically every reviewer has biases (a favorite brand or model or whatever). TGV's are pretty obvious if you watch his channel at all, and I agree that it's problematic for a reviewer to be so blatantly biased. I always took his "showdown" videos with a huge grain of salt because you knew he'd throw in some kind of BS rating scale so that his favorite watch would win. That's a legitimate criticism, but it doesn't mean that every individual review he's ever done is bogus.

And from what I recall, TGV's love of Squale went back way further than his relationship with LIW where they started loaning him watches to review. His first video gushing over Squale was posted within his first 6 or 7 months as a YouTuber. He would have had few followers at that point and no retailer would have been loaning him anything for review at that point because he was a nobody with no viewer base. Same with Seiko and Oris (a brand TGV is notoriously biased towards and that LIW doesn't carry).


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## gav1230 (Oct 17, 2018)

papayaseed said:


> He pretends to be from an aristocratic background yet speaks like a thug.


I'm not crazy about him either but in what universe does he talk like a thug ? 

Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk


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## socal74 (Jun 9, 2018)

When I first started collecting watches I found his Youtube channel and FB group to be a good source of information. I rarely watch his video's anymore unless it is a watch I am specifically researching as a potential purchase. 

I know from first hand experience he uses other peoples images from social media in some of his video's. I was watching a video review he published in October for the Christopher Ward C65 GMT, and imagine my surprise when I saw he used a picture of a wrist shot I had posted in a review on a forum. I made a comment on the video letting him know that I saw my image in his video and never got a response (or a thank you). 

It irked me a little that he used my image in his video without asking for permission, but I didn't make a big deal about it. It would have been more professional of him to ask me for permission to use my image in his content. I would imagine if he has routinely used other peoples images and/or copyrighted materials, as some of the comments in this thread have suggested, someone would have eventually complained to Youtube about it.


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## Agent Sands (Feb 1, 2014)

I'm amused by the over-the-top opinions.

Very few established YouTubers aren't out to sell you on something, even if they're just trying to sell themselves. The best are honest about that and will still give you good content along with the salesmanship.

TGV isn't my cup o' tea, so I don't watch his videos. But treating him like a supervillain seems a bit much.


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## OnlyOneMore (Feb 28, 2018)

Agent Sands said:


> I'm amused by the over-the-top opinions.
> 
> Very few established YouTubers aren't out to sell you on something, even if they're just trying to sell themselves. The best are honest about that and will still give you good content along with the salesmanship.
> 
> TGV isn't my cup o' tea, so I don't watch his videos. But treating him like a *supervillain* seems a bit much.


I literally just typed the same thing... great minds think a like


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## gav1230 (Oct 17, 2018)

Filandro said:


> The Urban Gentry lost me @ calling himself the governor and basically being one more 33mm watch aficionado. His Royal Oak quartz (at like 32-33mm!!) review and excitement is IRRESPONSIBLE. Bad, bad, bad purchase, with all risk and no real pause to inform and warn. Buy what you want, but ethically... damn, best explain that everyone knows you're a loon for the purchase and certifiable for the excitement.
> 
> We have an excess of frail dudes with tiny wrists and 32-34mm watches are perfect for them (Urban, Theo) and they wear their femininity and pretentiousness with honor... then we have the Torys, Matt Farahs and Federicos, who need 44mm at the smallest, because they are 'husky.'
> *
> ...


*

Not everyone is so insecure in their masculinity to worry about overly "feminine" wrists of all things

Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk*


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

gav1230 said:


> I'm not crazy about him either but in what universe does he talk like a thug ?
> 
> Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk


In the UK. He has the exact same tones and pronunciations as antisocial thugs on council estates.


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## gav1230 (Oct 17, 2018)

papayaseed said:


> In the UK. He has the exact same tones and pronunciations as antisocial thugs on council estates.


That just sounds like blatant classism on your part but okay...I'm much more concerned about the content of speech than its "tone"

Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk


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## SimonCK (Feb 27, 2017)

Like so many here i enjoyed his videos as a gateway into learning about watches, and always found his watch content enjoyable and well produced. I tend to graviate to the channels which are aimed at more affordable pieces and light modding such as Minitwatch, OneMoreWatch and the Slender Wrist.

The one thing that i can't stand about TGV though is how he has to reference what knife he is using to open a box. Jeez man! It's only a box, I wanna see you tear it open with your overly shiny teeth!


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## upupa epops (Apr 24, 2016)

All this mystery just makes the Lion Shark increase in value. Each post here ads a dollar.


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## mnf67 (Jan 30, 2018)

gav1230 said:


> That just sounds like blatant classism on your part but okay...I'm much more concerned about the content of speech than its "tone"
> 
> Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk


Its more than classism, its also just plain wrong. I have spent lots of time at counsel estates in Tower Hamlets (my wife grew up in one) in London's east end and Urban Gentry sounds nothing like a person from the east end, let alone an "antisocial thug".


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## mojorison_75 (Apr 1, 2017)

I heard TGV is a high ranking member of Al Qaeda and once smothered a puppy in front a group of orphans with Marmite.

For goodness sake, people, he's just a YouTube reviewer, not some guy selling Zima to cancer patients. Some people find him entertaining, some don't, just like every other YouTube reviewer. 

This is starting to get ridiculous. Can't we all just talk about watches instead of getting all riled up over something that affects our lives 0%?


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## ewiz240 (Feb 1, 2019)

So if I say “I know a guy” I’m biased? How about adults being able to make judgements for themselves? Everyone crawls through the bs and makes their own decisions. I’ve watched TVG and have purchased from LIW (excellent buying experience) and I have bought from amazon (satisfactory purchase). eBay (buyer be aware). So is it any worse than if a co-worker suggests a car dealership? He likes seiko and he likes what he likes (baby wrists aside) so that makes him a shill? Are Squales ....? (never owned one) are Sinn ....? (never owned one). To be clear I’ve purchased a Sea Gull 1963 and Bambino from LIW because of TVG and I’m pleased with both but my education is my responsibility.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Filandro (Mar 3, 2018)

Do you people read any of what is written? Someone has the balls to push back on the best version of creating the least biased reviews (Consumer Reports) and another nitwit still uses 'femininine' as a negative. 32mm watches and the wrists that fit them are in the ladies category. That is a fact, and if they have feminine traits, why is anyone invoking feminine as a negative? It is a gawddam category of watch. TGV even shares some of his lady's watches! 

25 years of message boards and this is the biggest frigging joke I've seen yet! 

Priceless laughs, misogyny, strawman arguments, failure to read posts. 

COMEDY GOLD


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## JaseRicco (Apr 20, 2018)

Wow, this thread turned for the worse considering the original question was simply about where TGV has been the last month.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

mnf67 said:


> Its more than classism, its also just plain wrong. I have spent lots of time at counsel estates in Tower Hamlets (my wife grew up in one) in London's east end and Urban Gentry sounds nothing like a person from the east end, let alone an "antisocial thug".


I never specified any location, it is a similar way of speaking throughout the country.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

Filandro said:


> Do you people read any of what is written? Someone has the balls to push back on the best version of creating the least biased reviews (Consumer Reports) and another nitwit still uses 'femininine' as a negative. 32mm watches and the wrists that fit them are in the ladies category. That is a fact, and if they have feminine traits, why is anyone invoking feminine as a negative? It is a gawddam category of watch. TGV even shares some of his lady's watches!
> 
> 25 years of message boards and this is the biggest frigging joke I've seen yet!
> 
> ...


Feminine is only a negative when referring to a man, just as masculine would be taken as an insult by a woman. It is not misogyny.


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## Mike Kilo Niner (Jan 7, 2018)

mojorison_75 said:


> For goodness sake, people, he's just a YouTube reviewer, not some guy selling Zima to cancer patients. Some people find him entertaining, some don't, just like every other YouTube reviewer.


"Easy there, Hannity! Back when your people were coming over in their potato boats..." great Archer reference, my friend. You definitely had me snorting my "doctor prescribed CANCER medicine" out of my nose with that one.


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## skriefal (Apr 3, 2006)

Filandro said:


> 32mm watches and the wrists that fit them are in the ladies category. That is a fact,


Wrist size and the watches that fit that wrist has nothing to do with gender. Or with TGV or any other watch reviewer, on or off Youtube.


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## Squatcho (Nov 26, 2018)

mojorison_75 said:


> I heard TGV is a high ranking member of Al Qaeda and once smothered a puppy in front a group of orphans with Marmite.
> 
> For goodness sake, people, he's just a YouTube reviewer, not some guy selling Zima to cancer patients. Some people find him entertaining, some don't, just like every other YouTube reviewer.
> 
> This is starting to get ridiculous. Can't we all just talk about watches instead of getting all riled up over something that affects our lives 0%?


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## Mike Kilo Niner (Jan 7, 2018)

As for TGV... I love the guy. I don't always share his taste in watches, but I adore his enthusiasm. His joy at fiddling with watches is positively infectious, and I've found myself enjoying watching him unbox and gush over a watch I personally find hideous. Face it, gents (and ladies)... our shared hobby/obsession makes us all members of a pretty rare flock. No sense pecking at someone else over trifles.


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## Mike Kilo Niner (Jan 7, 2018)

papayaseed said:


> Feminine is only a negative when referring to a man, just as masculine would be taken as an insult by a woman. It is not misogyny.


Why is either a negative? Gender exists on a spectrum, and Mother Nature is queer (ha!) enough to make the distinction between sex not strictly clear cut either. Humanity is a wonderfully diverse, highly variable tribe. For example, I've even heard there's an odd little sub-culture of people on the Internet who gather on forums and Youtube and blogs to natter on about wristwatches, of all things. ;-)

Peace, love, and understanding, friend!


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## mojorison_75 (Apr 1, 2017)

Squatcho said:


>


Well played, Squatcho.

WUS BREAKING NEWS
Craziest thing, right after watching his trial, I found an exclusive TMZ video of TGV's final moments.

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE


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## X2-Elijah (Dec 25, 2009)

Filandro said:


> Do you people read any of what is written? Someone has the balls to push back on the best version of creating the least biased reviews (Consumer Reports) and another nitwit still uses 'femininine' as a negative. 32mm watches and the wrists that fit them are in the ladies category. That is a fact, and if they have feminine traits, why is anyone invoking feminine as a negative? It is a gawddam category of watch. TGV even shares some of his lady's watches!
> 
> 25 years of message boards and this is the biggest frigging joke I've seen yet!
> 
> ...


Straight up question then: are you one of those "youtube enemies" of TGV, posting here under a spare account to indirectly gloat? The way you're posting and some of the wording + youtubers you mention as "better*" is really odd.

*- federico, theo, archie.. exactly the ones who are beefing with TGV. Meanwhile no mention or apparently even awareness of the sane ones who aren't involved in this BS. Curious how your examples of excellence are neck-deep in the same sh**.


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## anrex (Jul 30, 2017)

mojorison_75 said:


> I heard TGV is a high ranking member of Al Qaeda and once smothered a puppy in front a group of orphans with Marmite.
> 
> For goodness sake, people, he's just a YouTube reviewer, not some guy selling Zima to cancer patients. Some people find him entertaining, some don't, just like every other YouTube reviewer.
> 
> This is starting to get ridiculous. Can't we all just talk about watches instead of getting all riled up over something that affects our lives 0%?


Well said. My two cents, it is all subjective. I find TGV as a great venue to watch, but I have been known to be bipolar, where I find AC3 as a great venue to watch. I just like being entertained and informed by YouTubers. But, at the end of the day, I can weigh-in enough to make my own opinion on a certain watch that is being highlighted by any YouTube channel.


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## amg786 (Jul 24, 2016)

Hhmmm, not entirely sold on his knowledge, length of videos are painful and that posh persona can get a little grating 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

This thread has now displayed the classic traits of the comment thread principle of _reductio ad ridiculum_, or the reduction to the silly, a form of Goodwin's Law.

What began with the simple question "Hey, does anyone know what happened to The Urban Gentry? He hasn't posted in a month." has devolved into a flame war portraying an English watch YouTuber as history's greatest monster, invoking the relationship of masculinity to wrist size, the purity of one's opinions and grown men yelling at each other about watches.

I apologize for my part in this. Maybe it's because in the U.S., it's either freezing outside or pouring down rain. For my part, if the rain breaks, I am going to head on over to Feldmar and try on watches. Have a nice weekend everyone!


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

And on cue ABTW posted an article about influencer marketing seems relevant to this thread.


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## RobMc (Dec 27, 2015)

So, in conclusion, the answer was; “He’s having legal issues.” Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## erebus (Jan 7, 2013)

I am no lawyer, but Copyright Law in the US is incredibly complicated and YouTube isn't exactly making things easier on YouTube creators trying to navigate the labyrinths and pitfalls at the intersection of Copyright Law and YouTube policy.

Here's an entertaining take that might educate some of those speculating about TGV's supposed Copyright freeze..."We Have Destroyed Copyright Law:"


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

RobMc said:


> So, in conclusion, the answer was; "He's having legal issues." Thanks!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Ha! Three days and 186 posts later.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

Independent George said:


> This thread has now displayed the classic traits of the comment thread principle of _reductio ad ridiculum_, or the reduction to the silly, a form of Goodwin's Law.
> 
> What began with the simple question "Hey, does anyone know what happened to The Urban Gentry? He hasn't posted in a month." has devolved into a flame war portraying an English watch YouTuber as history's greatest monster, invoking the relationship of masculinity to wrist size, the purity of one's opinions and grown men yelling at each other about watches.
> 
> I apologize for my part in this. Maybe it's because in the U.S., it's either freezing outside or pouring down rain. For my part, if the rain breaks, I am going to head on over to Feldmar and try on watches. Have a nice weekend everyone!


You have a good weekend too!


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## OmegaWave (Jan 8, 2018)

City74 said:


> If you want quality watch Watcfinder & Co or Watchbox. To me those are the best channels for watches. They only other watch channel I subscribe to is Federico. He owns a company and promotes it, as he should, and he knows watches. I don't always agree but that's ok. He seems like a decent dude and has some interesting views


I am always pretty flabbergasted that people fail to see through his highly transparent bogus. He actually advises you to buy; not what you want, but what HE believes OTHER people might like in the future! (Even writing it now, I can barely believe he actually said that!) So don't ever don't buy any newer brands like Baltic or Lorier, despite being absolutely in love with their models, because they are (according to Federico) total shiite, and something like Squale is even worthless! (Very odd considering what they sell for second hand.) [PS: if you didn't see the massive laser show painted in the sky, they sell directly so he can't sell those brands!] No, we better take Federicos's advice, (after all the pusher is always the most credible source about product, right?) forget all about what WE truly love, and rather buy the brands that Federico sells! Yeah, real luxury watches are the only good investments - and why would anyone buy a watch for other reasons than investment? Oh, and we all know they always come with zero risk and never cost more to service and maintain than what you'd ever make back from such investment, right?

So I'll let people argue forever over who's credible, sponsored, pretentious or whatever - at least TGV would never, ever tell you to buy anything but what you actually want. He will provide his opinion and very educated views but his passion always shines through and he's the first to admit the expensive errors that passion has caused.

Call it whatever you want, I call it real. I personally do not believe he was ever sponsored by any of those brands but the main point is that even if he was; he would never make me consider buying something unless I loved it!


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## bigclive2011 (Mar 17, 2013)

Never ceases to amaze me how people can be so easily convinced by you tube celebs or people on forums to buy watches that they end up not liking.

Use these resources as starting points to see if YOU actually like a watch, get some wrist time and then spend your hard earned $$$, an awful lot of watches look better on film than in the metal.

As the old saying goes one mans meat is another mans poison.


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## torquemada (Mar 20, 2010)

RobMc said:


> So, in conclusion, the answer was; "He's having legal issues." Thanks!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


is this a fact, or still an assumption?


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## JParanee (Oct 28, 2018)

I don’t know of all,the watch geeks out there I like TGV 

He’s quirky but like I mentioned he has good attention to detail. 

You can see how much his prouduction quality has improved over the last year or so 

Most guys with watch channels are going to have their quirks and mannerisms

I tried to watch the Theo videos and I find his persona a lot sillier


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## OmegaWave (Jan 8, 2018)

papayaseed said:


> He's an entertainer


An entertainer? He's a watch seller that blatantly tell whatever it takes to make you buy whatever he is pushing. His passion was never watches, just cash, like any other pusher.


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## Agent Sands (Feb 1, 2014)




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## Marcus_Corvus (Feb 5, 2016)

I dont mind, if they closed his youtube channel.
The guy is hypocrite, who stole many ideas from Archie Luxury.
At the beginning I really like Urbangentry, but after a while I realized how stupid his videos are.
This guy is a Walter Mitty of Watches.

As Archie explained in his last vudeo, it seems that he used images without permision and refused to remove the relevant video. So the image owner filed a complaint and his channel got closed.


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## Weetabix (Jun 10, 2018)

JParanee said:


> Most guys who take watches seriously are going to have their quirks and mannerisms


FIFY - I suspect I have quirks by people's reactions after they ask me an innocent question about a watch. ;-)

Sent from my SM-T710 using Tapatalk


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

Marcus_Corvus said:


> I dont mind, if they closed his youtube channel.
> The guy is hypocrite, who stole many ideas from Archie Luxury.
> At the beginning I really like Urbangentry, but after a while I realized how stupid his videos are.
> This guy is a Walter Mitty of Watches.
> ...


Yep, that's how an awful lot of people feel about his channel.


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## Earthjade (Jan 5, 2018)

I don't mind The Urban Gentry at all.
Never signed up to his Facebook groups or any of that stuff but whenever there is a video posted that interests me I'll watch it in the background. The only other Youtube Channel I'll probably watch as much is Just One More Watch.
I don't understand the hate for TGV - I think it's mainly guys with nothing better to do that are trying to make names for themselves? But the difference is TGV spends the time, effort and money to make his videos which is a damn sight harder than complaining about him on forums.

I think about it like this: if any of the people complaining about TGV or talking about how much they hate him were to make their own Youtube watch channel?
It would probably be ****.
So if you can't do something better than a guy you complain about, then he deserves some credit.


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## dan360 (Jun 3, 2012)

AC3 is an outlandish loudmouth character that some people believe to be real, and are a mark for it enough to hate Paul Pluta, the man behind the character. Professional wrestling working heel genius.

TGV is a subdued gentlemanly character that some people believe to be real, and are a mark for it enough to defend Tristano XXX, the man behind the character. Professional wrestling working babyface genius. I suppose the difference could be TGV believing his own hype ala the Goldberg affliction if you will. Add in a dash or two of overly smarmy pseudo-shilling and you get the haterade flowin' down the mountain ala the John Cena affliction. 

I think they're both hilarious, but in different ways.


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## DustinS (Nov 3, 2013)

OmegaWave said:


> An entertainer? He's a watch seller that blatantly tell whatever it takes to make you buy whatever he is pushing. His passion was never watches, just cash, like any other pusher.


This....the guy knows almost nothing about watches. He is seriously one of the worst youtubers when it comes to how blatantly he's trying to sell people crap. He's also just creep as hell!


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## sleepyhead123 (Jun 2, 2014)

Dang, there's quite a bit of hate for this guy isn't there? I don't get how people can get so angry and upset about someone on the internets. I mean, if you don't like them, that's one thing. But did this guy insult you? Or harmed you in some way? Or beat your other favorite youtuber (like how people hate the team that beat theirs)? He's not my cup of tea, but I can't think of what he would do to get me to think of hating him.

I don't know where he went. I only look at his videos if youtube recommends and it looks interesting. Nothing in the videos I've seen strike me as something that would cause copyright issues other than the actual use of specific items in his shots like the watches themselves.


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## irate.alien (Sep 3, 2017)

In my head I just hear Archie (also insane and shady but knowledgable) screaming SQUALEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## MisterV (Nov 30, 2016)

Uh-oh, discussion on Youtubers raising a mini fecal storm as usual.

Actually could it be that he's been hit with one of those [censored] copyright troll claims? Seems to be a huge wave of them nowadays. Anyone could be hit for using a piece of classical music or so even.


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## Marcus_Corvus (Feb 5, 2016)

For people who wonder why there is so much hate for TGV:

This guy is a backstabing rat, who let many people who worked with him down.
For example Archie and Frederico

His channel is there to sell low quality stuff and promoting watch brands.
In his FB group everyone who has a different oppinion, for example regarding Seiko is banned.


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## Bugster (Jan 3, 2018)

Think he’s ok and hope he comes back soon. Personally I find the recent shift of YouTube bloggers taking up the Rolex fan boy mantle a bigger problem than TGV saying nice things about micro brands.


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## craigr812 (Mar 4, 2018)

Shortcut to reading 20 pages worth of the same comments:

1) TGV is a scam artist/jerk
2) TGV is a scam artist/jerk but you don't have to watch
3) TGV has good quality videos, but I don't always agree with everything
4) TGV gets people interested in the hobby and I enjoy his videos/think he's ok
5) TGV is just trying to make money and pushes anything for that sole purpose
5) AC3
6) Copyright issues
7) "Insert unnecessary/troll comment here"


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## Agent Sands (Feb 1, 2014)

craigr812 said:


> Shortcut to reading 20 pages worth of the same comments:
> 
> 1) TGV is a scam artist/jerk
> 2) TGV is a scam artist/jerk but you don't have to watch
> ...


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## SSK877 (Oct 19, 2017)

craigr812 said:


> Shortcut to reading 20 pages worth of the same comments:
> 
> 1) TGV is a scam artist/jerk
> 2) TGV is a scam artist/jerk but you don't have to watch
> ...


I wish I'd read this post before starting at page 1....:roll:


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## mkws (May 11, 2014)

Earthjade said:


> I don't mind The Urban Gentry at all.
> Never signed up to his Facebook groups or any of that stuff but whenever there is a video posted that interests me I'll watch it in the background. The only other Youtube Channel I'll probably watch as much is Just One More Watch.
> I don't understand the hate for TGV - I think it's mainly guys with nothing better to do that are trying to make names for themselves? But the difference is TGV spends the time, effort and money to make his videos which is a damn sight harder than complaining about him on forums.
> 
> ...


Just One More Watch is OK. The guy keeps confusing the terms "chronograph" and "chronometer", but that's probably the only annoying thing about his videos that I can think of.

As to complaining while not being able to make something better... This is about the worst argument in defense of anything or anyone that can be brought up in a discussion. Just that someone complains about the looks, build quality and handling of a Yugo, while not being able to build a better car himself, doesn't mean that the Yugo isn't rubbish or that he/she has no right to criticize it. It has rubbish looks, rubbish build quality, rubbish acceleration, a rubbish gearbox, and rubbish handling. It is rubbish, and that the driver can't build a better car in his shed won't make the Yugo a Beemer or a Merc. It will still be a pile of garbage on wheels. That said, Yugo deserves no credit...and neither does TGV.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

He is just awful, and to steal someone else's content is just shameful. And if he didn't, why no word from him on insta or anywhere else explaining this?


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## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

papayaseed said:


> He is just awful, and to steal someone else's content is just shameful. And if he didn't, why no word from him on insta or anywhere else explaining this?


If there are actual legal actions taking place, he is best served keeping mum and letting the courts/lawyers sort it out. Comment on it after. Same reason any other company declines to comment on any ongoing/unresolved legal matter.


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## Marcus_Corvus (Feb 5, 2016)

A decent person would have just removed the video, but he refused to do it, when the image owner requested it from him.

So now he gets what he deserves for his snobish and arogant behaviour.


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## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

Marcus_Corvus said:


> A decent person would have just removed the video, but he refused to do it, when the image owner requested it from him.
> 
> So now he gets what he deserves for his snobish and arogant behaviour.


That assumes it was actually the owner of whatever the content was and not someone with a bone to pick with TGV pretending to be the owner to get him shut down.

How does AC3 seem to have all of the details on what's going on if TGV hasn't posted anything publicly and he and TGV are incommunicado?


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## Marcus_Corvus (Feb 5, 2016)

MX793 said:


> Marcus_Corvus said:
> 
> 
> > A decent person would have just removed the video, but he refused to do it, when the image owner requested it from him.
> ...


Probably who has some knowledge whats going on, shared this information with AC3.

And Archie is a pretty honest guy, despite the persona he playes in his videos.


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## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

Marcus_Corvus said:


> Probably who has some knowledge whats going on, shared this information with AC3.
> 
> And Archie is a pretty honest guy, despite the persona he playes in his videos.


You know him personally?


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

300,000 subscribers and he was never verified.


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## X2-Elijah (Dec 25, 2009)

Marcus_Corvus said:


> And Archie is a pretty honest guy, despite the persona he playes in his videos.


Riiiight.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

MX793 said:


> If there are actual legal actions taking place, he is best served keeping mum and letting the courts/lawyers sort it out. Comment on it after. Same reason any other company declines to comment on any ongoing/unresolved legal matter.


It's not real legal action in court but penalties enacted by Youtube (who he is entirely dependent on). If they were a number of complaints deemed justified, Youtube will either suspend monetization on a channel or prevent them from being able to post at all.


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## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

papayaseed said:


> It's not real legal action in court but penalties enacted by Youtube (who he is entirely dependent on). If they were a number of complaints deemed justified, Youtube will either suspend monetization on a channel or prevent them from being able to post at all.


And you don't think someone whose livelihood was tied to their channel wouldn't take legal action if they deemed it necessary to get their channel turned back on if they thought it was a bogus claim? Or perhaps besides having his channel shut down, the offended party is also suing him outside of YouTube for copyright infringement? We don't know. It's all speculation at this point.


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## 001 (Sep 10, 2016)

MX793 said:


> And you don't think someone whose livelihood was tied to their channel wouldn't take legal action if they deemed it necessary to get their channel turned back on if they thought it was a bogus claim? Or perhaps besides having his channel shut down, the offended party is also suing him outside of YouTube for copyright infringement? We don't know. It's all speculation at this point.


And you think Google, with their massive team of lawyers, would be easy to fight against? And that they wouldnt have incorporated their ToS properly.

Its like suing the moderators of this forum when they ban someone.


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## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

001 said:


> And you think Google, with their massive team of lawyers, would be easy to fight against? And that they wouldnt have incorporated their ToS properly.
> 
> Its like suing the moderators of this forum when they ban someone.


Who said he was suing Google/YouTube? Engaging a lawyer doesn't mean a suit has been filed.


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## vanilla.coffee (Feb 27, 2011)

I must say - if the rumours of copyright guff is true, AC3 must be getting insider knowledge which suggests a rat in UG's kitchen. 
If it's not true and the UG genuinely has a family issue that he's dealing with then AC3 has been fed disinformation and has been set up. 
I should imagine the pair of them are reading this thread - it will be intriguing to see how this all crinkles out. 

I blame Grobnob


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## ErzengelG (Jun 17, 2018)

Some of you are talking about watch youtubers and their beefs, like teenagers fight over a beef between Justin Bieber and his ex. I don't know the actual teenie stars, so replace Justin Bieber with any relevant current teenie pop star.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

ErzengelG said:


> Some of you are talking about watch youtubers and their beefs, like teenagers fight over a beef between Justin Bieber and his ex. I don't know the actual teenie stars, so replace Justin Bieber with any relevant current teenie pop star.


Arianna Grande


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## Independent George (Sep 10, 2018)

papayaseed said:


> 300,000 subscribers and he was never verified.


His subscriber base seemed to have blown up recently.

I could have sworn he was at 50K in Septmeber. Maybe he had more.

But 300K for a watch vlogger?


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## Dufresne (Dec 20, 2012)

papayaseed said:


> 300,000 subscribers and he was never verified.


I don't know much about YouTube works. What's the significance of not being "verified" and how does that relate to the size of the channel's subscriber base? Thanks!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Marcus_Corvus (Feb 5, 2016)

Independent George said:


> papayaseed said:
> 
> 
> > 300,000 subscribers and he was never verified.
> ...


There is a rumor he is buying Youtube subscribers. I wouldnt be surprised.


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## RobMc (Dec 27, 2015)

I believe being “verified” is something like entering into a partnership with YouTube. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Weetabix (Jun 10, 2018)

T1meout said:


> Talk about rubbing it in.


That guy is like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk


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## Jasemh (Jan 1, 2019)

papayaseed said:


> Archieluxury


What an annoying bloke he is

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## lawtaxi (Feb 9, 2018)

I think his T Rex puppet ate him.


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## BevHillsTrainer (Aug 7, 2015)

It seems like YouTube is on some kind of mission, vloggers in other industries have recently lost channels as well. Apparently they can change the requirements so that videos from years ago that were ok may now be suspect. Rather than a warning, you get a strike. Three strikes in 90 days and you are done. That being said some people have gotten their channels back.


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## vanilla.coffee (Feb 27, 2011)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## T1meout (Sep 27, 2013)

Aha, that explains a lot. Gerald is somewhat of an authority on vintage Grand Seiko. At a certain time he boasted one of the largest vintage GS collections in the world. That is until he decided to put it all up for sale. He is a sublime watch photographer. The Urban Gentry messed with the wrong person.
Here's a link to his online store https://thegrandseikoguy.com/ (NO AFFILIATION!)
He used to have a splendid watch photography blog as well, from which he's sadly removed all contents. It was a nice body of work.


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## sleepyhead123 (Jun 2, 2014)

BevHillsTrainer said:


> It seems like YouTube is on some kind of mission, vloggers in other industries have recently lost channels as well. *Apparently they can change the requirements so that videos from years ago that were ok may now be suspect. Rather than a warning, you get a strike. Three strikes in 90 days and you are done. * That being said some people have gotten their channels back.


I think people need to remember that the right to free speech in the US is a right to stop the government from banning your speech. It does not pertain to a private company choosing to ban someone for some reason on their platform. In that sense it does not surprise me that they can make new rules apply to old videos. Which makes since if you think about it. I mean, the reason why you make the rule is to correct something that is not considered right at this time. It's hard to recall cars, but there is little cost in recalling data on a server.


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## Marcus_Corvus (Feb 5, 2016)

lawtaxi said:


> I think his T Rex puppet ate him.


Haha this is gold.


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## Michael Fox Jr. (Nov 13, 2018)

sleepyhead123 said:


> Dang, there's quite a bit of hate for this guy isn't there? I don't get how people can get so angry and upset about someone on the internets. I mean, if you don't like them, that's one thing. But did this guy insult you? Or harmed you in some way? Or beat your other favorite youtuber (like how people hate the team that beat theirs)?


Exactly. I don't understand the hate here and amongst the youtubers and fans. What happened to being a gentleman and treating each others with respect?

That Archie guy is atrocious. I don't understand insulting videos like that can remain, and yet another one with a bit of "copyright" issue can be banned. Not to mention, you can find p0rn and copies of entire movies in youtube. Copyright? Rules? Yeah right...


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## erebus (Jan 7, 2013)

Intellectual Property owned by someone else and posted on YouTube by a third party often remains up because it's frequently in the Rights Holder's interest to leave it up. The original IP owner can often make money off it once they flag it as their own and monetize it. 

So that is the simple explanation why not all IP is immediately scrubbed from YouTube at upload. If that was their policy, there would be no YouTube at all.


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## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

vanilla.coffee said:


> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That certainly sheds some light on it. I wonder if Mr. Donovan first contacted TGV and asked for the content to be taken down and TGV refused, or if he went straight to the "report" button. If the former, I'd say TGV got exactly what he deserved and, frankly, he doesn't deserve a channel.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

Michael Foxtrot Jr. said:


> Exactly. I don't understand the hate here and amongst the youtubers and fans. What happened to being a gentleman and treating each others with respect?
> 
> That Archie guy is atrocious. I don't understand insulting videos like that can remain, and yet another one with a bit of "copyright" issue can be banned. Not to mention, you can find p0rn and copies of entire movies in youtube. Copyright? Rules? Yeah right...


Monetized channels are a completely different thing.


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## Earthjade (Jan 5, 2018)

MX793 said:


> If the former, I'd say TGV got exactly what he deserved and, frankly, he doesn't deserve a channel.


"Doesn't deserve a channel". Oh, come on.
I wish some of you people could hear your own lines spoken back to you.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

Earthjade said:


> "Doesn't deserve a channel". Oh, come on.
> I wish some of you people could hear your own lines spoken back to you.


He stole intellectual property, if you put your livelihood in something and someone else uses it without credit you would understand


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## DustinS (Nov 3, 2013)

sleepyhead123 said:


> Dang, there's quite a bit of hate for this guy isn't there? I don't get how people can get so angry and upset about someone on the internets. I mean, if you don't like them, that's one thing. But did this guy insult you? Or harmed you in some way? Or beat your other favorite youtuber (like how people hate the team that beat theirs)? He's not my cup of tea, but I can't think of what he would do to get me to think of hating him.
> 
> I don't know where he went. I only look at his videos if youtube recommends and it looks interesting. Nothing in the videos I've seen strike me as something that would cause copyright issues other than the actual use of specific items in his shots like the watches themselves.


Well, he's created a platform where he claims to be knowledgeable about something he has only elementary knowledge of. He then creates a following who think incorrectly they're getting quality advice from. Up to this point nobody is really harmed, but then he monetizes people's trust by pushing products. Now while I don't dig deep into his videos, that's the impression I'm getting. Profiting off false information should be hated.


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## Earthjade (Jan 5, 2018)

papayaseed said:


> He stole intellectual property, if you put your livelihood in something and someone else uses it without credit you would understand


You mean like how I've stolen The Scream for my profile image and you've stolen a photo that someone took of a watch movement for yours?
Maybe we all shouldn't deserve a forum account for our thievery. I'm not defending IP theft but something about glass houses and stones from the self-righteous brigade in this thread.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

Earthjade said:


> You mean like how I've stolen The Scream for my profile image and you've stolen a photo that someone took of a watch movement for yours?
> Maybe we all shouldn't deserve a forum account for our thievery. I'm not defending IP theft but something about glass houses and stones from the self-righteous brigade in this thread.


The big difference is that he used it as part of a video that he profits from.


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## Earthjade (Jan 5, 2018)

So theft for no profit is OK but theft for profit is bad. Whew, glad this whole issue has been sorted out and that our brand of thieving is different and allows us to condemn others.
So to confirm, we are good people and this TGV guy is bad because he is a thief, but we're not. (Well, we are, but we are good and honest thieves - with principles.)


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## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

Earthjade said:


> "Doesn't deserve a channel". Oh, come on.
> I wish some of you people could hear your own lines spoken back to you.


If the owner of the IP came to TGV first and politely asked him to remove the copyrighted content and TGV said "piss off", prompting the owner to have to file a formal complaint with YouTube, TGV's not the "gentlemen" he likes to portray himself to be and he doesn't deserve a channel. He stole somebody else's IP to use on his monetized video. That's wrong. Period. He needs to abide by the copyright holder's wishes, be it compensating the copyright holder with royalties (if they are amicable to that arrangement) or take it down if that's what the IP owner demands.

Now, if the IP owner went straight to the "report" button, I think TGV deserves and chance to apologize, make it right with the IP owner, learn from his mistake, and carry on.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

Earthjade said:


> So theft for no profit is OK but theft for profit is bad. Whew, glad this whole issue has been sorted out and that our brand of thieving is different and allows us to condemn others.
> So to confirm, we are good people and this TGV guy is bad because he is a thief, but we're not. (Well, we are, but we are good and honest thieves - with principles.)


Try selling copies of the Scream and then we can compare.


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## RobMc (Dec 27, 2015)

There are 2 types of threads. Fact threads, and opinion threads. 

Opinion threads are started with the intention of getting an opinion. “What’s the best moon-phase, gmt, chrono under 500.00, but not over 498.00?” 

Then there’s fact threads. Threads asking a question with a definitive answer. “What years was such and such caliber made?”

I started this thread asking for a fact; Why hasn’t The Urban Gentry posted new videos in a month? However, it’s descended into a baseless, combative opinion post. 

Can a moderator please lock this thread. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## MX793 (Dec 7, 2017)

Earthjade said:


> You mean like how I've stolen The Scream for my profile image and you've stolen a photo that someone took of a watch movement for yours?
> Maybe we all shouldn't deserve a forum account for our thievery. I'm not defending IP theft but something about glass houses and stones from the self-righteous brigade in this thread.


Any copyright on the Scream is long expired.

And it's not just that he took someone's copyrighted material. Yeah, (and I'm certainly guilty of it myself, though not in any way that was monetized), people on the internet routinely grab other people's copyrighted works. Often I think in ignorance, or under the assumption that what they've taken is public domain. I believe that under those circumstances, the offenders deserve the opportunity to make it right (like taking it down per the owner's demands, or paying royalties, or whatever agreement is reached between parties). It's how people respond when the copyright holder notifies them and asks them to either remove it or pay royalties that makes the difference.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

RobMc said:


> There are 2 types of threads. Fact threads, and opinion threads.
> 
> Opinion threads are started with the intention of getting an opinion. "What's the best moon-phase, gmt, chrono under 500.00, but not over 498.00?"
> 
> ...


You have your factual answer now


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

RobMc said:


> There are 2 types of threads. Fact threads, and opinion threads.
> 
> Opinion threads are started with the intention of getting an opinion. "What's the best moon-phase, gmt, chrono under 500.00, but not over 498.00?"
> 
> ...


Well we finally got proof that it was in fact related to copyrighted theft of Grand Seiko images taken by Gerald Donovan.


__
http://instagr.am/p/BroOaL3A9Kz/


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## Marcus_Corvus (Feb 5, 2016)

MX793 said:


> Earthjade said:
> 
> 
> > "Doesn't deserve a channel". Oh, come on.
> ...


Judging by TGVs behaviour "behind the scenes", this is most likely what happened.


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## LosAngelesTimer (Aug 24, 2017)

Marcus_Corvus said:


> Judging by TGVs behaviour "behind the scenes", this is most likely what happened.


And your insight into his "behind the scenes" behavior is firsthand or through some sort of adolescent internet rumor mill?


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## Marcus_Corvus (Feb 5, 2016)

LosAngelesTimer said:


> Marcus_Corvus said:
> 
> 
> > Judging by TGVs behaviour "behind the scenes", this is most likely what happened.
> ...


There are many videos on Youtube about his former friends, who expirienced TGVs "gentlemanly" behaviour first hand.

You can also see it in his FB group, where people are banned for expressing a different oppinion.


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## LosAngelesTimer (Aug 24, 2017)

I'm not defending TGV - I see positives and negatives in his content and persona - but this hanging in the court of public opinion reminds us that small minded people are often too eager to jump to conclusions and reach for the torches and pitchforks.


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## Marcus_Corvus (Feb 5, 2016)

It is also interesting to read the comments on Geralds Instsgram, it seems that TGV made him really angry.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

LosAngelesTimer said:


> I'm not defending TGV - I see positives and negatives in his content and persona - but this hanging in the court of public opinion reminds us that small minded people are often too eager to jump to conclusions and reach for the torches and pitchforks.


Less intelligent people jump to conclusions because they cannot comprehend that there may be other possibilities.


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## sunmoonstar.13 (Dec 26, 2018)

More from Gerald Donovan. Make of it what you will.

*Admin Note:* 3. Private Messages (PM), along with other private correspondence, are not to be posted to the open forum without the permission of their original authors. If someone is concerned about the content of a PM that they receive, they should report it to the Moderators who will consider what action is to be taken.


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## erebus (Jan 7, 2013)

Honestly, I hope both parties resolve it amicably and TGV's YouTube channel doesn't get shut down or anything more drastic. There shouldn't be a need for either to "lawyer up"...the amount of money on the line is just not worth it and there's no point in trying to set some sort of legal precedent since IP Law is case by case. 

If his channel goes down for real, that would be a net loss for the watch collector community I suspect (despite some of the vitriol directed towards his channel here).


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## mleok (Feb 16, 2010)

sunmoonstar.13 said:


> More from Gerald Donovan. Make of it what you will.
> 
> View attachment 13862103


It looks like this it related to the Grand Seiko photos on Gerald Donovan's IG. I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think TGV's usage constitutes fair use of these photos.


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## Mathew J (Oct 18, 2006)

Archie is lowbrow reality TV style BS....it gets old fast but at least as others have said he isn't pretending to be high society...

The Urban Gentry was just brutal...I could get through maybe a few minutes and then it would be eye-roll city....gawd. 

Its a shame that there aren't more dynamic personalities, or even just plain boring ones with factual info which opt to share reviews on YouTube..


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## mav (Jan 25, 2008)

I have no clue about how IP law works for social media. That said, the Urban Gentry dude stole from the wrong angry guy, who is out to aggressively defend his IP and work, which is his prerogative and probably within the letter of the law presumably.

Seems to me that no one really wins here.


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## dcJohn (Jan 24, 2019)

I find him to be actually quite unpretentious and in fact he abhors snobbery in the watch world.


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## Ticktocker (Oct 27, 2009)

Pretty interesting....... 26 pages (so far) of desk pounding pro and con about a load-in-the-pants guy that talks about watches on the internet. I'm sure he is amused and pleased that so many people are affected by his stuff.


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## sleepyhead123 (Jun 2, 2014)

Mathew J said:


> *Archie is lowbrow reality TV style BS....it gets old fast but at least as others have said he isn't pretending to be high society...*
> 
> The Urban Gentry was just brutal...I could get through maybe a few minutes and then it would be eye-roll city....gawd.
> 
> Its a shame that there aren't more dynamic personalities, or even just plain boring ones with factual info which opt to share reviews on YouTube..


To be fair, is it okay that Archie pretends to be as low brow as he appears on the videos? All these guys adopt a different persona on the internets. If everyone acted exactly as they did in real life as on the internets, youtube would have a lot less videos.


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## icewave (Feb 4, 2019)

While I understand why some people might not like TGV, I still don't get why people genuinely hate on him. Before he got so popular on YouTube, all you could find while searching for "men watches" were vloggers promoting fashion watches like DW. Most of the people who review automatic watches still don't understand how YouTube works and never invested in proper recording equipment. He is one of the few ones who can bring more people into this hobby and I think people should respect that more. Without him, more people would have a MVMT piece on their wrist instead of a Seiko 5. The big and reputable brands themselves didn't adapt fast enough to the newest trends and they failed to get the attention of the young people. People who know a thing or two about watches are sharing wrist shots on forums, not getting their knowledge outside to the ones unaware of the beauty of this hobby. So give the man some credit, even if you don't like his style/don't agree with his opinions.

That being said, people should mind their own business if they don't have anything constructive to bring to the table. Law and copyright issues are something content creators should be familiar with already, no reason to gossip about it (I'm not supporting unfair use of content, but I think TGV will suffer the consequences if he's guilty). 

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk


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## Earthjade (Jan 5, 2018)

icewave said:


> While I understand why some people might not like TGV, I still don't get why people genuinely hate on him.


This genuine hate thing is beyond my understanding as well. Apparently, if you push someone about the reasons for the hate, it seems to be "he's a paid shill" or "he's not really an aristocrat" or "his draconian mods exclude people from speaking freely on his Facebook page" or "he treated Mr. Y really badly by... not talking to him anymore?" 
All weak excuses and out of proportion of the vitriol he receives in return. And somehow - Archie Luxury is OK (my brain isn't flexible enough to get around that kind of mental gymnastics).
It's not my preference to defend TGV but this hatred is really getting at my sense of common decency. It's the old "if you don't have anything nice to say..."

And like I mentioned earlier - all those people that hate on TGV with such fervour - you have to wonder how they conduct themselves in other aspects of their life. My guess is less than flattering.


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## Michael Fox Jr. (Nov 13, 2018)

papayaseed said:


> The big difference is that he used it as part of a video that he profits from.


Let's see... "Homage" watches:
1. Copying design elements from others - Yes!
2. Doing so to make a profit - Yes!

Now where's the ban hammer? ;-)



RobMc said:


> Can a moderator please lock this thread.


I second that. The thread question has been answered. Although the exact details of his absence may never be known, I think we should let it go and not resort to speculations and gossips. If this thread is let open, it will just be going around in circles for arguments and spinning off topic further in an already off topic thread.

Please close the thread, thank you.


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## Earthjade (Jan 5, 2018)

I've said my bit. The haters are going to hate.


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## 6R15 (Mar 3, 2015)

Earthjade said:


> You mean like how I've stolen The Scream for my profile image


Copyright law is law, and The Scream falls under public domain. What's next, justifying replica Rolexes?


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## Earthjade (Jan 5, 2018)

Perhaps, but not that particular image of it. Because, it was taken by a photographer in the modern era. The mere action of taking a photo, even of a public domain property, ensures it is covered by copyright for the photographer under the conditions of the Berne Convention that nations have agreed to enact locally in their own laws.


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## DustinS (Nov 3, 2013)

sleepyhead123 said:


> To be fair, is it okay that Archie pretends to be as low brow as he appears on the videos? All these guys adopt a different persona on the internets. If everyone acted exactly as they did in real life as on the internets, youtube would have a lot less videos.


Paul is very open with he is a method actor who plays the character Archie.


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## DustinS (Nov 3, 2013)

Earthjade said:


> This genuine hate thing is beyond my understanding as well. Apparently, if you push someone about the reasons for the hate, it seems to be "he's a paid shill" or "he's not really an aristocrat" or "his draconian mods exclude people from speaking freely on his Facebook page" or "he treated Mr. Y really badly by... not talking to him anymore?"
> All weak excuses and out of proportion of the vitriol he receives in return. And somehow - Archie Luxury is OK (my brain isn't flexible enough to get around that kind of mental gymnastics).
> It's not my preference to defend TGV but this hatred is really getting at my sense of common decency. It's the old "if you don't have anything nice to say..."
> 
> And like I mentioned earlier - all those people that hate on TGV with such fervour - you have to wonder how they conduct themselves in other aspects of their life. My guess is less than flattering.


Beyond that i think he's actively putting out misinformation with the intent to get people to buy low quality products...

He created a very easy to hate character. If you intentionally market yourself as someone that people are going to hate, well it's by design. Some people might like the character, but you have to realize and I'm sure he did to that his character is going to rub people the wrong way. You show up at a redsox game in a yankee t shirt you'll get hate. He brought a chalk board with him and won't stop scratching it just for good measure.


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## Adventureman (Sep 5, 2018)

There was a video where he showed behind the scenes of making a watch review. I think it was about the Grand Seiko and this behind the scenes video is gone as well.

Too bad because there is a lot of work that goes into his reviews which can take a week to complete. And the reviews are certainly a nice change from the average Youtube reviewer.

I would like see the haters here make their own review videos and built a channel with 300K subscribers. And share it here for us to critique.


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## Earthjade (Jan 5, 2018)

DustinS said:


> Beyond that i think he's actively putting out misinformation with the intent to get people to buy low quality products...


I don't get this. What misinformation? What low quality products? 
If he's a shill I'd like to know what he shills as he's reviewed so many watches over the years he's been on Youtube. Is he getting a kickback for all the reviews?
The only brand i can think of that he could be accused of shilling would be Squale (but I can assure you it isn't a low quality product from the 1521 model upwards). He loves Seiko as well but you'd be stupid to think he was shilling that considering how much love Seiko gets in the WIS community by default.

If anything, I'd have a beef with these forums before I would with TGV on shilling low-quality products.
TGV has been very much silent on Steinhart but these forums can't get enough of the brand. Early on in my watch collecting i bought into the hype and bought one that I now regret doing (balance wheel broke within a week of normal use and customer service was like teeth-pulling).


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## X2-Elijah (Dec 25, 2009)

DustinS said:


> Paul is very open with he is a method actor who plays the character Archie.


BS. That's just an excuse.


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## Gerald_D (Feb 18, 2007)

MX793 said:


> If the owner of the IP came to TGV first and politely asked him to remove the copyrighted content and TGV said "piss off", prompting the owner to have to file a formal complaint with YouTube, TGV's not the "gentlemen" he likes to portray himself to be and he doesn't deserve a channel. He stole somebody else's IP to use on his monetized video. That's wrong. Period. He needs to abide by the copyright holder's wishes, be it compensating the copyright holder with royalties (if they are amicable to that arrangement) or take it down if that's what the IP owner demands.
> 
> Now, if the IP owner went straight to the "report" button, I think TGV deserves and chance to apologize, make it right with the IP owner, learn from his mistake, and carry on.


Hello!

IP owner here.

I contacted Tristano G. Veneto ("TGV") requesting that he remove the offending copyrighted images from his videos. He refused to do so, saying that he would "credit" me for using my intellectual property.

"Credit" doesn't put food in my cat's bowl.

So I filed DMCA takedown requests with YouTube.

And now, I will read the rest of the comments...

Kind regards,

Gerald.


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## Gerald_D (Feb 18, 2007)

sunmoonstar.13 said:


> More from Gerald Donovan. Make of it what you will.
> 
> View attachment 13862103


Good to see that private messages are fair game for wider publication.

Well over 10 days have passed since I challenged the fair use claim. The videos have not yet been reinstated.

Make of that what you will.


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## Bugster (Jan 3, 2018)

I know the watch community can be pathetic in many ways. 

All this has done nothing but reinforce that view.


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## Gerald_D (Feb 18, 2007)

Adventureman said:


> There was a video where he showed behind the scenes of making a watch review. I think it was about the Grand Seiko and this behind the scenes video is gone as well.
> 
> Too bad because there is a lot of work that goes into his reviews which can take a week to complete. And the reviews are certainly a nice change from the average Youtube reviewer.
> 
> I would like see the haters here make their own review videos and built a channel with 300K subscribers. And share it here for us to critique.


Just a couple of summary points to make that I think make most sense in a response to this post. Not directly aiming the below at you, and it is not intended as a criticism of your post, but more to provide some clarity on exactly what has occurred here.

Firstly, I had never even heard of Tristano before this happened. Someone else whose intellectual property rights had been infringed in one of the videos contacted me to say he had seen several of my images also used.

I watched the video.

I contacted Tristano to ask him to remove my work from his video. No response.

I then watched two further videos on his channel, and lo and behold, they too infringed my IP rights, so I filed DMCA takedowns against them all.

Then, after YouTube had taken down the first video, he emailed me.

There is no privacy disclaimer in his email signature, so I will freely quote excerpts from it (even if there was a privacy disclaimer in his email signature, it would have no standing in law, but I would have respected it and note quoted verbatim) -

_3. Private Messages (PM), along with other private correspondence, are not to be posted to the open forum without the permission of their original authors. If someone is concerned about the content of a PM that they receive, they should report it to the Moderators who will consider what action is to be taken. -Admin._

Now, just to point something out there. Whether or not you believe he found my images "on a variety of sites uncredited" is entirely up to the individual to decide whether or not they believe him. I know what I think. Let me explain...

If you do a Google search for almost any vintage Grand Seiko with the text (no quotes needed) "Grand Seiko" then followed by the model number, my site is the first hit that comes up.

Also, if you do a Google _image _search for almost any vintage Grand Seiko with the above mentioned search context, you will find my images in the first few results (or indeed the first result) on almost every single occasion. And Google note the site the image originated from _directly below the image_. And of course, if you click on the image, you are taken to the site.

Why is this the case? Because it would appear that Google are _very_ good at tracking an image back to its source, and it would seem that their algorithm ensures that when they rank the results of an image search, the original source for the image generally comes before any sites on which it is duplicated.

I challenge anyone to find a single instance of an image on my site (it's commercial, so I can't link to it, but I'm sure many will know where it is) that when you do a Google image search for that model reference, the image from my site is presented after the identical image found on another site.

And even if we are to believe Tristano's claims, then there is a further obvious question -

If the video series was made in collaboration with Grand Seiko of Japan, then why not check with them on the source of the content that he "found" via Google image searches? In fact, if it was made in collaboration with Grand Seiko of Japan, why not _get them to provide the content he required_?

_<removed in accordance with our rule 3.>_

Well, as I stated earlier, I don't create my images for someone to commercially take advantage of them in a (presumably) paid-for video and offer me "credit".

You are absolutely correct that Tristano G Veneto puts a lot of work into the production of his videos, and as he stated in the "making of" video, sometimes it can take up to a week.

But ask yourself this question -

If he actually had to create for himself all the content that he uses in his videos, how much more work do you think it would be for him?

All he had to do to fix this in a "gentlemanly" manner was edit my work out of his video and re-upload it. He chose not to do that.

Kind regards,

Gerald.


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## 001 (Sep 10, 2016)

Gerald_D said:


> Hello!
> 
> IP owner here.
> 
> ...


And thats all that needs to be said.

Good luck with the legal battle.


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## Marcus_Corvus (Feb 5, 2016)

Thank you for the detailed explanation Gerald. You did the right thing!


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## arogle1stus (May 23, 2013)

WUSers:

There's always Archie Luxury (Paul Pluta i.e.) if haven't been
offended in awhile!!!

X Traindriver Art


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## Dukie (Oct 18, 2016)

Wouldn't it be easier to ask for a reasonable royalty for the usage of your images? I could imagine that he isn't familiar how to deal with professional photographers. I work as a print journalist and it happens from time to time that somebody violates copyrights without knowing and then some money solves the problem. People make mistakes.


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## Gerald_D (Feb 18, 2007)

Dukie said:


> Wouldn't it be easier to ask for a reasonable royalty for the usage of your images? I could imagine that he isn't familiar how to deal with professional photographers. I work as a print journalist and it happens from time to time that somebody violates copyrights without knowing and then some money solves the problem. People make mistakes.


Hi -

I don't create images for them to be used in sponsored videos like this one.

Kind regards,

Gerald.


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## simon aus (Jan 26, 2012)

if i walked out of the supermarket and couldn't find my car, would it be ok if i just took someone else's car..??
perhaps i could tell myself "thats ok, i'll look after whose ever car it is, that i decide to take. i don't need to check with the owner, i'm sure it will be ok, my intentions are honourable.."
or i could say "they're not standing next to their car to ask for permission if i can take it, so it must mean it's just fine for me to take it, without even bothering to look for them to ask for permission."

c'mon 
theft is theft.
someone with such a strong online presence would know this.
and if you didn't know whose it was, SIMPLE, don't take it. 
IT IS that simple.

as a sidenote.
i like his vids
i'll keep watching them for content.
only my perception of the person behind them has changed.
yep, i'll still keep watching.
it's entertainment, just like this thread is to a certain degree.

and we're still not even getting to the point of the "owner" has the right to decide how and why his property is used.
he can say no, and give no reason at all if he chooses.

gotta go, i just noticed the neighbour i don't know up the street has a bigger tv than me, that he's not watching at the moment..
no one is home, so i figure it's ok to just go and take it. i'm not hurting anyone by taking it, so it must be ok..


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## simon aus (Jan 26, 2012)

hats off to you, for standing up for your property.



Gerald_D said:


> Hi -
> 
> I don't create images for them to be used in sponsored videos like this one.
> 
> ...


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## Filandro (Mar 3, 2018)

The best thing about this thread is the utter refusal of many to accept that taking someone else's property is theft.

We justify the theft; we argue and push back on the victim, and we hem and haw. Penalties are absurd to many. WOW. 

Steal something and once you're aware (ignorance of law is not an excuse) you have a tiny window of hope at the graciousness of the victim or NONE at all. Real life is real; it's more than watches. Hobbies lead to crimes, death and financial ruin, and the watch hobby is not immune. Actually, that idea that 'it's just watches and watch hobby stuff' is how the naive, such as Tristan, get burned thinking that there job ends at entertainment. It doesn't. Flying along requires mastery of all the skills and intellect required to publish. Few businesses last like that.

All skills and trades (even TGV's) require mastery of a discipline if one wants to be well off doing them. When you publish on YouTube, you need to master the art of being a publisher, if that is your trade. For a guy making base 90k USD and trending up, you best get the art of publishing mastered. 

.


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## Reeser1 (Jan 18, 2019)

Gerald- Thank you for sharing your story. Sounds like this was not an isolated instance for him.
IMO, theft is theft.


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## eblackmo (Dec 27, 2014)

TGV did one of the best GS Snowflake reviews I could find on youtube. His enthusiasm was apparent. That said I find him kind of oily/greasy looking.


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## sunmoonstar.13 (Dec 26, 2018)

Gerald_D said:


> Good to see that private messages are fair game for wider publication.


1. Those were public messages on a public platform. It's there for all to see.

2, You quoted parts of TGV's actual private email to you in a public forum, without permission from TGV.

Pot. Kettle. Black.


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## Gerald_D (Feb 18, 2007)

Hi


sunmoonstar.13 said:


> 1. Those were public messages on a public platform. It's there for all to see.
> 
> 2, You quoted parts of TGV's actual private email to you in a public forum, without permission from TGV.
> 
> Pot. Kettle. Black.


No. Those messages were in a private chat.

What is your skin in the game here? You seem remarkably concerned about a matter that is of absolutely no concern to you whatsoever.


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## joeabroad (Dec 23, 2016)

I had never watched a watch video on YouTube until I started reading this thread last week. Then I watched a bunch. And through purient interest kept reading this thread. I doubt that I'll be watching any of these channels again any time soon. I've now returned to my previous attitude toward YouTube: bored.


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## Marcus_Corvus (Feb 5, 2016)

Gerald_D said:


> Hi
> 
> 
> sunmoonstar.13 said:
> ...


To be fair, thus messages were in the public comment section of the picture.
I saw them there too.


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## Gerald_D (Feb 18, 2007)

sunmoonstar.13 said:


> Oh, I get it. You only want "quality eyes" looking at your images. The hoi polloi aren't worthy to gaze upon your work. Well, that's your right, I guess. Good luck with that.


Except, Mr Keyboard-warrioring anonymous internet troll, that's not what I said.

I said I don't place any value on it.

Monitory value.

You, in your esteemed ignorance, were insinuating that there would be some kind of financial gain for me from having my work "exposed" in such a manner.

I can assure you there would be none. In fact - should my work be used in the way Tristano used it, it actually ends up devaluing it.

I am delighted that many people appreciate my work, without any direct financial gain to myself. It's why I have an Instagram account to share it.

But the key word here is "my".

My work.

I control - ruthlessly if necessary - the manner in which it is used.

So again I will ask you. What is your skin in this game? Why are you so involved in this? Your opinion counts for nothing.


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## Iron swan (Jun 12, 2018)

sunmoonstar.13 said:


> Oh, I get it. You only want "quality eyes" looking at your images. The hoi polloi aren't worthy to gaze upon your work. Well, that's your right, I guess. Good luck with that.


Gerald was kind enough to take the time to come into the thread and explain the behind the scene details of what transpired & back it up with evidence, and you're attacking him? 
What the hell is wrong with you?

TGV stole that man's property without permission(as he's done with numerous other people), and refused to take it down when asked to do so by the owner.
Gerald did nothing wrong to deserve harassment from you or anyone else.


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## Gerald_D (Feb 18, 2007)

Marcus_Corvus said:


> To be fair, thus messages were in the public comment section of the picture.
> I saw them there too.


Apologies. I confused them with follow-up messages posted in direct messaging.

I will correct the original post when back on a computer later today.

Kind regards,

Gerald.


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## sunmoonstar.13 (Dec 26, 2018)

Gerald_D said:


> Hi
> 
> No. Those messages were in a private chat.
> 
> What is your skin in the game here? You seem remarkably concerned about a matter that is of absolutely no concern to you whatsoever.


Those messages are on the public internet. I don't even have an Instagram account and I was able to see them. Those messages are absolutely NOT private, _anyone can see them_.

I don't have any skin in the game. Like everyone else who's commented in this thread, I'm just expressing my opinion as an interested observer.


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## Gerald_D (Feb 18, 2007)

sunmoonstar.13 said:


> Those messages are on the public internet. I don't even have an Instagram account and I was able to see them. Those messages are absolutely NOT private, _anyone can see them_.
> 
> I don't have any skin in the game. Like everyone else who's commented in this thread, I'm just expressing my opinion as an interested observer.


See above. I apologise for not recalling what I said publicly and what I said privately. I should have checked before posting. Mea culpa.

Now.

Please do explain just why it is you find this so interesting, and what it is that is motivating you to lecture me on how I should allow my work to be used, and what I should do when I discover my rights being infringed?


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## TorontoJeff (Jun 11, 2008)

I've been reading this thread and quite honestly I can see both sides. Gerald doesn't give a toss about my opinion, nor should he. My take it on it as follows (and this is exactly why people are members of forums - to air their opinion and look at other people's): TGV may have actually thought that these images were in the public domain for use. Hard to get into someone's head to establish they knew they were doing something wrong. Gerald had every right to demand the removal, as did TGV's request to use them if he credited the owner/photographer. That not being acceptable Gerald had the right to have them taken down. What doesn't make a lot of sense to me, and perhaps Gerald you can respond if you want, why do you on one hand say(I'm paraphrasing) "it doesn't put food in my cat's bowl just being credited", while on the other hand say, you don't give a toss about the money to strike a royalty deal. Do you want to food in the cat's bowl or some beautiful pics of GS's. I have no horse in this race but I think you could win this by a) getting credit where credit is due b) making some kibble for your cat c) creating additional value for you brand d) allowing the watch community to have many choices for viewing, by doing a royal deal.
Incidentally, TGV may be hard at work editing out all the videos right now to repost without said copyright images. I'm simply guessing though.


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## Gerald_D (Feb 18, 2007)

sunmoonstar.13 said:


> I merely offered an alternative approach to handling the situation. Mr Donovan can do what he likes.
> 
> An email is a written work that once created is copyright protected by the author. That means you can't post a private email publicly on a forum, blog, website or social media platform without the express written permission of the author of the email. That's just a cold hard fact, whether you agree with it or not.


Wrong.

See, ironically, "Fair Use".


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## 001 (Sep 10, 2016)

sunmoonstar.13 said:


> An email is a written work that once created is copyright protected by the author. That means you can't post a private email publicly on a forum, blog, website or social media platform without the express written permission of the author of the email. That's just a cold hard fact, whether you agree with it or not.


What makes an email a written work, and not a, lets say, legal instrument, on which either party can claim?

But thats digressing the issue on hand, so lets not go there.


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## sunmoonstar.13 (Dec 26, 2018)

Iron swan said:


> Gerald was kind enough to take the time to come into the thread and explain the behind the scene details of what transpired & back it up with evidence, and you're attacking him?
> What the hell is wrong with you?
> 
> TGV stole that man's property without permission(as he's done with numerous other people), and refused to take it down when asked to do so by the owner.
> Gerald did nothing wrong to deserve harassment from you or anyone else.


Offering an alternative approach to the situation, along with a bit of mild sarcasm, does not constitute an "attack" or "harassment".


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## ry_mar (May 3, 2017)

That's a pity, I liked his videos. 

Given both parties are presumably huge watch lovers, fans of GS and not terrible people, one would have thought a compromise could be struck, rather than lawyering up. Basically only lawyers win in that situation. 

Given how much credit TGV typically gives in his videos to anyone who contributes, am surprised there wasn't a route to go down there, but hey ho, the laws the law etc etc.


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## Marcus_Corvus (Feb 5, 2016)

I dont get it, how can people still defend TGV, after it was confirmed that he was nicely asked to remove the vudeo in question and decided to ignore the request instead.

The pictures have a owner and the owner doesnt want that they are used for a commercual video.
I would behaved exactly the same as Gerald.

The story only confirms, that TGV is an arogant fellow and there is nothing gentlemanly to his real life persona.

Its interesting that TGV didnt made any statement so far. Guess he had a nervous breakdown in his "War room" 😄


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## Agent Sands (Feb 1, 2014)

Okay, now that we all know what's going on...










Close your browser. If the weather's good, have a nice walk. Maybe enjoy a nice cup of tea or coffee. Listen to a song you like. E-mail or text a friend you haven't spoken with in a long time. These are all more rewarding activities than continuing to argue in this thread.


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

OP’s question has been answered ad nauseam. Admin and mods had to delete a couple of posts due to rule 2 violations of several members who can‘t restrain their spirits and made this thread a Kindergarten thread.

This is - facing the fact that members admit the violation of Rule 2 - tedious and a waste of our time. 

Thread closed.


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## papayaseed (Oct 22, 2016)

*Will the Urban Gentry ever make a return to Youtube?*

Is he done for good?


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## torquemada (Mar 20, 2010)

*Re: Will the Urban Gentry ever make a return to Youtube?*


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## OnlyOneMore (Feb 28, 2018)

*Re: Will the Urban Gentry ever make a return to Youtube?*

Someone is looking to have a locked thread with their name on it...


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## 001 (Sep 10, 2016)

*Re: Will the Urban Gentry ever make a return to Youtube?*

Purely speculative thread is against the forum rules.


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## doggbiter (Oct 31, 2010)

*Re: Will the Urban Gentry ever make a return to Youtube?*



papayaseed said:


> Is he done for good?


We can only hope. If YouTube were vaporized in an instant, the net effect on the world's knowledge would be nil. It's possible, the world's collective IQ might actually go up a few points.


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## Michael Fox Jr. (Nov 13, 2018)

*Re: Will the Urban Gentry ever make a return to Youtube?*

No, he won't return, because youtubing sucks!

You will find him however, as just another watch salesman in your local boutique. ;-)


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## Watch That Sweep (Apr 23, 2016)

*Re: Will the Urban Gentry ever make a return to Youtube?*

Hmm, starting a thread after a 30 page one on the same topic was locked 2 days ago?

This will go down well...


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