Kristian Dowling of Leica Watches on Watch Photography, Authenticity, and Brand Storytelling

About this episode

Ariel Adams interviews Kristian Dowling of Leica Watches about the intersection of photography and watchmaking, emphasizing authenticity and brand storytelling.

In this episode of Superlative, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host, Ariel Adams, sits down with Kristian Dowling of Leica Watches to explore the fascinating connection between photography and watchmaking. Kristian shares how his background in photography and marketing, along with his work training Leica watch teams around the world, shaped his role at the brand. He also explains why authentic watch photography matters more than ever with today’s collector landscape. From photographing watches in unpredictable trade show environments to building imagery that feels honest and realistic, the conversation dives deep into how visual storytelling shapes the way collectors experience watches long before they ever try one on. Ariel and Kristian also discuss what makes Leica Watches unique, including the philosophy behind the brand’s camera inspired approach to watchmaking and the challenge of introducing a respected photography name into the highly competitive luxury watch space. Along the way, they explore the role of authenticity in marketing, how watch brands can create stronger long term relationships with collectors, and why the best watches should look just as compelling in real…

People in this episode

Host: Ariel Adams

Guest: Kristian Dowling

Topics covered

• watch photography
• authenticity
• brand storytelling
• luxury watches
• collector landscape
• visual storytelling

Keywords

• watch photography
• Leica Watches
• authenticity
• visual storytelling
• luxury watch marketing
• collector experience

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Leica Watches, aBlogtoWatch, Leica

Places: trade show

More episodes of Superlative

• Jason Chevrolat of Bonniksen on Preserving Traditional Watchmaking · June 8, 2026 · 1h 3m
• Building A Modern Tool Watch Brand With Olof Larsson of Aera · June 1, 2026 · 1h 1m
• Stephen Cox Of Sopwith Watch Company On Wearing Aviation History On Your Wrist · May 25, 2026 · 1h 3m
• Justin Jakobson of Camp Watches on Industrial Inspired Watch Design and Southern California Creativity · May 11, 2026 · 1h 5m
• Charlotte and Peter Fiell on Watch Collecting, Curation, and Storytelling · May 4, 2026 · 1h 12m
• Jim Wirth of GiantMouse Knives on Why Knife and Watch Collecting Go Hand in Hand · April 27, 2026 · 1h 4m