2024 Year in Review
I don’t know about you, but I simply cannot believe that the end of the year is upon us once again. And it was another one for the books here at Oak & Oscar. 2024 was chock full of new releases, awesome events, and great people. So, as we close out 2024 and look ahead to 2025, it’s time to take a minute and reflect on all that we accomplished this year.
Oak & Oscar in the Media
Your favorite watch brand had quite a few media appearances this year.
In January, Teddy Baldassarre, one of the biggest watch YouTubers in the game, did a deep dive into the world of microbrands and the advantages the space has over the more traditional legacy brands. While we identify as an independent brand rather than a microbrand (we forgive you Teddy!), it was great to be featured alongside such a stellar roster of amazing brands.
Teddy featured us in another special segment in May. What if you took the concept of the reality show, Shark Tank, and applied it to shopping for watches? Well, that’s precisely what Teddy and his frequent guest and “shark” Kevin O’Leary did in a piece called “Microbrand Shark Tank.” Kevin loved our pitch and our watches! Check out the full video here.
Our very own, Nathan Bobinchak, was featured in Worn & Wound’s “Watches and What Else” series. If you know Nathan, you know he’s a sucker for good audio and camera equipment. Check out the article to read all about what he gets up to when he’s not at the workbench.
Sheridan Road Magazine published a profile of Chase in June the explored the big questions like: What's he listening to? What's he reading? And what inspires him?
The Grey Nato featured the Atwood not once, but twice this year! James Stacey discussed the amazing wearing experience on a podcast just after the Chicago edition of the Windup Watch Fair. And, most recently, James singled out the Atwood as one of his favorite watches of 2024!
We even made it on TV this year! In April, Good Day Chicago profiled Oak & Oscar’s work of bringing the tradition of watchmaking back to America. In June, NBC Chicago featured us, along with some other great local companies, for a Father’s Day gift guide. And just this month, WGN featured Oak & Oscar, along with several other great local Chicago-based brands, as part of a spotlight on Renaissance Hotels R-Finds marketplace.
New Releases
You know we’re always thinking up new designs and complications to add to the lineup. Well, this year, we had the privilege of introducing a watch that people have been asking about for years. In May, we launched our new chronograph, the Atwood. After many months of designing, prototyping, testing, and QCing, we were thrilled to finally see the Atwood in the wild and on some wrists. The response from both Owners and the media alike was nothing short of amazing. You can read some of the reviews here.
To close out the year, we launched a very special limited edition Humboldt designed in collaboration with the St. Louis County Search and Rescue Squad. The Rescue Squad deals with harsh conditions and unforgiving environments on their rescue missions. So we knew we had to design a watch that was up to the challenge. Our most adventure-ready watch yet, the Humboldt GMT SAR Edition features our first compass bezel and a special caseback engraved with the NATO phonetic alphabet. We’re stoked about this watch, and you all were, too! This limited edition sold out within a week!
On the Water
As you know, we have a healthy love of fly fishing around here. 2024 was a big year for the crossover between watches and fly fishing. In March, we attended the Great Waters Fly Expo in St. Paul, Minnesota. We got a few odd looks that seemed to say, “What the hell is a watch company doing at a fly expo?” But you know what? We also had some great conversations. And as it turns out, there are quite a lot of watch enthusiasts who also fly fish (but we already knew that 😉). We had a great time (with a watch meetup at FiveWatt Coffee beforehand) and are looking forward to returning next year.
We also branched out into the podcast arena and sponsored the TroutBitten podcast.
Built to Discover Redux
Of course, our most exciting foray into fly fishing is our Built to Discover trip to the Driftless. We had such a great time last year, we knew we had to return to the Red Clover Ranch and do it all over again. We brought along another crop of 14 Owners for an amazing weekend of great food, fly fishing, wine tasting, watches, and so much more! A full write-up of our trip is forthcoming soon, and we’re already thinking ahead to next year’s adventure. Stay tuned!
2024 Annual Owners Weekend
Our favorite weekend of the year is without a doubt our annual Owners weekend. It’s amazing to have so many people from all over the country come together to celebrate Oak & Oscar. We’re here doing what we love because of our Owners, and developing a community is one of our favorite parts of the job. This year’s festivities included a private, ticketed dinner at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, one of Chicago’s best authentic Spanish tapas restaurants, a blow-out party at the HQ, and an awesome Sunday brunch at Bitter Pops.
Owner Stories
We love putting a spotlight on our amazing Owners, and we published some exciting new Owner stories this year to reflect that. In January, we featured Owner Steven W., a dedicated cyclist who trains and races through grueling Michigan winters. For some warmer weather exploits, we featured Owner Brad E. Oak & Oscar headed out with Brad for a day on links and learned all about his love of golfing, woodworking, watches, and his family. Finally, in September, we profiled Owner Eric M. Eric leads the Michigan chapter of the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Armed Forces Initiative. We followed along as he led a group of veterans and service members on a trek through Minnesota’s Boundary Waters.
The Watch Table
The Watch Table is a blast. We get a chance to sit down with some great Owners and learn about what drives them to collect watches, why they buy the watches they do, how watches fit into their everyday lives, and much more. And we get to see some pretty cool watches, too! This year, we sat down with Jill S. and saw a collection of amazing Daytonas and other racing-inspired chronographs as well as a very special Oak & Oscar produced for Jill's nonprofit organization. We also spent time with Joe C. and observed a cult favorite Tudor, a very special snoopy watch with matching tattoo, and a unique Longines with a fun little detail, among other awesome pieces!
2024 may be coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean we’re taking a break. We’ve got big plans for 2025, and we can’t wait to share them with you. In fact, this upcoming year will mark our tenth anniversary! Keep your eyes peeled for some very special things on the horizon. Cheers, and happy new year from all of use at Oak & Oscar!