The Urban Gentry closes his You Tube channel

[J J Carter]

Back to shilling for Squale

[mycroft]

I always quite enjoyed his videos, to be honest, Yes he's a little opinionated and yes he can be a bit smarmy but I guess if someone is going to make it as a YouTuber then that's probably to be expected.

I thought most of his content was pretty well-informed and quite interesting. The dinosaur was pretty stupid, though...

He may have made a few questionable decisions along the way from what I've read recently, but who hasn't?

I really don't understand the level of vitriol and namecalling being directed at him here from a few members - seems a little OTT to me.

Simon

[rsteenekamp]

Yeah, he isn’t too bad... middle of the pack I think

[milwatch126]

Good riddance.

Amen!

M

[zenius]

Amen!

M

Second that.

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[Horology Bob]

In five years this will only be my second post and i feel i must express my euphoria. (i only ever read posts, great content btw)

Coincidentally five years ago or there about was when "The Urban Gentry" channel began.
I disliked his early videos and found him incredible obnoxious. Do i care about your yearly trip to Fortnum and Mason? No, No i don't. Especially given that Fortnum and Mason breakfast blend is on par with Tetley's (I write knowing how obnoxious that is, but it has to be said £13 to £2 is daylight robbery that Ronnie Biggs would be proud of. The tin is nice.)
I for one am absolutely glad that his channel has ended.
I won't miss his content for one second; fair enough to anyone who got enjoyment out of his content it was simply not for me and neither was he.

Now i shall retreat into obscurity for the next five years.

[OllieG]

I liked is content based on the diversity of his watch collection. So many watch vloggers out there doing there take bias on brands.


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[Antony23]

I really don't understand the hate expressed by a few on here - no doubt a touch of the green-eyed monster. There are far worse channels out there, and I do wonder how many TZ members would opt to make a living just talking about watches if they had the chance to do so (quite a few, I imagine, including me).

TZ can be rather mean-spirited at times, and it's a trait that I don't like at all. Personally, I wish the bloke well.

Spot on.

Well said, Tony!

[Tony-GB]

I really don't understand the hate expressed by a few on here - no doubt a touch of the green-eyed monster. There are far worse channels out there, and I do wonder how many TZ members would opt to make a living just talking about watches if they had the chance to do so (quite a few, I imagine, including me).

TZ can be rather mean-spirited at times, and it's a trait that I don't like at all. Personally, I wish the bloke well.

Totally agree. Just click on the option for YouTube not to recommend his channel if anyone finds him that offensive.

At the end of the day he's just some bloke on YouTube and I can't recall him being nasty or vitriolic about anyone.

[paskinner]

We’re all hobbyists, but horology is a minor interest in the greater scheme of things. So I wonder if it is possible to make decent money....enough to live on....through You Tube blogs. The bigger channels, such as Watchbox, probably mark it down as an advertising cost.
So I think that, for most, it is a labour of love. And quite hard work to do well.

[learningtofly]

In five years this will only be my second post and i feel i must express my euphoria. (i only ever read posts, great content btw)

Coincidentally five years ago or there about was when "The Urban Gentry" channel began.
I disliked his early videos and found him incredible obnoxious. Do i care about your yearly trip to Fortnum and Mason? No, No i don't. Especially given that Fortnum and Mason breakfast blend is on par with Tetley's (I write knowing how obnoxious that is, but it has to be said £13 to £2 is daylight robbery that Ronnie Biggs would be proud of. The tin is nice.)
I for one am absolutely glad that his channel has ended.
I won't miss his content for one second; fair enough to anyone who got enjoyment out of his content it was simply not for me and neither was he.

Now i shall retreat into obscurity for the next five years.

A rather weird (and unpleasant) post, if I may say so. Instead of expressing euphoria over someone else's hardship, perhaps the better option may have been just not to have watched it.

[Papa Hotel]

He's an odd one, is Tristan. I reckon I'd really like the bloke in real-life but there was just so much about the TGV personality that lacked any kind of self-awareness and was so nauseatingly pretentious. He had some nice watches on the show but he was an unashamed shill for a host of never-to-be-seen-again American microbrands, it was difficult to watch the same fawning time and time again over cookie-cutter trash.

He was pretty natural in front of the camera, wasn't afraid to put himself out there and is a genuine watch enthusiast, so I wish him well. His was one of the first YT channels I subscribed to and so he will always have played a part in my trip through this hobby. He was also one of the first I unsubscribed to, but that's by the by.

Oh, and words like "scumbag"?? Come on guys, have a word with yourselves.

[200mwaterresistant]

When I was getting back into watches about 4 years ago I turned to YouTube to start learning about what was out there and one of his videos was the very first one I watched, I thought his content was pretty good quality and highly watchable. Sure I cringe when he starts being pretentious and not aware of it, I mean, some of the things he's into are so try-hard upper class it hurts, come across as fake even, but he has good intentions, I think he's genuinely a good guy from a bit of a schizophrenic background family wise leaving him with this obsession over class-appropriateness and a lot of values/behaviours that many would find irritating, maybe be jealous about on some level, but a scumbag he is not.

Haven't watched anything of his for a long time as the watchbox era has involved stuff I'm not interested in and I can't relax thinking it's all full-on marketing making it potentially even more disingenuous, but I did watch this latest video and he seemed to be putting a brave face on quite a tough situation and I think we could all empathise with that unless we've lived with a silver spoon all our lives.

Wish him well, annoying as he can be.

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[stefmcd]

Oh, and words like "scumbag"?? Come on guys, have a word with yourselves.

I think such labels refer to alleged accounts of him doing the dirty on other watch enthusiasts. Archie felt rather betrayed by him. I think there were others. But who knows the reality? ... He said she said....



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[BillN]

Does this mean the Channel will stop or will Watchbox produce vids and promote their company on the Urban Gentry channel?

[mycroft]

Now i shall retreat into obscurity for the next five years.

Frankly I think you should.

Bizarre that you thought this was a good way to post for a second time in 5 years

Simon

[Lusty]

I didn't realise TGV was breaking into people's houses and forcing them to watch his content at gunpoint. It's really changed my opinion of the guy.

[abraxas]

Does this mean the Channel will stop or will Watchbox produce vids and promote their company on the Urban Gentry channel?

It will probably disappear into obscurity.

[Pagan]

He's posted content since his announcement. Looks like Scottish watches got it wrong. He's still able to make content under the urban gentry brand, and keep his channel.

I wonder if he's still able to produce watch content, or some kind of competition clause stops him doing that for a time?

[Tony-GB]

I think such labels refer to alleged accounts of him doing the dirty on other watch enthusiasts. Archie felt rather betrayed by him. I think there were others. But who knows the reality? ... He said she said....

I think all that crap is to improve ratings and a scam for entertainment and click value.

[jeromeo]

I have watched a few of his vids , and he comes across as a nice chap . Pushing the Englishmen in New York thing a bit too much maybe . As he is a big fan of the reissue 1957 omega Railmaster he gets my vote , as this is the only modern watch I have bought of value in recent years . All the best to him in his future ventures.

[roverguy78]

I watched quite a few of his videos over the years. I enjoyed the vast majority of them. His intro videos were impressive as well.

I never really understood the people that vilified the guy. At least he was polite, unlike another youtuber that is simply repulsive in every regard.

[Mark lowman]

I was obviously so unaware I didn’t even realise at first that he was trying to be the Hyacinth Bucket of the WIS world.
Within the world of my In-Laws in deepest Suffolk he’d need to pull his act together. A man is nothing without Pink Corduroys and a Tattersall shirt.
Anyway even if he couldn’t quite pull off posh boy act I did actually quite like him and wish him well.
Archie In comparison needs to see an inside of the prison wall, I’m sure he’s a wrongun!

[senraw]

I enjoyed watching his videos and wish him the best.



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[Fitzgeme]

I hope he goes back to the Paedo moustache, those were the days. His vids are alright, more style than substance...but he has burned so many bridges at this stage does anyone really care?

[WatchFanUK23]

I can’t say I’ll miss Tristano. I’m not a fan of his cheesy style. Once in a while he did a decent review but on the whole not my cup of tea.


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[RVFIO]

TGV isn’t my favourite YouTuber, but I think a lot of the hate he gets is a bit much - there are a serious amount of people who are totally obsessed with him. He has got a lot of people into watches which is a really positive thing and he does come across as a genuine enthusiast who takes pleasure in watches of all price points but where he was best placed IMO was showing the entry level stuff and engaging new fans.

What I didn’t like was him making out that a Sqaule was the same level of watch as a Rolex or some of his commercial ventures. I watched some of his videos, didn’t watch others and never really understood why others can’t seem to do the same. I wish him well

[Holsterman]

I was obviously so unaware I didn’t even realise at first that he was trying to be the Hyacinth Bucket of the WIS world.

Good description.

[Evangelos]

oh well, he was never my cup of tea

[Pagan]

Everyone's like - good riddance.

Guys, he's still making videos...

[rodia77]

Nick Shabazz is the only one i can bear.

And it's a beautiful thing.

[Geralt]

Watched a few of his early videos. I liked his enthusiasm and production values but the waffling, the white gloves (WTF?), and the fact that he had more front than Blackpool turned me off so haven't watched since. It's fair to say I haven't missed him. Having said that, it's not something I could do, let alone do well. I'm sure it's much harder than it looks especially when 'success' depends on generating subscribers.

Probably his main achievement has been to generate so much polarising opinion and from his POV that's got to be a good thing.

[Pacamack]

If everything out there was vanilla then it would be a very dull world. Whilst he might have been something of an acquired taste he was basically just indulging in his hobby and trying to make a little bit of money off of it. Personally I think the fewer characters we have out there doing this sort of thing the poorer we all are for it.
Personally I quite liked the fact that I got to see some watch brands I might not ordinarily have stumbled across. To my mind he never seemed to put across what he was saying as being gospel and portraying those who don't agree as being clueless (or worse), this is where social media usually goes awry (in my opinion).

[Spesh]

He was exactly my cup of tea, but some of the comments seem unnecessarily harsh. There are so many content creators on YT these days that they have to come up with ways to make themselves standout. I thought the videos were very well at least.

[Pagan]

Watched a few of his early videos. I liked his enthusiasm and production values but the waffling, the white gloves (WTF?), and the fact that he had more front than Blackpool turned me off so haven't watched since. It's fair to say I haven't missed him. Having said that, it's not something I could do, let alone do well. I'm sure it's much harder than it looks especially when 'success' depends on generating subscribers.

Probably his main achievement has been to generate so much polarising opinion and from his POV that's got to be a good thing.

If success depends on generating subscribers, one option would be to buy them, so you can sell your channel to an interested third party on the basis of an artificially inflated perception of its value...

[davidj54]

Just watched the latest UG video with TGV doing a review of the Glycine Airman (lent in by Gnomon watches - clearly he’ll still have plenty of access without having to raid Watchboxes vaults).

I really enjoyed the vid, it was old school UG doing a well produced and thorough light box review of a sub £1000 watch, no flannel like with all the overproduced WatchBox stuff. This is where the channel was always at its best and where he grew it - reviews like this with the odd lifestyle, top ten or versus vid thrown in for a bit of variety.

I noticed he made a point a crediting some Glycine fan-site for the historical content. Also, a couple of times he reminded viewers to like, subscribe and hit the alert button - which suggests that A) WB didn’t buy the channel and shut him down and B) there is no non-compete clause if he’s already back out there reviewing watches.

More of this sort of thing and I could quite happily get back into watching UG on a regular basis.

[Lusty]

Just watched the latest UG video with TGV doing a review of the Glycine Airman (lent in by Gnomon watches - clearly he’ll still have plenty of access without having to raid Watchboxes vaults).

I really enjoyed the vid, it was old school UG doing a well produced and thorough light box review of a sub £1000 watch, no flannel like with all the overproduced WatchBox stuff. This is where the channel was always at its best and where he grew it - reviews like this with the odd lifestyle, top ten or versus vid thrown in for a bit of variety.

I noticed he made a point a crediting some Glycine fan-site for the historical content. Also, a couple of times he reminded viewers to like, subscribe and hit the alert button - which suggests that A) WB didn’t buy the channel and shut him down and B) there is no non-compete clause if he’s already back out there reviewing watches.

More of this sort of thing and I could quite happily get back into watching UG on a regular basis.

Agree that's exactly what he used to be good at. He always seemed to have good access to watches before the Watchbox hookup, either from people sending them in or by some associations he had. That's what set him apart from the average Youtuber with their 'top 10 pictures of watches I have never seen in real life' videos.

[BillN]

He appear to be now giving "life style" coaching advice!

[Holsterman]

He appear to be now giving "life style" coaching advice!

The impression is of someone who is desperate to be seen as a gentleman with the most refined taste and manners, but who comes across (to me) as an almost spiv-like character with archaic views on things like pinky rings. The ultimate "young fogey".

[learningtofly]

If success depends on generating subscribers, one option would be to buy them, so you can sell your channel to an interested third party on the basis of an artificially inflated perception of its value...

It doesn't. It's things like view time and other metrics that are a little more meaningful than subscriber numbers (which in fact are relatively irrelevant).

[gerard]

He just released an new review of the 40mm Glycine Airman in the last day.
Good review. He is not necessarily my cup tea, and can be a little too much at times.
This one of his better. Production is good.
He seems more subdued or relaxed.

https://youtu.be/Dit9FIGFS0I


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[bigputts]

As a newbie, I’ve enjoyed a lot of his content, not so much the lifestyle coaching side of it which is a tad pretentious, but some good info about the more affordable end of the market. Can imagine how some of the more knowledgable folk would find him a bit cringe though I guess.


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[bwest76]

He’s back.