The January 26, 2026 episode of Superlative is a conversation about how watchmaking knowledge is taught, experienced and passed on—not a review of a particular watch. Host Ariel Adams speaks with Pascal Ravessoud, identified in the episode materials as vice president of the Fondation Haute Horlogerie (FHH) and president of its Cultural Council. The publisher describes the discussion as covering the FHH’s educational work, its Academy, and the long-term cultural case for helping more people understand watchmaking.
What is the episode about?
The episode runs approximately 64 minutes, according to its listing. Its publisher synopsis frames the conversation around the FHH’s original mission, its development alongside SIHH, and a move away from commercial exhibition toward cultural education. It also names Academy courses and certification, education for professionals and enthusiasts, exhibitions and events, debate, transparency and sustained cultural investment as subjects of the interview. Those are topics identified in the synopsis, not a transcript of Ravessoud’s exact remarks.
That distinction matters: the available episode descriptions establish the conversation’s broad themes, but not the examples or precise arguments exchanged in the audio. The clearest way to read the episode is as an introduction to an institutional question: how can an industry built on specialized craft make its knowledge accessible beyond its established audience?
What does the FHH do?
The Fondation Haute Horlogerie presents watchmaking culture as something to preserve and share, not simply as a product story. In the episode synopsis, that mission takes practical forms: education and certification through the FHH Academy, alongside exhibitions and events intended to let people encounter craftsmanship and debate the industry’s ideas.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →#1 Best Overall
The synopsis also describes the FHH’s relationship with SIHH and its decision to separate from Watches and Wonders in order to focus on cultural education rather than commercial exhibition. It does not, by itself, establish the full institutional history or all the reasons for that change, so those details should be understood as the publisher’s summary of the episode rather than a complete account.
What is the FHH Academy?
The FHH Academy is the education and certification arm singled out in the episode description. The synopsis says the conversation covers programs for both watch-industry professionals and enthusiasts. It does not specify current course titles, formats, languages, eligibility, prices or certification requirements; those details can change and should be checked directly with the Academy before choosing a program.
Rank #2
One dated measure of its reach comes from Fratello Watches’ July 2025 anniversary report, which said the Academy had trained more than 40,000 people and issued more than 15,000 student certificates. These are figures reported by Fratello in 2025, not a current, independently updated count.
Why does watchmaking education matter?
Mechanical watches can be difficult to appreciate from appearance alone. Their value as objects of craft depends on knowledge of how they are designed, made, finished and maintained. Education gives newcomers a route into that hidden work and gives professionals a shared vocabulary for discussing it. The episode publisher presents education, exhibitions and events as ways of making that culture more legible and tangible.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Ravessoud has also stated this goal outside the podcast. In a 2025 LinkedIn post about luxury education and watchmaking culture, he wrote: “one of the most important tasks of the FHH – Fondation Haute Horlogerie is to help the next generation understand the incredible world behind the mechanical watch”. That is a statement from his post, not a quotation from the episode.
The FHH’s 2018 article, “Watchmakers Engaging with Millennials: The Mind Shift,” made a related case for brands to understand younger, digitally connected audiences and attributed a statement about unfamiliar communication channels to Ravessoud, then identified as secretary-general of the FHH Cultural Council. Its demographic figures and luxury-market forecasts belong to that 2018 discussion; they are historical context, not current population or market data.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the episode can—and cannot—tell listeners
For a listener interested in the institutions behind horology, the episode offers an entry point into the FHH’s stated education-and-culture mission and the Academy’s role within it. It is less suited to someone looking for a specific watch recommendation, a current course catalog or a detailed institutional chronology.
Quick Recap
- Established by the episode listing: the date, host, guest and broad synopsis of the discussion.
- Not established by the synopsis alone: exact quotations, specific examples from the conversation, current Academy terms, or a comprehensive history of the FHH and its relationship with exhibitions.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
