Unpolished Watches

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  Titaniumize Everything (w/ Austin Rogers, @rehaut) 25.09.2026 54นาที

  Austin Rogers is a New Yorker by way of Ohio, and goes by @rehaut on Instagram. He’s also scuba certified and an aspiring mountaineer—he’s tried to summit Mount Baker three times but has encountered some truly terrible luck. Each time, he’s had a Rolex Explorer on his wrist. The first video of Austin’s I saw had him tossing a few Doxas into a hazy lake to find out whether orange really is the most visible color underwater. Austin describes himself as “maybe the most credulous watch buyer”—as a diver and climber, he uses his watches, and he’s got lots of opinions on them. We talk about grade 2 vs. grade 5 titanium, and whether choosing grade 2 is cutting a corner; the watches he’d titaniumize (Submariner, Explorer II, a shrunken Sky-Dweller, the Laurent Ferrier Classic Origin) and the ones he wouldn’t; why the “Omega’s catalog is too bloated” critique doesn’t land for him; the baby Ultra Deep he’d build if he got the keys to the factory; which Tudors from the 2013-onward rebirth era could be collectible in 20 years— North Flag, smiley dials, early FXDs, the double-signed stuff; the Submarinerization of the Longines HydroConquest and whether Longines had any option; his Grand Seiko problem; the Ulysse Nardin Diver [AIR] he regularly thinks about selling everything else for; boomerang watches; and why he keeps buying the nicest new-old-stock neo-vintage on the market and then eating an enormous loss on it.“I like to think of it as a service that I’m offering,” Austin says.* Podcast episodes are published on Fridays. Listen here, and subscribe to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSS.* Unpolished is the newsletter for collectors. Join for free or become a paid subscriber for $8/mo or $80/year: unpolishedwatches.comUnpolished is the newsletter for collectors and a top-20 Fashion Substack. Join for free or become a paid subscriber for $8/mo ($80/year):Show Notes* Austin on Instagram* Austin’s Doxa test video* Weekend Edition: Let’s lighten up and talk titanium, Hodinkee* Ulysse Nardin Diver [Air]* Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultradeep* The Tudor North Flag, with Tudor’s first in-house movement, SJX* Phil Toledano’s Tudor P01* Rowing Blazers Tudor Black Bay 58, Loupe This* The new Longines Hydroconquest* Photoshopping Vintage Rolex Watches That Never Existing, HodinkeeUnpolished Store: shop.unpolishedwatches.com to shop our collection of Canvas and leather straps. Everything has been restocked for the fall.* Pick up a 3 Canvas Strap Bundle for $169, a 10% off the single-strap price ($157 member price!)* Shop the new Textured Taupe, made of high-quality Epsom leather.Unpolished is reader-supported and doesn’t run brand ads. To receive new posts and support my work, become a free or paid subscriber: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  How A $42 Watch from India Went Viral (w/ Delhi Watch Company) 18.09.2026 58นาที

  Subscribe: https://unpolishedwatches.com/In December 2025, a surprising watch went viral. It wasn’t from Switzerland, Japan, or any of the traditional watchmaking hubs.It was from India and cost about $42. The brand did no marketing, and it sold out more than 5,000 pieces in just 2 minutes.Maybe you’ve seen the Delhi Watch Company Terra. It’s a unique take on a field watch: monobloc titanium case, a case design inspired by a climbing carabiner, and with a parachute-style strap.Released for DWC’s 5th anniversary, it surprised everyone, and I wanted to get the story behind the Terra. So I reached out to Delhi Watch Company’s founder Anish Dandwani and designer Ishaan Vajpai, the duo behind the Terra. We talk about the Terra, but also a lot more—what’s it like to go viral, how watchmaking is developing in India, what makes it different, and what’s next.This episode is also on YouTube here—the guys share their screen a couple of times to show renders of what they’re working on, so check it out there if you want the full look.Unpolished is a collector-supported newsletter about watches. Join for free or support with a paid subscription. Subscribers get 2 newsletters/week, a 10% discount on all orders from the Unpolished store, $50 off a watch service, community perks, and much more.* Podcast episodes are published on Fridays. Listen here, and subscribe to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSS* Unpolished is the newsletter for collectors. Join for free or become a paid subscriber for $8/mo or $80/year: unpolishedwatches.comShow Notes* Delhi Watch Company* DWC Terra* Ishaah Vajpai on Instagram* Vincent’s early hands-on review of the Terra, Mainspring Magazine* Inside Titan Watches, Hodinkee* Sebastian Watch Co., artisanal dials made in India* Quest Precision on Instagramshop.unpolishedwatches.com: Shop Unpolished straps, including the new Textured Taupe, made of durable, versatile Epsom leather. Available in 18-20mm: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  Sell Your Watches, Checklist Collecting, And When Heuer Was Hype (Jeff Stein, On the Dash) 11.09.2026 56นาที

  Jeff Stein is a collector, researcher, scholar, retired lawyer from Atlanta, and the proprietor of On the Dash, the resource for all things Heuer. Since 2003, he’s meticulously documented nearly 600 watches there. In 2016, he was featured in a Talking Watches episode on Hodinkee. Ten years later, he still owns slightly more than half of the 50 or 60 Heuers that were on his kitchen table while filming that episode. Jeff registered on eBay in 1998 and he’s been collecting watches ever since. We talk about his “checklist era” of collecting and upgrading his collection; the personal Heuer grails he’s chasing that no one else is; why community grails like Chronomatics and Seafarers are strong while so many other vintage tool watches have gone soft; an assessment of Heuer collecting over the last few years; what he’d buy if he had $5,000 or $10,000; the TAG Heuer divers that kept the company alive; the $500 S/eL his daughter wears; the Breguet, Audemars Piguet, Piaget, Sinn, and other watches that Jeff also enjoys.We close with some advice: Know when to sell your watches. “The only way I could have never sold a watch might be if I’d never made a mistake in buying a watch,” Jeff says. Thanks to Jeff for joining the Unpolished Watches Podcast. * Podcast episodes are published on Fridays. Listen here, and subscribe to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSS. * Unpolished is the newsletter for collectors. Join for free or become a paid subscriber for $8/mo or $80/year: unpolishedwatches.comShow Notes* OntheDash.com; Jeff on Instagram* Jeff Stein’s Talking Watches from 2016* Absolutely Everything About the Heuer Autavia “Viceroy” Chronograph, On the Dash* Guide to TAG Heuer Dive Watches, On the Dash* Berneron Mirage at LoupeThis* New TAG Heuer Monza Flyback, On the Dash* Sinn EZM1, UnpolishedUnpolished Store: shop.unpolishedwatches.com to shop our collection of Canvas and leather straps. Everything has been restocked for the fall. * Pick up a 3 Canvas Strap Bundle for $169, a 10% off the single-strap price ($157 member price!)* Shop the new Textured Taupe, made of high-quality Epsom leather. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  The 2026 Mid-Year Awards Show (w/ OT: The Podcast) 28.08.2026 1ชม. 9นาที

  It’s almost the end of summer. Before we head back to school and a few of you lucky folks head to Geneva Watch Days, I decided it was time for a Mid-Year Awards Show. I called up Andy Green and Felix Scholz of the O.T.: The Podcast to talk about the releases we’ve seen so far in 2026.We start by discussing trends: The rise of “economy gold,” the second generation of microbrands, outer space is back in a big way, and our most worn watches of the year.Then, we give out some fun awards: Best Watch Under $2,000; the Discourse Award, for generating the most posts per unit of watch actually produced; the Beige Award for most boring release; Best Release of the Year (overall); Most Likely to be a Grail in 20 Years; and the ‘Big Dog’ Award. We also talk plenty about Chanel Blue and the Best Blue Award, craft, value, and if it’s okay to take five years to “develop” a color. Unpolished is a newsletter for collectors and a top-20 Fashion Substack. Join for free or become a member for $8/mo ($80/year):What will be a grail in 2046?We closed the episode with a question that turned out to be two questions. I asked Felix and Andy to name the watch from 2026 they think will be a grail twenty years from now, and they immediately answered different prompts.Felix went predictive: His pick was the Jubilee motif Oyster Perpetual, and his reasoning had nothing to do with whether he wants one. It’s about how the catalog will read in 2046: Rolex made a weird dial for a single year, 20 years ago, and then never again. It’s the kind of thing collectors love. Andy went personal: The watch he still expects to want in 20 years, the Chopard L.U.C 1860 Areuse Blue. It’s not that the latest L.U.C will be breaking auction records in 20 years, he just likes it. We talk about the new Alpine Eagle XPS “Mountain Glow,” but Andy’s pick for 2046 is the L.U.C 1860—something about it feels more certain as a future classic. He held it back from his Best Release of the Year list to save it for this question. My pick was somewhere between the two: The Daniel Roth Extra Plat Skeleton. Production is genuinely limited, and each one is numbered, which means we might have a good idea how many were actually made in 20 years. Daniel Roth, Gérald Genta, and La Fabrique du Temps will also likely be the last watchmaking projects from legendary watchmakers Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas. It’s the kind of thing we only grow to appreciate as the years pass, especially their connection to Genta himself and the first generation of indies. Podcast episodes are published on Fridays. Listen here, and subscribe to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSS. Also watch on YouTube:Show Notes* OT: The Podcast on Apple Podcasts; OT: The Podcast on Substack* Watches mentioned include: the Sinn U1, Earthen Ceramic, Andy's Rolex Land-Dweller (in for service), TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph, Buzz Aldrin’s Speedmaster; Kiwame Tokyo Sakura, Anoma, Raymond Weil A.R.T, Hamilton Khaki Field 250, Blue Chanel J12, Cartier Privé collection; Naoya Hida x Zenith GFJ, Grand Seiko Ushio diver UFA, IWC Ingenieur 35 in Pool Blue, Chopard 1860 Areuse Blue, Daniel Roth Extra Plat Skeleton, titanium IWC Perpetual Calendar, and more. END-OF-SUMMER SALE!Head to the Unpolished Store to shop our selection of Canvas and Leather Straps. We’ll be restocking for fall in the next week, so everything currently in the store is marked down at least 10%:* Canvas Straps are $59* Matte Calfskin Straps are $95Check them out in the Store: shop.unpolishedwatches.comThanks for listening, and let us know your award winners for the first half of 2026. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  What We Want from IWC, and How to Make a T-Shirt (Wesley Smith, Standard H) 21.08.2026 52นาที

  Full show notes: www.unpolishedwatches.com/p/what-we-want-from-iwc-and-how-toToday’s Collector Conversation is with Wesley Smith, founder of Standard H, an automotive-inspired clothing brand. Wesley has worked in fashion and menswear for 30 years, and he’s also a big watch enthusiast.During his recent visit to Chicago, we sat down to talk about both. First, we get nerdy about t-shirts. The simplest garment there is, but dozens of decisions go into making one, whether it’s from Uniqlo, Buck Mason, or Standard H. How can you tell if it’s a good t-shirt? Besides his own, what’s Wesley’s favorite? Then we talk watches. What bugs us about the Lange Saxonia Annual Calendar; how to fix IWC; loud rotors; a TAG Heuer Carrera we’ve both owned; the spec sheet-ification of watches; the problem with most midsize watches; and more. The first ~20 minutes are clothing talk, then we get into watches. We’ll continue publishing podcasts every other Friday. Subscribe to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSS.Unpolished is the newsletter for collectors and a top-20 Fashion Substack. Join for free or become a paid member for $8/mo: Show Notes* Standard H website; on Instagram* Standard H Avant t-shirt* Real Review: Lange Saxonia Annual Calendar* TAG Heuer CS3111 Carrera Re-edition from 1996* My TAG Heuer Carrera ‘Glassbox’ Week on the Wrist* BarrelhandShop our line of straps in the Unpolished Store: shop.unpolishedwatches.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  Collecting 'Boomer Watches' in Pairs (w/ John Cote) 07.08.2026 52นาที

  John Cote has been collecting watches since the 1990s. He learned from his dad, who collected pocket watches while John was growing up in Manhattan. He’s one of the guys that’s still out there hunting watches every single week. In addition to collecting, he’s written for Hodinkee, Fratello, in addition to being a prolific contributor on the NAWCC forums. He’s been the president of his local NAWCC chapter and served as a board member until 2025. John says his collecting philosophy is that “a collection should tell a story. He’s got a different approach to acquisition—he buys watches, usually mid-century chronographs, in pairs. He looks to pair the steel tool watch with its dressier counterpart.We talk about what you learn that you might not otherwise by hunting pairs; why John loves these boomer chronographs; how he’s seen watch collecting evolve over 30+ years; what he thinks about all these little dress watches; and a whole lot more. John’s from my hometown of Indianapolis, so it was a pleasure to have him on to talk watches. Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSSUnpolished is the newsletter for collectors and a top-20 Fashion Substack. John for free or become a paid member for $8/mo:I’m going to continue publishing these shorter ‘collector conversations’ in between full podcast episodes—let me know if you’re enjoying them, and what other topics you’d like to see covered. Show Notes* John Cote on Instagram* The Boomer Watch Is On Sale, Unpolished* American Pocket Watches: A Primer For The Wristwatch Collector, John’s article on Hodinkee* A Very American Way to Lose an Industry, Unpolished* NAWCC Forums* John’s Wittnauer chronograph pair—he wore the black dial when we chatted: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  Taking His Watches to the Titanic (David Concannon) 24.07.2026 56นาที

  Today’s guest is an explorer, attorney, writer, and watch collector. He’s been on five dives to the Titanic, and led the expedition that recovered the Apollo engines that launched men to the Moon. He’s a member of The Explorers Club, the society that counts astronauts, mountaineers, and famous explorers as its members. I’m excited to be joined by David Concannon. He’s also an accomplished attorney with 30+ years of experience, and has a hell of a watch collection.As part of his work with the Explorers Club, he works with Rolex on its Explorers Club Grant, which puts watches in the field. We talk about that program and what it’s like working closely with Rolex. We discuss his first Submariner, collecting watches, what watch he plans to take on his next expedition, and a whole lot more. Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSSFor those of you listening on audio, the Unpolished Podcast is also now published as video on our YouTube channel HERE. Show Notes:* David Concannon on Substack* Relics of Apollo, Part 1, 2, 3 (David Concannon)* Rolex GMT-Master recall ad (Hodinkee)* Early Rolex Le Mans ad (Ad Patina)* The Explorers Club* Rolex Explorers Club Grant* Carl Spencer’s Rolex Sea-Dweller (Hodinkee)Unpolished is the newsletter for watches, and a top-20 Fashion Substack. Join for free or become a member for $8/mo ($80/year):Subscribers also get (1) 10% off in the Unpolished Store, (2) $50 off a service at Watchcheck, and (3) access to all comments and Q&As. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  Meet Canada's Best Watchmaker (Bradley Taylor) 17.06.2026 53นาที

  Full show notes: www.unpolishedwatches.com/p/meet-canadas-best-watchmaker-bradleyCanada isn’t exactly known for its watchmaking, but today’s guest is changing that, one handmade watch at a time. When I saw Bradley Taylor announce his latest watch, the Ardea, I knew he’d be a good guest. It’s a well-made, time-only watch—in vogue right now—but completely his own. The Ardea ($62k in steel; $82k in platinum) features a retrograde seconds that snaps back to zero every minute, and almost all of the components are made by Bradley in his Vancouver workshop.Bradley went to watchmaking school in Le Locle, Switzerland, and earned his Patek Philippe Level II certification before setting off on his own in 2020. We talk about his journey to becoming an independent watchmaker, the challenges of running a solo workshop, his thoughts on the market for high-end (and high-priced) indies, and where he fits in. Then, we dig into his latest release, the Ardea.For more on Bradley or to get in contact with him: bradleytaylor.caThank you to The Escapement for sponsoring today’s episode. For more info and tickets, visit theescapement.com.For those of you listening on audio, the Unpolished Podcast is also now published as video on our YouTube channel HERE:Unpolished is the newsletter for watch collectors, and a top-20 Fashion Substack. Join for free or become a member for $8/mo: Subscribers also get (1) 10% off in the Unpolished Store, (2) $50 off a service at Watchcheck, and (3) access to all comments and Q&As. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  Bonus: Collecting the 1990s with Trevor Wynn (Paré Paré) 11.06.2026 37นาที

  Full show notes: https://www.unpolishedwatches.com/p/bonus-ep-collecting-the-1990s-withSubscribe to Unpolished: unpolishedwatches.comToday’s a bonus episode with Trevor Wynn, host of the Paré Paré Podcast. Trevor was in Chicago during Memorial Day weekend, so we sat down for a short chat at Huckberry after filming a YouTube video. We talk about Trevor’s brief foray into acting, leaving your passion behind, some of our favorite watches from the 1990s from Rolex, IWC, TAG Heuer, and more, and other updates to Trevor’s collection. We’ll be back next week with a full episode featuring an interview with an independent watchmaker who recently announced his latest release. Thanks for listening! Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSSUnpolished is the newsletter for watch collectors, and a top-20 Fashion Substack. Join for free or become a member for $8/mo:Subscribers also get (1) 10% off in the Unpolished Store, (2) $50 off a service at Watchcheck, and (3) access to all comments and Q&As.Show Notes:* Paré Paré on Apple Podcasts* How we all become sellouts, Decoder Ring* The Feed is Fake, Vulture* Benrus Type II, Analog Shift* The Best Field Watches, Unpolished YouTube* Cartier Santos SIHH 2002 LE, Tony’s Instagram* Omega Seamaster Chronograph 007 ‘First Light’ (17mm thick!), Omega* Modern two-tone Rolex GMT-Master II, Rolex* A Guide to TAG Heuer Dive Watches, On the Dash* Shop Unpolished Straps, Unpolished Store This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  A Visit to Geneva's Newest Independent Watchmaker [Audio] 28.04.2026 18นาที

  This is the audio edition of the April 28 newsletter, a visit to Geneva’s newest independent watchmaker. Show Notes* Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSS* Unpolished is the newsletter for watch collectors and a top-20 Fashion & Beauty Substack. Join for $8/mo or $80 year: unpolishedwatches.com.* Chicago events: I helped organize a small get-together in Chicago last week. We didn’t promote it much, and I got a bunch of messages after posting about it asking how to attend the next one. If you’d like to hear about future events, send an email to tony[at]unpolishedwatches.com with the subject line “CHICAGO.” I’ll add you to a separate list just for future events.* Shop all our U.S.-made straps at shop.unpolishedwatches.com.Unpolished is the newsletter for watch collectors. Join a community of 13k+ and become a free or paid subscriber: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  The Psychology of Collecting (w/ King Flum) 11.04.2026 1ชม. 3นาที

  One of the reasons I find watch collecting so fascinating is that it puts on full display the entire breadth of human psychology: Why we want the things we want, and how to be happy with what we already have.Today’s guest is kingflum, who writes the newsletter Screwdown Crown. He’s known just as much for his diversions on psychology as he is for calling out the BS he sees in the watch industry. We discuss how to appreciate watches without having the sometimes unhealthy desire to own every single one; the two systems always at work in our brains; how Instagram has changed watchmaking; enjoying his titanium Rolex Yacht-Master and Romain Gauthier C6; why your taste is not as personal as you think; the McMansion effect and the power of mimetic desire; the difference between a community and a cult, and which are FP Journe owners? On the eve of Watches & Wonders, we also talk about the industry: Is the slowdown cyclical or existential; the rise of Chinese manufacturing; the death of the middle market. We close with a few minutes on the current state of watch media: How brands are (or aren’t) interacting with independent newsletters, handling criticism, and is now the most exciting time to be an enthusiast? Subscribe to Unpolished here.Subscribe to Screwdown Crown here. Our book recs: * Thinking, Fast and Slow* Alchemy: The Dark Art of Creating Magic* Wanting: The Power of Mimetic DesireUnpolished subscribers get:* 2 newsletters/week* 10% off U.S.-made straps in the Unpolished Store* $50 off any service from WatchcheckSubscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSSUnpolished is the newsletter for watch collectors, and a top-20 Fashion & Beauty Substack. Join for free or get all the good stuff for $8/mo: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  How to Sell a Watch (w/ Wes Wynne) 21.03.2026 49นาที

  Paid subscribers can see the full Unpolished Guide to Selling a Watch: https://www.unpolishedwatches.com/p/the-unpolished-guide-to-selling-aIn early February, I went to Miami for a small vintage meetup. While there, I sat down with Wes Wynne of Collectors Corner NY to discuss a question we’re both asked often:How do you sell a watch? We discuss the who, what, when, where, why, and how of selling, including:* The players: From large dealers like 1916 Company or Analog Shift to niche dealers like Wes, along with platforms, marketplaces, and auctions.* When to consider selling vs. consigning, and the margins for each, with a few real examples. When do you need a consignment agreement, and how to get rid of the “dogs” in your collection? * What to ask a dealer, along with a few of our pet peeves and red flags.* A rough Chrono24 Rule for thinking about what your watch is actually worth. I’ve published a companion guide on “How to Sell a Watch,” exclusive to paid subscribers, that goes into more detail on working with and navigating this complicated, confusing world. A useful, practical guide for paid subscribers.Subscribe at: unpolishedwatches.comSubscribers get:* 2 newsletters/week* 10% off U.S.-made straps in the Unpolished Store* $50 off any service from WatchcheckSubscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSSUnpolished is the newsletter for watch collectors and a top-20 Fashion & Beauty Substack. Join for free or get all the good stuff for $8/mo: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  You Are Your Watch's Biggest Problem [Audio] 28.02.2026 12นาที

  Paid subscribers can see the full newsletter and show notes here: https://www.unpolishedwatches.com/p/precision-and-the-protection-of-disbeliefWelcome back to the newsletter for watch collectors. A few notes:* Canvas Straps are now available in 20mm and, for the first time, 22mm. Shop the Unpolished Store here—all paid subscribers get 10% off. Pick one up at the launch price of $65 for the next week. * Upgrade to Founding Membership here to get the 2025 Rewind Magazine. For annual subscribers: An email from Monday also has another easy way to upgrade.* Unpolished hit #20 on Substack’s Fashion & Beauty leaderboard, which I believe roughly tracks paid subscriptions. There are just two male writers in front of me—Jake Woolf, I’m coming for you.* I was on Derek Mon’s YouTube and talked about a few watches here. * Today’s letter is brought to you by Pushers.io—more below.This is the podcast version of the Unpolished newsletter from February 28, 2026.* To subscribe and get full access to the newsletter and show notes, head to: unpolishedwatches.comSubscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSSUnpolished is the newsletter (and podcast) for watch collectors. Join to get all the good stuff for $8/mo or $89/yr: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  Notes from Tudor's (Quiet) 100th Anniversary [Audio] 23.02.2026 19นาที

  For full show notes, visit this link: https://www.unpolishedwatches.com/p/notes-from-tudors-quiet-100th-birthday This is the podcast version of the Unpolished newsletter from February 23, 2026. * To subscribe and get full access to the newsletter and show notes, head to: unpolishedwatches.com* Shop straps in the Unpolished Store: shop.unpolishedwatches.com (Canvas Straps on sale this week!)Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSS This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  How to Collect: The Vintage Rolex Daytona [Audio] 13.02.2026 1ชม.

  Paid subscribers: Follow along with the full show notes here. To become a subscriber, join Unpolished Watches or manage your account here. Founding Members receive the 2025 Rewind Magazine, which you can learn more about here. This week’s format is a little different. Last year’s most popular podcast was How to Collect Neo-Vintage Watches. We’ll have more “How to Collect” episodes this year, but in addition to a podcast, I’ll write a more comprehensive Collector’s Guide for paid subscribers to follow along. Each episode will feature a dealer or expert going deep on their particular niche.Unpolished is the newsletter for watch collectors and a top-20 Fashion Substack. Subscribe now ($8/mo) to get all the good stuff, including the show notes to follow along with this podcast: This week: The vintage Rolex Daytona with dealer Michael Morgan of Iconic Watch Company. Michael’s a dealer based in Orange County who focuses on vintage Rolex. Collecting is about recognizing patterns, and whether or not you’re interested in the Daytona, this episode will help you understand those patterns in vintage Rolex and how to think about originality and period correctness. We cover all four-digit Daytona references, starting with the last Pre-Daytona 6238.The vintage Daytona can be divided into three eras:* Pump pusher era: Refs. 6239 and 6241 (1963–69)* Transitional era: Refs. 6262 and 6264 (1970-71)* Screw-down era: Refs. 6263 and 6265 (1972-1988)* “Experimental” reference 6240 (1965-69)The Daytona’s been covered again and again, so instead of repeating what you already know, I’ll try to fill gaps I see in what’s been published and talk about the market right now. Why now? While everyone else is going crazy for neo-vintage Patek Philippe, smart collectors are zagging, baby!We focus on standard dials, though the exotic Newman is mentioned a few times. In 1988, Rolex discontinued the manual-wind Daytona, replacing it with the automatic Zenith Daytona.Other Show Notes: Here’s the Patek Philippe 5004P and First Series Patek Philippe 3970 we open by talking about. Both were listed for $750k by European Watch Co. The 3970 has since sold, which I suppose shows which one the “market” finds more compelling right now. Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSSUNPOLISHED STORECheck out our Matte Calfskin and Canvas Straps in the Unpolished Store. We’ll be adding 22mm Canvas Straps in the next couple of weeks (and restocking 20mm)—in the meantime, 18-19mm straps are on sale for just $65. Shop the Unpolished Store now. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  Independent Watch Design with Toledano and Chan 28.01.2026 56นาที

  View full show notes here.This week, I’m joined by Alfred Chan and Phil Toledano of Toledano & Chan. They’ve just announced their latest release, the b1.3r, an updated take on their brutalist integrated bracelet watch. Alfred is a talented watch designer, and Phil is an inscrutable artist and collector.We talk about that their latest release, but also: manufacturing in China vs. Switzerland (their first releases were made in China, while the b1.3r is made in Switzerland); stone dials and the state of the microbrand space; making an asymmetrical crystal; the best watches they bought in 2025; marketing, TikTok, brand ambassadors, and Timothee Chalamet; making something that’s intentionally divisive; why their costs $10,000 (!); and what’s next for Toledano & Chan. The case and bracelet of the b1.3r is now in titanium, and it’s been slightly shrunk down compared to previous releases. The main feature of this watch is the solid-gold “ripple” dial, meant to look like ripples on the water (very Grand Seiko). For more, visit Toledano & Chan or find them on Instagram. Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSSUnpolished is the newsletter for watch collectors, and a top-25 Fashion & Beauty Substack. Join a community of 1,000+ enthusiasts for just $6/mo: Below: The new Toledano & Chan b1.3r, and the massive “soup bowl” Phil talks about at the start of the episode. UNPOLISHED STOREIf you’re enjoying the podcast, head over to the Unpolished Store to pick up one of our Canvas or Leather straps. The leather straps are a high-quality french calfskin that sits right between dressy and distressed. The Canvas Straps are 100% cotton—unlike other canvas straps, they aren’t lined which means they’re thin, flexible, and comfortable:* Shop the Unpolished StoreI’m able to keep the podcast free thanks to your support with subscriptions or buying straps! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  From Rolex Watchmaker to Indie Founder: Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, Fears Watches 21.01.2026 59นาที

  Paid subscribers: All winners of the holiday giveaway are being individually emailed today. If that’s you, please respond in 24 hours before I draw the next name!Welcome back to the Unpolished podcast. Our first conversation of 2026 is with Nicholas Bowman-Scargill. He’s the 4th managing director of Fears Watches, based in Bristol, U.K., and the great-great-great-grandson of Edwin Fear, who founded Fears in 1846. Fears closed its doors in 1976, but Nicholas reopened them in 2016. This year, Fears is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its re-founding and the 180th anniversary of its original formation.Nicholas made an early-career pivot to watches, joining Rolex in the U.K. as a watchmaking apprentice. After five years at Rolex, he set off on his own to relaunch his family’s dormant watch company. We talk about what he learned at Rolex, why the Crown makes such good movements for watchmakers, 10 years of Fears, mistakes he’s made, the state of British watchmaking, how to make a good watch case, and a lot more. Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSSUNPOLISHED STOREIf you’re enjoying the podcast, head over to the Unpolished Store to pick up one of our Canvas or Leather straps. The leather straps are a high-quality french calfskin that sits right between dressy and distressed. The Canvas Straps are 100% cotton—unlike other canvas straps, they aren’t lined which means they’re thin, flexible, and comfortable: * Shop the Unpolished StoreI’m able to keep the podcast free thanks to your support with subscriptions or buying straps! Show Notes:* Fearswatches.com* What does craft actually mean to you? (last week’s newsletter* Fears Brunswick collection* Fears Arnos (my favorite Fears)* A Theory of the Case, last weekend’s newsletterGet in touch:* tony[at]unpolishedwatches.com* Instagram* Tap the heart, leave a comment, or review the podcast wherever you’re listening. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  Unpolished Year-in-Review 2025 19.12.2025 16นาที

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.unpolishedwatches.comClick here for podcast show notesWelcome to Unpolished’s year-in-review newsletter. It won’t be the last issue of 2025, but highlights some of the most popular and interesting stories of the year, while also giving an update on Unpolished. Many of you are paying subscribers and thus stakeholders in this newsletter, so you deserve it! You can also listen above or in your podcast app. To see all the numbers and enter the holiday giveaway (more below), upgrade now:Btw, I received a press release this morning that Kari Voutilainen is stepping back as co-CEO of Urban Jürgensen, but will join its board. Alex Rosenfeld, the other co-CEO, becomes CEO. At its best, the internet can be amazing. Unpolished launched with a few thousand people on an email list built up over 5+ years, and 12 months later, it’s a sustainable, very small business that’s replaced my previous income. But the internet is also frustrating. It engages us, enrages us, and hijacks our attention. Today, social media, especially Instagram, is the home of the watch “community,” while YouTube is its library of reviews and opinions.One of the common questions I get—it showed up again in last week’s Q&A—is what other watch “content” (a gross word) I consume. But I’ve found this question is really asking something more like: How do I stop scrolling and consume stuff that actually feels worthwhile? It applies to watches, but not only watches. I was at a dinner with a few collectors in New York earlier this month, and one of them (hi!) said to me that his favorite coverage helps him better understand and appreciate watches—even without any intention of buying them. Whether that’s understanding the innovation, craft, or culture that’s imbued in any particular object. Because that’s the reality, isn’t it? Whether it’s a $17m Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph or a new $4,000 watch from Tudor, we’ll never own most of these watches. And that’s just fine. But they’re still ours to appreciate. What we’re really talking about isn’t ownership—it’s attention. In a world of frictionless consumption, there’s growing value in things that reward patience, permanence, and earned understanding.There’s something uniquely human about our ability to create abstract, symbolic tools and build on them over time. Mechanical watches are a perfect example: centuries-old instruments designed to measure an idea—time—that we defined in the first place.As I’ve mentioned, “craft” was one of the main themes of 2025, and it gets at a feeling bigger than watches. Technology, whether it’s social media or AI or software updates to your car, has encroached on anything real. Watches can provide a small respite. They can urge us to slow down, to appreciate what goes into making an object with hundreds of parts and centuries of history. Like anything that sticks around long enough, watches have transformed from technology to tradition. Wrapped up in that is also all the problems that come with any tool that becomes a status symbol or luxury.This idea, craft, has been wrought to the point of cliché, but the reality remains: People appreciate craft, whether it’s Larry Bird making 99 free throws in a row after practice or F.P. Journe harnessing the phenomenon of resonance. Which is what’s exciting for watches. These objects can be beautiful displays of a variety of crafts, whether feats of the human hand or human engineering.The bad news: I’m not sure the larger watch industry is really adapting to this. Some corners of the high-end and independent scene have leaned into craft, but anxiety about luxury defined the broader conversation in 2025. That tension showed up in what people actually read, at least in this newsletter. As we’ll see below, the most-viewed articles this year were (1) about how “watch prices are insane,” and (2) expressing my complicated feelings about luxury. These weren’t celebrations of the new, but reckonings with price, value, and the uneasy state of luxury. Taken together, they provide a snapshot of where watch culture is right now—and where it may be headed, whether the industry is ready or not.The Most Popular—and Interesting—Stories of 2025When I look at metrics, which isn’t often, a few numbers are important: views, new free subscribers, and new paid subscribers. Interestingly, there wasn’t much overlap in which stories performed the best on each. People view, subscribe to, and pay for different things. It’s the fun, and the challenge, of the newsletter format. This is the 91st newsletter published this year, which also includes 14 podcasts (including 7 guest chats), 4 Q&As, and 2 strap launches. Below, more on what I’ve learned about format and what that means for 2026. As always, the entire archive is available online. 2025’s most-viewed stories* Watch Prices Are Insane — Tapping into another theme of 2025—high prices. A survival guide for collecting watches when watch prices don’t make sense.* How to Actually Develop ‘Good Taste’ — Understanding what moves you vs. when you’re being moved for other reasons.Stories that drove the most new free subscribers* My Complicated Feelings about Watches & Wonders (and Luxury) — On the differences between collecting and consumption. * 47 Unpolished Rules for Watch Collecting — Buy what you understand, and other practical & theoretical rules to guide your collecting (or not).Stories that drove the most paid subscribersInterestingly, the stories that led to the most paid subscribers had some of the best collector-driven “reporting”:* The A. Lange & Söhne Conundrum — What happens when world-class watchmaking meets modern luxury.* A ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona, CPO, and What It Means for Collecting Vintage Rolex — A closer look at a curious Paul Newman sold by 1916 Company, and the importance of “period correct.”2 More Reasons to Subscribe in 2026Magazines & GiveawaysPaid subscribers already get access to every newsletter, including the full update below, comments, plus (1) $50 off any service at Watchcheck, and (2) 10% off in the Unpolished Store. But here are two more reasons to join right now: * 2025 Rewind Magazine. Become a founding member for $199, and you’ll also get (1) a strap of your choice and (2) the 2025 Rewind Magazine. It’s still being finalized, but expect about 60 perfect-bound pages of the best writing and photography of 2025, along with some stuff that hasn’t been published yet. Here’s a preview:* Giveaway! Join or renew by January 7, 2026, and you’ll be entered into a giveaway.* I’m giving away so much stuff:* One (1) Unpolished/Veblenist Valet Tray* Two (2) Farr + Switt Retro Digital Watches* Two (2) Unpolished 47 hats, and* Six (6) straps, one of each color and lug width for the Canvas and Calfskin currently offered in the Store. Manage or upgrade your subscription here. If you’re already a subscriber but want to become a Founding Member before you auto-renew to get your strap ASAP, send me an email.*All current and new subscribers will be entered to win. Unpolished launched on Jan. 6, 2025, so if you subscribed then and auto-renew, you’ll be automatically entered to win. UNPOLISHED STRAPSShop the Canvas and Matte Calfskin Strap in the Unpolished Store. December 19 (today) is the last day to order for shipping before Christmas (shipments will resume 12/26). Grab a Matte Calfskin for just $100 before prices increase next year. PLUS: Free U.S. shipping for the rest of 2025!Unpolished 2025 by the numbers, and what’s in store for 2026. Here’s what subscriber growth looks like over the past 12 months:
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  The Best Watchmaking of 2025 with Jack Forster 09.12.2025 1ชม. 1นาที

  Jack Forster is the global editorial director of the 1916 Company. You can also find his writing on his newsletter, Split Seconds. Jack joined me to look back on 2025 in watches. Jack names his “Escapement of the Year,” “Chronometer of the Year,” and we talk about some of the biggest trends in watchmaking—finishing, craft, complications, technical innovations, and more. Before that, we also look at Breguet’s new magnetic escapement in the Experimentale 1. We discuss what it means to be a “collector,” and whether there’s a difference between collecting and accumulating; whether we should bring back real chronometer awards; and the best thing Jack’s had on his wrist all year. It’s not all sharp internal angles and technical innovations though, we also talk about some of our favorite releases of the year Follow Jack’s newsletter, Split Seconds, and find him at the 1916 Company. Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSS.Subscribe for $99/year ($8.25/mo) to get all the good stuff, plus 10% off in the Unpolished Store and $50 off any service at Watchcheck:VISUAL NOTESSHOW NOTES* In Conversation with Philippe Narbel, Fourth Wheel* The Sharp Inner Angle And The Limits Of Machining, Split Seconds* Breguet Launches The 250th Anniversary Expérimentale 1, With Magnetic Escapement, 1916 Company* Breguet Experimentale 1: Anatomy of a Magnetic Escapement, Relogios Mecânicos * Some Quality Time With The Grand Seiko Spring Drive UFA, 1916 Company* Zenith Introduces The GFJ Caliber 135, An Old School Champion Of Precision, 1916 Company* Daniel Roth, a surprising breakout watchmaker of 2025, UnpolishedGet in touch:* tony[at]unpolishedwatches.com* Instagram* Like this post or leave a comment if you’re enjoying the podcast interviews and want to see more in 2026: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe
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  The Unpolished Guide to Geneva 18.11.2025 44นาที

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com[Note: Today’s audio edition for paid subscribers is different from the newsletter below. It’s a travelogue of my 8 days in Geneva: Some auction talk, manufacture visits, and sights & sounds. Listen above or on Spotify / Apple. The newsletter below is a guide to Geneva focused on watches. But not only!]Arrive in Geneva by train, and you’ll breeze past half a dozen HORLOGERIE shops as you walk down the hill towards Lake Geneva, all trying to sell you a Tissot, Mondaine, or a brand called Jacques du Manoir. One has Victorinox Swiss Army knives in the window and cheap cuckoo clocks hung on a pegboard in the back. Arrive by plane, and you’ll be smacked with glowing Richard Mille or Patek Philippe Twenty~4 ads. It’s where I finally caved and bought my first Airport Swatch in April—the MoonSwatch 1965—exactly 1,106 days after the original release. Geneva is the epicenter of Swiss watchmaking. In the fairy-tale version, watchmakers spent winters working in mountain workshops before descending to Geneva each spring to show what they’d made.And watches are everywhere. Public trolleybuses remind you that Tudor is “Born to Dare.” Rexhep Rexhepi has an impressive presence in the city’s historic Old Town. Geneva has experiences you can’t find anywhere else, which is what I’ve aimed to highlight in this Unpolished Guide to Geneva.First Things FirstIf you’re visiting Geneva for the watches, I recommend visiting during one of the major “watch weeks” every year: Auctions in May or November (and GPHG), Geneva Watch Days in August, or perhaps Watches & Wonders in April. I prefer auctions or Geneva Watch Days to Watches & Wonders, which are more laid back and open to everyone—auctions for vintage, Geneva Watch Days for modern and independents. But I’ve heard W&W plans to do more to engage the public in 2026, a pattern that has continued since its first public days in 2022. It’s fun to visit during Watches & Wonders for the parties and because everyone is there, but don’t expect to see any watches at the Palexpo.While this Guide is focused on watches, you’ll also find some food, drinks, and other sites, as well as some friendly advice on how to eat fondue. I’ve also saved it all as a list on Google Maps: