Unpolished Watches
The companion podcast to Unpolished, the newsletter for watch collectors. Follow along for regular chats with collectors and enthusiasts.
Episodes
Meet Canada's Best Watchmaker (Bradley Taylor)
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 p
Bonus: Collecting the 1990s with Trevor Wynn (Paré Paré)
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 passio
A Visit to Geneva's Newest Independent Watchmaker [Audio]
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 i
The Psychology of Collecting (w/ King Flum)
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
How to Sell a Watch (w/ Wes Wynne)
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,
You Are Your Watch's Biggest Problem [Audio]
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 we
Notes from Tudor's (Quiet) 100th Anniversary [Audio]
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!)Subscri
How to Collect: The Vintage Rolex Daytona [Audio]
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 i
Independent Watch Design with Toledano and Chan
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
From Rolex Watchmaker to Indie Founder: Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, Fears Watches
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 founde
Unpolished Year-in-Review 2025
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 newslett
The Best Watchmaking of 2025 with Jack Forster
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 a
The Unpolished Guide to Geneva
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
At My 7 O’Clock: The Closest Look You'll Ever Get at a Steel Patek Philippe 1518
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.unpolishedwatches.comI. Pink Gold 2499There was a pink-gold Patek Philippe 2499 behind me, at about my 7 o’clock. On the Friday morning of the Geneva auction weekend, I was drinking a 12-franc cappuccino in the Mandarin Oriental’s restaurant with a friend. Pink Gold 2499 was at the table behind us, enjoying the CHF 42 continental br
What Wei Koh Wants from Independent Watchmaking
Wei Koh is the founder of The Rake and Revolution Magazine. This year, Revolution is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Wei is one of the smartest guys in media about watches. He can write 10,000 words about the constant-force remontoir (that’s actually readable) or capture the horological and historical importance of Patek Philippe’s entire line of perpetual calendar chronographs. One of my old fa
How to Actually Develop 'Good Taste' [Audio Edition]
This is the audio edition of my October 29 essay, How to Actually Develop Good Taste. Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSS. Shop Canvas Straps in the Unpolished Store. Paid subscribers get 10% off. Upgrade your subscription now:Get in touch:* tony@unpolishedwatches.com* Instagram* Send me a DM on Substack: This is a public episode. If you'd like to di
How to Retail Watches in 2025 (Steven Holtzman, CD Peacock)
Not many people in watches have worked at brands, distributors, retailers, and even as watch liquidators. Steven Holtzman is the Vice Chairman of CD Peacock, a retailer in the Chicago area that also operates in Miami. His first job was in sales for Gruen in the 1980s, slowly moving up to distribute higher-end brands. Most notably, he brought Roger Dubuis to North America in the 1990s, scaling it t
Why do collectors have such a fetish for 'firsts'?
Hello everyone. Like last week, today’s grab bag is also available as an audio issue. Listen above or find it on Spotify / Apple / RSS. It’s coming a little later because I saw Doechii on the first night of her Swap Tour here in Chicago. She’s awesome. In today’s newsletter: Two ideas for indie watchmakers, when watch design changes behavior, why collectors have such a fetish for “firsts,” my favo
Microbrands, Frankenwatches, and What Even Is a Vintage Watch? | Q&A
Good morning from New York, where I’m filming a “Masterclass” for Teddy Baldassarre’s updated website. In today’s newsletter: My complicated feelings on microbrands; vintage and modern (and the myth of ‘vintage’); GMTs under $30k, and more from last month’s Q&A. 🎧 I tried something new: This week’s Q&A is also available as an audio issue. It feels like a format that naturally lends itself to audio
How to Collect Neo-Vintage Watches (Ben, Watch Brothers London)
Last week, I sat down for a fun chat with Ben Dunn of Watch Brothers London. Ben’s a U.K. dealer focusing on complicated neo-vintage watches from the 1980s–2000s. Our conversation comes in two parts: First, we talk about how Ben’s grown Watch Brothers London since he left Facebook to become a full-time dealer in 2022. Ben’s always transparent about his business and even shares some of his numbers,
A Chat with William Massena
This week, I’m joined by William Massena. Over 30+ years, William has worn just about every hat in the industry: He was an early pioneer of online forums as a moderator on TimeZone, served as managing director at Antiquorum during the auction house’s heyday, and has long been a collector with an appreciation for both vintage and contemporary indies. In 2018, William founded Massena LAB, a creative
Indie Trends, Breguet, and a 2-Watch Collection for $50k
We’re back with another audio chat, a podcast by any other name. This week, I’m joined by Brandon Moore, an editor at Watches by SJX based in Seattle. Brandon’s been an editor since 2018 and on forums longer than that. I particularly look to his opinions on independent and high-end watchmaking, but he’s got a keen eye and appreciation for watches of all kinds.We discuss trends in independent watch
Live Chat + Q&A with Max Braun (Dealer, Hairspring Podcast)
For those who couldn’t join our May 2025 Q&A livestream, this is the recording with Max Braun. Max is a friend, dealer, and the co-host of the great Hairspring Watches podcast. During our 45-minute chat, we talked about deals on the vintage market right now, Rolex Submariners, TAG Heuer and Formula 1 (and its impact on vintage Heuer), and a whole lot more. Enjoy, and hope to see you in our next li
Watches & Wonders 2025: With The Enthusiasts + Photo Dump
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.unpolishedwatches.comFor the second day of Watches and Wonders, I joined Stephen Pulvirent and Justin Hast of The Enthusiasts. We discuss some of our highlights from the show, the vibe amid the general industry slowdown, and more. There’s Rolex, Nomos, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Cartier, and I pitch the guys on my idea of “opulent simplicity
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