Rescapement

Today, short hits on four very different topics—let me know what you think of the format. In this newsletter: Checking in with Minhoon Yoo, an exciting Korean indie watchmaker. Breitling-Gallet, Rolex-C.F. Bucherer, and the Great Reshuffle—behind the scenes as the industry looks to survive a slowdown. Think you can spot a fake Rolex? A closer look at a couple scary good counterfeits. Watch of the Week: A unique Chopard with a beauuuutiful straw dial.

Breitling and Partners Group, the private investment firm that took a stake in the brand in 2017, have acquired the rights to Gallet Watch, according to multiple sources at or close to Breitling. Unpolished is a newsletter for insiders and watch collectors. Scoops like this are only available to paid subscribers. Support for $99/year or $10/month: The move comes after Breitling announced its acquisition of Universal Geneve in December 2023.

Welcome back to Unpolished, the newsletter for watch collectors. Today, in-depth on early F.P. Journe, Rolex pulls the plug on Carl F. Bucherer, an update on the $3 million Omega Speedmaster, and a Watch of the Week from Universal Geneve. The main event is a closer look at a curious Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona. If you’re new, here’s the full archive. Unpolished is a weekly newsletter for insiders & watch collectors.

When a group of collectors get together, most of whom have been buying watches for a decade or three, conversations tend to take a zoomed-out view. Last weekend, I drove from Chicago to Indianapolis to join about 30ish vintage collectors for the 10th edition of NAABS. “NAABS” is an in-joke acronym that doesn’t stand for much, except for a vintage get-together that’s in a different city every February (usually organized by Steve).

Before this week’s main event on why vintage collectors prefer originality, a few thoughts on Bulgari, Zenith, and LVMH. Then, a look at Yves Saint Laurent’s Cartier. After that, more on Timex, Capybaras, and watch events. If you’re new, check out Unpolished’s archive. Bulgari’s big release at LVMH Watch Week was the Serpenti Automatic powered by its new BVS 101 movement. Zenith will begin producing the caliber and make it available to other LVMH brands.

Our recent Q&A touched on a lot of hot topics, so I’m bringing a few to the newsletter for longer answers: Rising prices, how you even get an indie watch, shopping for vintage Calatravas, and something to look forward to in 2025. Then, a Watchlist featuring classics from Rolex, Omega, and affordable Jaeger-LeCoultre before a Watch of the Week from Gallet.

A look at the standout release from LVMH Watch Week, temporary furloughs at big watchmakers, and updates to the Chopard L.U.C. Then, this week’s main event: What even is a watch collector (and is it me)? Unpolished is a 2x/week newsletter for insiders & watch collectors.

In this week’s paid issue: a watch story from Los Angeles, thoughts on the steel Vacheron 222 and the leak, a vintage Rolex Watchlist from Palm Beach (and about that email!) plus Cartier and Swatch, and a calendar of 2025 watch events. But first: I don’t want this newsletter to feel overly reactive to the week’s news. It’s more like offering timely insights on timeless topics—if that didn’t sound so d*mn corny.

In last week’s Q&A, I got a few questions about the biggest watch events, shows, and gatherings to look out for each year. Since 2023, Watches & Wonders has occurred every April in Geneva. It’s the biggest week of the year. 50+ brands, led by Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Cartier, take up residence in a convention center near the Geneva Airport, while hundreds more exhibit throughout the city.

[This newsletter has more photos than usual—click the headline to see it all in your browser.] There are two types of people at the Original Miami Beach Antique Show: Those who try on watches and those who don’t. This year, there were more of the second type than the first. If you're trying on watches, you're a customer or collector—asking to see a watch, snapping photos, and seeing how it fits. If you're a dealer, there's no need.