December Q&A: Ask Me Anything
See you in the comments, one more time.
Our last subscriber Q&A thread was in September, so let’s do one more before the end of 2025. Ask a question in the comments, and I’ll answer throughout the day:
I’ll save some of the most interesting for an end-of-year mailbag, which will also be an audio issue. After all, the last Q&A led to ‘how to actually develop good taste,’ one of the more popular newsletters this year.
ICYMI
🎧 December Podcast: The Best Watchmaking of 2025 with Jack Forster, also on Spotify / Apple / RSS
🧵 Previous Q&As (hundreds of comments): September, March, and January
Things we can talk about:
All the crazy fall/winter auction results. For that, also read my Geneva Market Report.
Pierre Halimi, FP Journe brand manager, said the brand’s auction prices were “stupid.” And he said that before last weekend’s New York results.
General collecting advice and questions—what, when, or where to buy (or not).
47 Rules for Collecting, Breguet, the Tudor Ranger, Daniel Roth, or other recent newsletters
2025 year-in-review questions: Best and worst releases, trends, what to look for in 2026.
Other feedback, subscription, or renewal questions.
Manage or upgrade your subscription here.
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Shop the new Matte Calfskin ($100) and Canvas Strap ($75) in the Unpolished Store. Free U.S. shipping for the rest of 2025. Leather strap prices increase in 2026. The Matte Calfskin is the perfect balance of dressy and distressed, while the Canvas is the thinnest and comfiest fabric strap you’ll find.
As a reminder, there are now two subscription tiers:
Standard: $99/year. You get:
10% off all orders in the Unpolished Store
$50 off any service from Watchcheck
Access to all newsletters, comments, and Q&As
Founding Member: $199/year.
Strap of your choice from the Store
Rewind 2025 Magazine—the best from the newsletter, in a physical magazine
+ All Standard benefits
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One note for renewing Founding Members: If you originally subscribed in January, your subscription will auto-renew, which is when you’ll be able to pick a strap. However, if you want to renew early and receive your strap now, send me an email, and we’ll take care of it.
See you in the comments,
Tony
Get in touch:
tony[at]unpolishedwatches.com
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Leave a comment or send a message on Substack:
When you're researching watches why do you begin with the Hairspring podcast? Kidding. What's the last watch that made you change your mind about a view you held? XOXOXOXO -Erik
Hi Tony—I personally do not purchase watches that exceed a certain price point. An obvious result is that I barely experience watches that you and others (such as Eric Wind or Gustafson write and speak of) firsthand. Do you find that to be the case with most of your audience, or am I in the minority? This fascinates me as the discourse (the substacks and podcasts) around the content (the watches) becomes the actual content.
However, this discourse (to my knowledge) remains largely media– (see a Blog to Watch, Hodinkee, etc.), dealer– (see Hairspring or Wind Vintage), and even watch company–driven (see the Rolex books on the Submariner and Datejust or the Polerouter book). Are there watch history essays or books that are academically rigorous, published by universities such as analogous Art and Architectural History books?