I’m on vacation this week and not completely dialed into Geneva Watch Days, but the new Ferdinand Berthoud Naissance Montre 3 is impressive (here’s an in-depth look from SJX). A chain and fusee wristwatch made completely with hand-operated tools—that’s a 172mm chain made by hand. When Lange (via Renaud & Papi) developed the Tourbillon Pour le Mérite, the first wristwatch with a fusee and chain in the ‘90s, they inserted tiny pieces of paper between each link to keep them in place during the chain’s assembly. When finished, they burned them all—that’s the level of handwork we’re talking about here.
End-of-Summer Update
So, how’s it going?
Unpolished relaunched as a paid newsletter on January 5. Hundreds of you made pledges before the official launch—thank you. Since it’s the end of summer, I wanted to do a short update on Unpolished, along with a few thoughts on media. Some numbers:
~11k subscribers—one-third of you have subscribed since I left Hodinkee last year
I’ll add a graph and details about paid subscribers below
64 posts, 5 subscriber chats, 5 podcasts, and 3 contributors
Subscriptions alone have become my primary source of income, roughly replacing my Hodinkee salary, and opening doors to events, consulting, or writing for places like Collectability, Sotheby’s, or GQ.
For that: Thank you. There’s a narrative that media kind of sucks. “Is watch journalism dead?” they’ve even asked (more below). I’m not self-serious enough to think of myself as a traditional journalist. But thank you for proving that at least one little newsletter can exist without needing brand dollars or much social media.
It’s rewarding to write a newsletter simply because a few of you think it’s worth paying for, and the growth rate suggests there’s still plenty of opportunity.
I’m proud of many articles so far, and I’m not sure they’d fit anywhere else: A critical look at a Paul Newman Daytona sold by Rolex CPO, how hand-finishing became the new complication, The A. Lange & Söhne Conundrum, enamel dials, and case restoration. Here’s the archive of Greatest Hits.
That said, it’s not easy to strike out on your own. It helps to have some money saved up. For all their struggles, a job at an established publication feels safer. Being on your own also means delivering consistently. Asking these two questions: (1) is this worthy of someone’s overflowing inbox? and (2) is it worth paying for? Is what keeps me up at night.
But if you spend 5 minutes with this newsletter instead of scrolling, and actually learn something, then I feel it’s worth it. For most, watches are a hobby, and hobbies are supposed to be fun. I try to keep the newsletter entertaining, engaging, and fast, but with substance that will make you a more informed, thoughtful “collector.”
The best-performing newsletters balance reporting and Unpolished’s own analysis/opinion. There’s this idea that watch journalism is “access journalism.” Access to PR, watches, trade shows, CEOs. And I probably have less access than a year ago. I’m invited on fewer traditional press trips (and as a policy, I say no anyway), but I spend more time talking to enthusiasts, collectors, and watchmakers. And I’d bet the average watch group chat is more interesting than what many outlets cover everyday. How can what collectors are actually chatting about be reported out into a newsletter worth reading?
So, is watch journalism dead?
Did it ever really exist?
“Journalism” isn’t some licensed profession. There are more voices than ever, and individuals often do the most interesting reporting, unmoored by those pesky standards that can slow down a traditional publication. It’s true in watches and in everything else.
Meanwhile, brands are more invested in their own channels or celebrity ambassadors. There are six PR reps for every working journalist, a ratio I’d bet at least holds in watches. Many of your favorite former editors work for brands. Tudor recently did that great video of Navy Frogmen in the NASA space program who wore Tudor divers all on its own—but independent outlets can often add context to excellent storytelling.
In our chat, William Massena said the recent fracturing of media into many properties is good for the industry. I agree—TGN, WOE, Dimepiece, or Unpolished all have a different POV and offer different entry points into watches.
But—and for now—it feels like we’re losing something along the way. There’s very little content that aspires to do anything more than perform well on its own platform. A good TikTok is one that gets a million views; a good YouTube is one that’s watched for a long time. These metrics all have their own incentives, some good, some bad.1
But the best watch experiences can’t be captured in metrics and specs sheets. The beauty is in their seams, in the messy, mechanical gears. It’s why “hand-made” and “craftsmanship” have become the buzzwords du jour.
There’s this feeling that AI is going to gobble up everything, and we’ll be stuck wondering: What’s left?
Anything real—anything that cuts through the slop. Watches, with their ticking mechanics and the humans behind them, can still deliver that. The best watches—and the best writing about them—aren’t disposable. They’re meant to last, to be revisited years later. That’s the challenge I hold myself to: Make something that lasts, not just another bit of content lost to the feed.
What’s next? More of what works and less of what doesn’t. I’d like to do more chats, Q&As, and events. We’re going to test out selling straps this fall. The podcast will be monthly. Hopefully, growth continues at the same pace—the best way to build anything in watches is slowly and organically. I’m also adding at least one subscriber benefit that I hope adds value for some of you. Speaking of numbers, here’s that newsletter growth over the past 12 months:
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