The Tools I Use To Make This Newsletter
And my absolute favorite vintage Longines.
Good morning. It’s my last day in New York City after a packed couple of days—highlights coming in this weekend’s edition. In today’s issue:
The tools I use to make this newsletter.
Watch of the Week: My absolute favorite vintage time-only Longines.
Also, Unpolished is a newsletter, but the entire archive is online at unpolishedwatches.com. It’s the best way to find old newsletters, whether you’re a new or long-time subscriber.
If you have the Substack app and haven’t been getting emails, it’s probably because you need to change a setting buried in the app—instructions here.
The Tools I Use to Make This Newsletter
I didn’t realize how many things it takes to create even a small newsletter until they started adding up on the Unpolished corporate card—gear, tools, subscriptions, etc. I also get plenty of questions about taking photos, so it’s time to put that all together.
This is most of the camera, gear, tech, and tools I use to make Unpolished. Watch gear and accessories are for another day, though I’ll mention a few of my favorites.
I don’t pretend to be a professional photographer, videographer, or anything like that. I know enough to get by, and sometimes hardly even that. I mostly get paid to be a writer/editor. But writing is only half the job—the other half is promoting your work, which nowadays means having other skills.
Also, the days of a publication sending a writer and photographer on an assignment are mostly gone. If you can’t do both, someone else is gonna get the gig.
I’m not a gearhead, so this isn’t about specs, megapixels, or shutter speeds. This is what works for me.
Camera and Photography
Nikon Zf camera. I upgraded to this full-frame mirrorless Nikon about 6 months ago from the smaller Z 50. The Zf is similar to the Nikon Z 6 II but has a retro-inspired body, so of course I wanted the one that looks cool. It’s also a bit more compact, and I have a strict no-checked-bags rule, so I need a camera that fits in a carry-on. I’ve always bought cameras pre-owned, and have probably used 4–5 different bodies over the past few years. I’m in the Nikon family simply because of some of the people I’ve learned from. The Zf also comes with a solid 24-70mm kit lens.
Nikon Nikor Z MC 50mm lens. This 50mm prime lens also has a built-in macro function. Perfect for traveling and shooting watches up close, it’s also a great walkaround lens. For example, I used it for this Royal Ascot Photo Report.
Lume Cube. I’m not great at shooting with flash, and I’ve found myself in so many situations where it’d also be a total vibe kill. This little Lume Cube provides great light that can be made warmer/cooler, and stronger/softer. It’s the size of a credit card and about as thick as a Black Bay.
Diffusers. Since the Lume Cube’s light can be harsh, I also use diffusers.
White cardboard. White cardboard can help bounce the light to fill up the photo.
Here’s what my travel photography setup looks like:
So much of watches is about traveling and being fast, so this setup is optimized to be lightweight and good enough. It’s for strolling into a meeting with suited-up Swiss reps without lugging around a huge gear bag, and casually snapping a few photos while oohing and ahhing about the latest release or auction highlight.
I visited Collectability HQ earlier this week—here are a few photos I took with the above setup:
iPhone 16. If you follow my Instagram you know I’ve posted more short videos in the past year or so. Every video has been shot with an iPhone and a tripod.
Light Softbox. At home, I also have these softboxes for better light. But using this full setup is the exception, not the rule, for me.
Watch Gear
Watch gear, straps, and cases could be an entire newsletter, but here are a few I use frequently:
Hodinkee Travel Case. I like these old Hodinkee travel cases, but sadly you’ll have to trawl eBay to find them now. In place of that, I also like Molequin Ultraslim Cases. The two-watch cases are great for traveling light, and you probably don’t need to travel with more than three watches (including the one on your wrist)—sports, dress, beater. Oak & Oscar also makes a nice watch wallet.
Travel Spring Bar tool. Very useful. I’ve included a Watches of Espionage link, but these can also be found elsewhere. Or, if you’re nice to a friendly dealer, they might give you one.
Bergeon screwdriver set. Bergeon tools are a buy-once-cry-once proposition. You’ll be tempted to buy the $10 knock-offs on Amazon, but I’m here to tell you: don’t do it. They’ll break in two weeks.
Maybe I don’t have the dexterity for it, but I don’t really use the Bergeon tweezers.
Miscellaneous. I also travel to trade shows with a mini UV light and digital calipers, only to forget them in my hotel room for commenters to shout “what’s the lug-to-lug?!”
Other accessories:
Straps. Most of my leather straps are from the Hodinkee Shop (RIP), Molequin, or Veblenist. I raided the Hodinkee going out of business sale so I’m set on straps for a while.
Bracelets. I’ve got a handful of Forstner bracelets and Private Eyes beads of rice bracelets.
Software & Subscriptions
Substack. The newsletter platform I’ve been using for Unpolished since 2020. It takes care of tech, email delivery, and makes payment collection easy. For this, it takes 10% of Unpolished’s revenue off the top. For now, it’s worth it.
Adobe Lightroom. For editing photos. I haven’t needed Photoshop yet.
CapCut. The TikTok-owned video editor I use to make all short-form video. I pay for CapCut Pro.
Figma. For all other design, graphics, or making Instagram posts like this. It has a generous free tier.
Publications. I subscribe off-and-on to several publications—other newsletters, a few foreign-language newspapers in Switzerland, and a couple of business and industry publications like Puck and Business of Fashion.
The AI Question
Do You Use AI?
I’ve experimented with AI a lot over the past few months—general language models like ChatGPT (best all-purpose), Claude (most creative), and Gemini (best researcher), and more purpose-built tools.
So far, I’ve found AI somewhat helpful for the first and last part of the newsletter-writing process, especially since I’m solo. What I mean: AI can be helpful to brainstorm with, and it’s good for editing and proofreading. Still, I’ve worked with human editors who can take a story idea to the next level, and I’ve never felt like AI has brought that creative spark. It makes incremental tweaks.
AI is also a decent research assistant, but can be naively confident (I’ve also found Google search to be almost unusable in some instances, so end up using AI by default). To take an example: A few weeks ago I was researching for an F.P. Journe article, and ChatGPT completely hallucinated the idea that Journe introduced its stainless steel series in 2008 as a response to the austere days post-financial crisis (the stainless steel collection was actually made in 2015 to mark the end of Journe’s 38mm case size). Once you ask AI to double-check its work, it’ll be quick with a “whoops, you’re right—sorry!”
Other Tech & Gear
Macbook Air 15”
DJI MIC Mini. I use these portable mics to record short-form video and I’m also testing them out to record on-the-go conversations I hope to publish here.
Troubadour Apex 2.0 Backpack. The laptop backpack I use and travel with. So many functional bags look too sporty or bulky, built more for hiking trails. This felt like a sleek in-between.
Anker magnetic portable charger. A must for travel and long days, and your phone can still slide in your pocket.
Anker fast portable charging block. Any fast-charing block is a worthy upgrade from the standard Apple ones.
Leuchtturm 1917 Hardcover Notebook (dotted). I love a physical to-do list, kept with Muji pens.
These are all products and services I have bought and use. A few of these are affiliate links. Unpolished might earn a commission if you purchase through them.
Listen up
Two podcast recommendations:
Acquired: Rolex. I just finished the 5-hour marathon Acquired podcast about Rolex. Recommended, just like the previous episodes about LVMH and Hermes. The episode really picks up during the quartz revolution years (Omega catches a ton of strays) and Rolex’s response. A standout quote:
“It’s not that the mechanical watch market experienced a comeback, it’s that it turned out to be the perfect object for a completely different market.”
Openwork Podcast: Inside Art Auctions. This quote, in defense of rising secondary and auction prices, got me thinking:
“When we create value around art, people will care for it, preserve it, and look for more of them.”
Watch of the Week: Vintage Longines
Today’s Watch of the Week comes from Per: A beautiful, oversized (37mm) time-only Longines from the 1950s.
“What really stands out to me about this oversized Calatrava is the striking silver dial with Art Deco-ish numerals, paired with sleek, thin, blued hands,” Per said. “It’s an elegant yet sporty combination that feels just right.”
He won it at auction last December—it’s got stellar provenance!—and I even threw a few bids at it, too. A few of the first watches I ever owned were Bauhaus-inspired designs like the Nomos Tangente and Junghans Max Bill, so this Longines appeals to something deep inside me.
Get in touch:
tony@unpolishedwatches.com
❣️ Tap the heart or leave a comment if you like the format—seriously, it helps me know if Unpolished is hitting the mark:
Fully agree with you on what the standout quote from acquired episode was… so right.
Very informative and instructive post, thank you for sharing details about tools you use frequently!
What strap brand is the Longines adorned in? Striking blue that complements the watch beautifully.