When Does a Rolex Stop Being a Rolex? Plus, Canada's Best Watchmaker
A court weighs in on the Ship of Theseus, Bradley Taylor on the Ardea, and the four numbers that make a Reverso real.
By my count, 20 watches sold for $1m+ at auctions in June, from the following brands/makers: Journe (5); Voutilainen (5); Patek Philippe (4); Rolex (2); Urban Jurgensen, Richard Mille, Vianney Halter, and Audemars Piguet (1).
In today’s newsletter: The latest Unpolished pod with Canada’s best indie watchmaker; when does a Rolex stop being a Rolex?; close-up with a trio of vintage Reversos; big-time job listings, and your chance to buy my favorite accessible Universal Geneve.
Subscribers also get (1) 10% off in the Unpolished Store, (2) $50 off a service at Watchcheck, and (3) access to all comments and Q&As.
PODCAST
Meet Canada’s Best Watchmaker
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This week’s guest is independent watchmaker Bradley Taylor. Bradley recently announced the Ardea, a watch built almost entirely by Bradley in his Vancouver workshop. It features a retrograde seconds, a silver dial with guilloche by Bradley, all packed in a 38 x 11mm case ($82k in platinum, $62k in steel).
Bradley went to watchmaking school in Le Locle, Switzerland, worked in after-sales service, and earned certification from Patek Philippe before setting off on his own in 2020. We discuss his favorite Patek Philippe calibers to service, his journey to independent watchmaking, and creating the Ardea.
There’s no shortage of high-quality, time-only watches, so I put the question to Bradley: Are there too many? He said:
“Initially I agreed when I heard [this critique], ‘yea, there’s too many.’ But then, I thought, isn’t this great? … I think it’s a really beautiful time in watchmaking where you’re seeing a lot of the smaller watchmakers actually be in a position to create something, and with the rise of social media and online content, there’s ways to find people who are interested in your work.”
Listen to our entire chat below, or wherever you listen to podcasts—Spotify / Apple / RSS:
When Does a Rolex Stop Being a Rolex?
Ah, the old Ship of Theseus. Even a California court is weighing in on the debate from your undergrad philosophy lecture.
Rolex recently won an injunction after suing a few resellers—Swiss Wrist, First Class Dials, and Austin’s Watches—for selling counterfeit watches, or at least watches with fake dials, bezels, cases, movements, or straps that still featured the “Rolex” mark.
The order prevents the sale of watches with these non-genuine parts, as well as those with “materially altered genuine parts.”
It’s the latest move by Rolex to clean up the secondary market, and it shows how it takes the position that a genuine Rolex watch isn’t only about its origin, but also its components. If too many parts have been swapped out of a Rolex, it’s no longer a Rolex. That means no aftermarket diamonds, no Rolex parts that have been “materially altered”; hell, not even a non-Rolex strap on a Rolex buckle or clasp.
It’s an increasingly important question in the world of resale and customization. After all, all the controversy around that tropical Omega Speedmaster wasn’t about whether it was an Omega, but how much of it was an Omega. Meanwhile, part of the fun of watches can be customization—whether it’s a buss-down Day-Date or a Seiko mod.
Rolex’s judgment suggests that sometimes this goes too far, turning otherwise authentic watches into something else. To me, the question is always whether a customizer is (1) actually adding value, or (2) free-riding off a brand’s IP. It sounds like these dealers (who I’ve not heard of?) were the latter. While the order doesn’t have any direct effect on other dealers, no doubt Rolex could use it as a stick in the future.
The Fashion Law has more, or read the consent judgment here.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE ESCAPEMENT
A New Event for Collectors, By Collectors
The Escapement is the first collector-focused event built for enthusiasts of all types. It’s not a trade show. Come to see live stage talks from independent watchmakers like Rexhep Rexhepi and Romain Gauthier. Plus, get hands-on with watches from Greubel Forsey, Simon Brette, and some of today’s most important makers. All in an arena and format that’s never been done before.
It’s not all watches: Saturday night will feature a comedy headliner, while Sunday will have a closing concert. Friday is VIP day, all day, with an opening-night Gala. Saturday and Sunday are General Admission. Join us: November 20-22, Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi (UAE):
The Roundup
🪦 Tania Edwards, who worked with Philippe Stern in the 1990s, gives a personal tribute. The former Patek Philippe President died on Sunday.
🏙️ Rolex unveiled a permanent clock in Rockefeller Center, in advance of opening its new Fifth Avenue Flagship.
🚂 A chance to get my favorite affordable Universal Geneve. The Ferrovie dello Stato, or Italian State Railway watch. Commissioned by the State Railway in the 1960s and produced in three different series through the 70s.
I once wrote that Tri-Compaxes were basically for fascists, but the FS was for the proletariat. “Say what you like about Mussolini, at least he made the trains run on time,” or so went the famous excuse for fascism under Benito Mussolini. The saying was propaganda, but the FS keeps on chugging.
This particular UG FS is a Mark 1, identified by its smaller 34mm case and faceted lugs. The white enamel dial looks to be in good condition. These Mark 1s are much rarer than later series, and this is one of the better chances I’ve seen to own an FS recently:
🔄 Reverso Minute.
I’ll have a short auction recap this weekend, but I was glad to see a couple of Reversos perform well at Sotheby’s:
First Series sold for $23k
Second Series Gubelin sold for $22k
The case on the First Series is pretty soft—the lines on the Second Series show more definition—but First Series Reversos with Tavannes movements were produced for only a couple of years (~1931-33), making them much rarer and more collectible.
Even better, Sotheby’s provided detailed photos in their listings, illustrating something important about buying Reversos that not many people know:
