Openwork: Inside the Watch Industry

Inside M.A.D.Editions – Maximilian Büsser (MB&F)

On this episode of Openwork, we explore the business of both MB&F and Max’s most recent horological project: M.A.D.Editions. While both represent wildly creative watches, they have fundamentally different business models, with MB&F producing under 200 pieces a year at prices mostly over $100K USD and M.A.D.Editions producing thousands of watches a year at under $5K USD.
Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology, Openwork goes inside the watch industry.
You can find us online at collectivehorology.com. To get in touch with suggestions, feedback or questions, email podcast@collectivehorology.com.
 

Inside the GPHG – How the "Oscars of Watchmaking" Really Works

For years, we’ve followed the GPHG – the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève – with great excitement and interest as it’s essentially the Oscars of Watches. And with this year's award ceremony taking place November 13, we figured it would be helpful to lift the veil on what goes on behind the scenes. Who are the people who nominate these watches, and what does voting look like? Does the GPHG meaningfully drive sales for brands, and what’s involved in participating? We get into all of that and more, as we share our own experience as voting GPHG academy members.
Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology, Openwork goes inside the watch industry.
You can find us online at collectivehorology.com. To get in touch with suggestions, feedback or questions, email podcast@collectivehorology.com.

New York Watch Week? – Plus Building URWERK and Brew with Martin Frei and Jonathan Ferrer

On this episode, we share an industry perspective on what’s quickly becoming something of a New York Watch Week – comprising the Windup Watch Fair, WatchTime and more. Additionally, we’re going to share a special live podcast recording from the Windup Watch Fair – a joint episode between us and the Worn & Wound Podcast. It’s a conversation with Martin Frei of URWERK and Jonathan Ferrer of Brew about how they built their brands.
Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology, Openwork goes inside the watch industry.
You can find us online at collectivehorology.com. To get in touch with suggestions, feedback or questions, email podcast@collectivehorology.com.

Watch Production in China – Wesley Kwok (Nodus)

On this episode, we take a look at a topic that we’ve been curious about for a long time. We have discussed, both with members of the industry and amongst ourselves, the realities of production here in the United States, Japan, Switzerland and to a lesser degree Germany. But to date, we haven’t discussed one of the largest centers of watch manufacturing in the world: China. From full watches to components of every imaginable variety, China is a formidable force in the world of watchmaking and watch collecting. To help us learn more about the Chinese production ecosystem and why it matters, we’re proud to be joined by our friend Wes Kwok, co-founder of Nodus Watches.
Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology, Openwork goes inside the watch industry.
You can find us online at collectivehorology.com. To get in touch with suggestions, feedback or questions, email podcast@collectivehorology.com.
 

Watches of Switzerland Acquires Hodinkee (Special Episode)

Today (October 4, 2024) marks a major shift in the watch industry. Hodinkee, the leading voice in modern watch media, has been fully acquired by Watches of Switzerland, a massive UK based retailer with operations around the world including in the US.
Only a few months ago, Ben Clymer, founder of Hodinkee – and as of today, a President at Watches of Switzerland – announced that the publication was shuttering their retail business and going to back to focus on “the basics” (i.e., their editorial product).
So what does this all mean for Hodinkee, its stakeholders, and of course the industry at large?
Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology, Openwork goes inside the watch industry.
You can find us online at collectivehorology.com. To get in touch with suggestions, feedback or questions, email podcast@collectivehorology.com.
 
 

How to Value Watch Movements – Inside the Movement Industry

We discuss the current landscape of movement suppliers and how it came to be. We cover how movements are selected by watchmakers, along with the drama that often surrounds the ever-popular “in house” vs “mass produced” discussion. We offer some thoughts on how, why or if movement design, finishing and construction should figure into a purchasing decision.
Correction: On this podcast, we claimed that Czapek's SXH5 movement is designed by Czapek and produced by Chronode. That is incorrect. The movement is in fact in-house – both designed and produced by Czapek themselves. Most components are manufactured by Czapek, while some are supplied by third-party partners before being finished and assembled by Czapek.
Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology, Openwork goes inside the watch industry.
You can find us online at collectivehorology.com. To get in touch with suggestions, feedback or questions, email podcast@collectivehorology.com.

Listener Survey Results – What You Told Us about the Current State and Future of the Watch Industry

Earlier this summer, we asked you – our listeners – to participate in a short survey in order to hear your perspective on the current state and future of the watch industry. The responses poured in, and on today's episode, we delve into what you shared. A massive thanks to those who responded. Your responses were incredibly thoughtful, helpful, and surprising.
Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology, Openwork goes inside the watch industry.
You can find us online at collectivehorology.com. To get in touch with suggestions, feedback or questions, email podcast@collectivehorology.com.
 

Geneva Watch Days: Stakes Are High – How the Event and Watch Industry Are Evolving

Live from Geneva Watch Days, we discuss how the show has evolved from a collector focus to a major industry event, along with the consequences of those changes. And we cover some of the week's high drama, including how and why we were kicked out of the Beau Rivage hotel. Things are getting real here in Geneva – stakes are high.
Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology, Openwork goes inside the watch industry.
You can find us online at collectivehorology.com. To get in touch with suggestions, feedback or questions, email podcast@collectivehorology.com.

No Bottom in Sight: State of the Pre-owned Watch Market – Hamza Masood (Watch Charts)

We take a deep dive into the current state of the secondary (pre-owned) watch market with our friend Hamza Masood of WatchCharts – the world's most comprehensive, transparent and trusted source of watch market data. It’s a service we at Collective subscribe to for its valuable insight not just into the pre-owned watch market but what that data can tell us about the watch industry at large. And that’s exactly what we discuss with Hamza – what exactly is going on in the pre-owned watch market and more importantly what does it tell us about the industry at large, and of course, the implications for collectors.
Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology, Openwork goes inside the watch industry.
You can find us online at collectivehorology.com. To get in touch with suggestions, feedback or questions, email podcast@collectivehorology.com.

Epic Battle: Mono vs. Multi-brand Retail – Current State and Future of Watch Retail

We look at the shifting landscape of watch retail – specifically the rise of single-brand boutiques, the trade-offs of those changes, and what the future looks like.
Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology, Openwork goes inside the watch industry.
You can find us online at collectivehorology.com. To get in touch with suggestions, feedback or questions, email podcast@collectivehorology.com.