Unpolished Watches

Full show notes: www.unpolishedwatches.com/p/what-we-want-from-iwc-and-how-to
Today’s Collector Conversation is with Wesley Smith, founder of Standard H, an automotive-inspired clothing brand. Wesley has worked in fashion and menswear for 30 years, and he’s also a big watch enthusiast.
During his recent visit to Chicago, we sat down to talk about both. First, we get nerdy about t-shirts. The simplest garment there is, but dozens of decisions go into making one, whether it’s from Uniqlo, Buck Mason, or Standard H. How can you tell if it’s a good t-shirt? Besides his own, what’s Wesley’s favorite?
Then we talk watches. What bugs us about the Lange Saxonia Annual Calendar; how to fix IWC; loud rotors; a TAG Heuer Carrera we’ve both owned; the spec sheet-ification of watches; the problem with most midsize watches; and more. The first ~20 minutes are clothing talk, then we get into watches.
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Show Notes
* Standard H website; on Instagram
* Standard H Avant t-shirt
* Real Review: Lange Saxonia Annual Calendar
* TAG Heuer CS3111 Carrera Re-edition from 1996
* My TAG Heuer Carrera ‘Glassbox’ Week on the Wrist
* Barrelhand
Shop our line of straps in the Unpolished Store: shop.unpolishedwatches.com


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John Cote has been collecting watches since the 1990s. He learned from his dad, who collected pocket watches while John was growing up in Manhattan. He’s one of the guys that’s still out there hunting watches every single week. In addition to collecting, he’s written for Hodinkee, Fratello, in addition to being a prolific contributor on the NAWCC forums. He’s been the president of his local NAWCC chapter and served as a board member until 2025.
John says his collecting philosophy is that “a collection should tell a story. He’s got a different approach to acquisition—he buys watches, usually mid-century chronographs, in pairs. He looks to pair the steel tool watch with its dressier counterpart.
We talk about what you learn that you might not otherwise by hunting pairs; why John loves these boomer chronographs; how he’s seen watch collecting evolve over 30+ years; what he thinks about all these little dress watches; and a whole lot more. John’s from my hometown of Indianapolis, so it was a pleasure to have him on to talk watches.
Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSS
Unpolished is the newsletter for collectors and a top-20 Fashion Substack. John for free or become a paid member for $8/mo:

I’m going to continue publishing these shorter ‘collector conversations’ in between full podcast episodes—let me know if you’re enjoying them, and what other topics you’d like to see covered.

Show Notes
* John Cote on Instagram
* The Boomer Watch Is On Sale, Unpolished
* American Pocket Watches: A Primer For The Wristwatch Collector, John’s article on Hodinkee
* A Very American Way to Lose an Industry, Unpolished
* NAWCC Forums
* John’s Wittnauer chronograph pair—he wore the black dial when we chatted:



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is an explorer, attorney, writer, and watch collector. He’s been on five dives to the Titanic, and led the expedition that recovered the Apollo engines that launched men to the Moon. He’s a member of The Explorers Club, the society that counts astronauts, mountaineers, and famous explorers as its members.
I’m excited to be joined by David Concannon. He’s also an accomplished attorney with 30+ years of experience, and has a hell of a watch collection.
As part of his work with the Explorers Club, he works with Rolex on its Explorers Club Grant, which puts watches in the field. We talk about that program and what it’s like working closely with Rolex.
We discuss his first Submariner, collecting watches, what watch he plans to take on his next expedition, and a whole lot more.
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For those of you listening on audio, the Unpolished Podcast is also now published as video on our YouTube channel HERE.
Show Notes:
* David Concannon on Substack
* Relics of Apollo, Part 1, 2, 3 (David Concannon)
* Rolex GMT-Master recall ad (Hodinkee)
* Early Rolex Le Mans ad (Ad Patina)
* The Explorers Club
* Rolex Explorers Club Grant
* Carl Spencer’s Rolex Sea-Dweller (Hodinkee)

Unpolished is the newsletter for watches, and a top-20 Fashion Substack. Join for free or become a member for $8/mo ($80/year):

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.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe

Full show notes: www.unpolishedwatches.com/p/meet-canadas-best-watchmaker-bradley
Canada isn’t exactly known for its watchmaking, but today’s guest is changing that, one handmade watch at a time.
When I saw Bradley Taylor announce his latest watch, the Ardea, I knew he’d be a good guest.

It’s a well-made, time-only watch—in vogue right now—but completely his own. The Ardea ($62k in steel; $82k in platinum) features a retrograde seconds that snaps back to zero every minute, and almost all of the components are made by Bradley in his Vancouver workshop.
Bradley went to watchmaking school in Le Locle, Switzerland, and earned his Patek Philippe Level II certification before setting off on his own in 2020. We talk about his journey to becoming an independent watchmaker, the challenges of running a solo workshop, his thoughts on the market for high-end (and high-priced) indies, and where he fits in. Then, we dig into his latest release, the Ardea.
For more on Bradley or to get in contact with him: bradleytaylor.ca
Thank you to The Escapement for sponsoring today’s episode. For more info and tickets, visit theescapement.com.
For those of you listening on audio, the Unpolished Podcast is also now published as video on our YouTube channel HERE:
Unpolished is the newsletter for watch collectors, and a top-20 Fashion Substack. Join for free or become a member for $8/mo:

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.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe

Full show notes: https://www.unpolishedwatches.com/p/bonus-ep-collecting-the-1990s-with
Subscribe to Unpolished: unpolishedwatches.com

Today’s a bonus episode with Trevor Wynn, host of the Paré Paré Podcast. Trevor was in Chicago during Memorial Day weekend, so we sat down for a short chat at Huckberry after filming a YouTube video. We talk about Trevor’s brief foray into acting, leaving your passion behind, some of our favorite watches from the 1990s from Rolex, IWC, TAG Heuer, and more, and other updates to Trevor’s collection.
We’ll be back next week with a full episode featuring an interview with an independent watchmaker who recently announced his latest release. Thanks for listening!
Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSS
Unpolished is the newsletter for watch collectors, and a top-20 Fashion Substack. Join for free or become a member for $8/mo:

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.
Show Notes:

* Paré Paré on Apple Podcasts
* How we all become sellouts, Decoder Ring
* The Feed is Fake, Vulture
* Benrus Type II, Analog Shift
* The Best Field Watches, Unpolished YouTube
* Cartier Santos SIHH 2002 LE, Tony’s Instagram
* Omega Seamaster Chronograph 007 ‘First Light’ (17mm thick!), Omega
* Modern two-tone Rolex GMT-Master II, Rolex
* A Guide to TAG Heuer Dive Watches, On the Dash
* Shop Unpolished Straps, Unpolished Store



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unpolishedwatches.com/subscribe