Openwork: Inside the Watch Industry

Copyright: © Copyright 2018-2024. All rights reserved. ”Collective,” ”Collective Horology,” ”Collective Shop,” ”Openwork” and the Collective and Openwork logos are trademarks of Collective Horology LLC.

Latest Episodes:

Double Whammy of Tariffs and Foreign Exchange Rates – And How the Watch Industry Is Responding – Episode 39 May 05, 2025

Show notes

We’re going inside the industry response to the double whammy of US tariffs and foreign exchange rates. We’re going to address common myths, offer a look behind the scenes at the industry response, and discuss the implications for watchmaking in the US.

For detailed show notes, including links to more information, visit collectivehorology.com/blog.

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 Collectors Become More Discerning – Collective Voice Spring 2025 Listener Survey Results – Episode 38 Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

We delve into the results of the Spring 2025 Collective Voice Survey, our twice-yearly report on how collectors feel about all things watches.

Our Spring 2025 survey offers a fresh look at what’s on the minds of watch enthusiasts—what excites them, what frustrates them, and how those feelings translate (or don’t) into actual buying behavior. Just like our inaugural survey in Summer 2024, this round was packed with thoughtful, candid, and occasionally contradictory responses.

Full survey results are available at collectivehorology.com/blog.

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.

Special Episode: The Unsung Watches of Watches and Wonders 2025 – Episode 37 Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

After a busy week in Geneva, we recap the most interesting watches we saw that aren't otherwise getting much attention. Visit the Collective blog for show notes with live photos and links: collectivehorology.com/blog.

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 and Wonders 2025 – The Watch Industry Adapts to a New Normal – Episode 36 Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

Recorded at Watches and Wonders 2025, we look at the current state of the show, some of the most interesting releases from a business standpoint, and even a few personal highlights.

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.

The Rise of Independent Watchmaking – Tim Jackson (Independent in Time) – Episode 35 Mar 24, 2025

Show notes

These days, it seems like independent watchmakers and brands are everywhere – celebrated in watch media, on display at major retailers worldwide, hotly discussed in collector circles, and of course gaining share in an otherwise entrenched industry. But it’s an overnight success decades in the making. And today we have the perfect guest to guide us through the rise of the independents: Tim Jackson.

Tim is a passionate advocate for independent watchmaking, with a deep-rooted appreciation for mechanical timepieces that dates back to his childhood near Liverpool, England. His journey began with a Timex at age 10 and evolved into a lifelong fascination with horology that’s spanned a career in the UK and now here in California. With over 30 years in the watch world, Tim has developed a particular admiration for independent artisans who push the boundaries of traditional watchmaking. Today, he continues to champion these masters of micro-mechanical art, helping enthusiasts discover and acquire truly exceptional timepieces through his business Independent in Time.

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.

The Unspoken Realities of Swiss Production – Praneeth Rajsingh (CEO, MING Watches) – Episode 34 Mar 10, 2025

Show notes

We’re joined by Praneeth Rajsingh, CEO of Horologer MING, to discuss the realities of watchmaking in Switzerland. While most watch brands are incredibly secretive about production, MING is remarkably transparent. So we invited Praneeth to discuss how exactly watch production in Switzerland works – warts and all. We discuss how the brand has evolved to be able to produce watches using movements and components from a wide range of partners to create their consistent, unique and thoroughly recognizable 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.

Inside the Shadowy Auction Industry – Marion Maneker (Puck News) – Episode 33 Feb 24, 2025

Show notes

Auction houses – they loom large in the world of watch collecting. Their lots, eye-popping results and personalities are followed feverishly by watch media and enthusiasts. But how much do we really know about these seemingly august, vaunted and shadowy institutions? How exactly do auction houses work? And what are the implications for the watch community?

And today, we have the perfect guest to shine a light on the inner working of the auction houses: Marion Maneker, a longtime art world columnist and auction house insider. Marion Maneker, Special Correspondent for Art at Puck, the online news platform where insiders cover the worlds of Wall Street, Washington, Silicon Valley and Hollywood. Marion was formerly the president of ARTnews, a publisher at HarperCollins, and features editor at New York magazine.

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.

Rolex Shutters Carl F. Bucherer Brand – A Sign of Industry Consolidation? – Episode 32 Feb 12, 2025

Show notes

On February 7, 2025, Swiss media outlet Bilanz reported that Rolex is shutting down the Carl F. Bucherer watch brand, which it acquired in 2023 as part of its purchase of Bucherer – the global watch retailer. The decision to shutter any watch brand, particularly one dating back to 1888 with significant in-house watchmaking is major news. And it’s a story with broader implications for the watch industry at large. So with that in mind, on this special episode of Openwork we’re delving into the details and taking a look at what it all means.

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.

The Business & Ethics of Homage Watches – Marc Frankel (Long Island Watch) – Episode 31 Feb 03, 2025

Show notes

Homages, replicas and clones, oh my! Today we’re digging into the business and ethics of what’s a perennial and now growing segment of the watch market. This is a complex topic, with important distinctions to be drawn between homages and replicas, clones or dupes. And more broadly, it’s one that sheds important light on technology and production gains across the industry globally.

Fortunately, we have the perfect guest to guide us through that landscape: Marc Frankel, who most of you probably know as Marc from Long Island Watch – both a retailer and manufacturer of a wide range of watches including homage watches. Marc is not only a living legend in this industry, but someone we genuinely admire and like. We are both proud and happy customers of Long Island Watch. And one of the great joys for us in participating in the Windup Watch Fairs over the years has been getting to know Marc.

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.

Has Luxury Pricing Gone Too Far? – Katharine K. Zarrella (Fashion Writer, Editor & Critic) – Episode 30 Jan 20, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of the Openwork podcast, we look at luxury pricing. Of course, we’ve already done a deep dive on how watches are priced. (Check out our episode with Mike Margolis of Czapek and Singer Reimagined for that.) However, in the past, we’ve largely focused on how inputs like cost of labor, materials, inflation and currency exchange impact pricing. But there’s of course more that goes into pricing for watches and luxury goods more broadly. There are considerations like brand value, product positioning as well as consumer psychology that also impact pricing. And that’s what we explore today – those other more nebulous, but equally significant, inputs into pricing.

To help us with that we have the perfect guest: Katharine K. Zarrella is a writer, editor, and the Fashion Critic-at-Large at Document Journal. With a background as Fashion Director at the Wall Street Journal's Off Duty section and as a lecturer at Parsons School of Design and Central Saint Martins, she has contributed to numerous renowned publications, including Harper's Bazaar, The Business of Fashion, and most recently The New York Times, where she recently published the guest essay: Obscene Prices, Declining Quality: Luxury Is in a Death Spiral.

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.

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