On this episode of Openwork, we dig into the long-awaited reduction of U.S. tariffs on Swiss watches, which finally dropped from 39% to 15% after weeks of confusion and delay. We explain what actually changed, why the rollout took more than a month after the initial agreement, and how the U.S. customs system ultimately flipped the switch. While the lower rate is meaningful relief for the industry, we also talk through the real-world complications around retroactivity, post-summary corrections, and why many shipments were still hit with the higher rate during the transition period. From there, we zoom out to look at what the latest export data is telling us about the health of the watch market in 2025. Swiss watch exports to the U.S. have fallen sharply, contributing to one of the toughest post-COVID years for the industry despite strength at the very high end. We discuss how tariffs, currency swings, delayed shipments, and tighter payment terms create knock-on effects that ripple through brands, suppliers, and retailers long before they show up clearly in headline numbers. We also cover a few developments that stood out to us, including LVMH’s growing momentum in fine watchmaking and its increasingly visible role in the independent space, as well as the surprising strength of jewelry-focused brands like Van Cleef & Arpels in the secondary market. Finally, we close with a hands-on discussion of the new Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean, looking at where it succeeds, where it falls short, and what it says about Omega’s broader strategy as it continues to define itself against Rolex. 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.
In this episode of Openwork, we talk with our sales director, Geoff Souder, about what fundamentally changes when you move from selling traditional luxury watches to selling independent brands. Drawing on decades of experience with mainstream names like Rolex and Patek Philippe, Geoff explains how scale and standardization create a polished but often homogenous retail experience, then contrasts that with the realities of independence—where there is no built-in foot traffic and every relationship must be earned. The conversation centers on how independent watches shift the meaning of ownership inward, away from status and recognition and toward personal connection, artistic intent, and patronage, ultimately reshaping not just how watches are sold, but how they’re understood and valued. 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.
Openwork is going weekly. In addition to our classic shows which focus on a specific topic or guest, we’re introducing a new format: a discussion of current events in the watch industry. So this week, we take a look at some tariff news (or lack thereof), supplier challenges, the significant growth of India, along with a few new releases. 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.
Today we’re talking about the rise of independent hype watches. Until very recently, as we’ve discussed on this podcast, independent watchmaking was something of a backwater of the watch industry or at best the realm of the cognoscenti. But in recent years, creations from the likes of MB&F, Simon Brette, Rexhep Rexhepi and today’s guest Sylvain Berneron have become objects of desire, cutthroat demand and even speculation. How did it get this way? What are the drivers? And what role do the brands and watchmakers themselves play in the economy of hype? Our guest is Sylvain Berneron, a French-born industrial and fine-arts trained designer who, after early roles in automotive design at BMW, moved into the watch world — spending five years at Breitling (ultimately as Chief Product Officer) and earlier working for the Richemont Group on brands such as IWC and Jaeger‑LeCoultre. In 2022 Sylvain founded his independent brand Berneron (based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland) and launched the Mirage collection, noted for its all-gold movement, shaped asymmetric case. And this summer, he unveiled his second collection, the Quantième Annuel. Both collections are highly limited – variants are produced in just 24 units each annually. 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.
This week we’re coming to you from Geneva, where we’ve attended the GPHG award ceremony, celebrated Czapek’s 10th anniversary, and had some time to experience the city’s horological treasures. We share a recap of our time in Geneva, including what everyone who attended the GPHG is really talking about. 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.
Today we’re talking to someone who has made the transition from watchmaker to journalist to watch brand executive. In fact, it’s not so much a transition but a career expansion as he still assembles watches while creating copious content and works in various business roles for a number of watch brands. Of course, we’re talking to none other than Rob Nudds, the watch industry’s renaissance man. Rob's latest collaboration with Straum: Straum × TRTS Jan Mayen Titanium Stormy Seas. 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.
It’s the Omega-sode. We’re taking a look at the business of Omega: How they went from the world’s number one watch brand – both in terms of sales and units shipped – to number three, what happened along the way, and where they may be headed next. 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.
We're live at WatchTime New York 2025 with Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, 4th Managing Director of Fears. We discuss the growth of WindUp, WatchTime and the many other watch happenings in New York this past week, including what the brands are talking about behind closed doors. Yes, a bit of tea. 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.
We’re taking a look at how the watch market has shifted in the past half decade plus. In particular, we’re taking a look at what’s changed since Morgan Stanley and LuxeConsult published their first annual watch industry report in 2018 – which brands and segments are up and down, how tastes are changing, and so much more. For full show notes, including links to coverage on the Morgan Stanley and LuxeConsult reports, 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.
On September 5, 2025 under British law and as originally reported in WatchPro, Bremont filed their 2024 financial year report, which saw the brand post a whopping £9 million (GBP) loss. In addition to the numbers, the report reveals a great deal about the state of Bremont’s business and their strategy going forward. Now although just filed this month, the reporting period ends June 2024, so a lot of course could have changed between then and now. Nonetheless, this is a clear, transparent and self-reported view into the state of Bremont's business – rather unusual for the watch industry. For full show notes 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.
Before we leave Geneva, we’re back with a recap of our favorite watches – all of them unexpected and expressions of unique points of view. Full show notes below with photos, more information 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.
We're live from Switzerland with our take on Geneva Watch Days 2025. We discuss what we're hearing in the meeting rooms, our takeaways from this week's releases, as well as how the show and industry more broadly are adapting to a turbulent environment. 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.
Summertime, usually a downtime in the watch industry, has been particularly busy this year. On this episode of Openwork, we're looking at three timely stories: A preview of Geneva Watch Days, the latest Swiss watch export data, and Richemont's most recent quarterly earnings. Taken all together, these current events demonstrate the watch industry isn't lacking for intrigue in the waning days of summer. 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.
On this episode of Openwork, we explore the watches that shaped both the watch industry and global culture. Our focus is on the modern era—from the Quartz Crisis to today. Each of us selects three watches that transformed the industry, influenced how we collect, and left their mark far beyond the world of horology. We also each choose the most important industry executive of the same period. For full show notes, including details on all watches, 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.
On July 31, the United States announced a new reciprocal tariff rate of 39% on imports from Switzerland, starting August 7, 2025. These tariffs have sweeping implications for the Swiss watch industry and the global watch industry more broadly. On this episode of Openwork we discuss those effects, along with what to look for next. How will negotiations play out? And how will the watch industry navigate future tariffs? 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.
Today, it’s cars vs. watches. In particular, we’re looking at the automotive world, which is often compared to the watch industry—including on this podcast—to see what it might teach us about watches. Our guest is Wesley Smith, the founder of STANDARD H, a California-based apparel and lifestyle brand inspired by his lifelong passions for cars, watches, travel, and design. With over 20 years of retail experience—from surf shops to luxury brands like Gucci and James Perse—Wesley launched STANDARD H in 2015 to create purpose-driven clothing and content rooted in movement and community. Wesley is also the host of the STANDARD H Podcast to which we’d recommend you all subscribe, and he started his career in the automotive industry. 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.
Today we’re talking about the rise of certified pre-owned programs – the current state of the CPO universe, the value of those programs, and where it’s all going. And to do that, we have the perfect returning guest, Hamza Masood of WatchCharts – the world's most comprehensive, transparent and trusted source of watch market data. Hamza and WatchCharts were among the first to track and call-out the rise and growing importance of certified pre-owned programs. 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.
We’re half way through 2025, which has turned out to be a very eventful year to say the least, and that very much shows up in the data for the watch market. So today we’re looking at all the data sources we can muster to understand just how the watch industry is faring at the midway point of 2025, and where it might be heading next. We looked at a wide variety of sources from WatchCharts, to trade press, to FHS export data and more. We’ll do our best to cite everything as we chat, but as always a full list of sources can be found 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.
Having made the transition from watch enthusiasts to industry insiders and retailers in particular, we’ve come to realize that there are often big gaps between what commands attention in watch media and among collectors vs. the commercial realities. Many of the so-called “truths” we hold sacred as enthusiasts aren’t really true after all. So today on Openwork, we’re myth busting – taking a look at some of the widely held beliefs in the watch community that are actually in fact misconceptions. For 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.
We discuss watchmaking in America – specifically what’s required to bring watchmaking at scale back to the United States. It’s a hot topic these days, particularly as U.S. tariffs, which have been dominating the news, are intended at least in part to bring manufacturing back to the United States. So with that in mind, we thought it would be worth taking a look at what would actually be required to restore the American watch industry. Our guest today is Josh Shapiro, an American independent watchmaker. Based in Los Angeles, and together with a team of watchmakers, engineers and machinists, Josh is bringing watchmaking of the highest level back to the United States. In fact, his latest creation, the Resurgence, is currently the only watch to meet the standard of “made in America” as defined by the United States Federal Trade Commission. For 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.