Openwork: Inside the Watch Industry

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 [http://collectivehorology.com/blogs/articles-reviews]. Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology [https://collectivehorology.com], 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 [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 [https://collectivehorology.com/blogs/articles-reviews]. Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology [https://collectivehorology.com], 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 [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 [https://collectivehorology.com/blogs/articles-reviews]. Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology [https://collectivehorology.com], 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 [podcast@collectivehorology.com].

Editorial integrity and independence in the watch world. It’s a hot topic, and one we’ve explored before. But that was before today’s guest penned her open letter to the watch industry published in Robb Report titled: "Watch Execs Need to Learn to Respect Journalistic Boundaries." Victoria Gomelsky is editor-in-chief of JCK, a New York City-based jewelry trade publication founded in 1869. Her writing on watches, jewelry and travel has appeared in the New York Times, Robb Report, WSJ Magazine, and the Hollywood Reporter, among many others. For detailed show notes, including links to more information, visit collectivehorology.com/blog [https://collectivehorology.com/blogs/articles-reviews]. Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology [https://collectivehorology.com], 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 [podcast@collectivehorology.com].

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 [https://collectivehorology.com/blogs/articles-reviews]. Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology [https://collectivehorology.com], 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 [podcast@collectivehorology.com].