Unpolished Watches

One of the reasons I find watch collecting so fascinating is that it puts on full display the entire breadth of human psychology: Why we want the things we want, and how to be happy with what we already have.
Today’s guest is kingflum, who writes the newsletter Screwdown Crown. He’s known just as much for his diversions on psychology as he is for calling out the BS he sees in the watch industry.
We discuss how to appreciate watches without having the sometimes unhealthy desire to own every single one; the two systems always at work in our brains; how Instagram has changed watchmaking; enjoying his titanium Rolex Yacht-Master and Romain Gauthier C6; why your taste is not as personal as you think; the McMansion effect and the power of mimetic desire; the difference between a community and a cult, and which are FP Journe owners? On the eve of Watches & Wonders, we also talk about the industry: Is the slowdown cyclical or existential; the rise of Chinese manufacturing; the death of the middle market. We close with a few minutes on the current state of watch media: How brands are (or aren’t) interacting with independent newsletters, handling criticism, and is now the most exciting time to be an enthusiast?
Subscribe to Unpolished here.
Subscribe to Screwdown Crown here.
Our book recs:
* Thinking, Fast and Slow
* Alchemy: The Dark Art of Creating Magic
* Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire
Unpolished subscribers get:
* 2 newsletters/week
* 10% off U.S.-made straps in the Unpolished Store
* $50 off any service from Watchcheck
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Unpolished is the newsletter for watch collectors, and a top-20 Fashion & Beauty Substack. Join for free or get all the good stuff for $8/mo:



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

Paid subscribers can see the full Unpolished Guide to Selling a Watch: https://www.unpolishedwatches.com/p/the-unpolished-guide-to-selling-a
In early February, I went to Miami for a small vintage meetup. While there, I sat down with Wes Wynne of Collectors Corner NY to discuss a question we’re both asked often:
How do you sell a watch?
We discuss the who, what, when, where, why, and how of selling, including:
* The players: From large dealers like 1916 Company or Analog Shift to niche dealers like Wes, along with platforms, marketplaces, and auctions.
* When to consider selling vs. consigning, and the margins for each, with a few real examples. When do you need a consignment agreement, and how to get rid of the “dogs” in your collection?
* What to ask a dealer, along with a few of our pet peeves and red flags.
* A rough Chrono24 Rule for thinking about what your watch is actually worth.
I’ve published a companion guide on “How to Sell a Watch,” exclusive to paid subscribers, that goes into more detail on working with and navigating this complicated, confusing world. A useful, practical guide for paid subscribers.
Subscribe at: unpolishedwatches.com
Subscribers get:
* 2 newsletters/week
* 10% off U.S.-made straps in the Unpolished Store
* $50 off any service from Watchcheck
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 & Beauty Substack. Join for free or get all the good stuff for $8/mo:



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

Paid subscribers can see the full newsletter and show notes here: https://www.unpolishedwatches.com/p/precision-and-the-protection-of-disbelief
Welcome back to the newsletter for watch collectors. A few notes:
* Canvas Straps are now available in 20mm and, for the first time, 22mm. Shop the Unpolished Store here—all paid subscribers get 10% off. Pick one up at the launch price of $65 for the next week.
* Upgrade to Founding Membership here to get the 2025 Rewind Magazine. For annual subscribers: An email from Monday also has another easy way to upgrade.
* Unpolished hit #20 on Substack’s Fashion & Beauty leaderboard, which I believe roughly tracks paid subscriptions. There are just two male writers in front of me—Jake Woolf, I’m coming for you.
* I was on Derek Mon’s YouTube and talked about a few watches here.
* Today’s letter is brought to you by Pushers.io—more below.
This is the podcast version of the Unpolished newsletter from February 28, 2026.
* To subscribe and get full access to the newsletter and show notes, head to: unpolishedwatches.com
Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSS
Unpolished is the newsletter (and podcast) for watch collectors. Join to get all the good stuff for $8/mo or $89/yr:



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

For full show notes, visit this link: https://www.unpolishedwatches.com/p/notes-from-tudors-quiet-100th-birthday
This is the podcast version of the Unpolished newsletter from February 23, 2026.
* To subscribe and get full access to the newsletter and show notes, head to: unpolishedwatches.com
* Shop straps in the Unpolished Store: shop.unpolishedwatches.com (Canvas Straps on sale this week!)
Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSS


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

Paid subscribers: Follow along with the full show notes here. To become a subscriber, join Unpolished Watches or manage your account here. Founding Members receive the 2025 Rewind Magazine, which you can learn more about here.
This week’s format is a little different.
Last year’s most popular podcast was How to Collect Neo-Vintage Watches. We’ll have more “How to Collect” episodes this year, but in addition to a podcast, I’ll write a more comprehensive Collector’s Guide for paid subscribers to follow along. Each episode will feature a dealer or expert going deep on their particular niche.
Unpolished is the newsletter for watch collectors and a top-20 Fashion Substack. Subscribe now ($8/mo) to get all the good stuff, including the show notes to follow along with this podcast:

This week: The vintage Rolex Daytona with dealer Michael Morgan of Iconic Watch Company. Michael’s a dealer based in Orange County who focuses on vintage Rolex.
Collecting is about recognizing patterns, and whether or not you’re interested in the Daytona, this episode will help you understand those patterns in vintage Rolex and how to think about originality and period correctness. We cover all four-digit Daytona references, starting with the last Pre-Daytona 6238.
The vintage Daytona can be divided into three eras:
* Pump pusher era: Refs. 6239 and 6241 (1963–69)
* Transitional era: Refs. 6262 and 6264 (1970-71)
* Screw-down era: Refs. 6263 and 6265 (1972-1988)
* “Experimental” reference 6240 (1965-69)
The Daytona’s been covered again and again, so instead of repeating what you already know, I’ll try to fill gaps I see in what’s been published and talk about the market right now.
Why now? While everyone else is going crazy for neo-vintage Patek Philippe, smart collectors are zagging, baby!
We focus on standard dials, though the exotic Newman is mentioned a few times. In 1988, Rolex discontinued the manual-wind Daytona, replacing it with the automatic Zenith Daytona.
Other Show Notes: Here’s the Patek Philippe 5004P and First Series Patek Philippe 3970 we open by talking about. Both were listed for $750k by European Watch Co. The 3970 has since sold, which I suppose shows which one the “market” finds more compelling right now.
Subscribe to the podcast to get future episodes in your feed: Spotify / Apple / RSS
UNPOLISHED STORE
Check out our Matte Calfskin and Canvas Straps in the Unpolished Store. We’ll be adding 22mm Canvas Straps in the next couple of weeks (and restocking 20mm)—in the meantime, 18-19mm straps are on sale for just $65. Shop the Unpolished Store now.


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