Openwork: Inside the Watch Industry

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].