What Is Unpolished?

Unpolished is an independent newsletter for watch collectors, including recs on what to buy (and not to).

It’s honest, transparent, and sharp – no brand ads or outside influence. Only what matters to collectors.

Unpolished has two membership tiers:

• Standard: $99/year or $10/month

• Founding Member: $290/year

Founding Members perks:

• Custom valet tray from Veblenist (MSRP: $120)

• Join a monthly Zoom for a behind-the-scenes look at building this newsletter, industry secrets, and the occasional surprise guest.

A few more subscriber benefits:

• All paid subscribers can access the comments section and exclusive Q&As.

• All annual subscribers will get a thank-you gift in the mail.

• Private community channel launching this spring (think Slack or WhatsApp).

For the cost of a decent leather strap, you’ll receive and support the best of independent watch media.1

For independent watch coverage with real edge, subscribe now:

What you’ll get every week

Unpolished will be sent on Tuesdays and Fridays.

• The Roundup. Your weekly insider’s guide covering vintage watches, new releases, auctions, and everything in between. Full of scoops, original reporting, analysis, and industry insights that matter to collectors. Not PR fluff, but what enthusiasts really need to know.

• The Watchlist. A curated weekly list of hidden vintage watch deals from small auctions, eBay, and other corners of the internet. Mostly under $20k, highlighting bargains and “buyer bewares” – not dealers or retailers. Since relaunching in 2024, subscribers have scored deals on vintage Cartier watches, LeCoultre, TAG Heuer, and more.

• Weekly Feature. The Weekly Feature delivers rotating in-depth content: Collector's guides, original stories, reviews, interviews, collector profiles, and more. Select features sent to free subscribers.

The Roundup and Watchlist will typically arrive together, with the Weekly Feature delivered separately.

Why should you pay for Unpolished?

Unpolished is built on a simple idea: Great media is worth paying for. Media has drastically changed over the past decade. Subscriptions mean we answer only to you –not advertisers, brands, or PR firms.

Most media relies on ads or retail partners, which can create conflicts of interest – I’ve seen it happen. As an independent voice who’s seen how the industry works, I’ll focus on the stories that actually matter to collectors.

To maintain this focus, Unpolished makes a few commitments:

• Subscription-first

• No advertising from watch brands

• No press trips

It’s currently a solo effort, but we’ll grow. Starting next week, you'll hear new voices, beginning with a Watchlist contributor. My goal is to expand Unpolished through partnerships, whether writing, podcasts, videos, or events.

Rebuilding in 2024: What I’ve Learned About Watches and Media

Tony Traina

·

Jan 2

Read full story

Thank you to those who have already pledged support with a paid subscription. Those should automatically convert to paid subscriptions at whatever price you pledged. If yours didn’t, drop me a note.

Join Unpolished to get the real stories behind watch collecting:

Okay, But Who Are You?

I’m Tony Traina. Former editor at Hodinkee and, before that, an attorney. I started this very newsletter as a passion project focused on vintage watches in 2020. It was called "one of the best single-operator newsletters on the internet,” I’ve contributed to GQ, Sotheby’s, High Snobiety, A Collected Man, and more.

I was an editor at Hodinkee for over two years, writing hundreds of articles and hosting a weekly podcast before leaving in October 2024. Some of my best articles are here.

I also do consulting, communication, and editorial work for brands, media, and dealers—send an email to discuss collaborations.

🎧 If you want to hear me talk, I’ve appeared on podcasts besides Hodinkee Radio, including: Worn & Wound Podcast; That Watch Podcast; Openwork by Collective Horology; Hairspring Podcast; The Waiting List Podcast; and O.T. The Podcast.

🎥 I’ve also talked about a few of my own watches on YouTube with Tom Brown (2024) and Oak & Oscar (2022).

Also follow me on Instagram or even TikTok (groan).

Questions? Email me: tony@unpolishedwatches.com.

Check out the most recent issues of Unpolished here.