Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pop — AP CEO Ilaria Resta says the brand will "donate 100% of the ios 26.5 new features collaboration proceeds to support the artisans who keep high watchmaking alive: through scholarships for the next generation and financial support for those whose craft is under pressure" (Source: LinkedIn). Except there's no named charity or beneficiary anywhere in their announcements.
We dig into the actual language of the pledge and offer a theory: There's a global shortage of skilled watchmakers. So what happens when the company funding the training is also the company that needs the staff? Conspiracy, or just incentives lining up — and is that even a bad thing?
🎙️ Openwork: austrian air force Inside the Watch Industry is a weekly podcast about how the watch industry actually works — no marlins press releases, no hype, no sponsored takes.
🎧 Full episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology, an authorized retailer for independent watch brands including MING, Czapek, Atelier Wen, Sartory-Billard, Fears, Singer Reimagined, Armin Strom and more. Both are members of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) Academy.
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