Collectors Gene Radio

Nadine Ghosn joined me on Collectors Gene Radio today and I am not sure there is someone who is making as much noise as she is in fine jewelry. After a stint at Hermes, Nadine found herself yearning for a creativity spark and man did she get it right. Her designs are all about creating a sense of nostalgia from the things we recognize most and using luxurious materials and stones to turn them into functional jewelry pieces. Like her stackable burger ring, or her rose gold pencil bracelet, or her custom designs for the likes of Drake & Lil Yachty. If that’s not enough, her pieces have been worn by Beyonce, the late Karl Lagerfeld, and she’s been making custom croissants out of gold for Cedric Grolet. The best part of it all? She’s a one woman show who is willing to do whatever it takes. With her favorite saying being “Don’t think outside the box, think like there is no box”, Nadine has proven the counterarguments most jewelers told her from day 1 and continues to push the boundaries. So without further adieu, this is Nadine Ghosn, for Collectors Gene Radio. Nadine Ghosn Fine Jewelry - https://nadineghosn.com/

Yoni Ben-Yehuda is my guest today and we’re chatting about what it’s like to be the Head of Watches for Material Good, one of the most curated jewelry stores around. With a star-studded clientele and friend list, Yoni may just be everyone's confidant in watches. His energy and knowledge for this stuff is immense, and he’s got a pulse on it all. I wanted to find out what it’s like to have a direct partnership with Audemars Piguet, how everyone at Material Good either joins the team as a collector or unintentionally becomes one, and more importantly, how in the world he finds time to collect for himself. Part two is in the works, but for now, please enjoy, this is Yoni Ben-Yehuda, Head of Watches at Material Good, for Collectors Gene Radio. Material Good - https://materialgood.com/ Yoni's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lifeofyoni/?hl=en

Today’s guest is what you can consider a jack of all trades in the watch industry, Mr. Eric Ku. Eric can be best known as a dealer, collector extraordinaire, and entrepreneur, all within the world of watches. It’s not too often that a collector and dealer finds other ways to become successful in this industry, but leave it up to Eric to take care of that. His businesses stem far beyond just being a dealer, since having founded LA Watch Works, a well known restoration and servicing center, and LoupeThis, one of the watch world's most exciting ventures and auction houses to come about in the last couple years. We chat about the impetus to start all these ventures, and of course, his many piece-uniques from the fan favorite, Cartier. He’s a go to for many things, watches and always a delight to chat with. Alright, please enjoy, this is Eric Ku, for Collectors Gene Radio. Eric's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fumanku Loupe This - https://loupethis.com/ LA Watch Works - http://www.lawatchworks.com/

Today I sat down with Cameron Barr, founder of Craft & Tailored to discuss watches, cars, and our newest obsession Native American link bracelets. Cam’s been in the watch game for a bit now, but he’s always done it his way. Although watches are what’s for sale, Craft & Tailored has their own image and brand that sets them apart because it’s not just about that. Cam’s love for watches is just an extension of his collections and it all creates a cohesive case study in sticking to what you love. So without further adieu, this is Cameon Barr, founder of Craft & Tailored, for Collectors Gene Radio. Craft & Tailored - https://www.craftandtailored.com/ C&T's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/craftandtailored/ Cam's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cambambarr/ C&T's TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@craftandtailored?lang=en

Today’s guest is none other than the racing legend Mario Andretti, widely regarded as the greatest race car driver in the history of the sport. Mario Andretti was born in Italy and didn't emigrate to the United States until age fifteen. At 19, he began racing stock cars in Pennsylvania and that was the start of an illustrious career that saw him compete and win in every discipline he entered. He won races in sports cars, sprint cars and stock cars – on ovals, road courses, drag strips, on dirt and on pavement. He won at virtually every level of racing since he arrived in America from his native Italy. His achievements became legendary: The world watched as he won the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500 and ultimately the Formula One World Championship, taking home an unprecedented trifecta. No other race car driver has ever won all three titles and Mario took the checkered flag 111 times during his career – a career that stretched five decades and across six continents. Today, in his retirement from racing, Mr. Andretti is still one of the most respected voices in motorsports and has received hundreds of awards and recognitions, like being named Driver of the Century, he was knighted by his native Italy, and the Library of Congress in Washington DC added him to its Living Legends list. And on the lighter side, but undoubtedly affirmation of his charisma and popularity, he was in the first Pixar Cars movie voicing himself and GQ Magazine named him one of "The 25 Coolest Athletes of All Time". So with great honor, this is Mario Andretti, the greatest race car driver of all time, for Collectors Gene Radio. Mario Andretti - https://marioandretti.com/

Sometimes you can look at a collector and just know that they have the gene. And that couldn’t be more true than with today’s guest, Justin Gruenberg. The last name rings through Beverly Hills as his family has been in the business for years and Justin is no exception as his two brands The Keystone and LoupeThis happen to be some of the most influential in the watch industry. As cofounder of both, Justin’s collecting philosophies render right through the ethos behind both platforms. Aside from rarity, he is a “what meets the eye” type of collector and it doesn’t stop at watches. Having grown up going to museums, it was inevitable that his interests wouldn’t align with art and design, of course in true collectors fashion. He’s a tastemaker with a pulse on what’s next for him, not everyone else. So without further adieu, this is Justin Gruenberg, for Collectors Gene Radio. The Keystone - https://thekeystone.com/ LoupeThis - https://loupethis.com/ Justin's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/justin.gruenberg/?hl=en

Today’s guest is Rory Tait, one of the earliest employees at the company Rally. Rally is revolutionizing the way people invest in collectible assets, offering a platform where investors can buy and sell equity shares in items ranging from classic cars, rare books, and even dinosaur skulls. While all of those items seem terribly expensive to collect, that’s where Rally takes the wheel. Everyday investors like you and I are able to go onto Rally’s platform and buy and sell shares of all of these collectible items that they acquire. For example, in August of 2020, Rally IPO’ed a 1985 sealed copy of Super Mario Bros for Nintendo for $150k at $50/share. Just a year later the asset was acquired for $2m dollars giving their investors a more than 1200% return on their investment. So even if you just bought one share at $50, your investment would have gone to just under $667. Now, that’s only one side to the collecting journey, but what I love that Rally is doing is that they are preserving the nostalgia of these items through stories and their in person museum in New York where you can visit these items to see them for yourself and I urge you all to do so. Alright, without further adieu, this is Rory Tait, for Collectors Gene Radio. Rory's Website - https://roryctait.com/ Rally - https://rallyrd.com/ 24 Heures du Montauk - https://www.24heuresdumontauk.com/

Today’s guest is Susan Feldman, founder of One Kings Lane & In The Groove. She’s a born collector with retail blood and when it comes to collecting, she loves nothing more. After starting One Kings Lane in her early 50’s, she got exposed to working with some of the best designers around who opened her eyes to the beauty of traveling and vintage sourcing. A host and an entertainer, she’s collect a closet full of napkins, and dish sets, and boxes, and the list goes on. But these days, she’s doing more curating of her collections and focusing on the things that matter. After selling One Kings Lane, she’s started her next venture In The Groove targeted at inspiring women 50+ to own their age and style. As a collector, she’s curating content for this demographic and there's no one better for the job. So without further adieu, this is Susan Feldman, for Collectors Gene Radio. Susan Feldman's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/susankfeldman/?hl=en In The Groove - https://getinthegroove.com/

Michael Chow may not sound familiar to you, but what may sound familiar is Mr. Chow, the name of his highly luxurious and booming restaurant chain. Mr. Chow is a collector of art, art deco furniture and objet, and just about anything that is part of his day to day, all the way down to his thoughts and expressions. Name the first shot of any movie and he can tell you everything. He’s as sharp as it gets. Everything he does he relates back to art and theater, it’s truly a piece of who he is. He is one of the most eccentric (in the best way) and fascinating people I have ever had the chance to speak with. He’s the type of collector who wills what he wants into his ecosystem. Everything he does is based on repetition and collecting. Sound like a true collector to you? Mr. Chow did not have the most conventional upbringing in China, with his father being at the top of stardom, of which is still celebrated in China today, and having left at a very early age. Mr. Chow eventually opened up his restaurants, and when he opened his first one in New York, it quickly became the hotspot of the likes of Warhol, Basquiat, and many others that will probably keep your jaw open for an uncomfortable period of time. In fact, Basquiat once created a piece for M and had it delivered right to his apartment. An artist himself, he has turned his passion for collecting into a personal hobby. He’s got stories beyond belief and you can see it all in his new HBO documentary AKA Mr. Chow. With honor, Mr. Chow for Collectors Gene Radio. aka Mr. Chow - https://www.hbo.com/movies/aka-mr-chow Mr. Chow - https://www.mrchow.com/ Michael Chow Art - https://www.m-michaelchow.com/copy-of-theater-of-painting

Today’s guest is serial entrepreneur and collector Jonathan Sposato. After starting companies like Geekwire, PicMonkey, Joysauce, and selling a few others as well, Jonathan is at a stage in his career where collecting has truly never been more important. Of course this ties into his multifaceted collections like old fighter pilot jackets, Saville Row Suits, cars, watches, back to apparel from brands like Ralph Lauren and even rare hand painted leather punk rock jackets. But when it comes to his companies like Joysauce, Jonathan is curating and collecting some of the very best content in the AAPI space and he approaches it the same way he does when it comes to his personal collections. The name of the game here is a common theme on the show, which is “buy what you love”. The collectors gene couldn’t be more present than in this episode and Jonathan has the passion and knowledge to back it. Alright, let’s dive in. This is Jonathan Sposato, for Collectors Gene Radio. GeekWire - https://www.geekwire.com/ JoySauce - https://joysauce.com/ Jonathan’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jonathansposato/ Time To Wear Book by John Goldberger & Alessandro Squarzi - https://watchprint.com/en/books-on-watches/546-time-to-wear-john-goldberger-alessandro-squarzi.html

It’s not often that a collector starts a company within the hobby they love the most. Although it seems commonplace, for many of us, collecting is what we love to do when we have some free time. But that hobby turned business couldn’t be more true than with my guest today, Chase Pion, co-founder of Bezel, the online watch marketplace that secured investment from the likes of John Legend, Kevin Hart, Steve Aoki, Michael Rubin, and many more. But as a lot of entrepreneurs do, Bezel started out of vexation. Chase and his co-founders were quite exhausted from the lack of transparency and authentication services in the watch industry, so they sought out to fix it. Needless to say, their personal collecting continues on, now with the helping hand of the platform they built. Alright, this is Chase Pion, co-founder of Bezel, for Collectors Gene Radio. Bezel - https://shop.getbezel.com/

Today’s guest is Lori Hirshleifer, and if the name sounds familiar, that’s because her and her family run Hirshleifers, which has been in business for over 100 years. Hirshleifers has been described as the “last great department store” and that’s because it is. There’s something different about Hirshleifers when you walk through the front doors, and maybe it’s the Kith Treats outpost, or the fact that they have the only non-Chanel owned boutique in the US, or maybe it’s the vintage watch drops mixed with their new Sporty & Rich partnership, coupled with a Youngs Farm cafe. Whatever is, the 4th generation team has it figured out. And as for Lori? Being that she heads up the buying and merchandising, you can just imagine that her taste is pretty impeccable. From handbags and shoes, to jewelry and watches, and even a Chrome Hearts ephemeral collection, she’s a maximalist and does it with the utmost class and elegance. Like all of us, she’s constantly on the hunt and I always look forward to seeing what sneaks its way into her collection. So without further adieu, this is Lori Hirshleifer, for Collectors Gene Radio. Hirshleifers - https://hirshleifers.com/ Lori's Instagram - @lorihirshleifer

Tristan Walker may be new to the collecting scene, but if the name sounds familiar, well, that’s because he sold company Walker & Company (makers of the grooming brand Bevel) to Procter & Gamble and sits on the board of companies like Shake Shack and Footlocker. Tristan’s approach to collecting is very similar to the way he runs his companies, and consistency is the name of the game. His passion for collecting is ever growing and he’s making the right relationships along the way. Our text chain is nothing short of a year's worth of watch purchases, books, and some good banter between the two of us. My favorite part about Tristan’s collection? If you put 10 collectors in a room, not a single one of us would ever guess what’s sitting in his watch box, and I have the pictures to prove it. It’s not just what’s sitting at home that makes him a great collector, it’s the fact that he has a great eye for design and you can see it in the products he’s created. At the end of the day, the guy just gets it. Alright, I am excited and honored to introduce to you, my friend, Tristan Walker, for Collectors Gene Radio. Tristan's Instagram - https://instagram.com/tristanwalker?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA== Bevel - https://getbevel.com/ Walker & Company - https://walkerandcompany.com/ How I Built This w/ Tristan Walker - https://www.npr.org/2019/09/25/764355017/live-episode-walker-company-tristan-walker

Perched right on Christopher Street in the West Village, you’ll find J. Mueser, the namesake bespoke tailor that’s been featured in GQ, Vogue, and WM Brown Magazine, just to name a few. We chat a lot about the usual suspects, like his vinyl and watch collection, but we also talk about the nuance behind collecting and how it relates to bespoke tailoring, and J. Mueser specifically. Jake touches on how the design process and collecting share a lot of the same attributes, and in this case, all in good taste. If you’ve ever felt unsure about your decision to own multiple iterations of the same item, this ones for you. Alright, please enjoy, Jake Mueser, for Collectors Gene Radio. - J. Mueser - https://jmueser.com/

Jeff Stein is my guest today and I think we all owe this guy a big thank you for his scholarship and efforts he’s put forth for the watch community. An attorney by day and collector at heart, Jeff is attributed with starting and running the vintage Heuer compendium known as Onthedash. After discovering a Heuer dash clock back in the day, Jeff went down the same rabbit hole a lot of us do and started collecting. But after getting a sense that the community needed a place to go and have resources for all things vintage Heuer, Jeff sought out to start the website as we know it today and has grown it ever since. We’ve gotten to know each other a little bit over the last few years and his knowledge and willingness to share never seizes to amaze me. We chat about the life cycles of collecting, how he middle manned a watch I sold to the Heuer archive, and the history of partnerships such as Abercrombie and Heuer. He’s a friend, a fantastic collector, and as knowledgeable about the things he loves as one could be. So without further adieu, this is Jeff Stein, for Collectors Gene Radio. On The Dash - http://www.onthedash.com/

Today's guest is Charlie Dunne, someone we all got to know under the moniker Books On Time. Passionate about watches, Charlie's that type of collection who took his affection a step further by not only collecting books, but mainly collecting research on the brands and watches that he loves the most. Needless to say, the word got out pretty darn quick about Books On Time and Charlie began writing a lot more in depth content for other friends mediums, like Rescapement. Eventually, our good friend Eric Wind snatched him up to come join the team, and that's where we're at today. Charlie is writing some serious content over at Wind Vintage and doing a lot more work behind the scenes as well. Him and I recently got a chance to catch up in New York, and today we're continuing our conversation over the mics. So without further adieu, my friend Charlie Dunne, for Collectors Gene Radio. Strictly Vintage Watches - https://www.strictlyvintagewatches.com/ Wind Vintage - https://www.windvintage.com/ John Goldberger Books - https://www.johngoldbergerwatches.com/books.html Le Cadran/The Dial - https://shop.hodinkee.com/blogs/journal/the-dial-the-face-of-the-wristwatch-in-the-20th-century-by-dr-helmut-crott

Today’s guest is none other than Ben Clymer, Chairman & Founder of Hodinkee. As someone whose background and company need no introduction, I figured we could dive right into all things collecting, both watches and cars. See, Ben’s been around the block a few times and it’s easy to not get jaded. So what’s keeping Ben interested these days is what I really wanted to know. We talk about the grail Talking Watches guests and why it’s not just about being a collector, but having the passion to do so. Of course we dive into his passion for car collecting and his elusive, one of only nine, Porsche Zagato 356’s. We also talk about the coachbuilder themselves and why they are so sought after and important. A recent father of two, Ben’s collecting looks a tad bit different these days. Still chasing the same things for himself, but two little ones as well, all in good taste. Alright, let’s get to it. This is Ben Clymer, for Collectors Gene Radio. Hodinkee - https://www.hodinkee.com/ Fair Game Golf - https://www.fairgamegolf.com/ Ben's Porsche 356 Zagato - https://www.wsj.com/articles/its-a-brand-new-porsche-from-1959-11580828549 Ben's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/benclymer/?hl=en Talking Watches - https://www.hodinkee.com/packages/talking-watches

Today I’m chatting with the founder of Collectors Corner NY, Wes Wynne. Wes and I have been buddies for a few years now and while his business has grown significantly, his collecting and dealing philosophies have remained unchanged. What I love about CCNY is that you always get an eclectic offering, from LL Bean signed Hamilton’s to rare white gold Rolex day-dates. Wes’ background actually is in music and tech, but his analytical and technical prowess translates perfectly into his watch business. While focusing on a diverse offering, he takes pride in the condition of each and every piece and the detailed writeup each one gets. Be sure to take a look at his website and social channels when you get a minute, as there are a lot of exciting pieces coming available soon. Alright, this is my buddy Wes Wynne, for Collectors Gene Radio. Collectors Corner NY Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/collectors.corner.ny/ Collectors Corner NY Website - https://collectorscornerny.com/

Alex Steven’s is a watch dealer and collector who, while just recently started his business a few years ago, has a collecting history that predates this. Alex and I got to know each other over the last several years, aside from our love of watches, but more specifically by sharing similar tastes. As young as he is, there’s a lot to learn from Alex as the London watch market is a completely different beast than its counterparts. Geographically, it comes with its own trials and tribulations, but Alex has seemed to have found a way to circumvent that, which comes down to one simple principle: To be a collector, you must also be a dealer. And to be a dealer, you must also be a collector. He’s become a go-to for vintage Cartier & Piaget and has a bright trajectory ahead, so be sure to keep an eye out. As always, thanks for listening to today’s guest, Alex Stevens, for Collectors Gene Radio. Alex Stevens Vintage - https://alexstevensvintage.com/

Today’s guest is my friend Rob Staky, a watch collector most of you know by the moniker Bazamu. We took this one from my kitchen table as Rob was in town for business and decided to come by so we could record in person. A long time collector, Rob’s passion for watches is evident in the condition driven, heavy hitters he brought along with him. In the company of a true connoisseur, Rob’s collection is the definition of history intertwined with craftsmanship and elegance converging with innovation. A seeker of great condition, he’s got some of the best examples in his collection and truly some stuff that I may never get to see twice in person. With such a fondness for horology, you can only imagine that this isn’t merely about possession or even obsession, but more of an extension of who he is as a friend and a collector. A relentless pursuit to what we call, “buy right”, he’s traveled all over to build his collection. So without further adieu, this is Rob Staky, for Collectors Gene Radio. Rob's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bazamu/?hl=en