003: The Godfather of Pre-Owned Watches with Thomas Pozsgay

Get our FREE WatchSmarts Beginner Buyer's Guide. Before resale was cool, Thomas Pozsgay was building it for Tourneau as the head of the certified pre-owned department for 27 years. In this episode, David sits down with Thomas, a true insider whose career spans the retail floor, vintage collecting, pre-owned innovation, and luxury resale at scale. Thomas was there when the watch world shifted from discounted display cases… to waitlists, hype, collector culture, and a booming secondary market.

If you’ve ever wondered how we got here, this episode is essential listening.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:30 – Getting started
Retail beginnings → Tourneau
Exposure to top brands

01:30 – Pre-owned begins
Trade-in model launched
Brands resisted, customers loved it

02:30 – Building the category
No pricing models existed
They created the system

04:30 – First Rolex Explorer
Still owned today

07:00 – Missed opportunities
Omega could dominate pre-owned

09:00 – Market madness
Pandemic flipping and speculation
Reality eventually hits

11:20 – Waitlists explained
Real scarcity + manufactured demand

15:00 – Seiko respect
Then and now

22:00 – Hidden risks
Bad servicing
Non-original parts

The smartest buyers don’t chase hype. They understand the market.

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