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

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.