Ep. 102: Behind the Scenes with Vishal Tolani of Spinnaker, AVI-8, and DuFa

Because we talk to so many small brand owners here on the Worn & Wound Podcast, one of the recurring focuses of the show has been manufacturing — who makes it, how it’s made, and of course where it’s made. Brands, and that’s brands both big and small, need to to get their watches made somewhere, and there’s really only a handful of options as far as regions of the world go. Within the micro brand (or enthusiast brand space — whatever you want to call it), much of that manufacturing happens in Asia. 

On this week’s episode of the show, we chat with Vishal Tolani, a longtime friend of Worn & Wound and the man behind brands like Spinnaker, AVI-8, and DuFa, among others. What makes Vishal especially interesting is that outside of running a number of brands, he’s also a second-generation manufacturer based out of Hong Kong, which gives him a really interesting insight the world of watchmaking in that part of the world.

This week’s episode of The Worn & Wound Podcast is brought to you by Grand Seiko and Timeless Luxury Watches. Grand Seiko and Timeless have partnered to create the SBGE249 Spring Drive GMT limited edition timepiece, a watch inspired by a blizzard in Shirojiri, Japan where the Grand Seiko Shinshu Studio is located. The dial features a delicate texture and it’s accented with Grand Seiko’s perfectly sculpted hour markers, razor-sharp hands, and blue highlights on the text and hands. The dial sits beneath a dual-curved sapphire crystal, and it’s all housed inside a 41mm, Zaratsu-polished stainless steel case. The watch is powered by Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive caliber, which features a gliding seconds hand, accuracy of plus or minus 10 seconds per month, and 72 hours of power reserve. Visible through a sapphire case back, the Spring Drive movement is a hallmark of Grand Seiko’s watchmaking heritage. Just 250 of the Timeless Luxury SBGE249 limited edition watches will be produced. To learn more and purchase one today, visit Timeless Luxury Watches at bit.ly/timeless249.

Show Notes

Vishal's wrist check - Spinnaker Fleuss

Zach's wrist check - AVI-8 W&W Collaboration

Blake's wrist check - Autodromo x W&W Group B

Spinnaker

AVI-8

DuFa