The Grey NATO – 227 – Jason Gallop And The Fire That Almost Ended His Family Watch Business

This episode has been a couple of years in the making and it is guest hosted by watchmaker, diver, raconteur, and friend-of-the-show, Jason Gallop. As many of you already know, Jason is the proprietor Roldorf & Co, a watch business in Vancouver, Canada that offers both sales and service. What may also be known is that, in April of 2022, the building that hosted Roldorf & Co all but burned to the ground in a deadly and devastating fire that affected a wide range of people in Vancouver’s downtown core.

This episode features an in-depth chat about the fire, the project to recover both of Roldorf’s buried safes, the impact of the fire on the wider community, their dream of a horology hub for Vancouver, and the new home for Roldorf & Co.

A huge thank you to Jason – both for the chat and for covering for our normal Jason (while he was on a special trip with Blancpain).

Click here if you want to play episode 227 from your browser – thanks so much for listening.

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1:00 Roldorf & Co
1:10 Jason’s previous episode of The Grey NATO
2:39 Mido Oceanstar GMT LE for Hodinkee
3:10 Tudor Pelagos 39
3:36 Erika’s Originals straps
10:42 TGN with Jason Galloop and Merlin from Nomos
11:53 Halios x Roldorf Vancouver Seaforth LE
41:13 Roldorf Instagram and Twitter
42:11 “On The Bottom” Commander Edward Ellsberg
42:31 “30 Fathoms Deep” Commander Edward Ellsberg
43:40 Inside The ‘Ghost Ships’ Of The Baltic Sea (CNN)
43:44 “Ghost Ships of the Baltic Sea” (Book)

“You should make something. You should bring something into the world that wasn't in the world before. It doesn't matter what it is. It doesn't matter if it's a table or a film or gardening-everyone should create. You should do something, then sit back and say, 'I did that.” – Ricky Gervais