Collecting Heartbeats: Four Watch Enthusiasts, Four Unique Rhythms
Four watch collectors, four questions, four different approaches: The Rake explores the diverse philosophies fueling a new wave of global aficionados riding the wristwatch renaissance - an intimate expression of style, character, and collector passion in a disposable age.
Watches in the last decade have exploded in popularity. Going from the niche magazine section to the front page of pop culture titles. They are, in so many ways, an expression of one’s style and character, unlike any other item we own these days. They are micro-machines that can be serviced and brought back to life decades after production. I’m biased – but the humble wristwatch is a special thing in a world of the disposable. This week I spoke with four collectors from around the globe who represent a new wave of aficionados – all with different styles and approaches to this wonderful collecting hobby of ours. Please do enjoy and be sure to give them a follow on social media.
What drew you to watches initially?
I’ve always been a collector and love the hunt of finding something truly special. Watches and specifically vintage timepieces spark my curiosity and enable me to learn endlessly. I geek out over the design and adore how every intricate detail is so meticulously thought out. Vintage watches have already lived an entire lifetime and come with a story that more often than not is unknown, but as each watch comes into my collection it becomes my turn to write the next chapter.
What was your first mechanical watch and why?
Omega constellation pie pan with a black gilt dial from 1964. To me, the pie pan design epitomises everything I love about vintage watches; a classic yet unique design, whilst being indicative of a specific time period. I spotted the black variation at my first-ever swap meet and it just had to be mine – the fact that it came directly from the original owner made it that much more special.
Have you bought with a theme in mind or always purely with the heart?
Purely with the heart. I buy what I like, and for the most part, trust my taste. It’s hard not to get influenced by other collectors or even trends, but I buy to keep rather than to pass in and out of the collection, so I want to really love what I buy. I just wish my bank balance was more aligned with my taste.
What do you look for in a watch now in your collecting journey?
My collecting has evolved very much so as my knowledge and learnings have deepened, and I’m sure will continue to do so. I no longer want those smaller fun pieces that will give me that quick fix, more-so after more special pieces that are unique and will spark conversations with collectors and friends alike.
What drew you to watches initially?
I always looked up to my grandparents and both of my grandfathers always wore watches. I admired how they would wear a small tank or a small Calatrava, whether they were in sweatpants and a crewneck sweater, or a button down and trousers. I loved the idea of the versatility a small and elegant watch could bring and that always stuck with me.
What was your first mechanical watch and why?
My first mechanical watch was a vintage Cartier Santos Dumont Ref. 1576 in yellow gold with a guilloche dial and an ultra-thin case. It is a watch that everyone can appreciate it, whether they are interested or not. I have always loved Cartier, vintage especially, and receiving this watch kickstarted my Cartier collecting journey. A few years ago, we unfortunately lost our Mom. My wife, Madelaine, took the Cartier and had the back of the strap engraved with my Mom’s handwriting from a note she wrote me. It’s hard to put into words the emotions this watch brings me and it is something that is truly cherished.
Have you bought with a theme in mind or always purely with the heart?
I always collect “heart-first”. Most of the time, when hunting for a watch, I find myself stumbling upon something I never knew I “had to have”. I think having a theme has its time and place, but I believe it to be a microcosm of collecting with the heart.
What do you look for in a watch now in your collecting journey?
I always look for the obscure and nuanced, but at this stage in my collecting, I truly just want to own watches that I know I will wear every week. There are so many watches out there that I absolutely love and if the world had no limit, I would own them. They wouldn’t necessarily be worn each week, but I would love to cherish them and wear them when I could. However, at this stage in my collecting, it’s just not practical to do that so I am looking for watches that I know I will reach out of the box several times a week.
What drew you to watches initially?
All I can do is blame my family! We often stayed in Zurich and I recall going from window to window looking at watches. I also remember my grandmother telling me about her watch, a stunning Vacheron, that it was “La Rolls Royce des Montres” – but probably more than anything growing up in the south of France in the 80’s. Every time you went to a restaurant or opened a magazine you saw gold day dates, Cartiers and for the crème de la crème crazy Piagets! Something must have stuck and I spent my teenage years begging my dad to buy me a Cartier Santos or a Ferrari Formula watch (also made by Cartier). Thankfully, his answer was that I best get a good job if I wanted expensive watches.
What was your first mechanical watch and why?
By the time I reached 21, I had finally saved enough money to buy my first watch. It had to be a Rolex, and I went for a brand new GMT2 (16710). I have to admit, at that stage of my watch journey it was more about the brand rather than the watch but the whole experience was amazing, and I will never forget that day.
I do recall being quite shocked that it did not keep time as well as my Seiko quartz and it made me dive deep into understanding mechanical watches. Imagine the money I would have saved had I bought an Oyster Quartz! The watch followed me around the world as my career progressed, I even got shot at in Kampala whilst wearing it. The watch is still part of my collection and I wear it from time to time to remind me of that day and the start of the journey.
Have you bought with a theme in mind or always purely with the heart?
Oh most definitely heart over theme. At the core, every watch I buy is because it makes me feel something. It is beautiful. I want it on my wrist. I want to own it! I need to own it! I think what has changed over time is confidence to buy pieces that truly mean something to me – regardless of fashion. I would say I have honed in on what really makes me tick – but I often get comments such as “how can you like a modern Patek and a 70’s Piaget at the same time” so I don’t think to the outsider there is any theme to my madness. That said, neo vintage is my true passion so you can argue that is a high level theme.
What do you look for in a watch now in your collecting journey?
I would say I have come full circle. I think more and more what drives me is wearing something that no one else has or indeed wants. I think once you drop the noise of hype you can really get down to what makes you tick. That is the only thing that is important. The aesthetics of the watch are important, but I like watches to tell a story whether it is Warhol’s Piaget or a watch that reminds me of my childhood. I used to be far more impulsive, whereas now I spend far more time researching a watch and making sure it has a place in my collection. At the end of the day it still boils down to “will it give me a cheeky grin every time I look at my wrist?” so I suppose nothing has really changed since day 1!
What drew you to watches initially?
It all started when a guy in my school was wearing a Rolex Daytona. I went home that evening and Googled Rolex – it didn’t take long to come to the realisation that it was a fake. But this sparked something in me and I quickly became somewhat obsessive with the art of watchmaking; I spent hours in Watches of Switzerland in Manchester learning about different brands, their heritage and different approaches to the craft of watchmaking. Of course, they knew I couldn’t buy one – I was 14 years old. But they always took the time to share their knowledge and passion for the craft (this is something I love about the watch community and I always hope to pass this forward and help others to open up the world of watchmaking).
I couldn’t reconcile how a fake watch could hold the same value or even come close to an authentic watch. On face value, and for most people, they both perform the same intended task of telling the time, so what does it matter? But the more I learn about watchmaking the more that I believe the difference matters. Watchmaking is about the pursuit of knowledge and excellence. It is art for art's sake. Watchmakers push the boundaries not because it’s going to change the world but because they care. It’s quite romantic in that way. The fact I can look at my wrist and know where the moon is positioned in the sky, all based on a bunch of parts moving together in a synchronous way, what’s more romantic than that? A fake version of the same watch just doesn’t carry that same emotional connection for me. I like to look at the watch on my wrist and think about the hundreds of people and hours that went into making it. The fact they would have considered each part of the movement and the materials that each part is made from. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to buy some of my dream pieces over the years and I always feel grateful to those early experiences and the people who opened up the world of watches for me all that time ago (and if you’re wondering… yes I still have all of the catalogues I managed to collect 15 years ago).
What was your first mechanical watch and why?
Tag Heuer Monaco. Black dial, calibre 6 movement. I wanted the blue dial calibre 12 (as close to the Steve McQueen as possible) but I didn’t have enough money and I was impatient. The Monaco was the first waterproof square case to hit mass production, and in a world where the circular watch was accepted as the norm, that felt cool. I loved it because it was different and made me feel like I was a ‘watch person’. Also it had an exhibition case back which I would spend hours staring at in amazement.
Have you bought with a theme in mind or always purely with the heart?
This is a timely question, I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I’ve been obsessed with watches since I was 14, but I’ve never had a particular theme.
I feel like I’ve gone through the typical stages of watch collecting. Phase 1: buy everything that you can because you can. Phase 2: realise that buying hyped watches with no love involved in the process makes for an underwhelming experience. Phase 3: remember that you collect watches because you spend as many hours a day reading about watches as you do thinking about your loved ones, and unapologetically buy the watches that you love. That’s where I am now. I collect the watches that spark joy for me. I recently bought the Studi0Underdog Series 2 because it made me laugh. It’s a playful watch. It doesn’t take itself seriously, and it looks awesome. Equally, I spend hours upon hours reading about any watch produced by George Daniels, and I’d love to own one one day. These watches represent different ends of the collecting spectrum, but to me both are equally interesting to collect. One just requires a few more pennies…
TLDR; I’m all in on the pieces that I love and 99% obsession isn’t enough.
What do you look for in a watch now in your collecting journey?
I only buy when I’ve read every book, watched every video, spent time getting to know the brand (and the people), talked to other collectors and finally, when and if I find something within the brand or watch that captivates me. For example, this was my exact journey with IWC. I didn’t own a modern IWC, nor did I plan to. Then I met Ludovic, learnt about the brand, read the ~700 page IWC book, met interesting collectors and discovered IWCs unique history of using interesting materials (I’d still love to see the pink ceramic Da Vinci in the Schaffhausen museum). Now, I’m a passionate collector of IWC pieces that showcase their innovation with materials. It’s pretty much all that I collect at the moment. I’m fairly one track minded when it comes to collecting. All or nothing.
The world of watch collecting is eclectic and diverse, and everyone has strong opinions about what’s right and wrong, what’s hot and what’s not. Collecting for me, is buying what you love just because you love it.
