POTM: watch-guy.com Collector Interview

Ares501 - Mr Green presents a 'Purist of the Month' interview with long-time member 'watch-guy.com,' offering an intimate look into his collecting philosophy and journey. This feature provides valuable insights into the personal side of watch collecting, emphasizing community, friendship, and the evolution of a collector's perspective over time.

1. Please introduce yourself!

Hi. My name is watch-guy and I have not bought a watch for 44 days!

Seriously I have been collecting watches now for longer than I care to remember. My family indulges me a lot.

Living in the antipodes used to be a big barrier to obtaining information and collecting watches but now it is much easier.

However, “buy the dealer” is still paramount. I also find dealing with friends from the Purists is one of the best ways of adding to my collection.

My main problem is my collection grows as I find it easier to buy than to sell.

I am not a trader by heart and just buy what I love so I find it hard to let any piece go, even though it does not make sense to have such a large collection.

2. How did you discovered WatchProSite and what it means for you to be one of PuristS?

Being on the other side of the world, I found the internet a godsend for collecting. I have been active on the forums TZ, VRF and the Purists (before they became PuristsPro) for as long as I can remember.

I have made many friends from meeting like-minded collectors over the years.

Watch collecting has a varied membership and it is reasonably easy to find someone with similar collecting habits as oneself.

I collect mainly vintage so I have met a number of wonderful people who have the same outlook on collecting as I do.

I know have a set of “watch- friends” as my wife refers to!.

My wife owns an art gallery and we travel quite a lot to art fairs all over the world.

This has allowed me to meet Purist collectors in Europe, USA and UK.

I am still to travel to Japan to meet collectors there, I believe the level of watch collecting there is insane.

It sounds trite but it is true. The Purist family is like no other. People collect with passion and love to share that passion with other collectors.

They get a buzz out of helping other collectors expand their collection. There is no one upmanship .It is a true family.

3. What watch are you wearing today and how you choose watch “of the day”?

Currently wearing my latest watch I bought 44 days ago- yes its true . I am addicted. I saw it on Instagram on a collector and asked him if it was for sale.

He said yes, we agreed on a price and because he was going to Geneva at the same time time I was going to be there, it made the transaction so easy.

I generally only have one or two watches out at one time for a few months. I only make a decision what to wear one I have seen the whole collection and take out what tickles my fancy.

As my collection grows, I have become very fussy in what I buy. Quality and condition are paramount and I very happy to pass on a piece if it does not meet my standard.

I will try and buy one big piece rather than a few smaller (all in financial terms) .

I started buying everything that I liked and could afford but found this led to having too many watches. I will try and trade up into a bigger piece.

I am still looking for one or two pieces such as a pink gold Patek ref 1593. I have passed on many due to imperfections.

4. What is your favorite watch/brand/complication?

I collect vintage Patek and Rolex. I started collecting when Princes and bubble backs were all the rage.

Paul Newmans were selling at less than $10k. That gives you some indication as to how long I have been collecting.

Never bought a Paul Newman but bought many Princes and a few bubblebacks which I still have.

I am keen on chronos which is my most common complication.

I still love the simplicity of a simple three handed vintage Patek.

I love the design of the cases from the 1940’s and 1950’s.

I have a number of directions to my collection

a) Patek automatics with the stunning 12-600 movement

b) Pateks rectangular with the 9-9- movement and incredible case designs by Markowski and Baumgartner

c) Princes- yes I still collect them. Very hard to find them in original condition with the dial not touched or cleaned

d) Chronos- Both by Patek and Rolex

5. When and how you discovered horology?

As a Jewish boy having his barmitzvah, a watch ,as a present ,was a given. It was an Oris – which I have subsequently lost. But this piqued my interest in watches.

My father was a refugee from Europe but he managed to buy 4 IWC watches which he brought to Africa.

He had to sell 2 but the remaining 2 he gave to me and my brother when we graduated. My brother’s was later stolen so I have the remaining connection with my dad’s history.

I was initially too scared to wear this watch and started looking around at other pieces. I started collecting Movado, Jaeger (had a lovely YG triple calendar – similar to the one Picasso had, which I sold)

My first big piece was a Rolex (I think 16014). Again long gone

My first Patek was lovely pink gold square piece with original papers- I still have this one.

As time went on, I became more focused on the two brands and now spend most of my spare time on the fora.

When traveling I still spend time looking for pieces but I am not as obsessed as I used to be, which makes travel with my wife much more comfortable.

6. What element of the watch is for you make it or break it factor?

I am still very much a vintage person so condition ,originality and quality is paramount.

I love the designs of the 40’s and 50’s but a lot of watches have been over polished or the dial has been cleaned.

I am not sure if this is because the market overall loves their watch to look “new” rather than original but it makes it very difficult to find original untouched pieces.

I am not a big fan of “ limited edtiton” or “re-edition “ although I have bought a few, the Pagoda ref 5500 and the patek 5105.I think this is Achilles heel of watch manufacturers.

They saturate the market with these pieces and I think overall it reduces the value of the brand rather than enhances their brand. Omega and Panerai seems to prove the opposite so what do I know?

7. If you could design your own watch what would it be and what it would look like?

I do not profess to have any design skills.  I know what I like when I see it but I would be hard pressed to design my own watch.

I have recently been  impressed with white gold pieces .

Case would be 38mm and round

Dial would be simple – enamel

Three handed

No date

Movement – finished to the highest standards

Hmm sounds like I need a Dufour or Credor Eichi

I visited Dufour’s atelier in 1995 and he was still making his original 200 pieces.

I think they were about 60k CHF. Who the hell would pay that much money for a simple manual watch.?

So again – what do I know? I am sorry I did not buy one at that stage, but financially it was way out of my reach.

8. What is the watch that will last leave your collection and why?

My IWC from my father. See above.

9. What do you love and hate about watch industry today?

I love the architectural input into the designs of new pieces. But most new releases are just a re hash of an old design

I think MBF is doing wonderful things as is DeBethune and Gruebel Forsey.

I also like what Urban Jurgensen and Kari Voutilainen are producing.

I am not enamored with all the re- editions and limited editions.

These are really only marketing terms and not true limited in any sense. A limited edition of 1300 is not really limited is it?

10. What was the evolution of your collection and how do you see it in next decade?

My collection has grown way too large and needs to be pruned. I would love to trade in a few pieces for a single high end piece  ie trade in 4 or 5 Pateks for a lovely 1518 or 2499.

Trading in my Princes is not an option as they are not  really desirable and I would lose too much financially.

In the next 10 years I would love to reduce my collection by 50%

I am still star struck by Patek Phillipe and tend to try and buy their special pieces but I am getting a little jaded by the constant special release.

11. What other hobbies do you have?

I love travel as I mentioned above. Being a handbag for my wife has its advantages

I also run marathons and try and run all over the world. I have run marathons in Iceland, The great wall of China, around Petra as well as London and New York.

I started running when I was at University and the pinnacle was the Comrades, an ultra marathon of 89km.

Unfortunately, the truism of ‘the older I get, the better I was” becomes more and more true. I still run but very much slower.

I still enjoy the social aspect as well as the physical positive aspects of running.

Obviously appreciating and enjoying art is a major part of our lives

I also enjoy hiking.

12. Your life motto and life philosophy is…

I don’t have a motto or philosophy per se.. but

I think it is important to be very thankful that we can indulge ourselves.

We are a very  very small % of the community and we should be very lucky we can complain that the latest Patek offering is not to our liking. Most people cannot even fathom that degree of negativity.

I tend not to look back, as mentioned I have made many decisions that could have changed my watch collecting but I am contended that the journey has taken me on various paths and I have met wonderful people

Health , friends  and family is important. Do not under estimate the importance of friends

Finally always be aware there are people less fortunate than ourselves. Make sure that you always help others who are not as fortunate or healthy as we are.

As my mom always said” play nice” – only the sandpit is slightly bigger