Horological Meandering

What is also comparable to me are the trends we see. In the art world, the top artists today are very different from those who dominated 20, 50, or 100 years ago. Artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Yayoi Kusama, and Banksy are now worth millions and attract global attention.

At the same time, artists who were once extremely famous and expensive, such as William-Adolphe Bouguereau or Jean-Léon Gérôme, have largely disappeared from mainstream attention. This shows how trends, taste, and cultural value constantly change over time.

The same applies to watches. Pocket watches were once the ultimate status objects. One hundred years ago, there was hardly anything else, so Breguet pocket watches and similar pieces were considered the absolute top. Today, pocket watches are barely even discussed anymore, although I do feel there is slowly some renewed interest coming back.

But we do not even have to go that far back. In the 1980s, every serious collector wanted a Rolex Bubbleback. Today, many of those pieces are almost impossible to sell. Back then, nobody really cared about steel sports Rolex models, and a Paul Newman Daytona could still be bought relatively cheaply.

Even more recently, in the early 2000s, the market and watch forums were flooded with discussions about military Subs, COMEX Subs, Red Subs, and Double Red Subs. Today, even on forums like this, you barely hear about them anymore.

Now the attention has shifted more towards the timeless classics, the established top brands that have always been respected and probably always will be, and of course the independents. From already established names like F.P. Journe to dozens of smaller independent watchmakers, that is where much of the focus is today.