Gary G
3734
One guy's view
Wear 'em! I recently took delivery of a piece that I waited long enough for, and that is sufficiently rare, that before its arrival I thought many times that this would be "the one" watch that I would keep in the safe and take out from time to time to admire, wind, and then return.
I had it on my wrist and out of the house within 5 hours of delivery...
There's another watch I have the good fortune to own -- a unique piece, but very robust in its construction and mechanics (certainly not the Marie Antoinette!) -- that even its Independent maker was a bit surprised to see me wearing at a dinner. Not because he didn't want it to be worn, but because, he said, most "collectors" would never wear the watch in hopes that it would appreciate in value.
Finally, in a thread a few months ago I told the story of bidding on the "Einstein" watch -- my pitiful bid was a small fraction of the final price for which the piece sold, but had I been successful, my full intent at the time was to put a fresh strap on it and wear it to my next office meeting ("Hey, look! I'm wearing Einstein's watch!").
Recently met a fellow who told me (and I have no reason to doubt him, given the circumstances of the discussion) that he has $43million in watches, mostly stored in safes in Switzerland. My view: if it gives him joy, fine -- but it's not for me and it saddens me that so many lovely pieces will sit silently.
Enjoy!
Best,
Gary G
Long live the Safe Queen??
