12 Watches That Reveal What Kind of Collector You Are

What kind of watch collector are you? And I don't mean whether you are a Rolex guy, an Omega guy or a Patek guy or somebody who has somehow convinced himself that owning six almost identical vintage dress watches is completely normal. Because after spending the last few years around collectors every single day, I've realized that much more interesting or the much more interesting question isn't really what you collect, but why you collect in the first place. So today, instead of going simply through this week's 12 new watches one after another and telling you what they are, I've divided them between eight different types of collectors. And I have a feeling that somewhere among these eight, you are probably going to recognize yourself because two people can look at the exactly same watch and see completely different things. One person noticed the name on the dial. Another immediately starts looking at the movement. Somebody else couldn't care less about either of those things because they have already fallen in love with the shape of the case. And then there's always that one collector who specifically wants a watch nobody else in the room has ever heard of. The 12 watches going live in our collection this Thursday range from a wonderfully patinated Omega Cosmic from the 1940s all the way to Rolex, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet and even a full set Patek Philippe Nautilus. So let's find out what kind of collector you actually are. Let's start with the reason people buy watches that I think we sometimes pretend it doesn't exist. For some collectors, the watch isn't only about the movement, the design or some obscure reference number. It's also a symbol of reaching a certain point in life. Maybe you build a company. Maybe you finally got the job you've been working towards for 10 years. Or maybe you simply reached a point where you can buy the watch you used to look at through a shop window 20 years ago. And if there is one watch that has represented that feeling for generations, it has to be the Rolex Day-Date. This particular 1803 is from 1966 and comes in 18 karat yellow measuring classic 36 millimeters across and 44 millimeters from lug to lug. But for me, the thing is that really makes this one is the black dial. If I were buying a yellow gold Day-Date myself, I think that's exactly the combination I would want, because that contrast between the warm yellow gold and the deep black dial gives the watch an incredible presence on the wrist. And let's not pretend this is a discreet watch, because it isn't. Even on the original Rolex leather strap, a yellow gold Day-Date with a black dial makes quite a bit of noise. And maybe that's part of the appeal. This particular watch will probably go online somewhere around 13,900 euros. And I think that's what defines the milestone collector. He's not necessarily buying the watch to impress somebody else. Sometimes he's buying it because every time he looks down at his wrist, it reminds him what it took to get there. Let's follow with the purist. Now, the purist is a little different because this is a collector who starts removing things rather than adding them. He doesn't need a moon phase. He doesn't need diamonds. And he certainly doesn't need a watch that can be recognized from the other side of the restaurant. Give him good proportions, a beautiful dial, a well-designed case and three hands or even two and a small seconds, and he's perfectly happy. And we actually have three watches in this drop that fit that personality beautifully. The first is a 1960s Vacheron Constantin Patrimony in 18 karat yellow, measuring 32 mm across and 36 mm from lug to lug. And the first thing I noticed when I picked it up wasn't really the dial or the case at all. It was just how incredibly thin this thing is. It's not even a millimeter thick. So when you put it on, it basically disappears underneath the cuff of a shirt, which, let's be honest, is what proper dress watches was supposed to do before we all started wearing hockey books with suits. The dial is equally restrained with these simple applied gold hour markers and absolutely nothing there that doesn't need to be there. And it will be somewhere around 5,900 euros. Then we have this wonderful 1950s IWC Automatic, also in 18 karat yellow. It measures 34 mm across and 42 mm from lug to lug. And on paper, it sounds like a pretty straightforward gold dress watch. But the moment you start moving it around in the light, it really comes alive. The faceted lugs catch the light from different angles. Those beautiful coffin-shaped baton hour markers almost seem to dance across the dial. And then you've got this golden sunburst finish that changes constantly depending on how you are looking at it. It's still a very restrained watch and absolutely something I would wear with a suit. But there is just enough going on to keep it interesting every time you look down at your wrist. This one will probably be somewhere around 4,200 euros when it goes live. And then there is this Omega 2369 in 18 karat rose gold from 1947, which takes that same basic philosophy and gives it a little more personality. It's 35 mm across, 34 mm from lug to lug. So it's actually quite generously proportionate for a watch from this period. And I love the oversized subsidiary seconds at six, the mixture of Arabic numerals and dot markers and the railroad minute track and those beautiful leaf-shaped hands. This one will probably be around 3,900 euros when it goes live. And I think these three watches together explain the purist better than I ever could. Different brands, different price points, different personalities, but all built around exactly the same idea. The next one is the Design Collector. The Design Collector, on the other hand, probably looked at those last three watches and thought, yes, very nice. But can we please have a little more fun? For this collector, a watch is almost a piece of design. That happens to tell the time. And that's where watches like the Rolex Cellini become really interesting. Because when most people hear the word Rolex, this is absolutely not what they're picturing. This is a reference 4084 from 1975, which is slightly TV-shaped, 18 karat yellow gold case, measuring around 30 by 29 millimeters. But the reason I keep moving it around in my hand is that blue ombre dial. In the center, it's this incredibly bright blue. Then it slowly becomes darker towards the edges. And depending on the light, it almost has something mysterious about it, especially against the yellow gold. There's also a little piece of history attached to this particular watch because the bracelet is not original Rolex. The case is 18 karat yellow gold. While at some point in the watch's life, somebody apparently had this bracelet custom made by a jeweler in 14 karat yellow. Maybe it was cheaper. Maybe they liked the additional durability of 14 karat yellow gold. Or maybe they simply wanted their Cellini on a full gold bracelet and couldn't get exactly what they wanted from Rolex. We will probably never know. And honestly, that's part of the fun with vintage watches. This one will probably land somewhere around 10,900 euros. And it's a good reminder that Rolex used to make some seriously unusual watches. If you look beyond the models everybody talks about. The other design collector watch is almost the complete opposite. It's this 1980s Audemars Piguet Cobra in 18 karat white gold with a black dial and diamond markers. And I should probably admit right away that I'm normally not the biggest fan of diamonds on watches, but here I kind of love it. The watch is only 29 millimeters across and 32 millimeters long, which sounds tiny until you put it on. Because with that white gold construction, the black dial and those diamond markers catching the light, this thing is impossible to ignore on the wrist. It's definitely not trying to be subtle. And at around 30,900 euros, it's one of those watches that reminds you how experimental AP could be long before the Royal Oak became the watch everybody associated with the brand. And then we have the next collector, the so-called detail collector, which is probably the collector most likely to bore his friends at a dinner because somebody innocently asked him about his watch. And 45 minutes later, he's still explaining why this particular watch or this particular bracelet is different from the normal one. They said with love, by the way, because I might be guilty of this myself. And the perfect watch for that collector is the Omega Constellation Pi-Pen. You guys probably know by now that the Pi-Pen is one of my favorite constellation designs, and this example already has everything I would normally want. 34 millimeters, beautiful dogleg lugs, the silver sunbury style in absolutely ridiculous condition, and applied baton hour markers with onyx inlays. But strangely enough, none of that is why this particular watch stopped me. It's the bracelet. And I have seen plenty come and go, but I honestly can't remember seeing this exact bracelet before. And it's not just visually interesting because the texture is actually something you feel when you run your finger across it. It completely changed the character of the watch on the wrist and gives what is essentially a 34 millimeter vintage Omega, this strange sense of luxury that I would normally associate with watches sitting much further in the food chain. This piece from 1962 will probably be around 10,900 euros, which obviously puts it well above a more conventional Pi-Pen. If you know, you know. And if you don't, you're probably wondering why I've just spent a minute talking about an Omega bracelet. That's the detail collector. Then we have the romantic. Now we get to a collector, I think almost everyone who stays in the vintage watches long enough eventually becomes, at least a little bit. The romantic isn't looking for a watch that appears to have left the factory yesterday. He doesn't necessarily see patina as damage that needs to be fixed, because sometimes the fact that a watch has clearly lived a life is exactly what makes him wanted. And this Omega Cosmic from 1947 might be the perfect example. It's stainless steel, 34 millimeters across and 41.5 millimeters from luck to luck. And technically, it's actually one of the most complicated watches in the entire collection, because you have got a triple calendar and a moon face packed into that relatively small case. There is an enormous amount happening on the dial, but somehow it still works. It doesn't feel like somebody just kept adding things until they ran out of space. Everything seems to have found its place. And then, obviously, there is the patina. You can see that this watch is old. And personally, I wouldn't want to pretend it otherwise. If you're looking for absolute perfection, this probably isn't your watch. But if you are the kind of person who looks at an old dial and starts wondering where the watch has been for the last 70 or 80 years, then you probably understand exactly why this is so charming. At somewhere around 5,900 euros, this is one of those watches where you are buying just as much atmosphere as you are watchmaking. And I mean that in the best possible way. The next one is the quiet collector. The quiet collector is somebody I find increasingly interesting, because he loves beautiful things, but doesn't particularly care whether anybody else notices them. The only person who really needs to know what's on his wrist is himself. And the first watch I would give him is this 1970s P.J. Ellipse in 18 karat white gold. Yes, it's tiny by modern standards, only 24 millimeters wide and 27 millimeters long. And before anyone runs into the comments to tell me that that's a ladies watch, I have an 18.5 centimeter wrist. And even on me, it works surprisingly well. What I love is how the finish of the dial almost continues into the bezel and then into the bracelet. So the entire watch feels like one coherent object rather than a watch head with a bracelet attached to it. Add the Roman numerals and those beautiful leaf hands and you have something incredibly classic, but also very quietly luxurious. This one will probably be around 7,900 euros. And unless the person sitting next to you happens to know vintage P.J., there is a good chance nobody will have any idea what you are wearing. And then there is this 1980s Audemars Piguet Philosophe, which takes discretion in a slightly stranger direction, because when you first look at this watch, you might notice something is missing. There's only one hand. And your first reaction is probably the same as mine. What on earth is the point of that? But that's also why I love seeing watches like this. Throughout the 20th century, brands were constantly experimenting and trying to find ways of doing something differently, and Audemars Piguet certainly managed that. The watch mix 18 karat yellow and white gold measures 30.5 millimeters across and 37 millimeters luck to luck, and it's only about four millimeters thick. Four millimeters. So knowing which exact minute we have is absolutely critical to your day life. This is probably not the watch for you. But if you enjoy watches simply because they are a little strange and somebody had the courage to make them, then at somewhere around 6,900 euros, this is a pretty wonderful thing, which brings us quite naturally to the contrarian. And this is a collector who knows exactly what the obvious choice is and then deliberately chooses something else. He wants a vintage Patek Philippe, but somehow the Calatrava is too obvious. An Ellipse? Maybe. An Aurelus? Everybody knows that one. So he buys this. The Patek Philippe reference 1450 from 1947, better known as the Top Hat. And this is another perfect example of why dimensions on paper can be completely misleading because it's only 20 millimeters wide. 20. You read that number online and think, bloody hell, that's tiny. But then you realize it's 37 millimeters long and the whole angulated Top Hat case suddenly has enormous presence on the wrist. The silver dial is beautifully balanced with the subsidiary settings at 6 applied numerals mixed with these long, substantial baton markers and small dot markers at 3, 9 and 12. And somehow all those different elements come together in something that just works. At somewhere around 12,900 euros, it's obviously still a Patek Philippe, but it's a Patek for somebody who doesn't necessarily want to Patek everybody expect him to buy. And I really like that. And finally, we arrive at the Icon Collector. And I don't think I need to spend the next five minutes explaining why this watch belongs here. It's a Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 3900 from 1985. It's a full set with box and papers. It measures 32.5 millimeters across and about 35 millimeters lug to lug. Yeah, what should I say about this design? Gerald Genda absolutely cooked with this thing. That dark gray, almost anthracite dial, the hour markers, the shape of the case and especially the way the bracelet flows into everything else. And even after decades of being it in magazines, auctions, Instagram posts and probably far too many YouTube thumbnails, it still feels special when you actually have one in your hand. It will probably be somewhere around 44,900 euros when it goes online on Thursday. And if Nautilus weren't so damn expensive, I honestly love to have one myself. I suppose my landlord would probably prefer the red. So those are 12 very different watches for eight very different types of collectors. And the funny thing is, after going through all of them, I don't actually think most of us fit neatly into only one category. Some days I'm definitely the purest and all I want is a beautifully proportionate gold dress watch with nothing unnecessary on the dial. Then something like that Omega Cosmic comes along. And suddenly the romantic in me starts thinking that maybe a little patina and moon phase is exactly what I need. And five minutes later, I'm running my finger across some ridiculous vintage Omega bracelet. I have discovered fire for the first time. And I think that's actually one of the nicest things about collecting watches. Your taste doesn't have to make perfect sense. And it certainly doesn't have to stay the same forever. So now I'm generally curious, which collector are you? The milestone collector? The purest? The detail collector? The romantic? The quiet collector? And more importantly, if these 12 watches were sitting in front of you right now and you could take one home, which one would it be? So let me know in the comments, because actually, I'm very curious to see which collector type we have the most of in this channel. And as always, all 12 watches will be going live in our collection this Thursday. So have a great day and see you in the next video. Hopefully.