Philosophy

We are watch aficionados (some say watch-freaks) and our focus is on unusual and vintage watches. We prefer watches from the 60s to early 90s of the last century because they are outstanding in terms of creativity, virtuosity, craftmanship and to most extend hand-made -- the heydays of watch-making & -designing. Hand-made is something that is not / rarely available in the current landscape of over-sized uniform modern watches, mass produced with a very high grade of automation. Even by highest honored manufacturers things are usually machine made and only movements are hand-engraved or decorated... Well.

Our Approach to Watches

Summarized, when it comes to watches, we

• prefer quality to brand
• prefer collectible to tradable
• prefer unmistakable to interchangeable;
• prefer unusual to standard;
• prefer beautiful to expensive;
• prefer unique to common;
• prefer gold to steel;
• prefer ahead of the curve to lagging;
• prefer jewelry to complication;
• prefer vintage to modern;
• prefer summerwatch to moonwatch;
• prefer hand-made to machine-made;
• prefer trend-setting to trend-following;
• prefer punchy & expressive to nondescript;
• prefer surprising to expectable;
• prefer integrated bracelet (optical homogeneity) to attached strap (optical inconsistency);

Why? In short: Because watches should bring some joy and are not a uniform. Also, it is hazard-free to go slightly nuts with watches -- watches are not paramedic and experiments dont hurt.

These points are usually much better targeted by vintage watches instead of modern ones and another aspect that makes vintage watches more relevant for us than todays stuff: they are simply no longer produced! So the number of pieces made, is fixed (usually in very low numbers, due to expensive high class pieces made in low-volumes) and could only decrease and already does so since years: either by heavy usage or by someone bringing them to the smelter whenever the intrinsic metal-value exceeds what can be received on the market for the timepiece.

That leads directly to the most important point: What we like the most, are full-blown-metal watches – and I mean full gold or platinum, of course and not stainless steel. We aren't dogmatic, so you might find a steel, wood or plastic watch in our stock as well, but pretty sure this will be a rare exception. And there are several reasons, why we prefer heavy precious metal timepieces over watches with leather straps or ones made of steel:

They Are Value -- The Asset Class Watches and the Asset on Your Wrist
Whether you know the brand, the reference or the movement or you don't, doesn't matter at all: everybody knows by first sight there is some value on your wrist. And it is always a good feeling when you have an asset with you -- not cash but of similar liquidity.

Besides that, in current negative interest rate environment with plenty of risks in conventional asset classes, watches are a very interesting un-correlated asset class that obviously misses the omnipresent counter-party risk, but not necessarily the return. Get in contact with us, when you want to understand what we can provide regarding an investment in watches.

Watches are Jewellery and Art
Basically there is no functional reason for a wrist-watch nowadays, so it is art and jewellery; and why should you wear jewellery made of steel instead of precious metals?

They Are Much Rarer Than Steel Watches
Usually top of the line timepieces are done in precious metal, while the base-line is made of steel. So the precious metal version is not only more joy to wear and more beautiful but also much rarer than the steel version of your preferred reference.

It Feels So Right
There is nothing coming close to a full precious metal watch on the wrist: I mean, have you ever worn the same watch (maybe your favourite one) made of steel and compared this right away to the same watch made of precious metal? Ok, do it and let me know how it makes you feel. I mean, this is like driving a Mercedes R129 SL300 vs SL600 – this is basically the same car, but it is not the same thing. And pretty sure when you put back on the steel version, it simply feels like a toy and probably a little cheap -- so take this as a warning.

They Are So Balanced
Even better than a gold cased watch on a leather bracelet is an integrated bracelet made of gold as well. Such a heavy integrated bracelet is fantastic for creating a balance against the weight of the case and it gives you a gentle reminder: you are carrying something fantastic on your wrist – you can feel it, even when you are not watching. This is it!

VERY IMPORTANT – Precious Metal-Watch Collectors Are the Most Important Individuals in the Collector-Species
One of the most important aspects of collecting, is preserving and carrying over time and making the ideas, the art and the craftsmanship of perfection condensed in such a collection available to the next generation – I am sure everybody agrees. Great. Now, which kind of watch is the most endangered one? Which kind of watch is lost to the smelter in thousands per month, each month? Is it the Steel Rolex? Or the Omega with a leather bracelet? Rather not. It is the full precious metal watch, because of its high material value, of course. So, to prevent this, become a full precious metal watch collector and make sure they can be handed to the next generation – Plus Ultra.