Audemars Piguet
Building Your Dream Watch Collection with a Single Click
Audemars Piguet
Building Your Dream Watch Collection with a Single Click
Your first serious purchase is a watch of which you have long dreamed, the Cartier Tank. You win it at auction but it takes 6 months for you to pay for it by instalments and the up-market auction company is none too impressed.
Then one day browsing in a shop window you discover the Patek Philippe Ref 3970 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph and you quickly become obsessed with all things Patek Philippe. Your Damascene moment has arrived and you have seen the horological light.
A chance meeting
One night you attend a Parisian cocktail party. Looking around you recognise the man standing alone not far from you. It’s Thierry Stern, the President of Patek Philippe. Mustering all your courage, you approach him and start to talk about your favourite topic. It goes so well he personally invites you to Geneva to learn first-hand about this most sought after of watch brands.
Your career starts to rise meteorically and with more money comes more highly collectable Pateks. You start to acquire with an unbridled passion; rare Calatravas from as early as the 1930s, hard to get Patek Philippe Nautiluses, every series of the Reference 2499, the Reference 1518, the Reference 130 and some highly sought-after enamel-dialled watches including the “Lighthouse” and “Island” pieces from the 1950s, taking as your guide the wise words of your new found friend Thierry Stern.
It’s an exceptional opportunity to gain a peek into what one auctioneer has described as being among the top five collections worldwide. There is also an exhibition within an exhibition for two of the hottest areas for collectors: steel Rolex sports watches and independent watchmakers.
Patrick was helped mightily along the way by one Geoffroy Ader, an independent watch adviser and auctioneer who has assisted him with this and other exhibitions all around the world.
Meanwhile, back in the real world
While most of us don’t have the means to acquire even one Patek Philippe, there is still much joy and excitement to be had from a watch collecting career at just about any level. We all have to start somewhere, and many a worthy collection has started with a simple search on eBay.
Since its launch in 1995 eBay has probably learnt as much as Monsieur Gertreide about how watches are bought and sold. Experience has seen the introduction of key programs that help with financial security, authenticity and peace of mind.
eBay Authenticity Guarantee and Escrow Payment Service
This is eBay’s service verifying that the luxury watch you are purchasing is in fact authentic and exactly as listed. This service is available for watches retailing for $2,000 and above in the U.S.
And for watches over $10,000 in value, eBay introduced an escrow payment option in partnership with Escrow.com, where the funds are held securely until the transaction is complete providing an additional level of protection.
Got Patek?
Yes, eBay has, it even has the Patek 3970 up for auction, the watch that launched Monsieur Gertreide’s irrepressible passion for Patek watches. There are several high-end brands that are regularly offered on the marketplace.
But even if a Patek is just an unattainable dream, there are thousands of other styles and brands on eBay to suit every budget.
Here’s our pick of some exciting luxury watches to get you started with a dream watch collection just in time for the holidays.