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Power List: The Power Collectors
News
Power List: The Power Collectors
Since the dawn of time, humans have collected. Whether through necessity or whimsy, there has always existed an urge to accumulate. Henry VIII collected wives; Henry Clay Frick, paintings; and Tom Hanks has a serious assemblage of typewriters. Of course, you’re reading this either because you are a watch nut or have a passing interest in horology. Either way you will be acutely aware of the importance of watch collecting now, as not merely just a hobby but as an industry-defining profession. Today, we celebrate a group of Super Collectors that have taken their passion to such levels that they are both tastemakers and influencers. Indeed, their collections have become inspiration for the very brands to whom they have devoted their collecting lives.
Our Super Collectors epitomize the art of collecting, each having their own unique taste but one overarching theme — quality. At this moment in time, there are two golden rules in high-end collecting: quality and rarity. What all our collectors do is combine these two elements in curating some of the most important collections that are shared with the public. Whether possessing an eye for a gem, a relationship with a brand to procure a unique piece or decades worth of trawling markets, auctions and dealers’ tables, each of them has made a name for themselves as a world class collector.
Auro Montanari, @goldberger
@horology_ancienne
“Our primary focus is on the most important clocks, pocket watches and wristwatches from the various brands we collect. In between, we do acquire watches that might not be historically important but are aesthetically important to us.” Like most collectors, they have a watch that got away. “When the Duke Ellington Patek [ref. 1563] appeared at auction, in hindsight, it was a big regret that we were not prepared to pay tomorrow’s price. Moreover, when you’re bidding against Patek for a piece, as we occasionally do, the term ‘bidding war’ is an understatement!”
@nycwatchguy
Of his collecting ethos, he says, “I think my collecting style is ever evolving and where I am today is definitely not where I was five years ago, and very likely won’t be where I will be 10 years from now. No matter how ‘hot’ a watch may be, if it doesn’t move me, I am not going to buy it. Also, I only like to buy things I will wear, and so no matter how important or rare a watch may be, if it isn’t something that vibes with my style, I won’t buy it.”
The watch he could never part with is his Urwerk UR-220 Grove XXIII. He reveals, “It was an edition of 23 watches made for Michael Jordan and his golf buddies. This is the watch I have worked the hardest to track down in my collecting journey. As the biggest basketball fan in the world and someone who worshipped MJ growing up, finally being able to own this watch felt like I had actually achieved the unachievable — the endgame grail watch. Of course, I’ve continued buying things even after that, but without a doubt, this is the one watch that I could never part with!”
Jasem Al Zeraei, @patekaholic
The watch he could never part with is his Patek Philippe reference 5071G, although he has his sights set on a very special Daytona. He says, with characteristic candor, “I need to own a Rolex 6270 before I leave this planet or else I’m going to lose my shit!” Like any watch collector, the watch community is very important to him and its diversity is what makes it so special. He quips, “We differ in many ways, backgrounds, languages, religions, but we all tick tock!”
Roni Madhvani, @roni_m_29
Although we shouldn’t live with regrets, Roni has a couple when it comes to watches that got away! He says, “There are some pieces that I simply couldn’t afford at that moment in time, others that I was just being too tight-fisted and underbid, and those where my Internet or phone connection dropped; something that happens all the time in Africa! Otherwise, I think a cloisonné enamel dial mid-’50s Vacheron depicting the mythological mermaid Mélusine. In fact, it got away twice — when the dealer offered it to me directly and when he consigned it to auction.”