Over the 20-odd years that GaryG has been buying “serious” watches, he has purchased more pieces bearing the Jaeger-LeCoultre brand name than any other, by far. Within the Jaeger-LeCoultre pantheon, one watch sub-group stands out for him: the Reverso. Between his wife and he, they’ve bought a total of seven Reverso models. Given that, why add another? In this instance, the Reverso Tribute to 1931?
GaryG enjoyed the opportunity to check out three of his friends’ rare Patek Philippe pieces, all with salmon-colored dials: Reference 5059G-018 and Reference 3940G-029 perpetual calendars from Patek Philippe’s Vintage Collection and a unique piece Reference 5270G. He shares his thoughts and stunning photos with us here.
Once upon a time, it was possible to have an entire discussion about watches without once addressing the prospects of the price of a given watch growing or shrinking over time. Those were the days!
Wouldn’t it be splendid to have everything your heart desired? Well, it’s a nice fantasy but it’s not going to happen for GaryG. And, besides, he’s not so sure that the experience of “selling to buy” isn’t actually a significant part, albeit a bittersweet one, of the collecting experience. Find out why here.
Roger Smith holds a special place in the pantheon of independent watchmaking, both on his own merits and as the man who worked most closely with the legendary George Daniels. While any Smith watch is rare, this particular Series 2 is unique: it’s the only watch in stainless steel that Smith has yet produced.
GaryG won’t soon forget the pre-opening independents party at Baselworld in 2019 where Kari Voutilainen wasted no time in showing him and a few friends a breathtaking timepiece: his 28ti, number 0, in titanium. Gary shares what happened next here and how it resulted in him photographing this unique piece.
If GaryG wants to buy a watch of any significance it requires that he sells one or more other pieces. The bad news is that all of the watches he doesn’t really love were sold off a long time ago! As a result, the discipline of asking “What watch in his current collection do I love less than this potential new purchase?” has become tougher and tougher. Here he shares three watches that he feels are long term-keepers and why.
The “unobtanium” phenomenon isn’t limited to watches from the past, there are a variety of references for which supply seems to lag demand. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the current market for select steel sports watches. Here GaryG highlights some interesting dynamics caused by that imbalance, led by a loud chorus of complaints from prospective buyers.
After years of thinking that a Nautilus wasn’t for him, in 2018 the Patek Philippe Reference 5740 was introduced and GaryG immediately asked for one. That started a four-year wait during which his gentle nudges were met by polite head shakes. And then . . .
GaryG has said it many times: there are great watches to be had at every price point! Enter the Timex Marlin Re-edition of 2017, a watch that he owns, wears, and loves. Find out why right here.