There are some watches you fall for the moment you see them. Sometimes that initial infatuation passes and you move on to the next temporary obsession, but then there are those instances in which the more you see, talk about, and learn about a piece and its origins the more you resolve to save up to buy one. For GaryG, the Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire was one of the latter.
GaryG provides us with a look at why he bought the A. Lange & Söhne Double Split even though he already owned the brand’s Datograph. The Double Split is the world’s only double rattrapante capable of both split-second and split-minute interval timing, which may shed some light.
The history of commissioned timepieces is a long and colorful one, but collector group commissions are perhaps a more recent phenomenon. GaryG recently met with Adam Eisendrath of San Francisco-based collectors 49 Crowns to learn more about the club and to check out two customized watches commissioned from Swiss-based Finnish independent Torsti Laine.
GaryG was sitting at his breakfast table on the morning of January 18, 2013 when during his morning scan of news he saw a photo of something breathtaking. It was Logical One by Romain Gauthier – a watch he immediately knew that he would own someday. He was captivated by the white gold version with frosted gold movement: this was “the one” for him.
While his friends’ paths into serious collecting have been fairly diverse, GaryG started with Jaeger-LeCoultre, which opened his eyes to the world of fine watchmaking and served as the foundation for his ongoing fascination with horology. Take a look at Gary’s history collecting fascinating timepieces by this revered Swiss brand.
GaryG had the good fortune to photograph two sensational unique timepieces from independent German watchmaker Christian Klings.
In GaryG’s view, every successful independent watchmaker has elements of a “house style” that may attract some buyers and put off others, but nonetheless set them apart. And, at the highest level, this style goes beyond “branding” to become an expression of the personality and artistic vision of the creator. Beat Haldimann and his small team distinguish themselves by focusing on technical virtuosity of the highest order as typified by the Haldimann H1 Flying Central Tourbillon.
GaryG outlines why he bought a Vianney Halter Deep Space Tourbillon, providing commentary on a collector’s mindset and the motivations, delights, and possible misgivings. And, of course, there are amazing photographs.
GaryG’s first rule when it comes to collecting is to avoid setting too many exclusionary rules. With watches, he believes that it’s the passion that separates collectors from investors and accumulators. Which brings him to another rule: deriving the full enjoyment from the things you own.
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?