November 2018 marked a personal horological high point for GaryG, as he both served on the jury of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève and took delivery of an “unobtainable” watch, the Patek Philippe Reference 3940P-027. Gary shares his reasons for buying this rare watch with us here.
Limited editions used to be a rarity, but they started to become more popular in late 1980s and early 1990s, almost like a snowball rolling down a hill that gets bigger and bigger. Martin Green wonders if we can still take LEs seriously.
When collectors gather anywhere and talk about their collections, recent purchases, and executed or potential sales, there’s a term that comes up more often than not: “getting hurt.” Here I provide a master class in how not to get hurt in the world of watch collecting.
Seems it wasn’t that long ago that GaryG wrote his first “Objects of Desire” article about the watches of Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey, finishing with: given the prices of their watches, he was unlikely to be able to buy any of those he truly lusted after anytime soon. Gary’s observation at the time was “go big or go home.” As you will see, he ended up going big and is now the proud owner of a Greubel Forsey Invention Piece 1.
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.
As our regular readers know by now, GaryG and a few watch pals have made it a regular practice to trek to Geneva for each year’s November watch auction weekend, do some bidding, and perhaps return home with a treasure or two. This year was no exception, but with the bonus of him being a jury member of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève as well. Here Gary shares how it all played out.
When it comes to the watch hobby, for GaryG it’s really all about the people! In his home area of California, in New York, and elsewhere he has had the pleasure of joining up with members of RedBar Group, the rapidly expanding global network of watch enthusiasts founded by Adam Craniotes, who he interviews here to find out more.
GaryG looks at, and listens to, Patek Philippe’s splendid References 5074P minute repeater. He considers the 5074P to be one of the finest contemporary wristwatches; it is a piece that awes him every time he handles one. And now you can look at it in every detail right here.
Standing before his eyes was the most perfect of God’s creatures, a wonderful mix of Audrey Hepburn and Penelope Cruz. What Makes Me Tick thought his heart had skipped a beat, and he heard the chimes of every single minute repeater Patek Philippe had ever created – all chiming at exactly the same time! Six months later the gentle creature and he were married. This extraordinary story reflects the marvelous world of vintage watches: finding the rare bird, linking it to a story, and never letting it go.
We tend to forget that the production of straps is an industry in and of itself, which functions both reactively and proactively. Manufacture Jean Rousseau not only offers prêt-a-porter watch straps, but also crafts custom-made products. Learn more about it here!