Long-Term Keepers: Three Watches I Can’t Bear to Sell

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.

A pre-owned Omega Speedmaster on the wrist (photo courtesy Bob’s Watches)

How To Spot a Fake Omega Wristwatch

Omega, founded in 1848, is one of the world’s oldest, most highly respected, and popular watch manufacturers, so it should come as no surprise that the brand is frequently the target of counterfeiters. If you are considering purchasing an Omega, here is some quick advice to help spot a possible counterfeit.

Why I Bought It: Patek Philippe Reference 5740/1G-001 Nautilus Perpetual Calendar

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 . . .

False Scarcity and Steel Sports Watches: A Collector’s View

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.

Tourbillons: Pros and Cons

Watch brands often promote the tourbillon as a mechanism that improves the chronometric performance of the watches their watches. Sergio Galanti looks at if the tourbillon really more than just a complex, fascinating, and usually very expensive, mechanical regulator.

Dial view, Timex Marlin re-edition, 2017

Why I Bought It: Timex Marlin Re-Edition

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.

The Grail of Attic Finds: Reunited with the First Watch I Ever Owned, A West End Watch Co Sowar Prima

Colin Alexander Smith is reunited with his first watch and discovers an intriguing watch manufacturer that has been producing mechanical watches in Switzerland continuously since 1886.

Why I Bought It: Konstantin Chaykin Joker

When GaryG encountered Konstantin Chaykin’s Joker, whose “face” is literally just that with two googly eyes showing the hours and minutes with their respective pupils and a lolling red tongue displaying the phase of the moon, he was transfixed. And moments later he placed an order. Find out why right here!,

My Wife the Watch Collector and Her Collection

MrsG’s watch collection includesJaeger-LeCoultre, Blancpain, Alain Silberstein, Audemars Piguet, and more. Here GaryG explains a bit more about the hows and whys of her watches.

The Unintentional Watch Collector: An Unplanned Watch Collection Spanning Eight Decades

Colin Alexander Smith never set out to collect watches; in fact, he suspects that deep down he aspires to being a one-watch guy. He has only bought himself a new watch on two occasions in his life. Nevertheless, through a combination of new and used purchases, gifts, hand-me-downs, and inherited pieces, Colin has managed to accumulate a selection of watches that rather neatly spans eight consecutive decades of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Find out what is behind each of these watches remaining in Colin’s collection right here.