THE JOURNAL
Photograph by Ms Valentina Voldinaci/Imaxtree
Welcome to On My Watch, a series of stories where we look to understand what it really means to collect watches, by speaking to those men and women most affected by this most irrational, anachronistic and irresistible hobby. Every few months, we will be checking in with a trio of collectors for a snapshot into their habits, experiences and lessons learnt. We start with Mr Hassan Akhras, founder of Arab Watch Guide, Mr James Marks, international watch specialist for renowned auction house Phillips, and Mr Matt Hranek, author of A Man & His Watch.
There are many truisms to collecting, but perhaps none is more apt than this: while the community of watch collectors may be brought together by a shared love of mechanical timepieces, no two pursue this passion in the same way. Everyone has his or her own approach, and there are as many stories to tell as there are watches in the world.
01.
What was your first watch?
Mr Hassan Akhras: I would consider my first watch my Breitling Chronomat that I bought almost 15 years ago. I started collecting much earlier, when I was at school, but my collection was more around brands like Casio and Sector. The Breitling was the first watch that actually started my current permanent collection – and I still have it.
Mr James Marks: I don’t remember the specific watch, but it would have been a Swatch. It remains a brand that captivates me today. Its design spans generations and it has an innocence, an almost childlike quality that is not seen elsewhere in the industry.
Mr Matt Hranek: A Sears Winnie the Pooh analogue watch I got from my grandmother when I was five. And yes, I do still have it.
02.
What’s the one watch you’d save from a fire, and why?
Hranek: My father’s stainless-steel Rolex Datejust that was left to me when he died.
Akhras: My Cartier Santos Dumont Special Edition Arab Watch Club, because of all the work that I put into creating this special watch for two years and the significance of it being the first special edition created by Cartier for Arab collectors.
03.
Do you have a “one that got away”? Or a watch that you regret selling?
Marks: I have numerous watches that got away. But the one that hurts is the one where I listened to others and did not trust my gut. That was the Rolex Rainbow Daytona, where I looked beyond the obvious and focused on the quality of the gem-setting and the rarity. It was a lesson and a mistake I will never repeat.
Akhras: I don’t sell many watches, but I was too hasty in letting go of my F.P.Journe Chronomètre Bleu a few years ago. I was hesitant to sell it to a friend of mine who really wanted to wear that piece and it was sitting in the watch box with little wrist time. After I let it go, it started growing on me more – I guess it’s also the attention they have been getting on social media.
Hranek: Yes, I missed out on an “Eagle Beak” Gilt Rolex Submariner – so called for the distinctive shape of the crown guards, which look like the bird’s beak.
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04.
What was the last watch that you bought?
Marks: It was for my wife, a stainless-steel Rolex GMT with ceramic “Pepsi” bezel and Oyster bracelet.
Akhras: The Cartier Cloche Privée, from this year’s releases, but I am still waiting to receive it.
Hranek: A Rolex yellow gold Submariner reference 16618 – this generation of Submariners was produced from 1988 all the way through to 2010, so it’s really the bridge between vintage and modern.
05.
What’s your Holy Grail?
Akhras: I would love to own a Patek Philippe Tourbillon Minute Repeater in rose gold, the reference 5303R. It has two of the most impressive complications, and case finishing of the utmost luxury.
Hranek: It has to be the Rolex Submariner 5508 – not the “James Bond”, which is the 6538, but one of the very earliest Submariner references.
Marks: Collecting is a journey, so my grail today might not be my grail of tomorrow. Right now, the Patek Philippe 5004A remains the pinnacle for me – a stainless-steel perpetual calendar chronograph with split seconds, of which only 50 were produced.
06.
Have you ever paid too much for a watch – or snapped up a total bargain?
Marks: The concept of overpaying is an interesting one. I believe you never overpay for quality, provenance or rarity, but you may be paying tomorrow’s price for the very best. As a collector that is not a mistake, but a strategy.
Hranek: I paid too much for a piece of crap Rolex 1675 GMT. I rushed the purchase when I should have been patient. I ended up selling it and, well, not losing my shirt, but it wasn’t a great deal. My impatience was foolish. On the other hand, I have found a few bargains. My proudest moment is one that, let’s face it, was a pure accident. I have a Rolex 5513 Submariner that has turned tropical brown since I bought it for $1,700. [This sought-after patina turns an already desirable reference into a rare beast, worth at least $25,000.]
Akhras: Thankfully, I never paid too much for any watch – I only buy at retail and I don’t like to pay a premium. If I cannot find it, I either wait or I just decide to buy something else. Likewise, I don’t think I’ve ever really felt yet that I have snapped a watch under its real value in the market.
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07.
Have you ever acquired a watch in unusual circumstances?
Hranek: I once saw a buddy’s watch that I coveted on a dealer’s desk after he just traded it in. I asked, “Is that so and so’s watch?” (a beauty of a 1675 GMT – not the one I mentioned earlier). Somewhat surprised, the dealer said yes… I took my 16750 GMT off my wrist, dropped it on the desk and made the trade without hesitation.
Akhras: I unexpectedly got the chance to buy not one, but two of my long-term targets in the same afternoon. I was walking the streets of Paris looking at watches with no intention to buy anything. I went into Audemars Piguet, who told me they had just received the Royal Oak skeleton 39mm in steel – a watch I had wanted for so long – but that I had 24 hours to make up my mind if I wanted it. I decided to finish my walk and come back to buy it. My last stop was the Patek Philippe boutique on the Place Vendôme. Purely speculatively, I asked if they had a 5711 Nautilus – they did, with the white dial, but it was spoken for. They let me try it on, and while I was wearing it the manager of the store took a call. Minutes later, he came back to tell me the customer wasn’t coming to pick it up and if I wanted it, it was mine. I couldn’t resist this offer. I took the watch immediately and had to drop the AP.
08.
If you could own any watch with legendary provenance, what would it be?
Akhras: I would love to own Philippe Dufour’s own Rolex probably. It’s funny – and typical of a true master watchmaker – that he cannot afford his own Simplicity.
Marks: I would love to own (maybe not even own, but just bring to market, given my line of work) the never-seen Patek Philippe 2499 that belonged to John Lennon.
09.
What do you think is the biggest faux pas in watch collecting?
Akhras: It’s very important to know the value of what you are buying and remember this is a passion and not an investment vehicle. It’s very unlikely you will acquire wealth from all the watches you are buying.
Marks: The first is chasing reference and not quality, and the second is buying what is fashionable, running with the crowd. A collection is a living thing; it should change and stay ahead of the curve reflecting the passion of the individual.
Hranek: Being impatient – as I was, and not waiting and saving up enough to buy the correct watch.
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10.
Do you collect anything other than watches – if so, what, and why?
Akhras: I recently started to collect pens – I found a lot of joy and admiration behind the creation of special pens. They also have a lot of stories behind them, and I like the way they play around with materials, like watches.
Hranek: Yes, I love everything with tyres, plus, I collect lighters, vintage military items, pottery, photography – OK, this list is endless. I’m not a hoarder, I promise. I like to call myself an archivist.
Marks: I collect classic cars, primarily air-cooled 911s. And Land Rovers. I think it’s the iconic design that captivates my imagination.