Since the first drafts I wrote, I imagined this article as a natural sequel to “how to take the first steps in the world of watchmaking”, considering it as the physiological and consequent practical part closely linked to the previous one of a more theoretical nature.
Taking for granted therefore the theory, which I hope you have studied (If this was not the case, here you have the article that tells you how to move your first steps into the world of watchmaking) the goal of this piece remains to provide, to all those who want to start looking at the world of watch collecting , some essential tips to follow together with what we think at IWS is the undisputed top ten references of the best watches on the market for this purpose.
Are you ready? Let’s go!
The rules of the good collector
Emotion, addiction, disorientation?
Do you spend hours and hours on your smartphone swiping the images of the timepiece you desire?
Are you looking almost compulsively for articles or industry reviews of the object you have put in your sights?
Have you decided to buy but are you afraid of scams?
Do you want to be sure that the timepiece you buy will increase in value?
Well, guys, if you recognize yourself in at least one of these symptoms do not worry, you are suffering from collector’s syndrome… The best cure? Let yourself be captured by it and carefully follow the advice that I leave you below…
Referenced dealers and retailer
My very first advice is to enter the world of collecting passing through the front door. To be honest, I consider it of fundamental importance, especially for a neophyte, that the very first watches in his collection are purchased from trusted retailers who are not only able to accompany the choice in a technical and professional way, but at the same time can certify, through the correct documentation, the originality of the desired piece. Later on, once you become a great collector and meet great experts, you can trust your evaluation skills, but for the moment it is advised to rely on the dealer’s reputation…
Information is key
As a second consideration, and on the line ”misery loves company”, do not forget that you are not alone. Multiple sources of information belonging to the world of watchmaking, which make use of the most common medias such as IG, YouTube and online magazines – and this article is the practical demonstration – not only are they very sensitive to the theme, but offer advice, sharing with new and future collectors all their ideas and experiences.
To sum up, my second advice is to never get tired of reading, to keep informed and to keep up to date. Having many, credible and easy sources of information, is therefore fundamental both for the construction of your own thoughts, and to make it grow in a healthy and robust way, facilitating the choices and making you increase security once you are called to take them.
Listening to your desire
The last and perhaps most important suggestion of which I want to share with you is a little amarcord, in sharp contrast to all those who face this world moved exclusively by the thought of gain as a function of the increase in value of the object.
Let’s be clear, nothing wrong with thinking that you are dealing with a form of investment, also because of what history teaches us. However, my unbiased advice for a new collector remains to face the choice of letting himself be guided by his taste, preferring the object that we like most and in which we identify more. Taking too much consideration of a possible future revaluation greatly limits the horizon of choice, forcing you to consider only certain maisons, slowing down the incredible journey you are about to undertake.
The first steps
Given the right luster to what I consider to be the good rules of the new collector – claiming the absolute importance of professionalism, information and personal taste – it is time to face the next step, and have fun together discovering the best references that we at IWS have chosen for all those who want to start building a new collection. To do this we will introduce 4 evaluation parameters: aesthetics, mechanical particularity, rarity of the reference and finally wallet, evaluated according to the criterion “higher score greater convenience”. For each of these parameters we will assign from 1 to 5 points. The higher the score, the higher its “collectability” will be.
Omega Speedmaster
“Aesthetics 5 – Mechanical peculiarity 3 – Rarity 3 (depending on the reference) – Wallet 4 – Total 15”
We are talking about one of the most legendary watches ever. Since its birth at the end of the 50s, until the definitive popular consecration obtained through the lunar missions, its unmistakable design, recognizable and recognized all over the world, has represented and still represents one of the cornerstones of the watchmaking industry.
This timepiece is suitable for all occasions, believe me: impeccable in formal situations, explosive in informal ones where it brings out all the grit and personality deriving from the world of motor racing. Beautiful on a male wrist, it is just as extremely fascinating on feminine wrists. In addition to being a cult object, the Speedy has been produced in many references adopting different characteristics and materials.
This peculiarity makes the object absolutely approachable by a varied and wide slice of collectors from all over the world. My favorite references? Easy, the classic Moonwatch Professional reference 311.30.42.30.01.005 caliber 1861 mechanical hand-wound and – no questions about it – hesalite glass, along with the reference 145.022, a choice that reconciles all the vintage charm of the first Speedmaster to a reasonably affordable market price.
For further information on the legendary Speedmaster I refer you to a series of very interesting articles covered in our magazine, click below to learn more.
The new Omega Speedmaster Caliber 321 in Canopus Gold
A Mechanism That Made History: Omega’s Caliber 321
The new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 2021
Ralph Ellison’s Speedmaster auctioned at Phillips
The history of Richard M. Nixon’s Omega Speedmaster
Furlan Marri
“Aesthetics 5 – Mechanical peculiarity 3 – Rarity 3 – Wallet 5 – Total 16”
When it comes to collecting we cannot fail to mention the phenomenon of these last years: Furlan Marri and their wonderful success able to break, just six months after its foundation, even the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2021, winning, with their chronograph Mr. Grey, Ref. 1041-A, the prize of “Horological Revelation“.
Do you want to know the four reasons why it cannot be missing in a collection worthy of being called such? I will be concise, first of all it is beautiful, second it is technically fascinating, bringing back to life, through the Mechaquartz movement, a piece of history of Swiss watchmaking of the 80s, third is affordable, fourth is “cursed” desired. The best references in my opinion? All of them. To mention a couple, the 1031 – A with the subdials of the chocolate chrono on a salmon background, and la 1022 – A with the subdials of the chrono “argenté” on a black lacquered background.
Unfortunately this references are not in production anymore. However, Furlan Marri has unveiled many more models that will not be discontinued anytime soon. I suggest you vist their website to have a look.
Baltic
“Aesthetics 4 – Mechanical peculiarity 3 – Rarity 2 – Wallet 5 – Total 14”
Oriental soul, French elegance and adventurous spirit. I’m not talking about a comic book superhero dear friends of IWS, much less a new Hollywood star. I’m rather referring to the emerging Baltic Watches, recently founded in 2017 by Etienne Malec, with the aim of recreating unique objects inspired by the vintage collection inherited from his father.
The production district of the maison develops between the East, where the movements are received -mostly Miyota – and Seagull, France for the realization of straps and bracelets, Italy where other components are produced that are decisive for the realization of the timepiece, and finally France, precisely in Besançon, the assembly and final testing center before the great distribution. The very first feature that catches the eye, highlights how, despite being faced with high quality objects, the prices are fair and reasonable.
The reasons for this issue are justified by the choice made by the maison to address the consumer directly, eliminating in all respects the traditional margins of the “middle-man”. Among the watches that I love the most, in addition to the monopusher chronograph specially made for the Only Watch 2021 reviewed by our magazine (click here for the full article) the Aquascaphe diver deserves a special mention, animated by a Miyota 9039 undated.
The peculiarity that makes me fall in love with this object is undoubtedly its unidirectional sapphire bezel, recreated especially for this watch to recall those in bakelite of the first professional divers of the 50s. To perfect everything, the rounded sapphire glass and the dimensions of the case, 39 mm in diameter and 12 mm thick, give the watch character and power. It is available with rubber or steel strap, and in different colors of the dial. Click here for more information.
Patek Philippe Ref.96
“Aesthetics 5 – Mechanical peculiarity 4 – Rarity 3 – Wallet 4 – Total 16”
Among the 10 best timepieces to start a collection, one of the legendary models that have contributed to making the history of the queen of watchmaking, Patek Philippe, could not be missing. We are talking about the magnificent Calatrava and how its elegance, the purity of its lines and its sobriety have conquered the world scene since 1932 so as to be considered the best round case dress watch of all time.
Its minimal essence, devoid of details or superfluous decorations brings out all the dictates of the Bauhaus school and how the functionality of the object was predominant over the other characteristics. The round case is made of gold distinguished by its 31 mm in diameter and 9 mm in thickness. The bezel is shiny and flat, while the tapered lugs guarantee excellent comfort on the wrist.
The dial is an absolute hymn to the “Bauhausian” functionality. With a white background, embellished with hour markers and dauphine hands in yellow gold, which indicate the time in a clean and direct way. At 6 ‘o clock you have the small-seconds. It is a simply wonderful object that would deserve to be collected for its history alone.
Rolex Prince
“Aesthetics 3 – Mechanical peculiarity 3 – Rarity 3 – Wallet 3 – Total 12”
I’ve always been fascinated by Rolex’s Art-Deco royale line. The Queen, Princess and Prince models have always tickled my curiosity probably fueled by the thirst to know that vintage and dispassionately decorative branch of Rolex of the 30s.
The typical rectangular case, extravagant in a period where the players were rather focused on experimenting with new movements, new cases and precisely new forms, was very successful, obtaining an excellent following of the public for about a complete decade, until the exit of production at the end of the 40s. The aesthetic peculiarity of the object certainly lies in the settings of the “Duo Dial” dial with the classic totalizers superimposed for hours and minutes, while in the lower part the seconds.
It is precisely because of the impressive ease of reading the seconds that the doctors of the time preferred it for the detection of the pulsations of the heart of their patients so as to earn the nickname of “Doc Watch“. The movement, on the other hand, designed and shaped by Hermann Aegler, although it was not technologically very valuable, has very interesting peculiarities engineered according to the shape of the case.
The fact that the object was rectangular has in fact allowed the use of barrel and spring with larger dimensions than the commonly used ones. The oversize of these components has made it possible to obtain a greater power reserve of the movement, so much so as to even reach 58 hours.
Similarly, the balance wheel, also increased in size, has made it possible to achieve better precision so much so that it was immediately certified chronometer. The most famous references in addition to the Prince Classic ref. 1343 and the Brancard ref 971, are without any shadow of a doubt the Tiger Stripe proposed in the photo, and the Super Precision Aerodynamic ref. 3361.
If we wanted to take a leap into the future, the new Rolex references proposed in 2005 within the Cellini line, fully resume the Art-Deco style of the past by re-presenting four revisited versions of the historic Prince: white gold with Roman indexes, white gold with Arabic numerals, yellow gold and rose gold.
Rolex Ovetto or Bubbleback
“Aesthetics 4 – Mechanical peculiarity 4 – Rarity 4 – Portfolio 4 – Total 16”
In the Rolex catalogue from 1933 to 1955 the Rolex Ovetto or Bubble Back represents not only the first and true underdog of the Genevan house, but also the very first timepiece characterized by the nicknames “Oyster” for its very very different shapes rounded, and “Perpetual” thanks to the reliable rotor that allowed you to forget to recharge the watch.
Legend has it that to the question “why Oyster?”, Sir. Wildorf founder of Rolex replied: “The oyster is a model hostess and does not tolerate the slightest presence of dust or other impurities. Gentlemen, we have borrowed your qualities and your name. Here is a specimen of the Rolex Oyster, so called because it lives in water and excludes any impurities“…
Returning to the Ovetto, one of its fortunes, is certainly due to the fact that lines and proportions have remained unchanged for all the years of production, thus representing a real must have for all watch collectors. Regardless of the versions made, whether they are gold, steel or two-tone with gold bezel, the object is really sought after. One of the key references is undoubtedly the 3131, made in many versions of the dial. In good company we also find the reference 2764 that I personally prefer in a black dial version with indexes applied in gold and small seconds to six. All punctuated by elegant dauphine hands.
What to add friends of IWS, having this object does not only mean wearing a piece of Rolex history, but also enjoying the “Piece” from which Hans Wildorf and the maison’s insiders laid the foundations for the entire future production of the family.
Heuer Monaco 1133B
“Aesthetics 4 – Mechanical peculiarity 4 – Rarity 4 – Wallet 4 – Total 16”
Unlike the statements made by the special one Mourinho in an interview a few years ago, in addition to “Monaco of Tibet, Munich Grand Prix and Munich”, we at IWS also know the Monaco Heuer very well. In this case the reference 1133b, so much so that we can’t help but put it in our top ten.
When we talk about this wonderful timepiece we refer without delay to a model like no other capable of giving an absolute grit to the mechanical complication that best harnesses the speed, the chronograph. The multi-decorated story of this reference shares the limelight with a young and irreverent Steve McQueen who wore it on board his Gulf Porsche 917 in the famous film “Le Mans” dedicated to the famous endurance race across the Alps.
The peculiarities that make the object really interesting do not stop at the fact that McQueen wore it, but go further, in its innovative manufacturing. It was in fact not only the first square case waterproof on the market, but also the first automatic chronograph ever produced, animated by its Chronomatic caliber “Calibre 11” with a micro peripheral rotor perfectly integrated into the thickness of the whole movement. With a style that just looking at it makes you want to sick record and Saturday night fever fully recalls the trends of the 70s. Really a piece for connoisseurs, trust me…
If you are interested in deepening the theme Tag Heuer I leave you a series of very interesting articles covered in our magazine, click below to learn more.
Steve McQueen’s watches (and a record breaking Tag Heuer…)
Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars 25859ST
“Aesthetics 5 – Mechanical peculiarity 3 – Rarity 3 – Wallet 4 – Total 15”
Through the Jules Audermars line, the historic Swiss fashion house AP pays tribute to one of the two founders of the family. Classic lines, fine materials and high-quality craftsmanship are a must of these beautiful objects. The reference 25859ST of which we want to share with you, represents, in my opinion, one of the most elegant chronographs in the whole world.
This attractive two-counter chrono represented, and undoubtedly represents, the POP alternative to the more expensive Royal Oak line. The round steel case, with its proportionate 39 mm in diameter and 11 mm in thickness, is characterized on its right, as well as by the winding crown decorated with the initials AP, by the two elegant buttons through which to drive the chronograph.
The movement is self-winding by Audermars Piguet manufacture, the caliber 2226 with 51 jewels flickers at 28. 000 vibrations/hour with a power reserve of about 40 hours. The dial, characterized as mentioned above by the two small counters of the chrono, has Arabic numerals at par alternating with triangular and odd indicators. The available dial colors, total black, navy blue and silver, reflect all the classicism and elegance of the brand at the touch of its wearer.
Tudor Black-Bay Chronograph
“Aesthetics 5 – Mechanical peculiarity 4 – Rarity 2 – Wallet 5 – Total 16”
Since its inception in 1926 Hans Wilsdorf has directed the policy of the maison towards all those activities that have made Tudor the trusty squire of the noblest Rolex. Over the years, in fact, the insiders of the Genevan house have had the opportunity to learn the experience and savoir-faire of its older brother, giving life to some of the most extraordinary timepieces of the last fifty years.
One of these, which cannot be missing in your collection, is definitely the Tudor Black-Bay Chronograph. This splendid chronograph represents in my humble opinion the closest the market can offer today in terms of “value for money”. Beautiful, gritty, robust, rich in style and above all famous. Returning to the technical characteristics of the object, the Black Bay Chrono is animated by the SELF-winding manufacture movement MT5813 derived from Breitling. Consisting of a vertical friction column wheel, with variable inertia balance, microregulation screws, silicon antimagnetic spiral, it records a pulsation of 28,000 vibrations / hour for a power reserve of 70 hours. All absolutely COSC certified.
The aesthetics of the timepiece, through the tachymeter scale, the small dials of the chronograph, the spheres and the famous cup indexes, all recall the dedication of the family both to motor sport and to diving. The versions currently available on the market see the “Panda” model with a white background dial and small dials of the chrono with a black background, the black background version and small white dials, and finally the black background version with small gold dials.
All references, distinguished by the prefix M79360N (steel only) and M79363N (steel / gold), are available both with steel bracelet and with gold steel bracelet for the reference M79363N. In addition to metal, black, brown and black fabric leather straps are also available. Guys a real bumblebee… and if you want to know more click here for the complete article on the new Black-Bay chrono by Tudor.
Universal Geneve Uni-Compax
“Aesthetics 4 – Mechanical Peculiarity 3 – Rarity 2 – Wallet 5 – Total 14”
Since its origins in 1894, Universal Genève has always stood out for its quality manufacturing in step with the nervous changes in the market of that era. The early nineteenth century are characterized by the production of the very first wristwatches of the maison embellished by the chronometric complication.
It is with 1933, however, to keep up with the competitors of the time, that the original house of Le Locle developed, on the basis of the Martel Watch movements, the first double-pusher chronographs from which models such as the Compur, the Compax, Contax took shape and last but not least the Aero-Compax. 1936 became the year of birth of the first Uni-Compax models characterized by the singular two-button chronometric function that allowed to record the intertime by stopping and resuming the measurement. The two small quadrants of the chrono defined one the seconds and the other the adder of the 45 minutes. The tachymeter scale instead we find it wonderfully inserted on the peripheral edge of the dial.
È un orologio davvero molto bello, oserei dire un vero e proprio cult per i collezionisti di tutto il mondo. È un orologio davvero molto bello, oserei dire un vero e proprio cult per i collezionisti di tutto il mondo. Le referenze che consiglio maggiormente sono la 124116 prodotta a cavallo degli anni ’50 con cassa in oro rosa 18 kt 38 mm, fondo del quadrante argento e numeri arabi al 6 e al 12 in oro rosa a riprendere la cassa. La referenza 22409, anch’essa prodotta tra gli anni ’40 e ’50 con cassa in acciaio di 38 mm di diametro, fondo del quadrante crema e numeri arabi e famosa per i suoi tasti crono rotondi.
The latest reference that I would recommend is the rose gold 124103. The 38 mm diameter of the case frame the wonderful silver dial on which stand out the triangular indexes applied in rose gold together with the Arabic numeri 6 and 12. The spheres are also triangular to take up the same material as the case and the indexes, while the tachymeter scale on the edge of the dial takes up the blue color of the small spheres of the chronograph dials.
Final remarks
Here we are dear friends of IWS, even today we have reached the end of our journey. I strongly hope that this article has not only been useful to provide you with some practical advice on how to look into this world, which channels to prefer and which models to consider, but has succeeded in the enterprise of igniting in you the desire to know and deepen this magnificent and varied world, which as you have had the opportunity to understand, is full of possibilities, a wonderful quality that makes it for everyone and especially for everyone. Don’t worry if you can’t wait to google all the timepieces seen together, it’s completely normal… Enjoy the ride and, above all, have fun.
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