Where does your love for watchmaking come from?
I was at school in Rolle (Switzerland) and there was a watchmaker in the town. I must have passed in front of his boutique 50 times as I loved watches. And on the 50th time, he came out and asked me what I was doing, coming and going all the time. I told him I wanted to buy a watch, but I was only 12. He invited me inside and I chose an Omega. He asked me how much I could pay and I told him that I received CHF 10 pocket money per week, but I could bring it to him. He agreed and I did this for two or three months. When I realised that it would take me two years to pay it off and get the watch, I called my father who gave me the money in advance.
For the following eight years, I didn’t buy anything, I didn’t have the money. But when I was 20 years old, my father had a racehorse, so I bet on him, and won 39,000 Francs, which was a lot of money back then, you could buy a car. The next day I went to Cartier and bought a Tank for 16,000 Francs and that started everything and I started buying different watches from different brands. But it was about 25 to 30 years ago that I discovered Patek Philippe and I have since become a Patek Philippe enthusiast.
Can you tell us about some of the more recent additions to your collection?
Just yesterday, I bought a one-of-a-kind Patek Philippe Chameleon from the 1940s. I also purchased an extremely rare music box with a coo-coo and an automaton. The Founder of the Patek Philippe Museum, Arnaud Tellier, told me that he had only ever seen one in his entire career, and I bought the second.
I am always looking for watches that stand out from the crowd. I also recently found a Chopard with a gold movement that included a tourbillon, a minute repeater, and a moon phase. I also recently acquired a Rolex that was released for the brand’s 50th anniversary; they only made 500 and it has a beautiful Klein blue dial. I usually buy Patek Philippe timepieces, but when something is rare, I am interested. So, watches are one of my many passions.
What other passions do you have?
What is the most beautiful thing that can happen to a man? Love. I have been married three times. The divorces were never wished for, that’s life, and now I am almost on the fourth! Watches are great, but they won’t give you goose bumps, they don’t make me tick like a woman. You just can’t compare them to your children, friends, or family.
What are you wearing on your wrist today?
I am wearing a Hermès H08, I love it. I bought three, offered two as presents and kept one. I love all kinds of watches, even those as little as 300 Euros, of which I also have a few.
Which watches do you find yourself wearing the most?
My favourite has to be the Ref. 2523 World Time from 1950 with its blue cloisonné enamel dial. Three were made and this is the most beautiful one. It has a little patina due to its 70-year age but it is amazing. In addition to that, I have a Ref. 1518, the first perpetual calendar with a moon phase and a chronograph. Three were made in steel, and I have a one-of-a-kind piece in rose gold with a bracelet by Gay Frères. My quest is to find watches like this which are in excellent condition. I am also one of the rare collectors who likes both vintage and new watches.
What advice would you give to someone starting out on their collecting journey?
I would say to buy beautiful watches. I have broken 60 records, sometimes tripling the original price. Years later, the same watches are worth much more. When you buy the best, you never have a problem. So, my advice would be to buy less but buy better watches.
