The Hunt

For some of us collectors, and indeed sellers, The Hunt is the most involved, rewarding and possibly the most important part of acquiring a watch.

Very early on in a collector's journey, this part of the process probably doesn't feature very highly. In my own journey, I didn't always collect vintage watches, and the modern pieces I wanted simply didn't require hunting. For the most part, modern watches are readily available and, broadly speaking, they all look very similar. Hunting only really comes into play once you decide to collect vintage, and particularly once you've travelled a little further down that rabbit hole.

Once we're collecting vintage pieces, it's a totally different ball game. Suddenly there are so many more things to consider. Do you want to find something fresh to the market, or something that has already been discovered by somebody else? Is it a watch you intend to keep, or one you may eventually sell on? Then there is the condition, the patina, the variant, the year, the running order and the provenance to consider. The list goes on and on. At this stage, you may not even know exactly what it is you're looking for.

One thing is for sure though. The ultimate scenario is somehow stumbling across what is commonly referred to as a barn find; a dirty, dusty and seemingly unappealing watch. Something that has been neglected for years, perhaps decades, but which has huge potential. This is what every serious collector dreams of finding.

I have been fortunate enough to acquire several pieces like this over the last few years since focusing solely on vintage watches, and the prospect of finding more only becomes increasingly addictive. However, with vintage watches no longer being produced, the reality is that as time goes on, the chances of uncovering something truly special become slimmer and slimmer.

It's all fairly obvious stuff really, but if you haven't yet experienced the addictive nature of The Hunt, then be warned.

Just wait until you do.

Good luck!