The Gentleman collector doesn’t talk background, saying only that he “consults here and there.” He has no true Grail watch, as all dreams are attainable. He conducts business from the back of a Mercedes S-Class, and unwinds on his one-off sailboat. His face may age, but his hair maintains a Redford coif. He gallantly tells the story of his wife’s watch, the one he surprised her with at a Michelin three-star restaurant in a small French town whose name he pronounces like a native. Every retailer and brand CEO is “a personal friend,” and he chuckles over each latest jaw-dropping watch purchase that they somehow “forced me into buying.” -By Howard Parr; Illustration by Matthew Miller
Scroll over the interactive illustration for a deeper look at the Insta Collector Archetype.
On the watch list:
1. Patek Calatrava; 2448 if dad was his tastemaker, 3919 if he’s his own man. 5127 is his horological version of “there goes the neighborhood”
2. FP Journe Dead Seconds Tourbillon – exclusivity matters
3. Rolex Paul Newman Daytona – purchased mint, with box & papers
4. Grail Watch: Laurent Ferrier if investment outlook proved worthwhile, and 39mm for-Japan version only