Patek Philippe, Cartier, F.P. Journe: why these collectors can’t stop buying

Three vintage watch collectors share the origins of their passion and offer advice for those toying with starting their own timepiece trove.

Mervin Ling

There is something very meditative about winding a watch for me. To those unfamiliar with the world of horology, it may seem as if collectors wear their timepieces purely as a status symbol or display of wealth, but that’s often not the case. At least not for me.

My fascination with watches began in childhood. My dad, who rarely wore accessories aside from a watch, and my mother, who wore a jewellery watch, instilled in me a quiet admiration for timepieces. I always dreamed of owning a watch of my own as an adult. My first serious piece was an IWC, gifted by my parents before I left for boarding school in the UK. I was 16 years old. I hardly ever went without it, though I eventually parted with it, finding it simply too large for my wrist – a lesson on personal taste that every collector learns with time.

While I initially owned a few watches that I wore on rotation, it was during Covid-19, when I spent a lot of time on the internet watching videos on watch collections, that I really started looking at my collection and asking myself, “What do I actually like?” I know many collectors who chase newly released models without a guiding philosophy and end up amassing hundreds.

There was a watch I’d wanted since I was young, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 3800. I had seen it as a kid and its shape is so unique I spent a lot of time studying the watch and the brand’s history. I kind of thought, “This is it, this is my grail watch and once I have it, I’m done collecting.” And then, of course, once I did finally get my hands on the watch, I realised it was just the beginning of my collecting journey, because I had discovered independent watchmaking and that opened up a whole new world.

F.P. Journe was my entry point into the independents. Having grown up in a family of art collectors, I’ve always had an eye for beautiful things and, to me, F.P. Journe is like the Picasso of watches. The Chronomètre Bleu stands as the most prized possession in my collection. Its dial is a brilliant blue achieved through meticulous lacquer layering, and the use of rose gold in its movement is something no other watch brand does.