2023 Collector Conversations: A Year in Review
Collecting is exciting, but our community of collectors makes it even better.
Working at The 1916 Company exposes you to some of the most incredible timepieces in the world, but you are also introduced to a unique community of collectors whose stories are just as remarkable as the watches they own.
The world of watches may seem daunting to outsiders, with an initial air of exclusivity. However, this is far from the reality. While some watches may be expensive, and the world itself steeped in luxury, the watch collecting community is incredibly accepting, humble, kind, and gracious. They are eager to share their love and passion for horology and will discuss a $50 Casio with as much enthusiasm as a $500k Journe.
As I sit here, snow falling outside, my dog resting her head on my lap, urging me for another walk, I find myself reminiscing about the incredible collectors that have become our friends this past year.
What’s even more exciting, is that we were able to document these relationships in our Collector Conversations.
Three of our most viewed Collector Conversations of 2023 are The Watches of a Navy Seal with Rob Huberty, Life in Aviation with Curtis A., and Decades of Collecting with Jeff Jonas. All three collectors brought incredible pieces to the table and the stories to match that made 2023 an outstanding year. As Tim Mosso puts it, “No two people have the same story about the same watch.”
It would be redundant to give a synopsis and run through the specs of all the watches these three collectors presented. Instead, I want to highlight one watch from each collection that stands out, tells a story, and exemplifies what we collectors aspire to have and be.
Watch Collection of a Navy Seal
Rob, a former Navy Seal, took us through his collecting journey at our HQ in Philadelphia, showcasing his tool watches. Military involvement in horology is well-documented, with many watch innovations stemming from military use. Before diving into my favorite piece from the collection, let’s address the infamous “Tudor slaughter” that Huberty’s commanding officer told him about. During the Gulf War, the military issued Tudor Submariners, but after the war, the watches were designated for destruction. Huberty’s commanding officer, one of the chiefs, drove to the beach, took out a hammer, and smashed them all to pieces. I’ll leave that story there; no commentary can take away from this horror. Anyway, I digress.
Huberty’s crown jewel is not the most expensive, but it signifies his journey as a Seal, husband, father, and businessman. It’s his Rolex Deepsea. As a Seal, its usefulness is self-explanatory. What stands out is that despite being an avid collector, it’s the watch that adorned his wrist during deployments, his wedding, and the birth of his children. He bought it with his reenlistment bonus after realizing he needed something “less dainty and more robust” than the Sub the initially walked out of a jeweler with.
My sister once told me, “You dress for the life you want, not the life you have.” To put this in a horological perspective, “A watch must fit the man; the man can’t fit the watch.” Huberty’s Deepsea epitomizes this mentality. He found the perfect piece to fit his life, one that survives the battlefields and the boardroom.
Curtis’s Watch Journey
Curtis A., a Marine, naval aviator, industrial designer, author, and pilot, shared his collection which included vintage Rolex GMT, JLC, Sinn, and many more.
As an aviation expert, the watch that took the spotlight in his conversation was a 16570 GMT Master. Similar to the infamous antique roadshow Daytona story, Curtis acquired this piece in Hong Kong for a mind-numbing $400, unaware of its eventual value until years later. Tim, mesmerized by its condition, asked how a watch worn every day for roughly 20 years could be in such good shape. Curtis responded, “I had an appreciation for nice things. I took care of it.” Tim followed that with, “It is also a testament to the watchmaking of Rolex.”
While the GMT Master is noteworthy, it’s Curtis’s story behind his no-date sub that caught my attention. After falling in love with a vintage 5513 in San Diego in 1983, but not pulling the trigger. Curtis set his sights on a no date sub, which would not come for almost 4 decades.
Never one to miss a perfect line, he said, “Never look back; you are not going there anymore.”
Thirty-seven years after seeing the 5513, he got the call from an AD he met serendipitously after a convention in Reno to finally get the modern rendition of this watch.
This story highlights the journey, the search, the hunt, the safari, whatever you want to call it. When we collectors get a certain watch in our head it stays with us everywhere we go. We can’t shake it off like the long cold from a winter day when you enter a warm home. It lingers in the back of your mind festering until one day you get that call, you stumble into the right shop at the right time, or in Curtis’s case you happen to find the right watch dealer you identify with, you connect with, and who supports your insatiable appetite for that one watch. There can be many takeaways from his story but the most important to me is the indelible connections we make around watches, the relationships formed, and the common passion shared.
Watches are Works of Art Collection
For my final Collector Conversation (technically a Mayer Time special) year-end round-up, I bring you Jeff Jonas – the “buy what you love” champion and, in my opinion, potentially one of the “most interesting men in the world.” Within one minute of this conversation, it’s hard not to be enamored by his kind demeanor and unique watch collection.
Jeff opened the conversation by saying, “I became fascinated at an early age about watches and basically the idea that this is a form of art.” His vast collection stays true to that ethos. Some of my favorites include a ‘destro’ Panerai Luminor, De Bethune Starry Varius, Akrivia AK-01, Greubel Forsey GMT Sport. But the one that stands out among the rest, not the most expensive but potentially the rarest, is his destro Vacheron Constantin 1921 Historiques.
I must sheepishly admit this is a bit of a homer pick, as it is on my growing list of grail watches. However, Jeff’s watch is a piece unique. Without delving too far into the history, the 1921 is a watch whose dial is tilted counter-clockwise to be read while holding onto a steering wheel – a wild and transformative idea during its time of innovation. (For the full story of the 1921 Historiques — Check out Jack’s article on the origins here).
VC had a version for lefties back in the day, but with the modern reissue, there were none to be found. This took the entire lefty population out of the equation because if the askew dial was worn on the right wrist, 12 o’clock would now appear roughly at 9. After a meeting with the US President of VC in Boston many years ago, he embarked on a journey for his ‘destro’ 1921. VC even allowed him to have input in the entire design, from the numerals, color, metals to designing a custom deployant clasp.
This past year brought many memories and unforgettable conversations with some of the premier collectors in the world today. Reviewing these conversations has opened my eyes to the vast diversity of enthusiasts – those who collect for the tool aspect, relying on watches to be there in the worst and best of any situation life throws at you; those who pursue the journey of collecting and waiting until they find the perfect watch at the right moment in life; and those who collect as a form of art, gathering the best and rarest of what horology has to offer.
Most importantly, these conversations teach us that there is no one way to collect watches. What’s important is what it means to you and no one else.