A few months ago an advisor and friend asked me quite casually, ‘How would you like to meet John Goldberger‘?
I promptly replied, ‘ The John Goldberger? The man who wrote four wonderful books which are all sitting in my library on Patek, Rolex, Omega and Longines?’ Ofcourse I immediately took the invitation with pleasure. It is not often that you get to speak and meet an expert on that level. John Goldberger is an interesting man (this is an understatement). Author of four great reference books on watches, John Goldberger is one of the world’s leading watch experts. What I like about Goldberger most is that he is real connoisseur. Most collectors and authors concentrate on one brand but Goldberger interests are broad and covers some of the greatest watch brands in the world-not just Patek and Rolex. Goldberger wrote a wonderful book on Longines, Cartier and Omega, brands which have an exceptional history in watches. What makes Goldberger even more impressive is that his main business has nothing to do with watches- that is what I call true dedication! For more on Goldberger and his books please click here. To get insight into one of the broadest minds in vintage watches-enjoy the interview posted below:
LME: How do you see the vintage market developing this year? Will the strong prices continue?
Goldberger: Now it is very difficult to get a correct picture of what the vintage watch market is doing, it is a little schizophrenic. This is what I think though: The prices of very rare and well preserved timepieces fresh to the market will continue to reach new world records. Today world wide collectors pay a large premium for watches with never touched dials, no polished cases, without restoration, original documentation and provenance. It is possible to have a big price gap between a standard model and the same in n.o.s. (new old stock) conditions: double or triple the value.
Do you see any brands that are undervalued at the moment? Omega ? Longines?
Goldberger: This is an excellent question. Everyone wants to know what brands now will gain value with time. The Omega and Longines watches already have the correct value on the market in my opinion. There are other watch companies like Eberhard, Minerva, Universal, Movado and Breitling which are undervalued at the moment! They manufactured in the ’40s and ’50s magnificent chronographs with exceptional calibers (see picture below).
You have written four fantastic books on four different brands (Omega, Longines, Rolex and Patek Philippe). Which brand lies closest to your heart?
Goldberger: I love all these watch brands plus I have a great passion for Cartier!
When did you first get interested in watches?
Goldberger: I started to collect watches 35 years ago, when I was 20 years old. The 70s, of course, was an era that threatened the extinction of the mechanical watch, and I was browsing in the flea market with my parents, long time art collectors, and I realized how the cost of the vintage and second-hand watches were so cheap compared the new modern quartz watches! It was so fascinating to observe the design and the appeal of vintage Bubble backs and Princes by Rolex compared with 70′s watch production. In 1978 I bought my first Rolex (see picture below), a reference 3835 in 18k gold for only $800!
I have read somewhere that you are besides an author, also a collector. Tell us more about your collection?
Goldberger: My approach to collecting has grown and matured into collecting in sets, types and themes. Most of what I own, I have never and probably will never wear. Now I am collecting only very few watches with extremely high quality: Omega, Longines, Cartier, Rolex, Patek pocket watches and other brand’s chronographs. I wear and enjoy on a daily basis the same watch, a platinum Cartier tank cintré- (see first picture -a platinum Catier tank cintrè, only 3 pieces manufactured in 1995). Three of my prefered watches are: 1) 1937 white gold calendar perpetual by Breguet 2) 1927 platinum Cartier tank cintré 3) 1957 pink gold Patek Philippe ref.2499!
Below a 1927 PerpetualCalender by Brequet, a Cartier tank 1927 and a Patek Philippe Ref 2499 in pink Gold.
Do you buy your watches at auction? Through dealers? Or both?
Goldberger: I bought and traded vintage watches and pocket watches more through good dealers around the world rather than auctions.
What to you look for when buying a watch? Aesthetics? Condition? Rarity? Provenance?
Goldberger: I do not like watches that lack originality and are boring. First aesthetics, second condition and third rarity. A beautiful watch ready to wear is the best bargain but a rare watch with great history and provenance also gives you an ‘aura’ that you just could not describe.
What is a common mistake collectors make in your opinion?
Goldberger: The five golden rules of collecting are:
- Try to collect what you like, do not follow the common trend.
- No compromises, dedication and discipline, buy only watches with correct configurations and in perfect conditions.
- Buy the seller, not the watch!
- Be humble, lower your ego, don’t be in competition with other collectors
- Read books, look on the Internet, browse auction catalogues, visit museums, have good relations with the entire watch community (dealers, auction’s houses and other collectors).
We have also heard that you have been collecting watches since many years. What has changed in this time period? Did you ever imagine that vintage watch collecting would grow into the enormous community it is today?
Goldberger: When I started collecting it was very hard to find information! The first book on wristwatches was only published in 1983 (Armbanduhren by Callwey, Germany). The first wristwatches to appear on the auction catalogues was first in 1980 (Antiquorum, Geneva) and the Swiss factories, (except Patek Philippe), did not organise their archives. All this meant that information was hard to come by. So I travelled halfway across the world on the basis of a some faxes with blurred images of the watch!
From being a passion pursued by adventurous treasure hunters, watch collecting today has become a very serious business, with collectors affecting the market in ways that are more subtle and far-reaching than merely driving up the prices of certain rare timepieces. In the past the quantity of watches for sale worldwide was very large and the quality was not so important as it is today. In the last 15 years with the Internet, the community of the watch collectors and dealers is closer and more woven with a great exchange of information readily available. The democracy of the web created a new generation of collectors but also collectors who are a bunch of ‘frantically informed idiots!’ (see picture below-1980′s Antiquorum watch catalogue illustrating an unique split seconds chronograph and a rare ref. 2499 perpetual calendar by Patek Philippe).
You are Italian, which is a nation of big vintage collectors. Especially Patek & Rolex. Why are Italians so close to these two brands?
Goldberger: Italy is the nation with the most knowledgable collectors of vintage watches in the world. This is because the best dealers with greatest knowledge and available own stock are also located in Italy. The Italian collectors are deep connoisseurs of every Swiss watch brand that has history. So not only can you find perfect Patek and Rolex sets but also wonderful Omega, Longines, Tudor, Eberhard, Vacheron, Blancpain, Zenith, Heuer, Panerai, Cartier and military collection
Do you see a time where the record results at auction will be that of a different brand than Patek? Rolex perhaps?
Goldberger: In the last auctions Rolex has already overtaken some common Patek references; at the New York Christie’s auction a pink Rolex ref. 6062 with the star indexes reached the world record of $ 600,000 (watch comparable with a Patek ref. 2497) and a pink ref. 6036 (comparable with the ref.1518) reached the incredible price of $ 620,000. In the upcoming Geneva auction the highlights of the richest selection of Rolex vintage watches ever offered in a Christie’s auction, will be an extraordinary steel split seconds chronograph ref. 4113 (only twelve pieces manufactured by Rolex) and a very rare Zerograph with black dial (only two known examples), I bet that these two timepieces will achieve a new world records (see pictures below of the Split seconds and Zerograph).
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Now I ask John Goldberger to chose one, the other or both options:
- Rolex Submariner or Rolex Milgauss? A Sub ref.6200 (see pic)
- Silvio Berlusconi or Mario Draghi? Mario Draghi
- Food in Bologna or food in Milan? Milan, more quality
- Patek Nautillus or Patek Calatrava? A Patek steel 570
- A vintage Ferrari or vintage Maserati? Maserati Birdcage
- A Omega Speedmaster or Longines 13ZN Chrono? Longines chronograph 13ZN
Below a Rolex submariner 6200 with explorer dial
A Patek steel Calatrava Ref 570
The Maserati Birdcage of Briggs Cunningham
Lastly the splendid Longines Chronograph 13zn
