RECOMMENDED READING: An interview with one of the world’s foremost vintage Patek Philippe collectors

Nick Kenyon

John Reardon is one of the world’s foremost experts on collectible vintage watches, having recently left his position as Christie’s International Head of Watches, and one of the areas he is most passionate about is vintage Patek Philippe. So what better way to express that passion and put his wealth of knowledge to good use than start his own dealership of vintage Patek Philippe? He launched Collectability to guide interested members of the watch world on their Patek Philippe collecting journey, buying and selling only the rarest and most interesting pieces produced by the Calatrava cross-bearing manufacturer, offering everything including gold and enamel cigarette lighters, solar desk clocks and even the mythical Patek Philippe “Nautellipse”.

As part of his work with the Patek Philippe collecting community, John recently sat down to interview one of the most interesting Instagram accounts I’ve ever seen, despite it only being started a little over a year ago — @horology_ancienne. Run by a father-son duo, the account is one of the best lessons in important wristwatches you might be able to take, focusing on a number of different brands, including vintage Patek Philippe. Their focus is to educate, engage and, most importantly, “to give a totally unbiased look at horology”.

While their collection is the envy of just about everyone interested in watches, @horology_ancienne are also humbly grounded in their collecting, encouraging and teaching anyone willing to learn, and offering a service to the watch world that is not yet widely known. John interviews the pair at length, gaining an interesting insight into the philosophy behind the account, and why they are motivated to run such a narrow but deeply focused Instagram account. You can read the full interview here.