Few collectors have a higher taste level than Ronak Madhvani. Madhvani is maybe best known for his love of shaped watches, particularly those from Gilbert Albert, a designer responsible for some of Patek’s funkiest pieces. However, Madhvani’s an omnivorous collector, constantly surfacing wonders like this one. I’ve become even more infatuated and interested in cloisonné dials lately (which is enamel sectioned off by metal strips—think of it as the fanciest Paint By Numbers ever). This Omega comes all the way from 1948 and remains just as vibrant today. I’m also drawn to those beaded, pearlescent hour markers.
2. @1_5_1_8_ Rolex Prince ref. 1690UF
Oh my, did it just get a little hot in here? Just looking at the girth of this particular watch, you would never know it was from the 1930s. This thing is Arnold Schwarzenegger-approved in its JUMBO proportions. This is a “Brancard” Prince, famous for its size and rarity. At the time of its heyday, the Prince was known as the doctor’s watch because its large minutes and seconds display made it easy to time out a patient’s pulse. (Even when it’s not designed as a tool watch, a Rolex always finds its purpose, huh?) All that is well and good, but what Andrea Parmegiani has here goes beyond all the basic info I could give you about this steamy watch. Those art deco-style numerals are so sexy and the candy-striped case is like nothing else I’ve seen on a Rolex before. As Parmegiani put it himself in his caption, “HERE’S A WATCH YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN!!!”
The runner-up for GQ’s 2024 Watch Collector of the Year is already working to avoid taking home silver in that category again this year. This Chopard, made by Spanish jeweler Augustin Julia-Plana, is like wearing an enchanted forest on your wrist. The cuff is made of branch-like ribbons that bloom at the end with pretty baubles. This would have been the most epic watch in the rankings even if it didn’t come with a fun lil’ backstory, but it does. Hannah (@crazykirbyh) originally intended to purchase this watch at Sotheby’s “Rough Diamonds” auction last spring. However, she made a mistake when converting time zones and missed the bidding window completely. “I woke up and found the auction was closed,” she wrote on Instagram. (The watch sold there for $53,100.) However, Hannah was recently able to make things right by purchasing the watch from the winner of that auction, Karry Berreby Jewelry. It’s the classic “girl sees watch, girl loses watch, girl gets watch” story we all know and love.
See all of our newsletters, including Box + Papers, here.
