Over a steaming cup of Karak in a small Dubai chaiwala joint, I sat down with SG—a young but fast-rising watch collector whose passion ignited barely five years ago during COVID. What followed was an effortless, candid exchange between two enthusiasts from very different sides of the horological spectrum: myself, with two decades in the industry, and SG, approaching watches with the freshness and honesty of someone discovering the craft on his own terms. I had asked him to hold nothing back, and he didn’t. This conversation captures exactly that—an unfiltered dialogue about taste, obsession, learning curves, and the unexpected ways watches find their way into our lives.
TWC: So how did this whole watch obsession start? What was the gateway drug?
SG: Right after business school, graduation day. I saw this yellow gold Rolex Day-Date on someone's wrist and I just thought, "F***, that's timeless." Obviously I was broke as hell at that point, so I filed it away as "someday." Fast forward years later, around COVID, I finally had the cash and thought I'd just... buy one. (Laughs) Yeah, that's when I learned money doesn't mean s*** if the watch isn’t available to you because of whatever BS some authorized dealers or brands will have you go through.
So, while I was waiting around like a chump, I stumbled into perpetual calendars and just fell in love with the whole concept. Mechanical poetry, you know?
Then I moved to Dubai, walked past an A. Lange & Söhne boutique, and saw the Grande Lange 1 in the window. I literally froze. That asymmetry just hit me right in the brain — it was perfect. And here's the thing: the sales associate actually treated me like a human being. In hindsight, he treated me as one person trying to sell very expensive unnecessary luxuries should treat a potential buyer, but my experiences with various brands/boutiques was different. This person’s approach was not like I needed to prove myself worthy of looking at watches. That never happens in the "hyped" boutiques or brands. That's when I really started collecting.
Editor's note: In the conversation it is worth noting that SG's only "real" watch before his Lange 1 was a Casio GShock!
TWC: How's your taste evolved since then?
SG: Every piece I buy now has to offer something the brand does best, or something genuinely unique. Take my Credor Eichi II — I bought that purely for the hand-painted porcelein dial. When you look at it under a loupe, you can see tiny imperfections that make it human. I love imagining some old uncle, a highly skilled craftsman in a quiet Japanese workshop, painting this thing by hand with total focus and taking his sweet time doing it. I know that's probably the romanticized version, but screw it — I choose to believe it because it makes me smile.
TWC: Let's talk about how brands treat you. What's that experience like?
SG: It's basically two different universes. You've got the "hyped five" — Rolex, AP, Patek, Richard Mille, FP Journe — and then everyone else. Outside those five, most brands will bend over backwards to welcome you. Independents especially are incredibly generous with their time and attention. But here's my line in the sand: I have zero patience for arrogance. If I walk into a boutique ready to spend and the salesperson acts like they're doing me some massive favor? I'm out. Done.
Independents like Kari Voutilainen show how it should be done. Humility, passion, accessibility. The guy personally replied to my email and gave me a two-hour tour of his atelier. Just genuinely loves what he does and loves sharing it. This doesn’t mean that every brand and/or watchmaker should have the founder or CEO personally reply to me or give me the time of day. But the least I expect, when I am willing to fork out a small fortune to acquire their timepiece, the only two acceptable answers are “how would you like to pay” or “We’re terribly sorry, at this point in time we simply do not have anything to sell, but we’d love to engage with you and get to know you so we can understand you better and contact you for future availabilities”.
Then you have someone like Simon Brette, who makes you fill out a f***ing questionnaire explaining why you deserve one of his watches. My answer? "Because I'm willing to pay for it." That should be enough.
TWC: Okay, controversial question: Which independent watchmaker gets too much attention, and who deserves way more?
SG: (Laughs) FP Journe gets way too much attention. Nice watches? Sure. But so do hundreds of others. The cult around him feels absolutely absurd — I have witnessed people fighting at auction to acquire an old box he’s made – and which he’s perfectly capable of making again – just so they could gift it back to him and get on his good side. Perhaps there is some sort of S&M side to the relationship between the brand and its clientele that I don’t get. My theory? Some people who are so powerful and wealthy, perhaps surrounded by yes-people all the time enjoy being mistreated? It's like Stockholm syndrome on steroids but with watches.
As for who deserves more attention, there are so many: Bernhard Lederer, Pascal Coyon, Rémi Maillat at Krayon, Kari Voutilainen, Beat Haldimann, Andreas Strehler, etc.. These are brilliant people who are passionate and down-to-earth. Talk to them for five minutes and you'll understand what real watchmaking feels like, not the manufactured mystique.
TWC: How do you balance emotion versus logic when you're buying?
SG: I always start with logic, but emotion usually wins the final round. My MBandF Sequential EVO with the orange dial is pure joy — it reminds me of orange lollies from when I was a kid. Plus the symmetry calms my OCD brain. I wear it almost daily. These orange-colored sweets I shared with my sister while waiting for our mum were a weekly treat that brings back very fond and happy memories. There is no way in hell Max or anyone could have known about that, but it hit my “emotional” brain right on the spot and that’s where the emotional brain wins. It then goes to convince – in this case rightly so – my logical reasoning brain explaining to me how perfect the movement actually is and how perfectly designed the watch is. Of course, its price point also played a role – with the logical brain that is – in the sense that it is an honest, well positioned value proposal.
On the other end of the spectrum, I admire the hell out of Greubel Forsey's Double Balancier. It is a perfectly designed, superbly built and beautifully finished piece of horology. It does connect to me both emotionally and rationally until I saw the price tag. When I compare it to what I get for my dollars with the MBandF, I’m simply not willing to pay twice as much for the double balancier. But once a watch connects emotionally and makes financial sense, I pull the trigger.
TWC: Which watch in your collection means the most to you?
SG: Sequential EVO, no question. Meeting Max Büsser and realizing how authentic and brilliant he is just added emotional weight to it. The guy is humble, funny, and genuinely loves what he does.
On the flip side, meeting Tony at the FPJ Geneva boutique had the opposite effect. Let's just say I'll never buy one of his watches, ever. I'll leave it at that.
TWC: Tell me about your most unusual acquisition.
SG: My Konstantin Chaykin Minion. I saw it listed online at retail by this Paris retailer called Chronopassion. I wasn't sure if they were legit, so I DM'd Max Büsser asking if he knew them. He replied instantly: "That's Laurent Picciotto — he's a legend. Go ahead."
Talk about Service! I DM them on Instagram, explain that with Max’s seal of approval I was willing to fully pay for it and wait for the watch to be shipped. Within 72 hours, the FedEx guy was at my building lobby delivering the watch.
Sometime later, while at an MBandF event in Geneva, I spot Laurent. I luckily had the Minion on my person, so I swapped my MBandF for it and just tapped on his shoulder “Hey Laurent”, he turned around, saw my face, then my watch, made the connection and went “"Ah, you must be SG!". He made my day because he remembered and that tells you a lot about the kind of person he is and the kind of people I love to do business with.
TWC: What's your take on social media and watch culture?
SG: Overall, it's done more good than harm. It gave independents direct access to collectors — I can DM a watchmaker and get a reply within hours. Ten years ago I'd have had to go through some arrogant AD who'd make me wait six months for the privilege of being ignored. But yeah, it also turned collecting into an echo chamber. Everyone's chasing the same hyped watches because the algorithm tells them to. All the "influencers" post the same Rolexes, Pateks, and APs on repeat. It's boring as hell.
The way these algorithm work drives some people to fork out fortunes pursuing the same watches, driving up the prices and they start looking at the hobby as an investment game, just growing the bubble. And they consider themselves collectors! The good news for me and people like me however, is that I get to keep discovering fantastic brands and watchmakers that are not hyped and I can connect with them directly.
Reaching out and talking with real watchmakers who actually care? That is the invaluable positive aspect of Social media for me.
TWC: What advice would you give new collectors?
SG: Three things:
1. Watches aren't investments. Buy what makes you happy. If it appreciates, great. If not, who cares — you're wearing something you love.
2. Be financially prudent. Don't treat your watch collection as an emergency fund. That's just asking for trouble.
3. If a brand doesn't respect you, walk away.
TWC: Do you ever factor in resale value?
SG: Not at all. But I'm also not an idiot — if a watch should cost X, I'm not paying X-plus-stupid-markup just because some AD thinks they have leverage. I will always try to get the best price I can get, but if the price is fair and I really do want and appreciate the watch, I will go for it.
TWC: How should microbrands treat their clients?
SG: Quality control will never match the giants — that's just reality. But honesty goes a long way. Avoid the "CYA" - Cover Your Ass - behavior. If something goes wrong, own it and fix it.
Here’s an example. I wanted to buy Ming's universal bracelet for my Sartory-Billard piece unique. I wrote to them and shared the dimensions of the watch, asking them to weigh in on whether it will be a good fit. Got back a cookie cutter response saying (I paraphrase), "We're not responsible for our product". Fortunately, Armand (from Sartory Billard) got his hands on one of those bracelets and confirmed it would fit, so I ordered one anyway. A while later, I was introduced to Ming (the guy) through a friend, and told him his brand ought to do better. He defended his position by referring to some 'entitled American buyers' who asked him for a refund on their bracelet purchases and told me this is how they do business now. If this is the 'not our problem' attitude they have over a bracelet, imagine what their customer service is going to be when a watch goes kaput. That brand is dead to me.
TWC: What about modders like Bamford, Blaken or Artisans de Genève?
SG: Bamford and Blaken, I don't know firsthand. Artisans de Genève do exceptional work — their craftsmanship is undeniable. But the value proposition isn't there for me, I find their pricing way too high. Ultimately, they simply “modify” an existing watch. There is no R&D on the movement development, simply a “beautification” of the watch and – sometime – parts of the movement. Look at their Ruby Daytona for instance… it is factually and objectively gorgeous, I'll give them that. But $550,000 for what's essentially a dial swap? Hard pass.
TWC: Do you think Swiss watches are superior?
SG: Not at all. It's just marketing. Most high-end watches happen to be Swiss, so my collection reflects that by default. But I don't believe Swiss automatically equals better. That's just brand conditioning.
TWC: How much time do you actually dedicate to this hobby?
SG: Not as much as people probably think. I work eighty hours a week and spend weekends with my daughters. Watches fit into the gaps — mostly research at night or during trips to Switzerland.
I prefer meeting watchmakers directly when I can. That's where you learn the truth — not from glossy magazines or Instagram posts. You sit down with someone in their workshop, see what they're working on, hear the stories behind the complications. That's the real stuff.
TWC: Any closing thoughts?
SG: Simple: Collect with your heart, not your ego. The rest takes care of itself.
And remember — if someone makes you fill out a form to prove you're "worthy" of buying their watch, tell them to f*** off and find someone who actually appreciates your business. Who knows, you may even start building friendships as I am lucky to say I have.
Interview conducted and Edited by Omar Chaoui
Founder at thewatchcurators.com
