Collectability Podcast

In this lively and personal interview, John Reardon talks with his first boss and mentor in the auction world, Daryn Schnipper. Daryn started her career at Sotheby's in 1980 straight out of college, and today is the chairman of the International Watch Division. For over 40 years, she has built an exceptional career and at one time, every watch department head of the top auction houses trained under Daryn's tutelage. Daryn was an early pioneer of wristwatches as a new collecting category and organized the first dedicated wristwatch auctions. Under her leadership, watch sales expanded in Geneva, and in 1997 she opened Sotheby's first Asian watch department in Hong Kong. Daryn has played a pivotal role in the sale of numerous important single owner watch and clock collections. These include the now iconic 1999 auction of the masterpieces from the Time Museum in which the Patek Philippe Graves Supercomplication hammered for USD11 million, a significant world record for any timepiece at auction at the time. In 2012, Daryn sold the horological collection of her friend and former colleague George Daniels for USD14 million. Among her many accolades, in 2017 Daryn was made a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, the oldest horological guild in the world.

To learn more about Sotheby's Watch Department visit: https://www.sothebys.com/en/

Learn more about Collectability on our website: https://collectability.com 

Follow us on Instagram for regular updates: https://www.instagram.com/collectabil...  

Listen, like and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://linktr.ee/Collectability

For over 14-years, Pamela Cloutier was Patek Philippe's Area Director of the Americas, Asia & Pacific Rim -- in other words she was responsible for a major portion of the world's most important watch markets. In this intimate and fascinating conversation, Pamela describes what it was like to work closely with Philippe Stern during the pivotal 1990s and 2000s. This was an important period when Philippe Stern made his mark on the modern history of Patek Philippe by introducing new movements such as the innovative small complications like the Annual Calendar and Travel Time; building a new state-of-the-art workshop in the then little-known area of Plans-les-Ouates; launching a new ad campaign that 26 years later is still running; opening the world’s most important private watch museum, and growing international markets to an unprecedented level -- to name but a few important  and extraordinary benchmarks. Pamela shares her memories and experiences of this exciting time including some personal details that will intrigue listeners such as the fact that even if you work for Patek -- or own the company -- you still have to wait for a watch! 

With over 30 years of senior management experience in the watch industry, Pamela Cloutier has a wealth of knowledge about fine watches. Prior to joining Patek Philippe, her career in the watch industry began with Dior Watches. Following her influential time at Patek Philippe Pamela became Chief Operating Officer of deGrisogono, then started Ralph Lauren’s prestigious entry into the watch and jewelry world as VP International Sales & Distribution. Pamela is currently Managing Partner and oversees International Sales and Distribution at GENUS watches. Collectability co-founder Tania Edwards had the pleasure of speaking with her long-time friend and Patek Philippe colleague from Pamela's hometown of Geneva.

For further information on GENUS, please see here.

Learn more about Collectability on our website: https://collectability.com     

Follow us on Instagram for regular updates: https://www.instagram.com/collectabil...   

Listen, like and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://linktr.ee/Collectability

Many of us know Nick Foulkes as a horological expert covering all aspects of the watch industry, in particular Patek Philippe. He has been a contributor, editor and special horological correspondent of the Patek Philippe Magazine for over twenty years, and in 2016 wrote the first, official biography of Patek Philippe. But his interests and extensive knowledge spreads far beyond the hallowed walls of watchmaking. As an historian, writer, journalist and tastemaker, Nicholas Foulkes is an internationally recognized authority on culture, art and luxury lifestyle. He has authored around 30 books including his critically acclaimed trilogy of 19th century histories: Scandalous Society, (a biography of Count d'Orsay); Dancing Into Battle, A Social History of the Battle of Waterloo; and Gentlemen and Blackguards, Gambling Mania and the plot to steal the Derby of 1844.

He contributes to a wide range of newspapers and magazines around the world and is a contributing editor to The FT's How To Spend It Magazine; a contributing editor to Vanity Fair; a columnist for Country Life and luxury editor of British GQ. He launched and continues to edit Vanity Fair's twice yearly watch magazine On Time. He also launched and continues to edit Vanity Fair on Art.

In 2007 he was named Havana Man of the Year by the Cuban government, having been nominated for this award on four previous occasions.  He is regularly acknowledged on international Best Dressed Lists (including the most prestigious Vanity Fair Best Dressed List in 2011) and his distinctive, elegant style is eagerly observed.  In 2021 he was appointed President of the Jury for The Foundation of the GPHG (Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève).

He lives in London with his wife and two sons, Max and Freddie who feature in his most recent accomplishment as a social media sensation with Foulkes & Sons. He is a graduate of Hertford College Oxford.

Learn more about Collectability on our website: https://collectability.com

Follow us on Instagram for regular updates: https://www.instagram.com/collectabil...

Listen, like and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://linktr.ee/Collectability

Watch Nick Foulkes & Sons: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7_ShMuTGUdhhg15ErTFtcw

This is one of the most wide-ranging conversations we have ever had on a Collectability Podcast. Topics covered range from Charles Darwin, Alexander Graham Bell, Einstein and Lindbergh to the development of quartz technology and the importance of electronic clocks in horological history. Even elephants get discussed in relation to collecting watches! Carlene E. Stephens is a Curator at the Division of Work and Industry in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Her specialities are broad as she oversees the museum's historical clocks and watches, robots and automatons, and acoustic sound recording technologies. She is the author of "On Time: How Americans Learned to Live by the Clock", and other publications relating to the cultural history of timekeeping, and is a leading expert on quartz technology.

Carlene's appreciation for quartz timekeeping dates back to the mid 1980s when she realized that the museum did not own a single electronic watch in its' collection.  Her quest to learn more about quartz timekeeping opened a huge world of discovery as she needed to study the components of quartz technology -- the development of batteries, integrated circuits, displays such as LED, LCD -- the list went on. Her research led to the fact that quartz technology started back in the 1920s when it was tied with communication, particularly in the U.S.A. with companies such as Bell Labs and AT&T. Appreciating that quartz is a very under-studied part of the horological story-line, Carlene has been writing a book in the hope to address this under-reported, but essential part of history. As Collectability discovered with our exhibition of Patek Philippe electronic clocks, the so-called Quartz Crisis is an often mis-understood period of time. 

In this fascinating and engaging conversation, John Reardon and Carlene Stephens dive deep into the meaning of time, the history of quartz and electronic clock development -- and much, much more.

For further information, please see this article on Patek Philippe electronic clocks. 

Learn more about Collectability on our website: https://collectability.com

Follow us on Instagram for regular updates: https://www.instagram.com/collectabil...  

Listen, like and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://linktr.ee/Collectability

Learn more about LeapSecond: http://leapsecond.com/

Learn more about the Hafele-Keating experiment to prove Einstein's theory of relativity in this video.

Within the watch auction world, there is no one else who can match Osvaldo’s contribution to and influence on the watch collecting world. In fact, it’s fair to say that Osvaldo Patrizzi really pioneered watch collecting and the auction market, significantly contributing to today’s demand for luxury watches.

In 1974, Osvaldo Patrizzi founded Antiquorum and built it into the world’s leading auction house for fine timepieces and an important source for watch collectors. Antiquorum has achieved countless world records in sales of watches, clocks, and other timekeeping devices at auction. 

He was also an internet pioneer and Antiquorum was the first auction house to take its watch auctions online. Always ahead of the curve, Antiquorum opened an office in Hong Kong in 1979, many years before any other international auction house opened in Asia.

Osvaldo also pioneered the concept of a thematic auction starting in 1989 with one of the most legendary watch auctions, “The Art of Patek Philippe” in which over 300 timepieces were auctioned including a then world record for the most complicated timepiece ever made, the Calibre 89 which sold for $3.2 million, a truly unprecedented sum in the 1980s.

Not only is Osvaldo Patrizzi a great scholar of watchmaking and has authored many books on the subject, but he also gathered and nurtured some of the greatest watch experts.

In 2000, he was named to be among the 20 most influential people in the field of horology in the 20th century.

In this interview with John Reardon, Osvaldo Patrizzi discusses his long career in the watch industry and his many innovations within the auction and collecting world.

John Reardon interviews the three principles of Loupe This, the new online auction platform that has already broken a world record for the sale of a 1967 Cartier Crash ($1.65 million), and is changing the way we buy vintage watches. Eric Ku, Justin Gruenberg and Sam Hines discuss their plans for Loupe This and share their candid opinions on the marketplace during these turbulent times, plus they give their predictions for future trends in watch collecting. 

Recently, in what John Reardon describes as a "nuclear announcement", Sam Hines joined Loupe This responsible for growing the business in Asia as well as globally. The watch world is buzzing with questions about why Sam Hines left the venerable, traditional auction world as global head of watches at Sotheby's to join a technologically-driven online auction. Sam graciously answers all the questions and shares some amazing -- and humorous stories about his past, present and future in the watch world.

Justin Gruenberg rarely gives interviews and his views on collecting and the watch market are both fascinating and insightful. Described as "the man that controls the marketplace", Justin brought his first collectable watch at auction, a Patek Philippe chronograph for $100,000, at the age of fifteen. Today he focuses on building his family business and is constantly praised by all who work with him for his integrity, honesty and intelligence.

Eric Ku is one of the world's leading authorities on vintage Rolex and has been called a Super Dealer by Hodinkee. Referred to as "a mogul of the watch world", Eric owns several important watch businesses including 10 Past Ten, the Vintage Rolex Forum (VRF) and LA Watchworks. He is also on the board of the Horological Society of New York and cares deeply about the future training of watchmakers. His opinions on the watch industry are highly regarded and Collectability is honored that he and his Loupe This partners Justin Gruenberg and Sam Hines gave such a thoughtful and informative interview in this podcast.

World class artist and enameler, Anita Porchet produces some of the most sought-after, decorated timepieces in the world. In this exclusive interview with Carlos Torres, Anita speaks candidly and eloquently about her craft and the future of the art of enameling in the watch world. We learn about the challenge of creating a miniature work of art on the tiny surface of a pocket watch or watch dial. Anita speaks openly about how as an artist she is constantly learning, researching, and creating, and how she deals with the pressure of a mistake that can ruin months of intense work. We also learn about her work for Patek Philippe and why she believes that “this house has the best enamel heritage in the world.” She credits Philippe Stern’s for not thinking only of “short term profitability” and how he continued to support enamelers and their work during many years when there was no demand. She quotes him as saying, “I can’t deny work to these enamelers just because I’m not selling it. One day there might be a comeback and the know-how will be lost." Philippe Stern has also enabled Anita to share her craft with others, helping her expand her workshop to host pupils. Most extraordinarily, he left Anita free to work for other houses so that she could continue to enhance her knowledge and skills, free to express herself and remain independent.

Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Anita was only 12 years old when her godfather introduced her to the century’s old art of miniature enameling. In 1984, she obtained her diploma from the School of Applied arts and then went to study fine arts in Lausanne, requesting to study enameling and engraving in her final year. She was literally learning a trade at the brink of extinction. Today, the epicenter of her world is a jeweler’s work bench at her home atelier, a gift for her 20th birthday.

It is a great honor for Collectability to bring you this interview with Anita Porchet. Anita speaks in French and her voice is translated into English for the purpose of this podcast.

Two of the most popular watches, the Nautilus and the Royal Oak were designed by one man, Gérald Genta. In this fascinating conversation with his wife, Evelyne Genta, John Reardon discovers how their partnership resulted in some of the most important watch designs in modern watchmaking history. Equally impressive is her own distinguished career. Since 2011, Her Excellency Madame Evelyne Genta has held the prestigious position as The Ambassador, Monaco embassy to United Kingdom. Born in Monaco, she was educated in London and has lived there for the past 15 years. 

Between 1983 and 1999, Evelyne and her husband ran the watch brand Gérald Genta. During this exciting and extremely innovative period, Evelyne managed two factories in Switzerland with 250 employees while developing new markets in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

This spring, Sotheby’s is auctioning off a selection of Gérald Genta’s paintings, including his original 1970 painting of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and his 1976 painting of the Patek Philippe Nautilus. In total, 100 pieces, personally selected by Madame Genta and her daughter Alexia from his treasure trove of over 3,200 works will be sold. Importantly, Sotheby’s is selling each painting with an NFT which protects authentication and ownership. The sale is in honor of the 10th anniversary of the death of Gérald Genta and proceeds of the sale will go to the Gérald Genta Heritage Association of which Evelyne Genta is President and Chairperson.

Selecting which artworks to auction was a monumental task. Gérald Genta’s prolific design portfolio includes designs for all the great watchmakers: in addition to his iconic Royal Oak for Audemars Piguet and the Nautilus for Patek Philippe, he designed the SAS Polarouter for Universal Genève at the age of 23, The Constellation for Omega in 1959, The Ingenieur for IWC in 1976 and countless others for watchmakers such as Piaget, Cartier, Corum, Hermès to name but a few. In this Collectability Podcast, we learn how the pieces were selected for auction and hear extraordinary stories about the legend himself and the exciting life Gérald and Evelyne had during their 33 years of marriage.

For more information on Sotheby's auction of Gérald Genta's work please go to https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/gerald-genta-icon-of-time

Ryan Chong's career in the watch industry is relatively short, but he is already making a mark having recently been listed on Watchonista's 30 under 30(ish) as one of the brightest and youngest breaking down barriers and reinventing the industry for the better. Having worked in the watch departments of both Christie's and Sotheby's, Ryan is well placed to launch one of the most exciting new platforms in the watch world: Bezel. John Reardon enjoys an informative and fun conversation with his former colleague at Christie's, and learns how Bezel will change the way we buy watches.

Nathalie Marielloni has had an extraordinary career in horology. It has taken her to some of the most important watchmaking related museums in the world: the Patek Philippe Museum, Museum of Art and History Geneva and the International Watchmaking Museum (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Her career is a clear reflection of where her passion lies as she has mastered the demanding Swiss watchmaking school WOSTEP, is a GIA Graduate Gemologist, and has even been awarded the title of Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers following the successful sale of the George Daniels collection which she curated during her time at Sotheby's, London. As charming as she is accomplished, her conversation with Carlos Torres offers an insight into how a relatively short career so far has garnered a fascinating resume that would be hard to match in the watchmaking world.