Hey there – it’s me, Rob. There’s no other way to say it, I’ve dropped the ball over the past couple of years when it comes to writing here. I could sit here and blame it on life, kids, or work, but instead I’m going to roll up my sleeves and make it up to you with a 2024 retrospective that wraps an entire year of my watch collection into one article. Does that make us even? If so, grab your favorite beverage and settle in for a look back at the past year in my collection, as well as a peek into my goals for 2025.
WHAT CAME INTO THE COLLECTION
Compared to prior years, 2024 was relatively muted, with only three examples added to the watch collection. With that said, the “quality over quantity” mantra prevailed and I think all three are interesting and unique for their own reasons – both within the broader world of collecting and relative to my existing collection. Without further ado, let’s peel back a layer on all of the new additions:
Omega Seamaster 165.024 “Big Triangle”
There is very little debate that this reference, the 165.024 “Big Triangle,” sits at the top of the (civilian) Seamaster rankings. It is one of the most distinctive watches made by Omega, with enough tritium to light up Los Angeles, the trademark fully hashed bezel, and angular Centrale Boîtes case. It’s pure, unadulterated badassery, and weirdly enough these Seamasters are still very attainable when compared to their Rolex brethren.
This particular example is flawless, with a perfectly preserved dial and case. The hidden cherry on top? The caseback is a misprint, bearing the pre-moon Speedmaster hippocampus on the back and the correct inner caseback Seamaster stampings. Whoever was in charge of Omega’s quality control was asleep on the job when this example rolled down the production line, and for that, I’m eternally grateful.
I have gravitated to this Seamaster often when it’s in my watch box and I think it will stick in the collection for a long, long time. You can see more pictures of this beautiful Seamaster here and I will write a deeper dive on the Big Triangle Seamaster in the near future.
A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1 LE for Dubail
I don’t think it’s a secret that I’ve become completely enamored with A. Lange & Sohne in recent years. In particular, the Lange 1 has leapt into my top-3 favorite designs ever, a sentiment that has only deepened with each subsequent Lange 1 that I add. As I noted in my deep dive on the Lange 1 Tourbillon, “the Lange 1 seems to inhabit multiple design languages simultaneously. The applied Roman numerals and typography throughout the dial hearkens back to classic dress or pocket watches, while the deconstructed nature of the dial is more commonly associated with progressive independent watchmaking. The combination of those two design elements should be wholly incompatible, but in the case of the Lange 1, it’s so well executed that I don’t even think of it as a “deconstructed” design while looking at it.”
The Lange 1 has been a staple of the company since its relaunch in 1994, and as such, there is a seemingly infinite number of dial, metal and sizing combinations. While all Lange 1’s are low production compared to peers like Patek Philippe and Vacheron (Lange’s annual output is 10% and 20% of those brands’ output, respectively), it’s easy to get a little fatigued by the plethora of Lange 1’s floating around on the secondary market. That is, until you see something like this limited edition of 25 pieces that was made for Dubail, a Parisian jeweler that had a strong connection to Lange in its early days post-relaunch.
The dial (which is made from mother of pearl that is dyed blue), is unique to each of the 25 pieces, with varying levels of striation and color changes. Housed in white gold, the original batch of Dubail LEs shared the same 38.5mm diameter with other Lange 1’s and is minimally thicker due to the layering of the dial. There was also a subsequent run of Dubail LEs in the Grand Lange 1 case (40.5mm), though the dials lack the same character from the earlier models and the proportions are a bit too stretched for my taste.
This particular example first arose with A Collected Man in 2023 and the initial Instagram post stopped me in my tracks. The dial was reminiscent of dark storm clouds and it struck me as not just the most beautiful Lange 1, but also one of the most beautiful modern watches that I had ever seen. The watch was reserved almost instantly and I feared that it would be the last time the watch surfaced for sale publicly.
Technically, I was correct. A year later, I was contacted by the buyer of the Dubail Lange 1 and asked if I would be interested in purchasing it privately. Extensive negotiations subsequently ensued, a hefty premium to the 2023 sales price was added, and eventually in July 2024 the watch was mine (with a logistical assist from the one and only Adam Golden, who collected it on my behalf).
This Dubail Lange 1 is now a cornerstone of my watch collection and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to acquire it. I will write about this elusive reference at some point, but in the meantime, you can see additional pictures of it here.
Longines Reference 5009
For those keeping score at home (just kidding…there is nobody keeping score at home), this Longines reference 5009 represents a couple of firsts in my watch collection. Somewhat shockingly, this is the first Longines I have ever owned. It is also the oldest watch that I have ever purchased (by some margin), as this example dates to the early-1940’s. As I’m sure you are aware, there were some pretty significant events happening in the world at that time, and the provenance of this watch places it smack in the middle of it all. I won’t spoil the whole story now, but the watch was purchased by an American woman serving in occupied Berlin with the United States Women’s Army Corps (“WAC”), who went on to do some interesting things.
The watch is powered by the legendary 13Zn movement, and while I had always heard of the lore surrounding the movement, I had never seen a 13Zn until I worked up the courage to (VERY carefully) open the snapback case of my example. As you can see below, the watch has rarely been opened in its 80 year life and the 13Zn movement is very well preserved. The movement features galvanic gold finishing in lieu of Côtes de Genève, and all of the non-gold components are well finished, with anglage and brushing on the levers and mirror polishing on the regulator. The phrase “they don’t make them like they used to” could have stemmed from horology, as the rise of automation in the 1950’s signaled the end of Longines’ high movement finishing standards.
I think this watch is incredibly interesting, both to my collection and horology more generally, and I will certainly write about the original owner’s legacy and the general importance of the reference 5009 in the near future.
Honorable Mention: Urban Jurgensen Reference 2
My Reference 2 was technically a 2023 purchase at the winter auctions, but I didn’t receive it until December 2023 so I’m going to shoehorn it into this section. I don’t want to step on the “Most Worn” section below, as this watch will make another appearance there, but put simply, early Urban Jurgensens are incredible in-person. Whether it’s the handmade dials, hands, and cases that were made by the legendary Derek Pratt, the balanced aesthetics, or the high level of finishing, there is no element that falls short. Add in the rarity of this reference in platinum (<50 total) and its perpetual calendar complication and you have a very interesting watch from a collectibility standpoint.
With that said, the rarity of these watches is also likely the thing that is holding back their popularity – very few collectors have worn a Reference 2, 3, or early 8, and that makes it harder for the wider collecting world to fully appreciate the appeal.
WHAT LEFT THE COLLECTION
All of the watches that left my collection in 2024 were tied to my acquisition of the Dubail Lange 1, as the sheer cost of the watch required a large backfilling to ensure that I would stay married. The most obvious candidate was the Lange 1 Tourbillon, as it was another highly priced Lange 1 and would have resulted in some degree of duplication in my collection had it stayed.
The other two watches were my Heuer Carrera 2447NST with Volvo dial and my gold Movado M95 (a watch that had been in my collection for over seven years). It’s always a hard decision to part with rare pieces that I have owned for a long time, but over the years I’ve learned one interesting thing about myself: from the moment that I commit to selling a watch, my emotional connection to it is significantly reduced and I never regret selling the watch after the fact. Such is reality with these three watches, and I’m hopeful that the next owners enjoy them as much as I did.
MOST WORN WATCHES OF 2024
There were a number of choices here, but I can narrow it to four watches, in particular, that saw the majority of wrist time when available:
Tudor Black Bay 54
Owning rare vintage watches is a little bit like owning rare and expensive vintage sports cars – there is a time and place for them, but there are also a lot of situations where only being able to drive that (for example) short wheelbase 911 is highly impractical. Such is my life as a father to young boys. Sibling rivalries can spark up or a soccer ball can go flying across the room at any moment, which can be detrimental to the integrity of vintage watches.
Enter the Black Bay 54, which is (relatively) cheap, built like a tank, and still scratches the vintage itch with its slim profile and reduced diameter. There’s a good chance this ends up on my “Most Worn” list for 2025 as well – the Daytona and Exotic Tri-Compax can stay in the garage until my boys hit middle school.
Urban Jurgensen Reference 2
As previewed above, the Urban Jurgensen Reference 2 ended the year as one of my most worn watches. If you aren’t familiar with the lore surrounding early Urban Jurgensen and the contributions of Derek Pratt, I highly recommend reading this terrific article from A Collected Man, which details the life and work of Pratt. He is, without exaggeration, one of the true geniuses in horological history and his handprints are all over the Reference 2 – from the perpetual calendar module that he designed, to the design and hand-finished execution of the case, dial, and hands. These watches are essentially “vintage” independent creations and I think their importance will only grow in the years to come.
Beyond the legacy of Derek Pratt and pedigree of early Urban Jurgensen from a collectibility standpoint, the proportions of the watch are perfect and the platinum case adds delightful heft. Whether it was an important meeting, a trip to Geneva, or simply a “grown up” watch to swap in after the kids are asleep, this rapidly became one of my favorite watches to wear and has turned me into a vocal advocate of the brand.
Heuer Carrera 2447T First Series
Technically there are rarer 1960’s Carreras than this first series 2447T (even within my own collection, such as this one or this one), but actually finding a first series 2447T in mint condition is an entirely different ballgame. As Tag Heuer’s Heritage Director, Nicholas Biebuyck, said recently, “when you find a nice, clean [first series 2447T], they are magic.” And he’s completely right – the contrast between the metallic outer tachy scale and the raised eggshell inner dial is dynamic on the wrist, particularly with the three dimensionality of the design. It will rarely turn heads or spark a conversation from afar, but this Carrera is a hidden gem for those in the know.
A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1 “Darth”
The final inclusion on the “Most Worn” list was the reference 101.035 Lange 1, or “Darth,” which is a platinum masterpiece and one of the purest expressions of the Lange 1. It was the reference that first put A. Lange & Sohne on my radar, and it has stayed front and center since I added it to the collection in 2023.
The 101.035 is not one of the rarest Lange 1’s (estimated production of ~300 over a seven year period), but it has gained cult status for its color-matched date wheels, platinum case, and deep black dial. In particular, the contrast of the mirror polished hands and applied indices, jet black dial, and stark white text elevate what is seemingly a simple design to the top tier of horology.
2025 GOALS
If you’ve made it this far in an article that absolutely nobody asked for, I commend you. You’ll also be heartened to learn that we’re coming down the home stretch. Looking back, 2024 was a bit of a transitional year, both personally and from a collecting standpoint. In the early years of my collecting arc, I firmly believed that the best way to learn and grow as a collector was to buy and experience as many different brands, references, and eras as possible. Unfortunately, I don’t believe it is still a practical approach to collecting (for me, at least), and 2024 resulted in the fewest #NWA posts of any year since I started collecting.
Part of the impracticality in continuing the “just buy everything” approach is due to the continued maturation of the vintage market, which has led to low supply of “fresh” watches and entry points for noteworthy references of the established vintage brands that are generally $10K+. For collectors without unlimited resources, it’s untenable to tie up six figures+ in watches that may or may not stick in the collection. The other factor is that my interest continues to drift to neovintage and independent watches, which are generally low supply and even higher entry points than vintage sports watches.
So with a continued eye towards “quality over quantity,” I find myself increasingly drawn to a few key paths for my collection in 2025:
Modern Independents: The watch I am most excited about receiving (hopefully in 2025!) is Xhevdet Rexhepi’s first creation, the Minute Inerte. Over the course of a few trips to Geneva in the past year and a half, I’ve gotten to know Xhevdet and better understand his vision and influences. Besides being an immensely talented watchmaker, he is genuine, humble, and creative – and the Minute Inerte is a unique and perfect expression of his curiosity and creativity.
The Minute Inerte will be the first independent watch that I’ve purchased new, and I can’t wait to share more about it down the road when it’s officially added to my watch collection. In the meantime, you can learn more about Xhevdet and the Minute Inerte in this video from my friends Adam Golden and Sacha Davidoff.
Neovintage Classics: If you scroll through my bookmarked posts on Instagram from 2024, you’ll notice a theme – a lot of neovintage (1980’s-early 2000’s) complicated watches from the Holy Trinity and beyond. My collection has noticeably shifted to this era in recent years and there is still so much more to explore. A few specific examples that caught my eye last year were the Vacheron QPs (particularly the skeletonized versions in platinum), this Blancpain split seconds chrono with Mother of Pearl dial, and early Urban Jurgensen reference 8s. With any luck, I can welcome at least one of these into the collection next year.
Consolidating Vintage Pieces Into The Best Examples: The last avenue for future change in my watch collection is something I’ve wrestled with for several years – consolidating some of my duplicative pieces into a much rarer example of that same watch. In particular, an exotic reference 145.022-69 Speedmaster has tempted me for years, and with five Speedmasters in my collection at present, there is certainly room to bundle a few of them into a phenomenal example like the below.
So there you have it – we’ve made it to the end of this retrospective. One of my resolutions for 2025 is to invest more of my time and energy into this site, so you can expect to see deep dives on the new watches that were previewed above in addition to periodic random musings and collector conversations. Enjoy the thrill of the hunt in 2025!