Internets, as we in the biz call it, has not always been the garden of horological tidbittery and didacticism that it is today. For the first decade or so of its existence, the Swiss treated the web with the casual disinterest for which they are known.
It was lef to the heathens, bloggers, collectors and independent dealers. However, as the mechanicals come to the digital age, we’re entering a new era of useful online watch-related resources. Here are some of the best.
1.AUCTIONATA
The Berlin-based startup is literally changing the way we view live auctions. Holding an astonishing one auction per week, Auctionata has developed a proprietary system of live filming that makes its sales more akin to an NFL football game than a traditional auction. Each sale is broadcast live online with a lag of less than two milliseconds, filmed with more than 50 different cameras, and allows for buyers to interact with the expert. This is the future of high-end watch auctions.
2.THE BAMFORD WATCH DEPARTMENT CUSTOMIZER Something seldom offered to even the most serious collectors in the watch world is the opportunity to create fully bespoke, custom timepieces – the Bamford Watch Department does this through a beautifully conceived and designed online customizer. A shopper can spec out a custom Bamford Daytona just like a new Porsche 911, adding and removing colourways and luxury options. Expect the Swiss to follow.
3. EBAY
A watch is sold on eBay every fve seconds. I’m not kidding. That’s around 6.8 million watches per year. The ’bay has got a bit of a bad rap over the years, but it’s the undisputed king of watch retail, and with a recent facelif and the acquisition of men’s curated- commerce experts Bureau of Trade, it is poised to be a game-changer in the watch world. While it’s still a little Wild West, some of the most spectacular fnds of recent years have come from eBay. What the Swiss won’t tell you is that heritage departments of the fnest manufactures are on it daily. You should be too.
4.HODINKEE
Started five years ago by Benjamin Clymer (yours truly) from his cubicle at UBS, with the intent of producing a beautiful online magazine to entertain and encourage a new generation of watch lovers, Hodinkee is doing a pretty good job so far. This site covers everything from news to in-depth reviews and interviews with celebrity collectors, and presents it in a way that is targeted not necessarily at watch collectors but at “real people”.
5.TIMEZONE
One of the oldest wristwatch forums in the world dating to (gasp!) the early 1990s, TimeZone is something of an ageing but still spry parent to many of us. Content teeters between world-class collectors discussing the fner points of obscure Patek references and forums dedicated to pictures of expensive watches next to bowls of soup. A must visit for anyone interested in watches.
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