Vintage Rolex ‘Passion’ event
By Straight-Six, published on 22 March 2011
Watch porn is endlessly satisfying for so many reasons, folks. There’s the simple pleasure of ogling a beautiful object, admiring the skill and technique that went into a dial or movement. Likewise, you can also drink in the heritage of a piece, gently simmering as you absorb an extremely rare and desirable model. And you can also look to learn, poring over the curve of a font type, the ageing of a dial and the spread and placement of a logo long since forgotten. There’s something for every one of us on the many shelves of the watch porn library.
But looking, as they tell young men everywhere, doesn’t replace the real thing. And to really begin to learn about and understand vintage timepieces nothing, absolutely nothing, replaces handling them in person. Sure, you have to deal with real, live people to do so, but something had to get us out from behind our shiny screens, no?
And so it was that we found ourselves literally swamped by some of the finest vintage pieces we’ve yet seen in a charming theatre in Maastricht for a gathering of watch fanatics aptly entitled: Passion. Organised and presented by Philipp Stahl and Detlev Weers, along with a couple of other hard-core collectors, this was the horological equivalent of having the world’s top art authorities take you on a private tour of the Louvre. Maybe that’s why we also ran into Bonham’s very own Paul Maudsley over a couple of glasses of wine, or eight…
Honestly, we didn’t meticulously catalogue and photograph every little piece on display. Someone far more professional, less socially adept and utterly sobre will have done that for y’all. But what we did try to do was snap shots of gatherings of seminal timepieces (mostly Rolex) that caught our eyes and our hearts, given our heads were already swimming what with the presence of Jamling Norgay and Peter Hillary.
Often, we didn’t even have to look inside the display cases, as the immaculately dressed gents present were all sporting unbelievable gems on their wrists. One of them pulled back both shirt cuffs to flash his immaculate (check out the chamfered edges on the damned case, will you?!) big-crown Rolex 6538 AND a tasty 5513 Military Submariner with sword hands. All so good it hurt us absolutely.
And the fun didn’t stop there as we were stunned into silence by a honeycomb-dialled Serpico y Laino Explorer; seduced by seriously Tropical Submariners; slapped with Explorer Milgauss models and lightening bolt hands; and invited to dip into a massive collection of Paul Newman Daytonas. And once we’d checked it all out, we grabbed another glass of wine and went through it all again, starting up new conversations with the lunatics present. So much to talk about and dribble over.
When the Passion event finally drew to a close in order to hand over to an evening of presentations by Norgay and Hillary (inspirational and humbing indeed), a couple of collectors opened their vintage Louis Vuitton cases and simply put the watches on display back into their leather-bound resting places. We hastily nabbed some quality time with a white gold, limited edition Rolex Beta 21 before it disappeared forever from view. Truth be told, we were saturated with vintage timepiece memories and already developing plans for selling our houses in order to turn them into realities.
As we settled down into the theatre chairs for the evening speeches, there was one overwhelming truth that had emerged for us: Rolex has the largest and richest vintage watch catalogue out there today, and it’s increasingly only because of enthusiasts like those at the Passion event. Whatever the future of Rolex, its past is still alive and well, thank God!
Vintage Rolex ‘Passion’ event
The Guide spends the afternoon in the presence of some certified lunatics: vintage Rolex collectors. But we will say this: the brand has the largest and richest vintage watch catalogue out there today, and it’s increasingly only because of enthusiasts like those at the Passion event. Whatever the future of Rolex, its past is still alive and well, thank God!
This section is supported by the patronage of:
4 Responses to “Vintage Rolex ‘Passion’ event”
-
-
Dom, Straight-Six and I just got back from Baselworld where we saw the new Explorer II in the metal. I think we both agree: there’s a lot that’s right about the styling (dial and hands a huge success) but, like you, we think 42mm is just too damn big. Fashion, be damned.
-
Dom
26 March 2011
Good stuff – I shall expect a full write up!
The new Explorer 2 does look good and I can understand Rolex wanting to get a share of the larger diameter market but for me it’s a shame – I will be trying one for size but I suspect it will be too large.
(Like the new facelift btw – very neat.)
-
Tune in next week: our Baselworld 2011 coverage kicks off on Monday.
-
-
-
Dom
25 March 2011
Looks like an awesome event – don’t vintage Rolex look so much cooler than the current ones (except for the 39mm Explorer of course.)
(And don’t get me started on the new 42mm Explorer 2. Too large for me I’m afraid. )