11 DAYS OF LONDONERS: Day 4 – David Silver, Director of the Vintage Watch Company
Editor’s note: A few months back, we announced that former Editor of GQ Australia, Mike Christensen, was to be our first European Editor. In this series ‘11 Days of Londoners’, Mike will be sharing the stories of a few notable local collectors, starting on Day 1 with King Nerd, and with a stellar lineup still to come. Lastly, you might ask, why 11 days? That, friends, will become clearer over time … In the past decade, the hype around vintage watches has escalated to a point of no return. For all the woke vibes floating around the watch industry in 2020 and on people’s wrists, it’s great that the value of relic pieces has never been higher. One man knows this only too well, Mr David Silver of the Vintage Watch Company. The story behind the watch I’m wearing today I’m wearing my 1966 Vintage Rolex GMT-Master with Pepsi bezel. This watch features in the opening pages of my new book, Vintage Rolex: The Largest Collection in the World. I love to wear it on all variety of different skin straps which I have made in Italy. Each time I change the strap I feel like I’m wearing a new watch and get…
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Editor’s note: This story is useful for two reasons. First, it dispels any idea that we are not suffering through the Rolex drought like you all are. If there is a notion that we – as media – have access to the brand that has practically vanished from its own boutiques, and rocketed in price at second-hand and grey dealers, it can be retired. Matt, our Operations Manager, is just like you. He wanted a Sub. He wanted an Explorer. They were not available in Australia for what he considered to be reasonable premiums over retail. So he went hunting. He recounts every step here. Matt’s success, and two glittering trophies, led to an email to me. “Can we contact Bob’s Watches to discuss working together?” The spoiler alert is simply that he’s had two great experiences with them, and will – according to Matt – have many more. An email turned into a Zoom call with the Bob’s Watches team, then another. And now, the story is useful for a second reason. It is our first in partnership with Bob’s Watches, and it provides a tried-and-tested option for those wanting to buy Rolex for a reasonable price, but feeling stymied by the current scarcity issue.…
The definition of an everyday watch is one that doesn’t excel in any one particular area. It has to do everything, from jeans and hoodies, to bow ties and dinner jackets, and it has to do them all well. It needs to be noticeable yet invisible, characterful but discreet, and the Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic 10551 with its smoked-grey dial manages to be all of those things and more. The dial Although fumé dials are rising in popularity, this one is definitely a showstopper. The balance between the darker charcoal tones and the lighter wispy-cloud grey in the centre offers a perfect blend for the steel sword-hands, indices, and white printed details to pop with legibility without becoming garishly visible. The crosshair and Arabic numerals surrounding the minute track, along with the “5 Days – Chronometer” text, add a level of sophisticated detail that sets it apart from other dressy, everyday watches. The black-backed date wheel also doesn’t draw too much attention, with its slightly rounded window not being overcomplicated by a shiny frame. The case The Clifton Baumatic case is a masterclass in considered taste. Its bubble-like shape allows its 40mm width to be mostly occupied by the…
Bamford and Nike? You read that right. It’s no secret that I am a big fan of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato. To me it’s a quietly spoken grail watch in that hotly contested category of integrated bracelet sports watches. Its slim case design and smooth ergonomic bracelet make this an easy collection favourite. So much so that it’s included in a list of Nautilus alternatives here. But now, BAM! FORD! (sorry), the lead purveyor of custom chic in collaboration with some of the biggest players of 2020, has dropped a white-hot ceramic version of the GP classic, the Laureato Ghost. To make up a killer two-watch collection, I’d pair it with the gloss-black onyx dial version we covered here. Perhaps the perfect ebony and ivory pairing. At the same time, Hypebeast has given us the perfect new white leather kicks from Nike in matching ice-cool white and black shades with a tough rollercoaster buckle on a soft black leather strap. What at first seem like small details, transform the Timeless Nike Air into a fighting-fresh urban contender for 2020. Combining forces, we’re looking at some true monochromatic magic from Bamford and Nike. Crisp is the word in this 1017 ALYX SM…