Every collection begins with a single moment of intrigue, when a watch becomes more than an object and starts to hold meaning. In this story, Men’s Folio speaks to three collectors about how curiosity turned into commitment, and how a first purchase slowly evolved into a lifelong pursuit shaped by memory, taste and time.
Ashley Ang
What was the very first watch that sparked your curiosity and set you on the path to collecting?
Back in my secondary school days, my brother had this Swatch chronograph that spotted a brown case and khaki dial. Back then I had no knowledge about watches, so I was intrigued by the chronograph hands that would move just by pressing the pushers. I would steal it from my brother to wear it from time to time until he eventually decided to let me have it.
Do you remember what it was about that watch that resonated with you at the time?
I like how the khaki dial with the white indices and sub-dials contrasted the brown case, so it was purely aesthetic. It has stopped working, but I still keep it as it is a sentimental piece.
How did your taste in watches evolve from that first piece to what you collect today?
It started with vintage tool watches due to my obsession with denim and vintage military workwear clothes. That was until a close friend introduced me to a world of watches beyond the mainstream hype. Now, I find myself drawn to watches with unconventional, asymmetrical case shapes — pieces that are conceptually fascinating and deemed obscure to the majority. It’s been a journey from function to form.
When you look at your collection now, what do you think it reveals about you as a person?
An individualist. It’s been a journey of learning to collect watches that deeply resonate with me and not seeking to impress others.
Are there any recurring themes, brands, or complications you find yourself gravitating toward?
I’ve always been in awe with vintage and neo-vintage watches. It was a period when the industry was far less technologically advanced than it is today, and brands relied on originality and creative risk-taking. This resulted in some of the most daring, unconventional watch designs I’ve ever seen. Some examples are the Patek Philippe Gilbert Albert references or some of the iconic pieces designed by Gerald Genta.
What kind of watches are catching your eye these days, and why?
I’m drawn towards avant-garde designs, which explains the Anoma A1 Slate being my most recent acquisition. Its fluid, sculpted form resonates with challenging the status quo.
Is there a watch you once owned that you wish you never let go of?
Each watch acquired and sold in my collection was made with deliberate decisions. I live by a favourite quote from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift: “Life’s simple. You make choices and you don’t look back.” For me, letting go of a piece is about making room for the next phase of my collection.
What’s one watch you missed out on that still lingers in your mind?
My late grandfather’s Rolex Day-Date. It would have been a nice family heirloom to inherit.
Is there a dream watch you’re hoping to add to your collection one day?
For sure! The Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5065A. I love its stripped down look from the Nautilus into something far more utilitarian and raw. Its eight-sided pot hole inspired case contrasts the military-like grenade dial, representing a collision of both form and function. It could very well be my “endgame” watch.
Beyond monetary value, what makes a watch truly worth collecting for you?
The watch has to be visually pleasing, to me.
Yasir Cottam
What was the very first watch that sparked your curiosity and set you on the path to collecting?
I noticed a kid at school wearing a SevenFriday watch, or it might have been a Bell & Ross, but I remember thinking, “Wow, that’s quite a nice watch for a 14-year-old.” It got me thinking about watches for the first time. Not long after, I told my mum I wanted one of my own. We ended up visiting a watch shop at One Utama, where she kindly bought me my first “proper” watch, a Victorinox Swiss Army. It wasn’t anything too extravagant, but I wore it proudly. I really loved it. So yeah, I would say that moment marked the beginning of my interest in the world of watch collecting.
Do you remember what it was about that watch that resonated with you at the time?
To be completely honest, there wasn’t any deeper reason. I was simply drawn to a watch that looked good and felt valuable to me.
How did your taste in watches evolve from that first piece to what you collect today?
If you asked me today whether I’d still buy that Victorinox, probably not, but that’s simply because my taste has changed since I was fourteen. They make perfectly solid watches, but I’ve since gravitated towards more mainstream brands. These days, I also think more practically, especially about resale value. I tend to look for pieces that hold their worth.
When you look at your collection now, what do you think it reveals about you as a person?
Looking at my collection now, I’d say it shows how much more intentional I’ve become. I choose watches I genuinely appreciate, while also being mindful of their long-term value. I guess that could apply to all aspects of my life, [laughs].
Are there any recurring themes, brands, or complications you find yourself gravitating towards?
Personally, I’m very much into variety and don’t really gravitate towards a particular complication. While I do like complicated movements, they’re not necessarily what I look for when adding to my collection. Lately, though, I’ve been really into F.P. Journe’s vertical tourbillon.
What kinds of watches are catching your eye these days, and why?
Definitely F.P. Journe. I really like the way they look, and they’ve got some of the best complications and craftsmanship, hands down. Even though it’s a relatively young brand, F.P. Journe has a lot of technical innovation.
Is there a watch you once owned that you wish you never let go of?
Yes, and I think about it every day. It was the 16713 GMT Sultan with a slate silver dial, a Jubilee bracelet, and a few ruby markers. I let it go at a good price, and I’ve never seen it since.
What’s one watch you missed out on that still lingers in your mind?
Without a doubt, the F.P. Journe Élégante Titalyt, which is a very special quartz watch. I remember seeing one priced at around USD 40,000 and thinking it was such a good watch, but I couldn’t quite justify it at the time because it was quartz, and I didn’t really understand the movement either. Now it’s going for about USD 100,000. Dang.
Is there a dream watch you’re hoping to add to your collection someday?
Most probably the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin in titanium and BMG, with a smoked ivory dial and Arabic numerals (2686XT). It’s limited to just 35 pieces, too. One day…
Beyond monetary value, what makes a watch truly worth collecting for you?
To me, a watch worth collecting is one that is rare, hard to obtain, and difficult to replicate.
Lennard Yeong
What was the very first watch that sparked your curiosity and set you on the path to collecting?
Ironically, It was the apple watch. I had never really worn watches before but because I was working as a private chef at the time, when I had events to cook for, it was often very chaotic because I had to prepare everything so there were always many many tasks to complete. You couldn’t put vegetables in to boil then waste 2 minutes staring at it, waiting to take it out, you had to immediately move onto another task, then come back to it. I found that I often wished I had an apple watch on my wrist which I could just voice command it to set an alarm or timer so I would know when to come back to certain things. That actually made me research apple watches, which led me to research watches in general, and eventually down the rabbit hole of collecting. And my first mechanical watch I got was the JLC MUT small seconds in blue
Do you remember what it was about that watch that resonated with you at the time?
Blue has always been my favourite colour and I think it was the combination of that stunning sunburst dial, as well as the way the hour and minute hands were shaped, makes it look holographic for some reason, as if it is popping out of the watch. I do not own the watch anymore but I still think it is a stunning watch to this day
How did your taste in watches evolve from that first piece to what you collect today?
It has evolved tremendously, it’s very hard to tell how you really feel about a watch until you spend time with it, and I don’t mean staring at photos of it or watching 10 youtube videos of it, and I don’t even mean trying it on at the shop. There are several watches in my collection that I didn’t really feel a desire towards when I saw photos of it, or even when I tried it on for 10 minutes, but after spending real time with it, wearing it daily, wearing it to different places and activities. Your impression changes for sure, but you also change as a person. I would never have thought I’d enjoy wearing a full gold, loud watch when I started the journey, but I think its kind of fun sometimes now, but that’s the beauty of watch collecting, some days you want the watch to stand out, some days you want it to slip under the radar completely, it just depends how you feel on the day, and your watch can reflect that.
When you look at your collection now, what do you think it reveals about you as a person?
[Laughs] I don’t really know, I think I don’t really think what I wear on my wrist can or should define me as a person. As mentioned in the previous answer, maybe if you saw me wearing a gold watch you’d think I’m an ostentatious and loud person, but if you saw me wearing a tiny watch that barely peeks out from under a cuff the next day, you’d think I’m shy and reserved, and that’s the truth – I can be both depending on how I’m feeling at the time.
Are there any recurring themes, brands, or complications you find yourself gravitating toward?
I generally like sports watches because I don’t have to worry about leather straps being tarnished when I wear them while cooking, and although I only own one skeletonized/openworked watch, I think this is my favourite complication because it is fascinating to see the the inner workings of the watch. It is terrible for legibility and actually telling the time, no doubt, but it is a very beautiful watch.
What kinds of watches are catching your eye these days, and why?
After my last acquisition, which I told myself and my wife that would be my ‘one and done’, I’ve surprisingly managed to not really have my eye on any other watch since. I think my goal has never been to have an immensely large collection, I always feel a certain guilt spending so much on these objects if they don’t get sufficient wrist time, so I think I’m more than satisfied with what I have now. If I really had to pick I would say the Lange Zeitwerk is a marvel but is probably a little too big for my wrist, and I would love to maybe own a Cartier Ghost Dial Carree for its simplicity.
Is there a watch you once owned that you wish you never let go of?
I would say no, not really, there are watches I sold that when I look back now, I think, oh I would probably still wear that today if I had it, but I often sold it to fund other purchases, all of which I wear extensively today. So nothing to really regret about.
What’s one watch you missed out on that still lingers in your mind?
Up until I acquired it last year, it was the AP Openworked, I think I fell it love with it very early on and was trying to work towards it and when I finally got it, it didn’t disappoint.
Is there a dream watch you’re hoping to add to your collection one day?
None at the moment!
Beyond monetary value, what makes a watch truly worth collecting for you?
When I look at my collection now, every watch in there can more or less be purchased by anyone if they save up enough money, as I did. Perhaps I view things with a very practical lens but even the watch I wore on my wedding, if I ever needed the money to take care of my family in the event of an emergency, I would have no problem selling, because I know I can save up enough again to purchase it down the line if I so choose. But the one and only watch that I will never let go of is my dad’s Omega chronostop, he wore it everyday and I have so many memories of him taking it off and putting it in his drawer, plus he wore it on this odd aftermarket bracelet which I’ve not quite seen before or since, so that to me is something that money can’t quite replace, and one worth keeping forever.
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