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05/25/2022
 2 minutes

Eric Wind’s Top 2 Tips for Watch Collectors: Take It From the Best

By Thomas Hendricks

Eric Wind is known for finding some of the most impressive vintage watches on the market, and he was generous enough to share two of his top tips for collectors new and old with Chrono24 Magazine.  

Who is Eric Wind?  

It’s not every day that we get the opportunity to sit down with Eric Wind, founder of Wind Vintage. Eric Wind is often cited as the most influential vintage watch dealer in the world, with a resume that includes degrees from Georgetown University and University of Oxford, as well as professional tenures at Hodinkee and Christie’s auction house.  

We were fortunate enough to host Eric Wind at the Chrono24 studio in New York City to discuss his advice for collectors, his entrepreneurial journey, his thoughts on this year’s releases, and his (secret) love of drumming. And, of course, we went hands-on with the treasure chest of vintage watches that he had in tow. Wind also shared his two top tips for watch collecting with Chrono24 Magazine.  

1st Tip for Watch Collecting: Condition, Condition, Condition  

First and foremost, pay attention to the condition of a watch. Eric Wind places a lot of emphasis on unpolished cases as the original, sharp lines of the case architecture cannot be recreated once they are polished away. “I don’t mind scratches on a watch. It’s old. It should look like it has a story to tell,” Wind explains. Eric Wind also recommends taking a close look at the dial of a watch for signs of originality. In the best case scenario, dials should not be reprinted, repainted, and the lume should be original to the watch. Overall, you want to find a watch that looks cohesive and feels honest. Do this, and you’ll thank yourself in the long run.   

Eric Wind is selling a vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual from the 1960s on Chrono24

2nd Tip for Watch Collecting: Substance Over Hype

Eric Wind knows that there are a lot of reasons to collect watches. Especially today, many people might only be seeking out watches that are already experiencing peak popularity. Part of this may be due to the unprecedented strength of the watch market, which, by the way, is showing no signs of slowing down. Another part may be the growing influence of social media in the collector community – the harder a watch is to acquire, the more likes you’ll get on your photo. Eric Wind’s advice? Choose substance over hype. The watches he brought with him to the studio each tell a story. For instance, his Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date sports a bright red Honda logo on the dial and was won at a motocross event in Florida in 1985. If you’re wearing that watch in a room full of Rolex Daytonas, you’ll be the one with the real racing watch on your wrist.  

This is just a sampling of the wisdom (and the watches!) that Eric Wind shared during our two-part conversation with him. Be sure to check out the videos on our YouTube channel for even more advice and unforgettable vintage watches.   


About the Author

Thomas Hendricks

I didn’t grow up a watch guy, but a few years after graduating from university, I landed a job at the online publication Watchonista as a writer and marketer. “Welcome to the watch world,” my colleagues told me half-jokingly, “no one ever leaves!” Now at Chrono24, I work as a private client advisor, helping people find the perfect watch for major life moments.

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