ADAM'S FINE WATCHES 5th DECEMBER 2024

11 “Time does not have the same appeal for every one” - William Shakespeare To tell the time on a watch you love is, in a sense, to suspend the eternal march of time, submitting it to the pleasure that the object provides when you observe it.You glance at it for its purpose, but you stay for its substance. Let’s not be mistaken: watch collecting must be driven by pleasure, often fuelled by a passion for the many facets of horology. Some will want to trace the origins of watchmaking mechanisms, fascinated by the manually wound energy, skilfully distributed in a movement oscillated by finely-tuned gears. I don’t know a soul who can remain indifferent to the workings of a watch in motion. Others will want to be sure that their watch will withstand the test of time and the harshest conditions, whether submerged in the depths of the ocean or sent to the farthest reaches of the universe. Some will seek beauty in the proportions of the case, the perfect match of the strap, the use of precious metals. And finally, there are those who will seek it all at once. This is the art - and sometimes the challenge - of watch collecting, as it calls upon numerous criteria of desirability.With the growing attractiveness of the vintage watch market, knowledge and education are more essential than ever to ensure the authenticity and appreciation of watches according to their his- tory and original features. Knowing how to identify an original dial or a repainted one, spotting parts of the movement - or even the hands - replaced during a service, appreciating the polishing of a case, or simply separating the wheat from the chaff in order to appreciate the watches at their true value. These are the very elements that led us at Adam’s, (in keeping with our ethos and our desire to build our expertise and our team in different areas of complex works of art), to create an independent de- partment dedicated to the collection of horology. Our aim is to respond to the clear growth in the vintage watch market, while upholding the guarantee of authenticity that buyers deserve. Ken Israel Head of watches