When you have been looking at vintage watches for more than 20 years, you sometimes notice changes in the market.
Watches that were once easy to come across naturally have now become almost impossible to find.
They are not especially rare models.
They are perfectly ordinary watches that have been carefully used.
Fewer watches retain their original form
Of course, over the long years of their lives, vintage watches have been passed down through repeated repairs and replacement of parts.
It is also an important practice that has supported this culture.
That is not to say that I believe repaired watches are bad.
At the same time, however, I feel that watches which have been carefully used while retaining their original character are becoming fewer each year.
After continuing this work for so many years, I feel that change all the more strongly.
From rare watches to watches that have been carefully used
When I was young, I was drawn to unusual watches.
A watch that rarely appeared on the market.
A watch unlike anything anyone had ever seen.
Whenever I encountered such a watch, my heart raced.
Of course, that feeling remains unchanged even today.
Yet as I gained more experience, what truly attracted me gradually changed.
They are not rare watches.
These are watches that have been carefully used.
Natural contours remaining on the case.
Dials that retain their beauty even after many years.
Not a contrived beauty, but a presence nurtured over time.
Somehow, such watches retain the thoughts and feelings of the people who owned them.
Watches are both works of art and practical items
At times, I view watches as works of art.
It has the appeal of a cultural object that reflects design, technology, and the spirit of its era.
But it is more than that.
A watch is also a practical item that will continue to be worn on the wrist and keep time far into the future.
That is why I believe that, alongside beauty, it is equally important for a watch to remain reliable and enjoyable to use for years to come.
The standard for choosing watches that has remained unchanged for more than 20 years
The market will likely continue to evolve.
Our values may change.
Even so, I do not want the standards by which I choose watches to change.
Nor do I choose one simply because it is rare.
I do not choose a watch simply because it is expensive.
Choosing watches that have been carefully used and can continue to be cherished and passed down.
That is the standard I have continued to value after more than 20 years of working with vintage watches.
