I jokingly refer to my watch collecting as my ‘addiction’—although after 20 years of doing
so, I’m not entirely sure if the joke has now become the reality! I first started getting into watches when I was still in school in Damascus. I started out buying different types of Swatches, Casios and Sector watches. To be honest, I didn’t know anything about watches back then, but I was conscious of the power they had to help complete a look. I was buying a lot of watches, and had the classic Casios, like the G-Shock and the Calculator—they were fun. Even back then I was known as the ‘watch guy’ to my friends.
My addiction started when I began to look beyond the aesthetics of a piece. I started reading more about them—learning about brands, the stories behind the pieces, what they stood for and the qualities they possessed. My first ‘proper’ watch was a Breitling Chronomat. At the time Breitling had this very masculine presence to it, and because it was so manly and had this great tie to aviation, I became fascinated about them. But still, at that time, my interests were more about the stories than the technical aspects of the timepieces. I knew about Rolex and other brands and key pieces, but I wasn’t really interested in knowing about the movement or how it was made. I wasn’t what I would call a serious collector.
Flash forward 20 years and my collection is now around 80 to 90 proper watches. They are not all super high-end as they cover a wide range but, most importantly, they are all pieces that I would wear. That is an important element for me. If it turns out that I don’t wear a piece and it is just sitting in a watch box or safe, then it’s out. For me it’s not about getting a unique piece and keeping it in mint condition to flog for profit later down the line, each piece has to have wrist time.
“MY ‘ADDICTION’ STARTED WHEN I BEGAN TO LOOK BEYOND THE AESTHETICS OF A PIECE”
– Hassan Akhras
Alongside aesthetics, there are several other elements that I consider when buying a piece.
The provenance of a product is important, as is having iconic pieces from certain brands, like an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, or Patek Philippe Nautilus, or Rolex Daytona—the usual suspects that should be in any serious collection, as a permanent part. Owning pieces like those, with important histories, make me feel connected to the history of the industry. Part of my collecting goal is to track down pieces from key brands that I don’t have or would like to have with relation to my financial capabilities!
Another important part of my collecting revolves around the Arab Watch Club—a group of collectors of which I am a founding member. About ten years ago we started working directly with watch brands to help create limited ‘club editions’ of watches for our members. We commit to one of these collaborations per year, and we create a small amount of pieces that we co-design with the brand. Those projects hold a significant importance for me, as it is such a privilege to be able to add to the history of a specific model or brand.
Truth be told, I’ve always been a little compulsive when it comes to collecting things. I have more than 100 pairs of sneakers at home; I also have about 30 pairs of sunglasses (quirky ones with interesting designs)—it just happens that it was watches that was the passion that
evolved into something I now do professionally.
I recently published a coffeetable book with a friend of mine called Icons on the Wrist—well, that’s the English title, but the book is all in Arabic.
It is essentially a homage to watches and watch collectors from the region. The book focuses
on iconic pieces from many different brands—explaining the history and importance—and
we then tracked down collectors from the region who owned those specific models and
interviewed them. What was remarkable was seeing the similarities in their stories, many of them mentioned that the timepieces—whether bought or given—were connected to a milestone in their lives, like a marriage or a graduation or a reward for something. I relate to that, and it plays into why I love the watch collecting community.
For me, my most sentimental piece is probably my Cartier Crash. It was a piece that I had custom made for me in a colour, strap and material combination that Cartier had never done before. It was my first ‘unique piece’ and, for me, it came with a real sense of achievement as having established myself as a collector of note that some of the world’s most famous brands now recognize and are willing to work on pieces for me.
Hassan Akhras is the founder of the Arab Watch Guide, and respected authority on watch collecting within the region. He recently co-published a book on the region’s collectors called ‘Icons on the Wrist’