By Laurent Martinez
COLLECTING WATCH ACCESSORIES
We all know that the exciting world of watch collecting has witnessed tremendous growth in recent years , with plenty of hype watches and big watchmaking brands fueling more interest . However , I ’ ve also noticed more collectors ( especially newer ones ) buying watch-branded accessories and memorabilia . Items with Rolex , Patek Philippe , and Audemars Piguet logos are especially popular , and ones with Vacheron Constantin are rapidly rising in demand too .
A generation or two ago , it wasn ’ t that common for watch buyers to keep the accompanying boxes and papers .
Yet , these days , some people like to collect tags , boxes , catalogs , brochures , displays , posters , sketches , ashtrays , vintage books , and any other merchandise associated with watches and watch brands . One of my clients recently told me that when he buys a vintage watch , he is passionate about recreating the complete set — as it would have been originally sold at the store .
I once met a person whose father was the maintenance director of a famous watch brand in the 1950s . As a result of his dad ’ s job , this person had a large inventory of boxes , tools , calendars , commercial displays , and catalogs . The
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