COLLECTING
EXPLORER II
AT THE AGE OF NINETEEN I HAD
FINALLY TASTED THE DRAGON.
I entered the store and began the dance. Forty-five minutes of
negotiating and I exited the store with a freshly polished Air King
on my wrist. At 34mm, it wasn’t the size I was craving, but I didn’t
care. It could have been 10mm as long as I could read the word
“Rolex” on its face. At the age of nineteen I had finally tasted the
dragon. I thought it was a bargain for $875, after seeing a simi-
lar model in the window of a neighboring shop for $1,200. I had
remained true to my cheapskate core, holding out for the right
price. The chase was now officially on.
EXPANDING
I wore the Air King through college, then my first job, gathering
some Omegas along the way to keep the Rolex company. I adding
to my knowledge base as we entered the Internet age. Everything I
had wondered about was now becoming available with a few search
parameters. Gone were the magazine and newsstand days, however
162 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | SUMMER 2017
my quest was still powered by shoe leather. I acquired a mid-1980s
Submariner through a trade at the legendary Frum Jewelers in
Chicago: a mid-sized Omega Speedmaster automatic and some
cash put it into my collection.
My next acquisition came fast. Less than six months after picking
up the Subby a buddy and I were celebrating our signing bonuses,
he at a law firm and me at an ad agency. Two scotches into a 750
ml single malt lunch we found ourselves at the 5 South Wabash
Jeweler’s Mall in Chicago. A minty early 1990s Sea-Dweller with
a below-market price caught my eye. The Russians who ran the
showcase told me “its previous owner felt that it was too big for his
wrist.” I could care less how it wound up in their case, it was the end
of the month and their rent was due. The watch was on my winder
that evening and on my wrist the next day at my new job.
By the close of the decade I found myself turning my knowl-
edge into something useful: as a feature writer for International
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