WristWatch Magazine #19 | Page 129

SJL : Everybody has a first watch story , what ’ s yours ? Dad or paycheck ?
JM : My father gave me a Longines when I graduated from college . It was one of his watches . Gold , respectable , and a big jump up from a string of Timex watches that I ’ d been wearing throughout my youth . When I had some money in my pocket from Bright Lights I stopped by a store near where I ’ d been living in the East 50 ’ s and walked out with an 18K Rolex Bubbleback . That became “ my watch .” Several years later I began thinking about acquiring more models , then I got deeper into Rolex and discovered Patek Philippe .
SJL : The bug bit . Do you consider yourself a watch guy ?
JM : Not hard core like John Mayer , but I have several timepieces and love wearing different watches for different occasions . I appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship . Watches are one of the few accessories that men can control and have fun with .
SJL : So definitely not a watch snob . JM : I don ’ t think so . I wear my watches for their utility , dress or sport . I love wine and wrote about it for
WSJ , now Vanity Fair , but I don ’ t hold anything over those who love their beer .
SJL : Like the entire generation of millennials . Speaking of which , they ’ ve embraced smart watches over traditional . Do you own a smart watch , or , say , wear a rugged quasi-tech watch like a G-Shock on the weekends ?
JM : Well , I already have a smart phone , so why do I need a smart watch ? In terms of rugged , weekend watches , I wear a Rolex or a Panerai . They are designed for the rough . I don ’ t baby them .
SJL : So what ’ s in the collection ? JM : I have ten or twelve serious watches , four Pateks and five or six Rolexes , including a Daytona . I can beat around and travel with the Rolexes , but you have to be careful with the Pateks . I ’ ve got a Tiffany Patek from the 1920s that ’ s strictly for dress and special occasions . I keep my Rolexes in the country and my Patek ’ s in the city . Fitting accessories for the different types of use .
SJL : And the Panerai ? JM : I bought that big , clunky thing on Capri , and that ’ s the best place to wear it !
SJL : Where do you acquire all these pieces ? JM : At Sotheby ’ s or Christie ’ s . John Reardon , a
Patek expert , has assisted with acquisitions .
SJL : So what ’ s your go-to , all around watch ?
JM : A Patek 5053 J in rose gold . It ’ s a good everyday city watch in a discreet 36.5 mm package . In the country I ’ ll wear a Rolex .
SJL : You ’ re literally the first person I have ever interviewed who has referred to a daily wear Patek . Kudos .
JM : I love the history and mechanics of watches . They ’ re like wine , which has its own formidable and complex pedigree . You can get very geeky very quickly in the exercise of connoisseurship , but it ’ s a brilliant and fascinating and utterly addictive pastime . So why not wear a Patek daily ; I own these pieces to entertain myself , not the inside of a fancy box .
“ I love wearing different watches for different occasions . I appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship . Watches are one of the few accessories that men can control and have fun with .”
2016 | Wristwatch 129