Pocket Watches and Clocks Make a Comeback Among Young Collectors

At Watches and Wonders in Geneva, Patek Philippe introduced a $256,315 Nautilus desk clock for the 50th anniversary of its Nautilus collection, sparking mixed reactions. Brands like Chopard, Chanel, Vacheron Constantin, and Minase also presented home timepieces. Vacheron's La Quête du Temps clock features an automaton astronomer performing 144 gestures via 158 cams. Chanel's one-of-a-kind chess set has two queens revealing the time. Chopard's Beehive Clock stands nearly a foot tall with seven tiers of glass. Jaeger-LeCoultre collaborated with Marc Newson on three new Atmos clocks at Milan Design Week. Rich Fordon of Sotheby's notes that younger collectors, raised on cell phones and Apple Watches, are drawn to the romanticism of non-wrist timepieces. The market for pocket watches and clocks peaked in the 1970s-80s but is reviving for horological intrigue. Sotheby's December sale of the Olmstead Complications Collection achieved $22.9 million, triple its estimate. Collectors are buying antique pieces that influenced modern independent watchmakers like F.P. Journe and Raúl Pagès.