Four decades of passionate watch collecting – The OAK Collection part 2
In part 2 of The OAK Collection we get a cavalcade of images of selected parts from the remarkable collection.
Text: Britta Rossander
Image: The OAK Collection
On 19 May – 25 May The Design Museum in London is showing a rarely seen collection of the best, most rare and valuable watches in the world.
It's a unique opportunity for us watch enthusiasts to see the best of the best since it's usually the case that serious collectors keep their collections locked away under strict guard and rarely – or never – show them to the public.
We present four decades of passionate watch collecting – The OAK Collection part 2
Watch collecting as an art form
He has made watch collecting into an art. He has also had the same motto as the Wallenbergs – to act without being seen. Now he's going to show off a large part of his collection starting in London and his name is no longer secret. Patrick Getreide tells us:
-I have been consistent in acquiring the watches. They must be exceptional, in excellent condition and produced in very small numbers.
Cavalcade of images of incomparable watches
-The interest in watches began when I was 10 years old and saw an Omega in a shop, it was love at first sight. Later, when I could afford it, I bought watches from many brands, up to about fifty. Then I had the privilege of meeting Thierry Stern (CEO of Patek) in Patek Philippe's boutique at Place Vendôme in Paris. We talked for a long time and I told him about the difficulty of buying watches. I was then invited to Geneva which was the start of a fine friendship. For me it's not just about buying watches. The people who make them are also important.
A person who has been of great help during the building of the collection is Aurel Bacs, Philips's specialist who is sometimes called The Hero of Watch Auctions.
-He has a talent for finding exceptional watches and gives me valuable advice, says Patrick
The exhibition is divided into seven sections and that Getreide is fond of chronographs is noticeable since that section is by far the largest. Here follows a cavalcade of images of the ones we at Eqotime have chosen.
Good to know: The OAK Collection opens at Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High St, London on 19 May and runs until 25 May.
