The rise of hundreds, or even thousands, of independent vintage watch dealers on Instagram and other platforms has been quite the phenomenon to observe over the last few years. A world that was once an enigma is increasingly more accessible as the next generation of vintage watch dealers takes advantage of the plethora of ways the internet allows them to build a client base. Thus, we decided to speak to one of our friends and a vendor on Montres Publiques Market, Stan, also known as Vintage Masters. Young, internet savvy, and determined to keep growing his business. He is representative of the new wave of vintage watch dealers.
Stan a.k.a. Vintage Masters
Andres Ibarguen: How old are you and when did you decide to start dealing watches?
Vintage Masters: I am 24 years old and actually started selling watches ‘by accident’. Three years ago, I bought a 14k gold dress watch from the brand Bernard Piot. I saw it on a Dutch online auction. I was mainly interested due to their valuation of 1,500 euros and paid only about 350 euros for it. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing and was lured into buying by their ‘expert’ valuation. I ended up selling it for about 250 euros after more than a year. After this deception I didn’t really do anything with watches anymore. I always had a fascination for watches but only wore brands like Fossil. I got a Seiko on my 22nd birthday which was my first real watch. I have always been trading things, from beer tenders to headphones to shoes, but never with a goal. Last year I decided to put 250 euros into a separate account and start trading with it to see how far I could go. Little did I know that these 250 euros put me where I am now. So, I decided to give the auction site another chance and that’s where I saw a big lot of vintage watches that was auctioning for a low price. I decided to go for it. Note that I had absolutely zero clue what I was doing. I checked all watches online and actually found one that was worth something: an Omega Seamaster! That’s where it all began. I started with no experience or knowledge. I kept on trading low-end, but mostly Omega watches, until I reached a point where I thought that I needed more expertise and knowledge on these watches. I started an Instagram account in the meantime and devoted all free time I had to absorbing watch knowledge. I decided to specialize in Omega watches and studied fonts, heritage, dials, and all the little details that exist in a watch to give clients information that they can actually use and have them make informed buying decisions. I don’t have to make enormous profits. I want to have happy, returning clients because I think that’s more valuable. Both to me and to the client.
AI: Why did you decide to go down the path of a vintage watch dealer in particular?
VM: It was pure luck and faith, like I said above. I had an interest in watches but if I decided to bid on a pair of shoes that day I would have probably never started. I am really glad that I made the decision. I enjoy wearing and seeing all the watches that I am seeing now. I am now building my own collection very meticulously and only with watches that actually give me that great feeling and that I can’t stop looking at. The first decision to start as vintage watch dealer was to see how it would go. The decision to actually move forward with it and keep going comes from a newly found passion and the fun I have serving clients all over the world and seeing them with their new favourite timepieces!
AI: After getting started, how have you grown since?
VM: After I sold the Seamaster I had about 400 euros to reinvest into watches. At first, I didn’t really look at state and originality, I just looked at watches that closely resembled a watch that I saw online and bought them for a lower price. I started by buying watches valued at around 250 euros and sold them for 300, I repeated this over and over again until I had some capital and actually went looking for original watches and higher valued ones. I started with Instagram and about 2 months later I stumbled upon someone that was selling his late uncle’s watches. His uncle was a real collector and someone that cared for his watches. I bought 30 watches from him and the rest is history. This was my first real big investment, I wanted to professionalize after this: I developed my website and found a photographer to make professional pictures. Currently Vintage Masters has grown to a collection of about 30 vintage Omega watches, where most are being listed in the coming weeks as a lot has been sold recently. Furthermore, I became an official dealer of Rios 1931 watch straps and will continue growing the website with more well-sourced watches and watch related products.
Some of Stan’s vintage Omegas
AI: What types of clients do you usually have?
VM: I focus mostly on reasonably priced Omega watches; these watches are still quite affordable and attract very open and informal clients. I like to keep things transparent and informal as I think this is the only way to genuinely form relationships. I have quite a few clients that buy more than one watch and I think that proves that this method works.
AI: How do you reach new customers? What are your main sales channels?
VM: I focus on Instagram as main channel to showcase watches and form client and dealer relationships. Chrono24 is the biggest channel in terms of sales. Currently, I’m trying to optimize the website in terms of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), page speed, and overall user experience to see if I can get more visitors there.
AI: What do you think about other social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter, are they as useful as Instagram?
VM: I don’t use Twitter; I still have to figure out how I can use it to promote the business or educate people. Also, haven’t had a lot of traffic on Facebook so far, currently Instagram is by far the best performing social media outlet. I want to take some time in the coming months to find out how to effectively use other social media outlets.
AI: In many ways, becoming a watch dealer was much more difficult than today, what do you think makes it easier to sell watches now?
VM: The ability to sell online and reach a lot of people with a limited budget. It is unnecessary to have a brick and mortar store to run a successful watch business. You can just start by buying a couple of watches and setting up an Instagram store.
AI: People often argue about the future of luxury retail, you’re not a retailer, but how do you think the future looks for independent dealers such as yourself?
VM: Bright. We don’t have extreme overhead costs. We can adapt quickly and if you are able to showcase yourself online properly you can reach a lot of people. More and more people enjoy buying from ‘smaller’ dealers more than from the big players in the market. This is probably because the buying process is so much more personal. A vintage Omega watch is a big purchase for many people, making them smile and guiding them through the buying journey is extremely important.
AI: What are your future plans for Vintage Masters?
VM: This year I want to focus on improving all general aspects of the business. Making a real solid basis for growing the collection further. Some day in the future I would like to open a pop-up store to give clients the opportunity to take a closer look at the watches and interact with like-minded people. The key points for this year have to do with the online and offline presence.
AI: When did you personally become interested in watches?
VM: I actually became really interested only quite recently. I think it was about 4 months into my journey when I realized that it became more than just a hustle. I enjoyed looking at watches, trying watches, and learning the stories behind them more and more.
AI: Do you have a favourite watch in your personal collection? If so which?
VM: I just acquired an Omega Speedmaster ref. 145.022-69 ‘Straight Writing’, which is already my favourite watch. The case is unpolished and the watch was used as daily beater by a classic car restorer. I bought it because of the story, and because it’s a watch that you can comfortably wear without worrying about small scratches. It has been used for repairing engines, sanding cars, and painting them again. There is little I can ‘damage’, although it still looks great with a spotless dial.
1952 Omega ref. 2690 ‘Honeycomb Dial’ sold by Stan/Vintage Masters
AI: You specialize in vintage Omega, what is it about the brand, in particular, that attracts you?
VM: I mostly like the uniqueness of the earlier watches. The dial variations seem endless throughout the 1950s. The patina on the dials makes truly unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. So, essentially, almost every watch I sell is unique. The thing about vintage Omega is that it’s a niche market that attracts watch lovers and collectors who don’t care about a crown emblem but look further and find beauty in the little details.
AI: What other brands would you like to get into going forward?
VM: When I have the feeling that I have truly gained expertise in vintage Omega, and with that I mean all models that I like, only then will I look at other brands. The brand that will most likely follow is Rolex. It is the most well-marketed and well-known brand in the world. Everybody knows Rolex and everybody knows their value. There is much more information on vintage Rolex than there will ever be on Omega. It will be a whole new experience, both on the client side as on the sourcing side.
AI: Is there a grail watch that you, personally, are looking for?
VM: I have two, either a pre-moon 145.012 Speedmaster, with nicely aged, brownish tritium or a Rolex Submariner ‘Single Red’. Both are different because of little details and that’s what I am looking for in a watch.
AI: What kind of effect do you think the current crisis can have on the vintage watch market? Has your business seen any effect, be it positive or negative?
VM: I think most watch dealers saw a negative effect in the first months but are seeing rising interest again. Online selling will be key to continuity in the coming period. A new outbreak can cause major problems for established dealers that have no online presence. Overall, the vintage watch market is really strong and has seen an upwards trend throughout the last decade. People see watches as a steady and safe investment as they will always be desirable. The demand for vintage pieces in great state will continue to grow while the supply side will decline. Especially for watches from the 1950s. Original parts are getting more and more scarce. That’s why I believe that an investment in high-end, quality vintage watches will be a safe bet, even during global crises.
AI: What do you think of the future for dealer based online such as yourself? As there has been a recent rise of Instagram accounts and the like who have similar strategies.
VM: The current trend is that there are a lot of ‘smaller’ independent dealers that all started in the past few years. There are mainly two types to be distinguished: hobby dealers and professional dealers. Hobby dealers do it for fun and on the side while probably holding another job. Professional dealers made it their full-time job. I consider myself somewhere in between; I do it mainly for fun and hold a job next to it, but I am putting almost full-time hours into it. The main benefit of this is that I am not dependent on selling watches for my income. I can put everything I earn back into the business and grow quickly. This also allows me to price competitively and be very flexible with customers in all ways possible. I think the rise of smaller online dealers is a positive development in the world of vintage watches. Traditionally the watch community has been an ‘old boys network’ which was closed and unreachable for outsiders. The current developments allow for more informal talks with other like-minded dealers and clients. Clients don’t have to worry about the nasty looks and arrogance they might get at traditional dealers, and by breaking down the walls of the vintage market, everything will become more transparent and information will be more widely available. I think it’s an amazing opportunity for both dealers and clients and I think the amount of smaller online dealers will continue to rise as the market keeps on growing.
Thank you for sharing with us, Stan.
More of Stan’s vintage Omega offerings