Collector Hunt
- Jan 4
- 5 min read
You become a collector when taste, restraint, and a little bad judgment all come together.
If you’ve been collecting long enough, you never ask, “what’s hot?” and start asking “what will still make me smile in five years…or maybe ten?” My 2026 watch radar isn’t driven by hype cycles or Instagrammers yelling “grail.” It’s guided by design integrity, history, craftsmanship and that unquantifiable gut feeling that says: this one belongs with me. Here’s what’s living in my head and haunting my late-night searches.
Omega Speedmaster
“Dark Side of the Moon” All black ceramic. Red seconds hand. Zero apologies.
The Speedmaster is sacred ground. NASA, moon landings and legends. Which is exactly why the Dark Side of the Moon is so interesting. (regrets, I've had a few) but this one doesn’t try to replace the Moonwatch; it plays the villain role beautifully. The newest is the full black ceramic, stealth case, and now that single red seconds hand slicing through the dial like a warning light. At a glance, the red sweep is all you see, and frankly, that’s enough. It’s the Speedmaster equivalent of wearing a black tuxedo with matte black shoes and one crimson pocket square...kind of a Mr. Wonderful look. This model is a subtle rebellion executed properly. Omega released this in late 2025 at +-$16,000 but one maybe had for under $13K and I am on it.
Rolex Daytona “Beach” Collection
Four colors. No chill. Maximum charisma.
Rolex almost never jokes, and when it does (remember the term ‘factory’) it accidentally creates grails. In the early-2000s, someone in the design department in Switzerland saw colors and the Daytona Beach collection was born. White gold cases paired with wildly colored lacquer dials of turquoise, green, yellow, and pink, then finished off with matching lizard straps that scream Capri, Saint-Tropez, Amalfi and Belize. These watches went largely unnoticed at $30,000 but when the secondary market bloomed in 2021ish,the beauty and rarity of these pieces exploded to over $100,000. Through market scarcity and fluctuations, just like a G Wagon, they have settled down to a more respectable high five- figure range. As the dials age and everyone else in the watch world suddenly discovers colors, these remain the best of all time. Once ignored. Now adored. The irony has matured into confidence. It’s my Miami-Vice.
Rolex Daytona “John Mayer” – Ref. 116508
Yellow gold. Green dial. Rock-star confidence.
Yes, the nickname stuck and it’s not going anywhere. The 116508 with green dial is what happens when Rolex leans into bold without crossing into gimmick. It’s loud but controlled. Flashy, but deliberate. Initially introduced in 2016, there were few buyers for the yellow gold piece with emerald dial. When John Mayer wore one for a full sweaty 90 minute concert in 2018, the watch world took notice and the backlogs began. This watch has stayed in the stratosphere of pricing for a while now with dips and climbs as would be expected, but a great one, with provenance will set you back at least $80,000 and always be a collectors prize.
Rolex Daytona 16518 “Panda”
Zenith era. Leather strap. Quietly dangerous.
If the modern Daytona’s are about presence, the 16518 is about nuance. Yellow gold case, exotic strap, white dial with dark sub dial rings—this is the Daytona for collectors who know exactly what they’re looking at and don’t need validation. Zenith-powered, perfectly proportioned, and aging beautifully. It’s gold without being gaudy and vintage without being fragile. The croc strap ages in a most perfect way and the panda sub dials pop from under your sleeve. An absolute steal at $25,000, this is truly a sweet spot where rarity and wearability meet.
Tudor Big Block Chronograph
The thinking man’s vintage chrono.
The Tudor Big Block is what happens when Rolex DNA meets blue-collar toughness. Chunky case, honest chronograph layout, Valjoux muscle under the hood and absolutely zero pretension. Black sub dials give it that purposeful, tool-watch edge collectors crave without the white-glove anxiety of an 18K bezel being scratched at the cigar lounge. You wear this one. You don’t babysit it. I own a few and there can never be enough. Italy holds the crown for best examples. They’re out there and for under 8K. Funny how the Italians seem to know what style is and how it will last generations. The Big Block does that indifinitadimante!
Benzinger Regulator “Rote XII”
For people who like watches and want you to notice.
Jochen Benzinger doesn’t make watches; he makes statements in metal. Hand-engraved, wildly individual, unapologetically niche. The Regulator Rote XII takes classical regulator timekeeping and turns it into wrist-mounted art. The Benzinger Rotor is best understood as movement sculpture. It’s a mechanical component elevated to the level of art and obsession.
Benzinger treats the rotor not as a hidden convenience, but as a visual centerpiece. While most brands design rotors to disappear behind branding, Jochen Benzinger does the opposite: he celebrates the rotor as kinetic jewelry. It becomes the emotional heart of the watch, constantly in motion, quietly reminding the wearer that this is a living machine…on your wrist! This isn’t a watch you casually explain. It’s a conversation you dive into and one that demands you take it off your wrist to explain. Hard to find but they are out there for sub $17K.
Panerai Luminor Due
Italian drama that is finely tailored. What else can I say…
Panerai’s Luminor Due is style on your wrist. That sprezzatura that few have but everyone admires. Same iconic Panerai cushion case and crown guard, but noticeably slimmer, dressier, and more civilized. The dial seals it: creamy, rich, elegant, and unmistakably Italian. The 12, 3 and 6 are enlarged and draw you to notice and the thin glazed croc strap takes it to a new level. Like all Panerai’s, the retail is overpriced with depreciation waiting for you in a limo as you walk out the door. So, look around. For around $10,000, the investment will come back to you after a few years on the wrist.
Chronoswiss Jumping Hour in Gold. Just a glance and you know the time.
All watches tell time, but few announce it. The Chronoswiss Jumping Hour belongs unmistakably to the latter category. It’s a timepiece that combines mechanical purity with theatrical precision at a glance. The Jumping Hour is a celebration of simplicity executed with calculated complexity. Rather than traditional hands rotating around a dial, the hour is displayed digitally through a window: a numeral that jumps at the top of each hour. This fusion of digital display and analog motion evokes early 20th-century instrument panels, yet the experience feels entirely modern on the wrist. With its knurled bezel, onion crown and superbly detailed dial, the Jumping Hour balances dress sophistication with playful ingenuity and for around $11,000 it is valued by collectors who appreciate both classical finishing and horological quirk.
This list maybe heavy on Chrono’s and Daytona-ish but, to me, that sport/dress look is what has driven the watch market for decades. The few horologically exceptional works fall more into the dress watch space and align with thin gold three-handers, will always be acceptable and heirloom pieces, but sport models in steel and gold cross my finish line first.
Go get 'em.
Comments