Private Advisory

For the collector who
refuses to leave it to chance.

We work with private collectors across Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, the UAE, Japan, South East Asia, and beyond — accompanying every acquisition decision with the market knowledge that protects and grows capital.

Three Services

Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.

We hold no inventory. We sell no watches. Every recommendation is free of any commercial interest beyond the precision of our advice.

Service I
Advisory

Watch Investment Advisory

Structured 1-on-1 coaching covering the full spectrum of the pre-owned and vintage watch market — vintage Rolex, Patek Philippe, A. Lange & Söhne, F.P. Journe, and the independents the mainstream has not yet discovered. Each session addresses one focused theme with a written brief and specific deliverable.

At the core of every programme: the catalogue trap. The pieces your AD calls you about are almost never the pieces that appreciate. We cover this before anything else — with data, with price evidence, and with the full list of references to avoid.

€2,000 – €4,000per session

Service II
Private Sourcing

The Private Sourcing Agency

The pieces that define a collection never appear on Chrono24. A sealed Patek Philippe reference 3800 or Audemars Piguet Royal Oak or a sought-after Audemars Piguet. An original-dial Daytona 6263 in unpolished condition. A F.P. Journe steel-to-platinum transitional piece. These move exclusively through private networks built on decades of trust — and we access those networks on your behalf.

You define the mandate. We locate, qualify, and introduce — guaranteeing pedigree, condition, and provenance. A non-refundable mandate fee is paid upon engagement and earned regardless of whether you proceed to purchase.

TierMandate+ Success
Standard · up to €30K€500+ €1,000–1,500
Premium · €30K–100K€1,500+ €2,500–4,000
Rare · €100K–300K€3,000+ €5,000–8,000
Exceptional · €300K+€5,000–8,000+ €10,000–15,000

Advisory Programmes

24 sessions.
Fully modular.

The standard structure is 24 sessions over 12 months — 2 per month. Every aspect is adjustable: pace, frequency, duration, and focus. Clients working to a tighter timeline can accelerate. Those who prefer a slower, deeper approach can extend. The programme is built around you, not around a fixed calendar.

I
The Discovery Collector
Beginner to intermediate
II
The Advanced Collector
Patek · Independents · Trophy pieces

All programmes include

Written brief after every session · Specific deliverable per session · Dynamic adaptation to your active decisions · The catalogue trap & what not to buy — integrated throughout

Sessions held worldwide by video conference. Physical meetings possible upon request, worldwide.

Programme I · Private Collector

Market Discovery — From First Watch to Informed Collector

The full pre-owned market from the ground up. Market structure, condition and originality, the AD illusion and the catalogue trap, authentication, auction strategy, Patek first contact, the independent watchmaker universe, and how to build a collection that genuinely appreciates. Every session has a focused theme and produces a written deliverable.

How the market is actually structured
The AD illusion — full case study with data
Vintage Rolex: Daytona, Sub, GMT
Patek Philippe: first contact
Authentication & frankenwatch detection
Reading auction results
Independent watchmakers universe
Portfolio review & Year 2 roadmap

Programme II · Advanced Collector

Off-Catalogue Patek, Vintage Rolex & The Independent Universe

For the serious collector who already knows the market and wants to go deeper. Patek off-catalogue references, the 1518 and 2499 perpetual lineage, F.P. Journe steel-to-platinum transitions, Philippe Dufour authentication, Voutilainen and Laurent Ferrier, advanced condition premium, auction strategy for major lots, and the 5-year portfolio architecture.

Patek off-catalogue references
Ref. 1518, 2499, 3970 lineage
F.P. Journe: complete reference guide
Philippe Dufour authentication
Advanced collector's trap list
Auction strategy for major lots
Provenance & estate acquisitions
5-year portfolio architecture

Service III

Before you pay,
know exactly what you're buying — and from whom.

A private seller you found on a forum. A dealer you've never bought from. A watch that looks right in six photos and could still be wrong in three ways the photos don't show. Acquisition Due Diligence is the independent check that happens before the wire transfer — not after.

We investigate the seller, scrutinise the watch, and handle the conversation on your behalf — so the only decision left to you is whether to buy, not whether you've been careful enough.

01
Seller reputation checkIdentity verification, trading history, forum and marketplace track record, prior complaints or red flags, and — for dealers — registration and standing. We tell you who you are actually dealing with.
02
Watch scrutinyFull photo and document review against known reference data: correct parts, matching numbers, dial and movement consistency, service history plausibility, box and papers authenticity, and fair-market pricing for the exact condition.
03
The questions that matterWe draft and, if you wish, personally ask the seller the questions that expose inconsistencies — service records, prior ownership, why it's being sold, what photos are missing and why.
04
NegotiationWhere the findings justify it, we negotiate the price on your behalf — using the specific issues uncovered as leverage, not guesswork.
05
Written verdictA clear go / no-go brief: what we found, what it means for the price, and what — if anything — we'd insist on before you proceed.
Indicative range €1,000 – €3,000
Base TierFee
Single watch · single seller · up to €30K€1,000
Single watch · single seller · €30K–100K€1,500
Single watch · single seller · €100K+€2,000

Add-ons

Each additional seller to examine+ €400 – 700
Each additional watch in the same lot+ €300 – 600
Direct negotiation conducted on your behalf+ €300 – 500
Urgent turnaround (under 72 hours)+ €300

Final fee confirmed before engagement, based on the number of sellers, number of watches, and total value involved. €3,000 is the ceiling for the largest private mandates.

Typical case

One watch, one private seller, asking price €45,000 — full check, seller background, and a negotiation pass: around €1,800–2,200.

Tailor-Made

Your collection is not
like anyone else's.

The programmes above are a starting point. In practice, every engagement is built around the specific question, the specific collection, and the specific objective. If your interest is hyper-specific — niche is precisely where the value lives.

Reference-Only Programmes

You collect only gilt dials. Only 5512 Submariners. Only military watches. Only off-catalogue Rolex. Only Breguet. A full programme built exclusively around one reference, one era, one obsession — and what the market does with it over time.

Single-Question Deep Dives

The Cartier wave — is it too late, or are there still asymmetric positions in the Pasha CPCP or early Santos? Will Cartier hold its heat or get diluted by Richemont's commercial instincts? Is Moritz Grossmann the next independent repricing event? Will Roger Dubuis come back — and which references hold value regardless? Will Roger W. Smith continue to fascinate serious collectors, and how do you access that market when pieces almost never surface? These are sessions built around one specific question that shapes a portfolio decision.

Market Entry for Any Segment

You want to enter one specific corner of the watch market — a brand, a movement type, a nationality, an era. We build the complete entry brief: what to buy first, what to avoid, what the long-term thesis is, and where the traps are waiting.

Any enquiry is welcome.

If your question does not fit any programme, send it anyway. The most interesting briefs are always the most specific. We respond within 48 hours with a proposed structure and fee.