The Hunt · Watches & Jewelry
Grails Without the Quota
Luxury brands want you to buy a quota before they’ll sell you the watch. I think that’s ridiculous. I hunt pre-owned instead. eBay and The RealReal are great places to buy watches.
Heads up: this isn’t a paid placement. When you shop through these links, including eBay, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. How I make money.
Read my watch guideRead my black tie guide
My watch
Patek Philippe Gondolo. I bought it on eBay in 2021, a gift to myself for going full-time at Ellingwood Advisory after years of corporate work.
What I’m hunting
The Vacheron Constantin 222 is the watch I’m lusting after most. Vacheron is the unexpected, more elegant alternative to the big three. I love Piaget, too.
Small Royal Oaks on a man’s wrist. MINI mini: about 26–28mm, obscenely small. Yellow gold, ideally.
A gold Overseas on rubber, and a vintage Audemars Piguet in white gold with a cushion case and a braided bracelet.
My watch boards
The Vacheron 222My #1 grail
The Unexpected OnesVacheron 222 + Piaget Polo
All Cap, Wrist CheckEverything I’m watching
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Jewelry for black tie
My black tie upgrade: platinum brooches I find on The RealReal for under $1K, and vintage stud sets in platinum, abalone, diamonds and Mikimoto pearls.
I especially love Art Deco filigree platinum brooches on men. I own a platinum and diamond one from The RealReal. Only pieces that look good on a tux make the cut.
Platinum Brooches for MenArt Deco filigree, under $1K
Black Tie, Leveled UpTuxes, studs and brooches by tier
No quota. Just the hunt.
How I buy grail watches pre-owned online, and how I level up black tie with jewelry from eBay and The RealReal.