A Few Minutes With Eric Wind

There was a time, gentle reader, when buying vintage watches carried more than a bit of risk. I am not referring to fakes in the traditional Canal Street vein. What makes vintage watches desirable is not only the provenance (although that is certainly important), but also the stories (both known and untold) that the scuffs, dings, and patina tell about not only the watch but those who wore it. But with age comes maintenance, and maintenance sometimes means that an original part might not be available, or put more plainly, it often is more expeditious to use a "secondary market" solution. 

So in these increasingly uncertain times, it is great to know that there is at least one guy out there making sure that you not only get the vintage watch you want, but that it comes to you as advertised.  Ladies and Gentlemen, a few minutes with Eric Wind -

Courtesy of Eric Wind

Henki Time -

What was your first watch?  Was it a gift?  Is there a story behind it?

Courtesy of YoJoe.com

Eric Wind - My first watch was a G.I. Joe digital watch with a compass embedded in the green rubber strap. I loved it! My first mechanical watch was a Hamilton Neil my mom gave me in 2008 after my grandfather passed. It was a gift from my grandmother to my grandfather for their wedding in 1947 and my grandfather wore it daily his whole life. It opened up my passion for vintage watches!

HT - When you were a boy, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?

EW - I was also interested in politics and public service, so I was interested in running for office at some point in my life.


HT - You attended Georgetown as an undergraduate and then Oxford for an MBA - not necessarily a mainstream path! What did you study at Georgetown? And why Oxford for an MBA?

EW - I studied International Politics in Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and business in the MBA program at the University of Oxford. I was always interested in studying at Oxford and I thought I would benefit from learning more about business. I loved the idea of studying business with an international cohort of students and I liked that it was a one-year program so I could return to working after a year.


HT - What got you into the world of watches in the first place?

EW - My grandfather's Hamilton Neil was given to me around the time I stumbled on HODINKEE back in 2008. HODINKEE was initially almost exclusively about vintage watches and reading about all these iconic vintage watches, from the "James Bond" Submariner to the "Steve McQueen" Monaco made me extremely interested.

HT - You then found yourself in the world of watch auctions, how did that come about?

Courtesy of Eric Wind / Wind Vintage

EW - I made a name for myself writing for HODINKEE and was recruited to Christie's by John Reardon. I joined Christie's in 2015 as Vice President, Senior Specialist of Watches and it was a whirlwind after that!

Courtesy of the Harry Truman Presidential Library

HT - You are well known as one of the top authorities on the Vulcain Cricket. What is it about this somewhat peculiar watch that attracted you?

EW - A Vulcain Cricket was one of the first vintage watches I purchased and I still have that one! Crickets have woken me up countless times. I love the history of the development of the Cricket as well as the aesthetics. I also love their presidential history.


HT - What is your take on "re-editions" / "homage" pieces? (i.e. DOXA SUB re-editions, Vulcain Cricket re-editions, etc.)

EW - I prefer the originals as a general rule!

HT - Your reputation is for not only being extremely well informed on all things vintage, but being the one person out there who can (to paraphrase the G man in Raiders of the Lost Arc) "obtain the unobtainable".  What attracts you to vintage?

EW - I prefer vintage watches to modern watches for collecting because they are all unique in terms of how they look now, the patina that many develop, and the more handmade nature of these watches compared to their modern counterparts.


HT - When you're not researching and locating rare and amazing watches, what do you like to do for fun?

EW - I love to play with my kids, whether it is dressup with my girls Adelina and Gemma or golf, soccer or basketball with my son Charlie!

HT - Of all the watches that have come and gone in your personal collection, what is the one that "got away"?

EW - Fortunately, I don't have too many regrets about watches I should not have sold! And there is always another watch just a FedEx box away around here, so there is always something new to see each day.

HT - If you weren't doing this, what would you be doing?

EW - Hard to say - I can't imagine doing anything else at this point!


HT - What advice do you have for the next Eric Wind out there?

EW - Keep learning some new things each day!