The Life of a Watch Enthusiast FH: "I was captivated by the charm of watches and couldn't escape from this bottomless pit."

Everyone has their own reasons for collecting watches and how they are enjoyed. Mr. FH, who became passionate about watches as an object of intellectual pursuit, eventually began to share the insights he had accumulated with his family. Whenever a special occasion came up, he would give them a watch befitting the occasion. The F family has deepened their bond through watches. Eventually, the first watch his son chose for himself as an adult was the same one his father had chosen in his youth. We visited Mr. F for the first time in eight years and traced the journey of his rich family as reflected in his collection.

"Buying a watch is a turning point in life, so I never let it go."

"Watches are bought for memories, and memories are something you leave behind." This is how FH described his watch philosophy in this feature in the March 2015 issue (No. 57) of Chronos Japan. With extensive knowledge of watches and a mindset that is exemplary of a watch enthusiast, FH is also a long-time friend of our editor-in-chief. Eight years later, we had the opportunity to follow up on his story.

　Mr. F is a doctor who inherited the clinic established by his father. He was involved from its inception and developed a love for watches once the business was on track. He eventually invested his intelligence and financial resources to build up a fine collection centered on chronographs. He has also used his accumulated knowledge to serve his family, gifting them with appropriate watches for each milestone, adding a touch of elegance to their family history. Two of his most iconic pieces are the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph, with its quintessential "doctor's chronograph" design, and the Patek Philippe Chronograph Ref. 5170. He gave the former to his father to celebrate his 80th birthday, and kept the latter for himself. He also dreams of passing these pieces on to his two sons, who were medical students at the time.

　Mr. F has collected watches with a strong passion. He has always maintained the same stance of "never letting go of the watches I buy." So, if you look at Mr. F's portfolio, you can trace his watch-related life.

　In his late 30s, in the prime of his working life, Mr. F. began his journey into the world of watches with Cartier, but it was Panerai that drew him deeper into the world. He was captivated by the Luminor Chrono, released in 2000, which still featured the El Primero movement. However, when he finally managed to secure a reservation, it was about a year and a half away. It is easy to imagine how long that time must have felt to Mr. F. at the time. Looking to settle his nerves with another Panerai, he ended up purchasing the Luminor Marina Militare Amerigo Vespucci, a rare model that has now become a collector's item. The choice of these two watches is proof of the discerning eye Mr. F. possessed from the start. However, Mr. F. says:

"It was during this period that I bought and read watch magazines more than any other timepiece, and as a result, I became obsessed with the allure of watches and found myself trapped in a bottomless pit."

　His overflowing intellectual curiosity was embraced by Toru Uene, president of Kamine, a long-established watch and jewelry store in Kobe. Uene is also one of the pioneers who has promoted the introduction of independent brands to Japan. This encounter broadened Mr. F's watch life. His collection became more diverse, and he deepened his friendships with brands and users at customer seminars. Mr. F looks back on it this way:

"FP Journe, Parmigiani Fleurier, and H. Moser & Cie. These are brands I purchased when Kamine first started carrying them. At the time, none of them were well known, and their future prospects were uncertain. There were many independent brands that emerged and then disappeared around the same time. I was worried about whether I would be able to maintain them in the long term. However, all three brands have grown significantly."

　All of these brands have now established an unshakable reputation. Trusting Uemine's keen insight, Mr. F has since started to buy almost all of his watches from Kamine.

　Mr. F's friendship with Mr. Uegene led to his father, who began to love watches at Mr. F's recommendation, and to Kamine's previous president. This is exemplified by the A. Lange & Söhne "Lange 1." Mr. F's father became a doctor during the heyday of German medicine and had a deep affection for Germany. It was this model that Mr. F's father purchased from the previous president at Kamine shortly after the brand was introduced.

　Mr. F also cultivated a love of watches in his sons. During this interview, we had the opportunity to speak with his second son, Mr. Y. Mr. Y was a medical student at the time and is now an independent doctor. When asked about the watch he is most attached to, he mentioned the Luminor Chrono, released in 2021. "My father bought it for me when I marked the turning point in my life when I went from being a resident to a specialist. I wore it for the first time on the lottery day for the hospital where I was going to enter the specialist program, and with my left arm, I was able to win the lottery for my first choice, so it's my lucky item."

　When Mr. F was thinking of giving Y a watch, he told her, "Anything within my budget is fine." After browsing the Kamine store, Mr. Y chose the same Luminor Chrono that his father wore in his younger days. Mr. Y later visited Kamine again and bought his first watch with the money he had saved from his part-time job. He chose an automatic model from Gorilla, a brand that arrived in Japan in 2018. Having watched his father, Mr. Y will likely also lead a rich life with watches.

　Mr. F and his wife have successfully raised their sons to adulthood. Even now, they continue to add watches to their collections to mark milestones in their marriage. For their 25th wedding anniversary, they both chose white gold models from Patek Philippe, with a color scheme reminiscent of their silver wedding anniversary. Mr. F has an Annual Calendar Regulator, while his wife has a Calatrava. For their 30th wedding anniversary in 2022, they celebrated with a Patek Philippe World Time Flyback Chronograph and a Cartier Coussin de Cartier, both of which were new models released that year.

　He loved watches and cherished the irreplaceable time he spent with his family. In today's busy world where we are often pressed for time, this happiness seems even more precious. I am grateful for the opportunity to follow in Mr. F's footsteps.