With interest and activity in the luxury watch market flourishing, it’s no surprise that teNeues, a German publisher of art and coffee-table books, has sold over 100,000 copies of its books on watches. The latest title in the series, Timeless Treasures: The Fascination of Certified Pre-Owned Watches, takes a deep dive into what McKinsey & Company has called “the industry’s fastest-growing segment.”
Edited by Ralph Jahns, the 256-page tome covers iconic watch-related pop culture moments, logistics of a pre-owned watch (condition, pricing, and maintenance), and much more, even providing a serviceable style guide.
One notable watch featured in Timeless Treasures is the TAG Heuer Monaco that Steve McQueen wore for Le Mans, the 1971 film about a 24-hour auto race between American and German racing champions. While real-life race car driver Jo Siffert was teaching McQueen—who played the American racer—how to drive a Porsche 917 for the film, the actor spotted Siffert’s own TAG Heuer Monaco and said, “And I need the watch, too, of course!”
Another celebrity story in the book spotlights British singer Bryan Ferry, who in 2016 worked with H. Moser & Cie to create a limited-edition namesake watch: the Endeavour Small Seconds Bryan Ferry.
In the “Community” section of Timeless Treasures, prominent people in the pre-owned watch business, including writer Brynn Wallner, discuss the timepieces that mean the most to them. For Wallner, founder of Dimepiece, a woman-focused website about watches, it’s the steel Cartier Tank Française watch.
Other watch authorities interviewed about their favorite timepieces include Leon Schelske and Robin Haas, of German retailer MWB Watches, who name the Rolex Datejust 38 Vintage Bicolor and Kollmar & Jourdan, respectively. Marko Koncina, creator of the Swiss Watch Gang online resource, cites the Konstantin Chaykin Joker, while Silas Walton—founder of London-based watch website A Collected Man—says it’s the Roger W. Smith series.
Timeless Treasures is available now for $100.
Top: An image from teNeues’ book Timeless Treasures: The Fascination of Certified Pre-Owned Watches (photo: © Franz J. Venzin and Daniel Bühler)
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