Her Hour: Georgia Benjamin's Collection is Journey of Discovery
Georgia’s approach to collecting is painstakingly personal, created through care and skill. And of course, we can't forget it's iconic.
Georgia Benjamin is no stranger to good design; in fact, it's part of her professional purview as a Design Lead for a US-based tech company, which sees the Londoner spending most of her time in Los Angeles. Benjamin's appreciation for well-made, beautiful objects led her to watches. But as is so often the case in collecting, the fascination may have begun with a single reference, or a particular brand quickly branches out into a love of learning around these remarkable creations and the friends you make along the way. Of course, Benjamin has managed to hit the trifecta, combining a love of research and education and an enjoyment of the community and camaraderie around watches into an eclectic collection that's as infectiously charming as the woman who wears them.
For every watch collector, there's a tipping point — a moment when you go from enjoying watches to collecting them. For some people, this can be a hard moment to pin down, but for Benjamin, it was easy. "I wanted to get myself a watch for my 30th birthday, and I knew I wanted a gold Rolex, because why not? In the end, it took me a year and a half of research and learning, and I ended up with a Day-Date."
Of course, the Day-Date is the quintessential gold Rolex, and Benjamin's example boasts a black dial with subtle patina and diamond hour markers. But, as collectors everywhere can attest, the journey is just as fascinating as the destination.
“My research started with a friend in LA who's a watch guy who guided me a little bit. But when I started learning more about markers, different dials, different bracelet styles and how it's representative of different years of Rolex production and design, I became hooked. After that it took a year and a half to work out what I wanted, and to find the right watch in terms of quality and price.”
The President is the iconic Rolex, so I knew that's what I wanted, but it took me a long time to work out what I wanted — did I want a black or champagne dial, what type of markers for the minute track, all that stuff. Oh, and I also thought I might want a French date wheel because I'm a little bit of a francophile, and it was at this point that I learnt about aftermarket and non-factory watches and the importance of being original. It was learning about this etiquette of watch collecting that really intrigued me. I'm a very curious person, so the fact that you can constantly be curious, and constantly learn was appealing. You can never become an expert because there's just so much to learn. To me, that opportunity to always learn and connect with others and the ability to dive almost infinitely deep is why I love it so much."
“You can never become an expert because there's just so much to learn.”
Benjamin's quest for the perfect milestone Rolex ended with a watch sourced from a US-based vintage dealer and a surprisingly emotional delivery. “The day it arrived, I was so sad, and it was such a horrible feeling. It was a Friday, and FedEx gave a window, as they do. I was almost standing by my front door, waiting, and inevitably, the package never came, but they said they attempted delivery — which is what FedEx always does. So when it finally arrived on Monday, I felt so underwhelmed. It was so sad. I was stressed from work and I had built up the anticipation so much after hunting for it for more than a year, and I unwrapped this underwhelming little package and thought — this is it? I was so sad for a day, and then I went out to dinner to celebrate its arrival with some girlfriends and the more I wore it, the more I felt its presence on my wrist, and the more I realized what it meant to me. Not just the hard work that allowed me to afford it but also the fact that I had done all this research, and I really had found something that I loved. So, it took me a few days to appreciate it. But I did, and even now, it's still my favorite watch.”
That feeling of excitement, satisfaction and restlessness is one familiar to collectors of all stripes, and for Benjamin, it meant that she was on the hunt for her next watch soon after. “Once I got over the initial shock of being immediately sad and then happy a few days later. I thought to myself, 'Wow, I need another.' I think I bought the Ref. 16233 six months after that, but I'm sure I bought smaller pieces in the interim, though. I bought it because I had learned so much about where I can buy watches from. I had found some great smaller auction sites, and I was constantly looking there and picking up smaller pieces. I started learning more about where I could buy, what is a good deal and then kind of jumping on those watches that I knew would be watches I would want to have in my collection for a long time, but something that would be worth the money as well.”
"I started learning more about where I could buy, what is a good deal and then kind of jumping on those watches that I knew would be watches I would want to have in my collection for a long time, but something that would be worth the money as well."
Perhaps the best example of Benjamin's non-conventional approach to watches is her ode to that icon of cult timepieces, the Cartier Crash. While she doesn't have one in her collection (yet), that hasn't stopped her from creating her own take on the iconic shape in the form of a stunning (and functional) Crash wall clock. "I have a demanding tech job that keeps me very busy. My interim stress relief is crafting, which is very nerdy of me. I like beading, I like paper mâché, I like sewing, I like all these little things. They keep me very calm. And I decided to challenge myself to create a paper mâché Crash. I love the Crash; I think it's one of the most iconic and beautiful styles. But I hadn't done any paper mâché since I was about eight years old. I didn't even know how to do it, so I bought all these supplies and worked it out. It took me a while, I think because I didn't know the technique of paper mâché.
For all her fascination with the social side of watch collecting, there's one aspect of the unwritten rules of watch etiquette that Benjamin is more than happy to flout: the controversial watch stack. A quick peruse of Benjamin's Instagram feed will reveal that she isn't afraid of stacking bracelets next to watches, even ones with soft gold cases, a move many collectors frown on for the potential damage being done. Benjamin is sanguine on the topic; “People get so angry about it, and honestly, I love it. I'm like, 'Let's rile you up' from stacking gold bracelets and watches together. These watches are mine, and I'm very happy to do what I want with them. Of course, if I was borrowing a watch, I'd be better behaved with it because it's not mine and I don't want to mistreat it. But for my own watches, I want to treat them casually, and part of that is stacking them. I like to style watches in a way that isn't necessarily conventional.”
Perhaps the best example of Benjamin's non-conventional approach to watches is her ode to that icon of cult timepieces, the Cartier Crash. While she doesn't have one in her collection (yet), that hasn't stopped her from creating her own take on the iconic shape in the form of a stunning (and functional) Crash wall clock. "I have a demanding tech job that keeps me very busy. My interim stress relief is crafting, which is very nerdy of me. I like beading, I like paper mâché, I like sewing, I like all these little things. They keep me very calm. And I decided to challenge myself to create a paper mâché Crash. I love the Crash; I think it's one of the most iconic and beautiful styles. But I hadn't done any paper mâché since I was about eight years old. I didn't even know how to do it, so I bought all these supplies and worked it out. It took me a while, I think because I didn't know the technique of paper mâché.
“I cut everything out, stacked it up, and added a motor (quartz, obviously), so it actually works. But I put it all together and drew on the dial —I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to drawing as well. It was so much fun doing it all through trial and error.”
But I cut everything out, stacked it up, and added a motor (quartz, obviously), so it actually works. But I put it all together and drew on the dial —I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to drawing as well. It was so much fun doing it all through trial and error. I remember, as soon as it was done, I got an email from Jeff Hess of Sotheby's New York, asking me to make him one and come see him for coffee. I honestly am so grateful for making this Crash because it made me make so many friends since doing it. I don't think it performed that well on Instagram, but I think other watch lovers recognise that this was a pretty good recreation. And it's so fun to have it as a wall clock."
While it might not be a Cartier, and isn't a watch, this carefully crafted wall clock is a wonderful summation of Georgia Benjamin's approach to collecting. It's painstakingly personal, created through care and skill. It's a symbol of community and friendships found over common objects. And of course, we can't forget it's iconic.
