Her Hour: Gertrude Wong’s Vintage Pursuits

The thrill of the chase. Many may know the exhilaration of unleashing their trained hounds to pursue a red fox, while they themselves ride proudly on a powerful steed. But alas, this audience and century may not appreciate such barbaric hunting traditions. However, we can all relish in the pursuit of a rare timepiece - one so elusive that its existence is questioned. This unique practice, or rather, art, often involves poring over auction catalogs, sending direct messages to watch dealers on Instagram, or consulting with one of Wristcheck's representatives. And no one understands this better than Gertrude Wong, watch collector, auctioneer and Head of Sales at Phillips Auction House.

“It’s fun hunting vintage watches down,” says Wong, “when you’re buying watches that are easily accessible, you risk making a decision too quickly and buying something that you might lose interest in later on.” The first watch that marked Wong’s collecting journey was the Rolex GMT-Master II “Batman”, though she later admits that she isn’t a big fan of the brand. 

During our conversation, I could not help but spot a sleek, silvery, retro-futuristic almost watch Wong was wearing (which I had seen on her Instagram before). So, when I coyly ask her to walk me through some remarkable pieces from her collection, ‘tis the timepiece she begins with. “This is my latest acquisition – Patek Philippe ref. 3729,” she explains, “I don’t wear yellow metals, so white gold was a no-brainer. And it's 70s-inspired case design and onyx dial stood out to me.” She also mentions that she obtained the watch by chance. “With this kind of linked, fixed bracelet,” Wong points out, “you must ensure it fits your wrist perfectly. The person before me didn’t want to cut the bracelet to fit their wrist. I, on the other hand, went ahead and did it.” 

Wong also has a soft spot for Universal Genève watches – at least two of the beloved Polerouters appear on her IG feed. “When I only began collecting, I found this guy on Instagram who specialized in Polerouters, so I reached out to him and bought two watches – the Gerald Genta-designed one with a black dial and the “tropical” one with a brownish dial.” 

She also confesses valuing visual appeal over technical prowess – which is nothing short of refreshing to hear from a collector. “We have widely available quartz watches and time on our phones for accuracy and precision,” she says, “so I primarily look at aesthetics. That’s one of the reasons I’m fond of Cartier.” She mentions the Basculante – the cabriolet system-operated watch, which allows one to flip it upside-down to reveal the caseback. “I got it for myself when I switched careers,” Wong recounts, “the way it moves reflects the flip in my professional life.” 

Such an eclectic collection of watches can only be assembled with firm guiding principles. “A watch has always been a vehicle for self-expression to me,” Wong says, “It offers a way to mark the start of each day, setting its tone. It can also be a conversation starter – you can discover so much about a person based on their watch.” 

When asked about advice she would dispense to the women longing to enter the coveted watch-collecting circles, Wong, in an ever so tranquil and casual manner says, “Don’t be afraid to ask and step out of the comfort zone. If it’s a guy – ask him. If he doesn’t respond, ask the next guy. Don’t feel you’re less, because everyone has to start somewhere.” She also encourages women to look beyond “ladies' watches” and explore vintage models.

“Buy what you like” seems to be a thread that connects Gertrude Wong’s various watch-collecting musings. While buying is the easy part, finding out what you like and what you’ll still like years or decades later is, however, a whole journey.But, by no means, you must embark on this quest alone or follow a path someone else had paved before.