“You probably recognize this one [Anoma A1]. That’s the easiest watch to recognize.”
Jéan’s collection isn’t just about owning pieces—it’s about living with them.
“I love this thing. I’ve actually worn it almost every other day. I wore it to a friend’s 10-year anniversary wedding photos last night. Suit and tie, obviously goes great there. And with t-shirts, shorts too.”
Jean is a self-described enabler of friends’ hobbies. In his world, a buddy isn’t just a drinking pal—they’re often fellow watch lovers, cigar smokers, or both. “My friends have either met because of cigars or watches. Those are kind of the two main things that I do. I don’t really drink anymore… calisthenics, fitness, and all that. But the watches, you could consider that kind of bad for your health.. Relatively, right?”
He’s been a “hardcore collector for 20 years,” but the bug bit early.
“I was seven years old when I got my first mechanical watch from my grandfather. It was a 1960s Omega Constellation. And I still have the original box that it came in from the AD in Greece. The box is probably worth more than the watch at this point, but I still have it.”
Family played a big role, even if they weren’t stereotypical. “In a Greek family, not a single one of us owned restaurants. It was either engineers or finance people.” Uncles ranged from a Rolex AD to a true homebench watchmaker. “We had a lot of it around our family and it was just the thing.”
Jéan isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, but he knows his limits: “I’m comfortable taking apart, stripping down manual wind movements, simple complications, no problem. I just don’t touch chronographs and I do not touch high-end complications.” When a project goes sideways, he takes it in stride:
“I have a 1940s Gübelin…took it apart and the crystal relieved itself from the case. I’m like, ‘ah s***.’ Luckily, the crystal is fine. It just went boop. Oh, well.”
He’s as much at home in the tech world as in horology. “Everyone says what do you do in technology? I’m like, the technology doesn’t matter. You hire the right people, they’ll figure it out.” Maybe that’s why he gets the appeal of Wolf Watch Club’s community.
“It’s more about gathering the community for something larger than what it is. That’s kind of what it feels like to me. It’s a platform for something more than just watch competitions.”
As for passing on the obsession? Not so far. “My son has no interest. I’ve given him five watches. None of it, he could give a shit. He’s 16.” That doesn’t dampen Jéan’s enthusiasm:
“If I win, then it’s truly meant to be, right? That thing is never leaving my wrist. I’ll even have it engraved with something stupid so that I’m never tempted ever.”
If you meet Jéan, you’ll probably end up talking about watches, or maybe tech, or maybe cigars, but definitely life.
“For me, it’s more about what’s the cosplay you’re thinking of that day? This isn’t trying to be James Bond, sometimes you get a balance between style and movement, but I don’t know that you get too many conversations that focus on the life of the watch and it’s more than just the function of what it is.”
That’s Jéan, a collector who knows it’s not about the number of watches, but the stories, the people, and a healthy dose of fun.
Wolf Watch Club: Where real collectors – of every age, background, and collection size – find their place.
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