From finding a very valuable Paul Newman Rolex Daytona to a key scene in the movie Crazy Rich Asians to his clientele of actors and singers, Eric Wind is one of the most connected people in the world when it comes to working with Hollywood.
“For me, it’s about educating collectors about what they’re buying,” says Wind of the success of his Palm Beach, Florida-based Wind Vintage of the same name. “I think traditionally a lot of dealers and watch sellers have just tried to sell the hype or just sell stuff without really educating the customers about the details, nuances and condition. I think people want to learn – that’s why people collect, or be it watches or coins, comic books or cars, you want to learn all the details.”
Wind Vintage founder Eric Wind
Courtesy of subject
Wind — whose career spanned from earning an MBA from Oxford to vice president of watches at Christie’s before starting his business in 2017 — believes you treat others the way you’d want to be treated. That, and his true love for watchmaking history, has helped him build a long client list of highly passionate and knowledgeable A-list watch enthusiasts, including Randall Park, Daniel Dae Kim, Jimmy O. Yang, Blades off director Rian Johnson, WME agent Doug Lucterhand and comedian Ronny Chieng (who shared: The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year, he ranked Wind as one of “dealers you can trust.”)
The dealer also has connections with the sports world. He recently placed watches on two NBA first round draft picks; Adrian Griffin Jr., the 16th pick in the draft, wore a vintage Rolex Datejust reference 1603 in steel, and Blake Wesley, the 25th pick, wore a vintage Rolex Datejust 1601/3 Two Tone.
Wind, who recently worked with Mr. Porter to a curated collection of vintage watches, also advises on watch placements in movies and TV shows. Besides finding that Daytona for Crazy Rich Asianscommissioned by writer Kevin Kwan, Wind has also supplied watches for ABC’s The Wonder Years reboot (a vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox E850 worn by Dulé Hill as Bill Williams, as well as a vintage Cartier Tank Cornice for Saycon Sengbloh as Lillian Williams) and FX’s the premise (a Patek Philippe reference 3940 in platinum and a vintage Rolex Explorer 1016 with tropical dial worn by Kim as Daniel Jung).
When asked how he built his business, Wind replies, “A lot of it is word of mouth or people reaching out. The best referral is a personal one, friend to friend.” The inventory of watches on its website can range in price from about $1,000 to nearly $200,000.
Wind’s focus on vintage watches and the in-depth research behind the watches is often what inspires collectors – including in Hollywood – to get in touch. “In general, to me vintage means pre-1990 watches, [when] there was more handwork for the case, dial and parts. This was before computer aided design and before robots got more involved in the production of the watches. I like those older watches, they have more of a handmade feel to them. I’m definitely trying to promote the science about these watches,” says Wind.
Wind Vintage inventory pieces include (clockwise from top left), a Rolex “Big Red” Daytona Reference 6265 ($99,000) a Breitling Navitimer Early Reference 806 Valjoux 72 ($24,000), a 2004 Patek Philippe Reference 3970EP ($195,000) ) and an Enicar Sherpa Graph “Mark IV” ($9,900).
Thanks to Wind Vintage
When asked which brands and models are considered new, Wind replies: “I think the Rolex Oyster Perpetual undated models from the 60s and 70s and vintage Datejusts from the 60s to 80s are getting a lot of attention and interest.”
“They are pretty much all well under $10K in value and they have such a great vibe as well as a great price compared to their modern counterparts,” continues Wind.
“I met Eric through a cold email,” says writer/director Stephen Ringer (Weepah Way for now), who introduced his wife, Aly Michalka, and his sister-in-law, AJ Michalka, to Wind. His unstoppable character and deep knowledge base have fueled the trio’s love for vintage watches. “I always liked that he was more of a scholar than a trader and it would bother him at a professorial level if he ever lied to you. He’s honest to a fault,” says Ringer, who owns a 1922 Wind-born Patek Philip once owned by noted philanthropist Henry Phipps Jr.
The sisters – both actresses and musicians performing as Aly & AJ – view their watch collections as memories of great moments in their lives, from getting married to recording albums and booking TV shows. The singers (on tour with Ben Platt this fall after recently completing a summer world tour) also see the watches becoming family heirlooms.
AJ Michalka of AJ & Aly in concert with a 1959 Audemars Piguet 18K gold “Disco Volante” timepiece.
Stephen Ringer
“Steven and Aly were getting married and I remember saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to have something that’s been passed down from generation to generation, and could that be vintage watches?’ That started the conversation,” says AJ Michalka (ABC’s educated† The Goldbergs), whose collection includes watches from the wind, including a historic piece of aviation history in a 1935 Patek Philippe 404J (the engraving on the back of the watch commemorates the then world record flight of the French seaplane the Croix-du-Sud from Cherbourg, France to Ziguinchor, Senegal, by Henri-Laurent Dailliere) and a gold Audemars Piguet “Disco Volante” from 1959.
“I missed a vintage AP,” AJ says of why she got the last watch, “and Eric, who knows my taste so well, said, ‘Well, I’ve got something better for you,’ and it was the Disco Send .”
Wind adds: “For the uninitiated, AJ’s Audemars Piguet is one of the company’s most interesting and iconic designs before the introduction of the Royal Oak in 1972. Like the Royal Oak, it was designed by Gérald Genta. The dial is an interesting sector-style dial and is nicknamed ‘Disco Volante’ because the design resembles a flying saucer or flying disc. Hers is a rare one with an integrated gold bracelet, while many were sold on straps.”
AJ’s sister Aly, meanwhile, has a watch collection that includes a gorgeous 1960s gold Omega Constellation “Grand Luxe”, a cream Rolex Daytona 11652 (known as a Cream due to the fade of the dial), and a gold Cartier “Jumbo” tank, which she wore when they played Lollapalooza in 2021. Both were acquired through Wind. “We finally got to meet him in person when we invited him to one of our shows and we got along so well,” said Aly, who starred on the CW show for five years. izombie† “I definitely think the reason we love watches is Eric. I know I can just close my eyes and I know he’s giving me the best watch, for the best price, but more importantly, it’s a piece with an authentic story tied to the watch.”