Recently, Scott sat down with Ryan Chong, Head of Operations at Bezel, an authenticated marketplace for collectible luxury watches. A watch enthusiast himself, Scott knows the team at Bezel personally, drawn to the company and its entrepreneurial journey which has parallels to Realm. As the conversation turned to the age-worthiness of wine and watches, the idea for this story took shape.
Scott: “Age-worthy wines that can be cellared for years if not decades are the holy grail among serious wine collectors. The same can be said about luxury watches. Talking with our friends at Bezel had us take a deeper look at the concept of age-worthiness, seeing how these two passion-driven pursuits intersect and diverge.”
This may sound obvious, but when it comes to wine, age-worthiness starts with the baseline quality of the juice itself. At the very least, the wine must be technically sound, without any flaws. It should have good structure and density, and a pristine balance of fruit, acid, tannin and alcohol. But these qualities, while essential, don’t guarantee a wine is age-worthy. Or collectible.
Scott: “To our mind, a wine worth cellaring comes from the ethos embraced by the winery that produces it. It is the winegrower’s mindset that makes a wine unique, elevating it from ‘technically sound’ to the realm of extraordinary.”
Part of what makes collecting wine so interesting is how wineries, and their ‘mindsets,’ evolve over time. Some rise, some fade, others stay the course. Today, a highly collectible Napa Valley wine may have originated with a winery that has since changed hands. But when the wine was produced, that winery possessed a certain magic, an imprint, vision or innovation that yielded a now legendary wine.
Similar calculations take place when evaluating a collectible watch. It begins with an assessment of the brand or watchmaker responsible for the piece in question.
Ryan: “Collectors gauging a watch’s importance and craftsmanship tend to favor names like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet, among other storied manufacturers. From there, the process of elimination is extended to model and reference numbers, with astute collectors favoring examples in the best possible condition. This increases the likelihood that as the watch ages, it will become more and more desirable.”
This method is analogous to that of a wine collector who follows a certain winery and then narrows the search to a single vineyard bottling, such as Beckstoffer To Kalon or Beckstoffer Dr. Crane.
Of course, both wine and watches change as they age, and this also affects their collectability. A wine destined for greatness is often bold, beautiful, even exuberant when it’s young. Over time (and assuming it’s been carefully cellared), however, small details become more apparent and accentuated. A great wine gains complexity, with pleasing nuances more apparent with passing time. Tannins soften, fruit recedes to the background. Well-aged, pedigreed wines tell a fascinating story, but enjoying them ultimately comes down to personal taste. Some wine lovers prefer young wines with bold fruit expression; others appreciate the layers of complexity to be found in an older vintage.
Similarly, watches transition with time. With regular daily wear, watches show signs of age, some of which may reduce their value. These include scratches on the case, the potential degradation of luminous applications, as well as reduced timekeeping performance. However, not all signs of age and wear are detrimental to the value of a watch, in fact, certain types of time- and wear-induced aging command premiums in today’s market. Examples include so-called “tropical” dials, which turn from black to a rich chocolate tone as a result of continued exposure to the elements, along with luminous applications that develop a custard-colored patina. Both eventualities intensify appeal amongst collectors.
Like anything worth collecting, the joy in both watches and wine is the journey, witnessing how a particular object evolves with time and age. To close, we offer examples of wines and watches considered by Realm and Bezel (and others) to show age-worthiness. We look forward to hearing your age-worthy wine and watch selections.
REALM CELLARS' WINE PICKS
Scott: "Our list is populated by 'unicorn' wines, wines that for reasons of origin, provenance and the winery's mindset upon production stand apart and above as iconic. I chose one from each of the decades 1960's - 2000's. There are many reference point wines, but these are symbolic of an era. As a winery striving to become one of Napa Valley's next generation of iconic wineries, it is our hope and goal that one day in the future a Realm wine, perhaps one from our 2018 or 2019 vintages, will be as revered and treasured as the wines mentioned here."
1969 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon
The first commercial Cabernet Sauvignon from the family of Chappellet Winery, who pioneered winegrowing on Napa Valley’s Pritchard Hill. The wine was made by Philip Togni, a winemaker known for his age-worthy wines.
1978 Diamond Creek Lake Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
From Diamond Creek Vineyards, founded in 1968 by Al and Boots Brounstein, pioneers of the modern Napa Valley wine industry. They were some of the earliest to understand the powerful role that soils and microclimates play in determining the character of a wine. Lake Cabernet Sauvignon, from the cool, western edge of Diamond Creek estate, is only made in exceptional years.
1985 Joseph Phelps Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
The Eisele Vineyard in Calistoga is one of the most renowned sites in Napa Valley and was one of the earliest to be bottled as a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Joseph Phelps, who founded his eponymous winery in 1973, recognized the vineyard’s stature and bottled an Eisele Vineyard Cabernet under his label from 1975-1991. Although he had the opportunity to acquire the vineyard before Bart and Daphne Araujo purchased it in 1990, Phelps passed on it, one of few missed opportunities for an iconic house.
1994 Harlan Estate
From the iconic wine producer, Harlan Estate, founded in 1984 by William Harlan. Harlan’s “first growth” vineyard is located in the western hills of the Oakville AVA. 1994 represents the fifth vintage released by this renowned estate. The wine earned a 100-point score from Robert M. Parker, Jr. in the Wine Advocate, becoming a benchmark and reference point for everything that followed through the 1990s and 2000s.
2001 Schrader Cellars Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
The esteemed To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville, first planted in 1868, was purchased by Andy Beckstoffer in 1993. Beckstoffer replanted the 80+-acre site to multiple clones of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The vineyard consistently produces some of Napa Valley’s most iconic and collectible Cabernets. 2001 was the first vintage from Schrader Cellars, founded by Fred Schrader in 1998. The label used the designation “Original” To Kalon, triggering lawsuits by Rober Mondavi Winery/Constellation Brands over the use of the To Kalon name.
BEZEL'S WATCH PICKS
Ryan: "Our list is varied, from established watchmakers to independents, but all the examples are underpinned by a singular thread of historical importance within the context of their brand. Whether it be design, complication or rarity, each watch has a strong characteristic that makes them great candidates to be appreciated for decades to come."
Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 5196P-001
Channeling the aesthetics of early references configured with “two-tone” dials and traditional Breguet numerals, the platinum 5196P-001 is widely regarded as a grail among grails for Calatrava collectors. Given the extreme unlikelihood of Patek Philippe producing such a strongly vintage-inspired Calatrava again, this is most definitely an
age-worthy selection for discerning collectors.
Rolex Sea-Dweller “4000” Ref. 116600-0003
Produced for just three years, spanning from 2014 until its discontinuation in 2017, the Sea-Dweller 4000 is one of the shortest produced watches in Rolex’s modern history. With a 40 mm case and a 4000 meter depth rating, the relatively rare Rolex is now regarded as the discerning collector’s modern Sea-Dweller.
Since the dawn of watchmaking, few craftsmen have radically changed the way we approach horology more so than François-Paul Journe, who’s taken the watch-collecting world by storm over the last decade. Introducing new and unique complications which challenge our conventions of the craft, we can confidently say the future is bright for those considering long-term preservation of Journe’s works.
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Ref. 101.030
Hailed as a classic within the watch world, the Lange 1 has become the brand’s hallmark line with its distinctive asymmetric dial. Designed in accordance with the principles of the golden ratio, the Lange 1’s uniquely deconstructed layout transcends novelty for a truly timeless appearance, delighting collectors since its introduction.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 Ref. 126000-0004
First introduced in 2020, the sought-after yellow dial Oyster Perpetual draws inspiration from “Stella dial” Day-Date watches produced throughout the 70s and 80s. Given its discontinuation just two years after its release, this reference’s rarity makes it an excellent choice for the collector considering long-term aging.
Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Ref. 3940J
A sleeper hit of sorts from Patek Philippe’s seemingly endless back catalog of impressive complications, the Ref. 3940J is widely agreed upon to be one of the watchmaker’s purest perpetual calendar wristwatch designs to date. Considering its beauty, complication, and how it’s currently overshadowed by more sports-focused designs including the famed Nautilus, this reference isn’t only worthy of long-term storage, but also exists as a tremendous value proposition.
