For people who spend their lives tracking down rare timepieces for other collectors, the watches they choose to keep for themselves tell a deeply revealing story. In a rare double-feature episode of Hodinkee’s flagship series Talking Watches, renowned vintage horological experts Eric Wind and Charlie Dunne open up their personal collections. Sitting down with Ben Clymer, the duo reveals that for them, horology is not merely about rarity or market value—it is about connection, mentorship, history, and the profound relationships forged over a shared passion.
Eric Wind needs little introduction to longtime followers of the vintage watch community. Long before founding Wind Vintage in 2017 and prior to his tenure at Christie’s, Eric was one of Hodinkee’s earliest and most prolific contributors. Through foundational columns like Bring a Loupe, meticulous auction coverage, and deeply researched historical pieces, he helped cultivate a broader public appreciation for the nuances of vintage collecting. His infectious enthusiasm could make an obscure chronograph feel as compelling as a six-figure Rolex, while his exacting scholarship gave collectors the tools necessary to distinguish a merely old watch from an exceptional one.
Charlie Dunne’s entry into the trade followed a more unconventional path. Initially a passionate collector of watch literature and a dedicated researcher, Charlie was working in digital marketing in 2021 when he decided to use several weeks of his saved vacation time to intern with Eric in Florida. That single experience catalyzed a complete career pivot. Today, Charlie serves as Vice President and Senior Watch Specialist at Wind Vintage, where he spearheads much of the company’s research and editorial content. The watches he brought to the table map that professional and personal evolution, ranging from the alarm watch Eric gifted him at the end of his internship to the vintage Rolexes that refined his eye for condition and historical scholarship.
Together, Eric and Charlie recently authored Vintage Watches: The Modern Guide, published by Ten Speed Press, aiming to showcase vintage watches as they actually exist in the wild—complete with character-defining scratches, rich patinas, and authentic imperfections. That exact philosophy permeates their conversation on Talking Watches. The pieces they share have been worn, studied, gifted, engraved, and debated. Each item carries historical weight, but more importantly, tangible evidence of the human bonds built around them.
A Journey Through Shared History and Rare Timepieces
The episode kicks off with a look at what the experts are wearing. Eric debuts an unreleased Wind Vintage x Bamford Carrera chronograph, offering viewers an exclusive early preview of an ongoing collaboration while he and his team finalize refinements. Charlie wears his trusty Rolex Explorer Reference 1016, a piece he acquired with confidence after studying Hodinkee’s definitive Reference Points guide on the model—which famously starred Eric. Completing the wrist check, host Ben Clymer sports a vintage gold Vulcain Cricket gifted to him by Eric, symbolizing a longstanding friendship that predates much of the modern digital watch media landscape.
The narrative deepens as the discussion moves to a pair of Jaeger-LeCoultre pieces: Eric’s Reverso Tribute to 1931 U.S. Edition and Charlie’s Memovox Reference E 850. Eric’s Reverso was originally a wedding gift from his friend Jack Carlson and has remained a constant companion. Recently, Eric had the caseback engraved with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a choice tied deeply to his personal faith and recent discoveries about his father’s Mexican heritage. However, the personalization came with an unexpected hiccup: the service center polished the case during the engraving process. Recalling his immediate reaction when picking it up alongside his son, Eric offers a philosophical perspective: if a polished watch case is the worst thing to ever happen to him, he remarks, he has lived a truly charmed life.
Charlie’s Memovox Reference E 850, featuring a warm, non-luminous pink dial and a compact water-resistant case, is a watch he coveted from the moment Eric acquired it in 2019. After months of persistent inquiries, Eric eventually gifted it to him. The caseback features an engraving that encapsulates their idiosyncratic humor, paying homage in order to God, JLC, and Charlie Dunne.
The theme of mentorship and generosity continues with a pair of Rolex Submariners, Reference 5512. Eric’s personal example is a prized four-line, meters-first variant featuring the rare dial variation known among collectors as "Neat Fonts." It is the exact unpolished Submariner he spent years hunting for and previously highlighted in Hodinkee’s Reference Points series. Charlie’s meters-first 5512, meanwhile, started as a simple loan when he asked to borrow it for a Thanksgiving drive home to Ponte Vedra Beach. Smitten with how it wore on his wrist, he returned it only to be told by Eric that the watch was now his. It became Charlie’s first vintage Rolex, cementing his transition into deep scholarship surrounding chronometer-rated references.
Personal Milestones and Unique Complications
Beyond sports models, the collection showcases eclectic tastes, including Eric’s 34mm Rolex Air-King Reference 14000 created for Domino’s Pizza. Awarded to qualifying franchisees or managers who hit stringent sales targets for three consecutive weeks during the early 1990s, Eric’s travel-friendly watch bears the recipient’s initials alongside those of Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan on the caseback, complete with a retailer-engraved bracelet clasp.
Another highlight is an unpolished Rolex "Wide Boy" Datejust Reference 1601. Upon acquiring the watch at Wind Vintage, Eric handed it to Charlie with the quip, "A Wide Boy for my Wide Boy." The joke stuck, and the watch ultimately found a permanent home on Charlie’s wrist, complete with an inside joke engraved on the caseback.
Among the more historically resonant pieces is an unsigned Eterna chronograph for Birks with a black gilt dial and Breguet numerals, presented to Eric by Ben Clymer for Eric’s 30th birthday. Representing an era before either was established in the industry, the piece underscores their foundational partnership. Alongside it sits Charlie’s Enicar Sherpa Ultradive from the 1960s, featuring an aggressive asymmetrical case, an internal rotating bezel, and its rare original signed bracelet.
Modern manufacturing also earns a spot at the table through two distinct interpretations of the Tudor Black Bay 58. Charlie’s Rowing Blazers edition, designed by Eric and Jack Carlson, features red dial text and retro pink accents, paired with a modified Black Bay 54 bracelet for on-the-fly micro-adjustments. Eric’s Black Bay 58 for Hodinkee serves as his first modern Tudor, featuring an extra line of dial text that nods to vintage retailer signatures. For Eric, the piece is inextricably linked to his years helping build Hodinkee’s editorial presence.
Rounding out the modern offerings is Eric’s Cartier Tank Normale in platinum on a striking seven-link bracelet. As one of only three clients to receive this specific configuration with a gray dial, Breguet numerals, and blued hands, Eric praises its modern build quality, calling its integrated bracelet the finest Cartier produces today.
The horological journey concludes with a dive into high-end vintage complications and pocket watches. Eric shares a Patek Philippe Reference 2508 in rose gold, featuring a sloping bezel, dagger hour markers, and a blued central seconds hand that bridges formal elegance with sporty utility. Charlie exhibits a pristine 1917 Patek Philippe time-only pocket watch powered by a LeCoultre ébauche movement. Complete with its original box and a blue enamel caseback bearing the original owner’s initials, the watch was tracked down by Eric through a descendant of its original owner—a Florida lawyer from near Charlie’s hometown.
Finally, the collection features a 9-karat-gold Rolex sector dial pocket watch made for the Canadian market. Boasting a silvered dial devoid of numerals in favor of clean geometric tracks, the piece holds immense personal value as the watch that first captivated Eric’s young son, Charlie, who would pull it from his father’s desk to show visitors. For Eric, the pocket watch represents a shared heirloom, ensuring that the passion for timepieces continues to bridge generations within the family.
This episode of Talking Watches was supported by ProphetX, America’s first sports prediction market.
