For those who make a living tracking down rare timepieces for other collectors, the concept of a personal collection often tells a deeper story. It becomes a reflection of professional evolution, lifelong friendships, and the shared history embedded within vintage horology. In a milestone episode of Hodinkee’s flagship series Talking Watches, Ben sits down with two of the vintage world’s most respected and familiar voices: Eric Wind, founder of Wind Vintage, and Charlie Dunne, Vice President and Senior Watch Specialist at the firm.
For the first time in the history of the series, the platform features a dual-guest interview, exploring how a passion for horology is learned, refined, and ultimately passed along. The timepieces brought to the table by Wind and Dunne do more than showcase the charming patinas, distinctive typography, and technical nuances of exceptional vintage watches; they serve as physical touchstones for the experiences and relationships that give collecting its truest meaning.
A Shared Journey Through Horological Scholarship
Longtime readers of Hodinkee require little introduction to Eric Wind. Before establishing Wind Vintage in 2017, and prior to his tenure at Christie’s and his numerous appearances in foundational features like Reference Points, Wind was one of the publication’s earliest and most prolific contributors. Through columns like "Bring A Loupe," comprehensive auction coverage, and deeply researched historical pieces, Wind helped introduce a wider audience to the complex nuances of vintage watch collecting. His infectious enthusiasm could render an obscure chronograph just as compelling as a six-figure Rolex, while his meticulous scholarship provided collectors with the tools to distinguish a merely old watch from an exceptional one. Since launching his own venture, he has maintained that same curiosity, holding fast to the belief that extraordinary watches can be discovered across nearly every price point.
Charlie Dunne entered the trade via a distinctly different path. A passionate collector of watch books and a dedicated researcher from an early age, Dunne was working in digital marketing in 2021 when he decided to use several weeks of saved vacation time to intern with Wind in Florida. That single experience catalyzed a complete career pivot. Today, as Vice President and Senior Watch Specialist at Wind Vintage, Dunne leads much of the company’s rigorous research and content creation. The timepieces resting on his side of the table vividly chart this professional progression, ranging from the mechanical alarm watch gifted to him by Wind following his internship to the vintage Rolexes that deepened his appreciation for condition and historical context.
Together, Wind and Dunne recently authored Vintage Watches: The Modern Guide, published by Ten Speed Press. Their shared objective was to produce a definitive horological volume that readers would return to repeatedly—one that presents vintage watches exactly as they appear in reality, complete with the accumulated scratches, warm patinas, and charming imperfections that time bestows upon them. That very philosophy underpins their joint appearance on Talking Watches. The watches presented on screen are worn, rigorously studied, gifted, engraved, and debated. Each item carries historical knowledge while bearing physical witness to the personal bonds forged around them.
From Custom Collaborations to Milestones on the Wrist
As the conversation unfolds, the table fills with a remarkable assortment of watches that trace personal milestones and inside jokes—many of which are permanently etched into the casebacks.
Among the pieces worn during the episode, Eric Wind debuts an unreleased Wind Vintage x Bamford Carrera, offering viewers an early preview of a project currently undergoing final refinements. Meanwhile, Charlie Dunne sports his trusty Rolex Explorer Reference 1016, a piece he acquired with confidence after studying Hodinkee’s comprehensive Rolex Explorer Reference Points feature, which famously starred Wind. Completing the initial wrist check, Ben wears a gold Vulcain Cricket gifted to him by Wind, setting the stage for an extensive deep dive into the rest of their shared and individual collections.
Jaeger-LeCoultre occupies a prominent place in both men’s collecting philosophies. Wind’s Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute to 1931 U.S. Edition was originally a wedding gift from his friend Jack Carlson and has served as a steadfast daily companion. More recently, Wind had the solid caseback engraved with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a choice tied deeply to his personal faith and recent genealogical discoveries regarding his father’s Mexican heritage. The engraving process, however, came with a memorable and unintended surprise: the service center polished the case during the customization. Recounting his initial, visceral reaction upon picking it up at the counter while his son Charlie looked on, Wind reflects with characteristic humor on the perspective that comes with a life well-lived.
Across the table, Charlie Dunne’s Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox Reference E 850 features a warm, non-luminous pink dial housed within a compact, water-resistant case. Having admired the watch since Wind acquired it in 2019, Dunne repeatedly inquired about it until Wind ultimately presented it to him. The caseback engraving humorously cements their working relationship and inside jokes, listing God, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Charlie Dunne in explicit order.
Pocket Watches, Rare Rolexes, and Enduring Bonds
The narrative of mentorship and friendship continues through a pair of Rolex Submariner Reference 5512 models. Wind’s four-line, meters-first Submariner features the rare dial variation affectionately known by collectors as "Neat Fonts," representing the unpolished vintage benchmark he searched years to find. Dunne’s own meters-first 5512 began as a simple loan for a Thanksgiving drive home to Ponte Vedra Beach. Smitten with how the watch wore during the trip, Dunne was told upon his return that the timepiece was his to keep, cementing it as his first vintage Rolex and sparking a rigorous academic study of the differences between chronometer-certified models and their 5513 counterparts.
The collection also highlights Wind’s travel-friendly Rolex Air-King Reference 14000 customized for Domino’s, a 34mm piece awarded to qualifying franchisees and managers who met stringent sales targets for three consecutive weeks. The caseback carries the original recipient’s initials alongside those of Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan, supplemented by a retailer-engraved clasp from the early 1990s. Similarly, an unpolished Rolex "Wide Boy" Datejust Reference 1601 transitioned into Dunne’s possession accompanied by a running office joke and a custom caseback engraving that permanently archives their lighthearted dynamic.
Further deepening the narrative of mutual support, Wind’s late-1930s or early-1940s Eterna chronograph for Birks—featuring a black gilt dial and Breguet numerals—was presented to him by Ben for his 30th birthday, underscoring a decades-long professional brotherhood. Alongside it, Dunne’s Enicar Sherpa Ultradive pairs a massive asymmetrical dive case with a rare signed bracelet, showcasing their shared appreciation for lesser-known mid-century tool watch architecture.
Modern pieces also find a place alongside vintage icons. Both men showcase distinct Tudor Black Bay 58 iterations: Dunne’s Rowing Blazers edition, featuring red text and a retro pink accent designed by Wind and Jack Carlson, and Wind’s Hodinkee collaboration piece gifted by Ben, which features an extra line of dial text nodding to historical retailer signatures. Wind also strays into modern territory with a platinum Cartier Tank Normale on a seven-link bracelet, while Dunne highlights a 1917 Patek Philippe time-only pocket watch featuring a LeCoultre ébauche movement and a blue enamel initialed caseback, acquired through descendants of the original Jacksonville-area owner.
Perhaps the most poignant piece in Wind’s possession is a 9-karat gold Rolex sector dial pocket watch made for the Canadian market. Featuring a remarkably clean silvered dial devoid of numerals, the watch holds immense sentimental value as the first vintage timepiece that genuinely captivated Wind’s young son Charlie, who frequently retrieved it from his father’s desk. For Wind, it has transformed into a watch they effectively own together—a fitting symbol for a collection built entirely on shared passions, rigorous scholarship, and the enduring human connections forged through a lifelong love of horology.
