H. Jane Chon Shares Her Watch Collection

January 04, 2022

For the attorney and watch collector H. Jane Chon, quarantine ushered in a major change in her approach to collecting. Despite being a self-proclaimed pack rat (I feel like things are mine and Im going to just sit on them, she says), Chon became detached from many personal items during quarantine C save for her watches. I had to wear a watch every day because it felt very comforting, she recalls. But in turn, that meant assessing whether each watch was earning its keep. I had too much time to think about each watch and began asking: Why do I have this? Why do I have money sunk in this, paying insurance on it? I work for a living and I suddenly thought, No more safe queens. At the height of the pandemic her collection underwent a major purge, with Chon selling more pieces in that time than in all her adult life, so far. Quarantine made me a better person C or at least a more sensible one, she says, with a collection today more focused on wearability. If Im not going to wear it, then I shouldnt have it, she adds. Objectively speaking, it makes no financial sense holding watches unless for investment. But I dont see watches as an investment. To that point, every one of her vintage watches have been pressure-tested for water resistance. I want to know that I can wear the watch if its raining, she says. Today her collection feels uniquely me at around 85% vintage or neo-vintage. Its driven, first and foremost, by the quality of movements. Mechanical watches are something I understand and which Im not afraid to handle myself, says Chon, who calls herself a Luddite who has never felt comfortable with technology. I can wrap my head around the mechanics C thats always been part of my fascination. Watches are almost alive. I love that my vintage watches actually tick.?Below are her top four C each one infused with memory and story C plus a non-watch memento with a special family history. The Four 1997 Platinum Cartier Tank Guichet It was around 2015, in law school, when Chons watch collecting took a more serious turn. Law school was hard, and I think I just grew up. It became about, This is what Im interested in and I dont feel so apologetic about it, says Jane, who today, in addition to her day job, also works pro bono as counsel for the Horological Society of New York. In December 2018, she came upon this platinum Tank Guichet C surprisingly, as she had always deliberately shunned Cartier. I made a face when people tried to show me a Panthre. Still, to her surprise, she knew about the Tank Guichet. I was immediately struck by its design, timelessness, and presence. For such a little thing, it has so much presence C and it weighs a ton. This thing literally said: Look. At. Me. I had to buy it despite myself.The watch also single-handedly raised the importance of design on Chons checklist of criteria, while at the same time, sent me down the path of historical Cartier, which has been arduous and expensive.?With its pared-back, minimalist styling, the Tank Guichet is one of three watches that Chon wears regularly. This one has been worn for a range of occasions, from the opera and black tie to sweatpants when I go home to mom. 1950s Yellow Gold Patek Philippe Ref. 2526J Acquiring this 36mm vintage Patek in August 2019 was quite a dramatic affair for Chon, but is especially poignant as it involved a cast of characters whove had the most influence on her watch-collecting. Chon happened to be hanging out at her authorized dealer when the watch came in. Clients arent supposed to be in the watchmakers room on a regular basis, but were friends, and I was there bouncing around getting a Rolex 1601 Buckley dial serviced, Chon says. Her boyfriend initially helped her secure the watch. Im the daughter of immigrants C Im not going to leave a watch on a credit card or anything like that.?This watch, alongside the Tank Guichet, are the two that Chon says will be the last to go if she was ever forced to sell her collection. But unlike the Tank, this watch, with its pristine enamel dial, is far from an everyday piece. If Im running around, where Im more likely to bang it into a door, or running for the subway, Im not wearing it. And it definitely wont be worn with sweats to see mom. 2007 White Gold A. Lange & Sohne Cabaret During isolation Chon was able to keep in touch with her watch friends over Zoom and WhatsApp. Two friends in particular helped with this baguette diamond bezel Cabaret. They gave me their time and held my hand. I bought this piece with their support after they talked me through it, sharing their knowledge.?Chon certainly has a thing for rectangular, art-deco style cases. But this one is on a different level, with Chon describing the watch as powerful, and which she likes to wear loosely on her wrist. Its flashy, but in the right way. I gravitate to it on days when I know Im going to have difficult exchanges, whether work or personal. This may sound silly, but I feel two inches taller when Im wearing this watch. 2005 White Gold Cartier Tank a Vis Wandering Hour After her newfound confidence with the Cabaret, Chon purchased this Cartier Tank a Vis in January 2021 from a collector whos in a different league to me, she says. Hes a collector, Im an enthusiast. But most of all, she was struck by his willingness to share his love of Cartier. I collect many things, and in my other hobbies people are not so generous with their time or knowledge C and I can say that emphatically.?With its outr dragging hour display, the watch features a stunning hand-guilloche dial centered around a rosette pattern thats typical of the Collection?Prive Cartier?Paris collection (which, from 1998-2008, saw Cartier revive some of its most daring archival designs). Its a CPCP piece, but thats not why I loved it, Chon says. Its beautifully made, from the guillochage and movement to the aesthetics. Plus its unusual C Im attracted to the unique and rare. This watch speaks to me C and if a piece doesnt, I dont see the point. The One 1976 Two-Dollar Bill Chons father gave her this 1976 two-dollar bill when she was around 10 years old, a time in her life when she felt especially awkward and out of place. After being bullied at school one day, her father presented the bill, the first one in his collection of around 80 bills (he was trying to collect one from every year).?He said it was special, because it was his first one and that it was in really good condition, recalls Chon, who added that it was her fathers way of saying that it was okay to be herself. He was inelegant in how he said it, but the point was that he understood C my dad was saying its okay to be odd and different. Photos by Meghan Marin.? Shop this story For more information about A. Lange & Sohne, Cartier, and Patek Philippe, visit their websites. The HODINKEE Shop also carries a wide range of vintage watches.