The Thrill of the Hunt

The Thrill of the Hunt If there's one thing collecting jumping hour watches has taught me, it's that the best finds almost never appear when I'm actively looking for them. They usually show up when I least expect them: hidden in a poorly photographed online auction, sitting in a small antique shop, or buried deep in pages of unrelated listings. Those are the moments that make the pulse quicken. Every collector knows the feeling—could this really be what I think it is? Part of the appeal is that jumping hour watches have always been something of a niche within watchmaking. Unlike conventional three-hand watches, they were produced by relatively few manufacturers, and many of the most interesting examples came from independent Swiss brands during the late 1960s and 1970s. When much of the Swiss watch industry was disrupted during the economic and technological upheaval commonly known as the Quartz Crisis, many of those brands disappeared, leaving their watches as reminders of a remarkably creative era. Over the years I've learned that patience is probably the most valuable tool a collector owns. I've walked away from watches that didn't feel quite right, only to find a better example months later. It isn't always easy, but it almost always pays off. Looking back, I realize I'm collecting more than watches. Every piece carries the memory of where I found it, the research that led me to it, and the excitement of recognizing something special before anyone else. That's the part of collecting that never gets old. Further reading Stephen Foskett, "Debunking the Quartz Crisis," Europa Star (2022). Chris Antzoulis, "A Guide to the Jump Hour Complication," European Watch Company Journal (2026), for a concise overview of the history of the complication.