*The most Miami of line ups - Three Ebel El Primero Chronographs with pink, blue, and white mother of pearl dials*

Words & images by Tim Vaux (@timvaux).

2024 marks my eighth year working full-time in watches. In that time, I've attended a fair few watch shows and events. Predominantly across Europe, these shows tend to follow new watches and the cutting edge of the industry, but there's always been one show right after Christmas that does an excellent job of provoking FOMO.

Set in Miami Beach, Florida, 'The Original Miami Beach Antique Show' appears when observing through a screen to be a haven for the rare and significant from all corners of the industry. The casual dress code and Miami Beach setting contrasted by anything but casual watches have always appealed. Well, after a generous invitation from the very man responsible for sourcing the diverse watches you see on this website and a certain prominent watch collector, it was time to see what the show was about. Is it as packed full of crazy watches as it seemed online? How central to the show were the watches?

*Ben Dunn (@watchbrotherslondon) and Carlos (@peluco) at Alfredo’s stand*

*The Original Miami Beach Antique Show 2024*

They say everything is bigger in America, and to give them their props, that's certainly the case for the setting for the show, with endless aisles and stands filling the 'Miami Convention Center'.

Inside, there's just about everything and anything considered antique, from furniture, art, jewels, and jewellery. On the watch front, a whos-who of the industry wandered the centre as guests, from known social media influencers, friends at Hodinkee, prominent dealers and collectors such as Goldberger, methodically scanning displays and shaking hands.

*A racing ‘Exotic’ dial Speedmaster from the 1970s worn by Sasha Davidoff (@davidoffbrothers)*

*Monaco Legend Group’s stand was always busy, for obvious reasons*

*Mike Nouveau (@mikenouveau) and Kevin O’Dell (@theydid) opening up a vintage Cartier at the show*

Guests aside, the list of exhibitors for those excited about watches was extensive. Roy & Sacha Davidoff, Monaco Legend Group, Precious Time Watches, J Luxe, LoupeThis, The Keystone, LuxuryBazaar, Matthew Bain, Menta Watches, Alfredo Paramico, Lunar Oyster, Vintage Watches Miami by Luca Musumeci, The Watch Boutique - you name it, and they were likely there.

*Tony Traina (@tony_traina) of Hodinkee doing his thing with a camera*

These were almost always some of the busiest stands of the show, quickly becoming regular meeting spots for the kindred spirit watch crew to congregate and share finds and ask questions with the like-minded.

The Watches

*Amongst the sea of Rolex sports watches, there were some heavy hitting modern pieces*

The watches spotted at the show can be categorised into three distinct classes: modern sports, exceedingly rare icons, and unusual dressy pieces. While the first category speaks for itself (think Rolex Celebration dial, the Offshore and the Daytona), the last two types struck me the most.

*1804 Platinum Rolex Day Date' Eye of Horus*

On the rare icons front, Monaco Legend Group brought along examples of the most important references such as the Cartier Cintree, a Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 2499, an incredible 1804 Platinum Rolex Day Date' Eye of Horus', and a 'JPS' Paul Newman.

*The Watch Boutique had some very special pieces on display*

Similarly, The Watch Boutique had a remarkable example of a Rolex Daytona 6263 in Yellow Gold and a Patek Philippe Nautilus in yellow gold with its original box and papers.

*Spot the good stuff - not every display was created equal*

There were cases full of Submariner references, from more modern no-date examples to rarer stuff such as an Explorer dial and a 6205. I can also confidently say I've never seen so many Rolex Triple Calendar Moonphase references (including a 6062) all under one roof, especially nonchalantly included in display cabinets with other noteworthy heavy hitters.

*The 2438 is probably the most beautiful watch ever.*

When it came to the unusual, what struck me about these was how many were of interest and being examined by attendees, with deals being completed seemingly at every stand. It was the precious metal smaller watches from the likes of Piaget, Cartier, Gerald Genta, Blancpain, and Breguet sparking the most conversation during dinner.

Is this because the wider antique scene generally appreciates precious metal and gem settings more than a steel Rolex from the 1960s? Or does it demonstrate that the people directly serving markets as dealers are starting to see more potential and demand for the small and dressy? I imagine the truth lies somewhere between those two, but there's no denying the more unusual and under-the-radar watches were the refreshing subject of chatter over the four-day trip.

*A mini Cartier Baignore with a caseback set crown from the 1960s*

*Jamie (@oro.log) modelling a wild Patek known as the Pepita, reference 4121*

*A solid complicated lineup from the Davidoff Brothers*

*Courtesy of Matthew Bain (@matthewbaininc)*

To directly quote the sign accompanying these watches: “A magnificent set of four unique Piaget watches, set with diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire gemstones. In 18k white gold featuring full pavé set dials and powered by one of Piaget's most famous creations, the Chronoreflex movement, which features a chronograph and perpetual calendar complication.”

*Via J & P Timepieces, this steel Omega Regulator is believed to have been a prototype*

*That’s a sandblasted white gold perpetual calendar with a carbon fibre dial, finished off with mother of pearl and lapis sub-registers. It could only be Gerald Genta*

*Mike Nouveau’s ‘Bamboo’ sitting pretty*

*AP with approximately 100% less Spiderman*

Gorgeous Breguet owned by Jamie (@oro.log)

*That guy on the left is tantalum and rose gold*

It was with these types of watches that I've never caught myself saying, 'I've never seen that before' so many times, and if there was one stand and collection to embody this to the max, it was at 'Vintage Watches Miami by Luca Musumeci' stand, where Alfredo Paramico resided.

Alfredo Paramico’s Collection

*Alfredo (@alfredoparamico) and Ben Dunn at The Original Miami Beach Antique Show 2024*

Italian-born but now residing in Miami, Alfredo Paramico is one of the prominent watch collectors in the world. Many will remember his Talking Watches episode on Hodinkee some ten years ago, and you'll be pleased to know that in the decade since, he has kept up his curation.

*A selection of Breguet that Alfredo had on display*

*Alfredo’s newest crush - neo vintage Ebel*

*Alfredo’s Blancpain collection, more on these later*

*Alfredo Paramico at The Original Miami Beach Antique Show 2024*

Potentially the only stand at the entire show where nothing was for sale, Alfredo was in attendance purely to provide education, share stories and bring together a portion of his collection he is finding the most joy in as of late. Over two large display cabinets, the full spectrum of important neo-vintage watches from brands such as Ebel, Gerald Genta, Blancpain, Chopard, Parmigiani Fleurier, Chopard, Ulysse Nardin, and Breguet could be seen.

*Alfredo had more pieces in the safe not on display, of course.*

While everything was on display, everything wasn't 'for display only', as watches regularly came off their cushions for attendees to have valuable hands-on time. Alfredo is a gatherer of the fine and important, but above all that, he's welcoming, charming and gracious with his time. He's also one of the reasons I came to Miami, granting me full and exclusive access to any of his watches at the show to document.

The following images are the result of us loading up watch cases, heading out of the show and shooting exceptional watches in environments and conditions they have never been shot in before.

Everything below was shot in natural light, outside in sunny (and often not so sunny) Miami Beach.

*The Gerald Genta Grande Sonnerie No.1 in platinum with a matching bracelet - this piece so synonymous with Alfredo, I think at this point this watch deserves the nickname ‘The Paramico’*

Two piece unique Blancpain minute repeaters

*Exceptionally rare Blancpain World Timer - 1990s*

*If you want to see the front and back of your watch at the same time simply collect two*

*Two Ebel Perpetual Calendar Chronographs in Yellow Gold, one with a black dial, the other with a blue - reference 8136901*

*Also pretty special is this Ebel Le Modulor Chronograph Limited Edition ref. 4137240 in platinum with a tropicalised dial and mother of pearl sub-registers*

*These enamel dial Ulysse Nardin’s were also some of my favourite. You just can’t help but love enamel!*

*A specially commissioned Andersen from a Japanese client resulted in this perpetual calendar minute repeater*

*With a Patek Philippe Tiffany & Co movement dating from the 1920s*

*The form factor of the Memory Time with its stepped design on the wrist was incredible*

*Zoom in to check out the finishing and detail*

*The Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Rattrapante - limited to just 10*

*A short term goal of mine is to get myself an Ebel Voyager - this example in particular is extremely characterful*

*How can you resist that wave bracelet?*

The Show And The People

The show was quite a maze to navigate, and while watches dominated specific portions, you had to have a good eye to spot the gems. Exhibitors weren't afraid to hide their good stuff, and amongst the sea of gems and lavish antiques, you could easily stumble across a white gold Piaget or a diamond-studded Corum Golden Bridge.

*Not your everyday Patek, 3941 Dore 1st series*

*Mike Nouveau was rocking his Cartier Coussin, aka the Bamboo*

*Tyler of Craft and Tailored (@craftandtailored) was rocking a Tudor Black Bay 58 in Silver on a green NATO*

*Cameron Barr of Craft and Tailored (@craftandtailored) opted for a Rolex Daytona 6265*

A brace of skeletons from The Davidoff Brothers (@davidoffbrothers)

*Tony Traina (@tony_traina) of Hodinkee dressed suitably with his 1016*

*Kevin O’Dell (@theydid) checking out a Chopard*

*Phil Toledano (@misterenthusiast) proudly wearing his latest pick up at the show, a skeleton Chopard St Moritz*

It's undoubtedly a show where a glimpse behind the curtain of how dealers operate, and people are there to make money, the passion for the product (be it furniture, jewels, clocks, or funky 1970s Longines watches) is undeniable.

*Geoffrey Hess (@manhattanrollie) of Sotheby’s*

*Tony Traina’s panel at The Original Miami Beach Antique Show 2024*

Take the panel Tony Traina of Hodinkee hosted on Saturday with Charlie Dunne of Eric Wind Vintage, Geoffrey Hess of Sotheby's, and one-half of the Davidoff Brothers, Sasha Davidoff. Over 100 people showed up and listened to 'The Thrills, Triumphs and Tribulations of Watch Collecting' discussion. I haven't attended a watch panel with that amount of people in attendance in many years.

During the evening prior, Menta Watches, the Davidoff Brothers, and Lunar Oyster hosted a watch evening at the Walt Grace Vintage store in Miami. Guitars were on the wall, beautiful vintage cars took over 50% of the space, and tons of people attended with all manner of watches; many of the same people were those who had just spent the two previous days exhibiting at the show.

*A fantastic evening of cars, guitars, and watches*

*Some real hits from this era of Blancpain*

*A couple of incredible clocks (the one of the right is signed Asprey)*

*Mark Kauzlarich (@markkauzlarich) of Hodinkee wearing a lovely Wittnauer chronograph*

*An overlooked side of horological collecting!*

*Even the independents came out to play*

*Plenty of exciting pocket watches to discover*

It was fantastic to tick the Miami Beach Antique Show off my list of must-visits (there isn't actually a list, but if there were, it would simply read 'all of the watch events'). To experience the inner mechanics of this side of the industry was fascinating. Shooting all the crazy watches and, of course, meeting up with old friends and making new ones on my first visit to Miami was a delight.

But did the show deliver on the watch front? It's an emphatic yes from me. As I departed Miami late in the evening, I was struck by a few key takeaways:

Buy what you like. Everyone says this, and I've known it for years, but Miami demonstrated this in a way not often witnessed. Don't overly stress about what case size you habitually wear or how something fits into a collection. Don't let all that superficial noise get in the way of owning and experiencing watches you think are interesting.
A Paul Newman Daytona suddenly doesn't feel so special when there are about ten under one roof.
$32 for a cheeseburger with pink-dyed bread (seriously) and a bottle of water shouldn't be a thing. Come on, America.

I must extend a big thank you to the gentleman Ben from WatchBrothers London, the infinitely hospitable Alfredo Paramico, and all of the friends who joined us in Miami.

See you next year.

All images captured by Tim Vaux.

The Watches & People Of The Original Miami Beach Antique Show 2024

The Watches

Alfredo Paramico’s Collection

The Show And The People

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The Watches & People Of The Original Miami Beach Antique Show 2024

The Watches

Alfredo Paramico’s Collection

The Show And The People

Reference Talk - Audemars Piguet Ultra-Thin Self-Winding Tourbillon Ref. 25643 and 25656

The Three Dials of 1st Series Patek Philippe ref. 3940

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