The Timeless Marketplace is picking up. This month, we onboarded a new partner: Amsterdam Vintage Watches (AVW), a family-run business that started in 1987 and became one of Europe’s leading dealers in vintage luxury watches, specializing in Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Cartier.
Ahead of our first and most exclusive drop together — the legendary Rolex Datocompax 6036 “Jean Claude-Killy” — we sat down with AVW’s owner and CEO, Jasper Lijfering, to talk about his journey, the vintage watch market, and what differentiates a beautiful watch from an investment-grade piece.
Jasper: AVW is a family business with a story of two generations. Throughout both eras, three values have remained constant: quality, respect for history, and a deeply personal approach.
I fell in love with vintage watches at 16. I noticed a growing interest in horology among my peers, but no company seemed to speak directly to them. So when I took over the shop, I became my own target audience. We were among the first to embrace Instagram and YouTube, using a transparent, passionate and personal approach that felt very different from the traditional world of watch dealers.
It worked. We attracted a wide audience, from seasoned collectors to first-time buyers. At our peak, we sold around a thousand watches a year. Today, we specialize in the rarest, most collectible pieces in vintage horology.
Rolex
Datocompax Ref. 6036 “Jean-Claude Killy”
A complicated Rolex may sound like a contradiction; and that’s exactly what makes this reference so rare. In the 1950s (the golden era), Rolex briefly ventured into the world of mechanically advanced timepieces. The result was a model produced in extremely small numbers, then discontinued, as the brand realized its strength was creating robust, no-nonsense watches.
Yet the watch remains unmistakably Rolex: the durable Oyster case and sporty proportions speak the brand’s design language. But look closer and you’ll see the details that show how far Rolex pushed itself to match the prestige of the mechanics: the sunken hour markers and coronet, for example. Although few were made, a surprising variety exists.
This particular example stands out with its French-language dial (“anti-magnetique” and “chronographe”), matching discs, and a period-correct French Gay Frères bracelet. To find one so well preserved today is extraordinary.
The most obvious factors are brand and model, because of their heritage, commitment to quality and ongoing demand. Cultural relevance and trends are less impactful on timeless and classic pieces; icons don’t just fade.
Next is the watch’s condition and by extension its originality. Collectors pay a high premium on well-preserved pieces with authentic components.
Finally, there is configuration. Special features or differentiating designs can have a great effect on collectability. It could be the smallest detail. Collectors want to have something unusual and hard to find. Rarity rules.
Ten years ago, knowledge was limited to a small circle. Today, thanks to social media, events and online communities, buyers are more educated than ever.
Demand has shifted from chasing only big brands to appreciation of specific references, dial variations, and originality. The very best and rarest pieces have surged in value, while more common models remained stable. A younger, digital-native generation of buyers has entered the market, comfortable buying online and reshaping collecting.
Looking ahead, the biggest growth opportunities lie in digital transparency and secondary-market infrastructure. Platforms like Timeless that combe trusted curation with global reach and make trading or investing in high-value alternative assets accessible, safer and more liquid for a wider audience.
Volatility is most visible in the new or modern watch market. During booms, more buyers enter the market and higher spending pushed prices up. Conversely, during recessions or periods of high interest rates, some collectors reduce spending or liquidate parts of their collections, which can soften prices for more common watches.
However, the very top tier of rare, historically significant pieces tends to stay resilient. Serious collectors with long-term horizons still pursue those watches even when the broader economy slows. So while global economics affects liquidity and short-term pricing, rarity, condition and originality remain the biggest drivers of long-term value.
It always comes back to rarity, condition, and configuration. But we also ask: how many qualified buyers exist for this watch? A piece can be rare, but if it’s too niche, it may be difficult to sell later. For Timeless, we source watches that are both hard to find and appealing to a broad collector base, ensuring strong exit potential. With over 10,000 watches sold in the past decade, we have a good feel for that balance.
This depends on how risk averse you are. The upside of Timeless is that it offers the possibility of diversification. I would use that to my advantage to go 50% blue chip, 25% very rare, valuable and niche and 25% watches that are just different and misunderstood.
I’d say: “school yourself before you fool yourself”. Education goes a long way, and these days it is quite readily available online. Just be mindful of the source of your information. If they are sharing advice out of self-interest, it may not be reliable. Which brings us to the second tip.
Though I find “buy the seller” a bit overstated, there is truth to it. Building a relationship with a trusted dealer or platformcan save you a lot of headaches and mistakes. My last advice is: “don’t fixate on the price”. You could have two of the same versions of a Rolex Submariner 5513 with completely different values. Condition, replaced parts, provenance etc. play a huge role. The cheaper option isn’t always the better deal.
One of our most exciting recent finds was a Patek Philippe 2438/1R, a perpetual calendar from the 50s. This reference is already rare, but only 7 pieces in pink gold were known to exist and we have found the 8th, which also happens to be the most spectacular.
It came from the son of the original owner and the watch’s entire history was well documented. What set it apart was a unique dial with oversized Arabic numerals. This, combined with a blued steel handset, makes us believe it was done on request for better legibility. Stories like this make the thrill in vintage watch collecting.
Rolex
Datocompax Ref. 6036 “Jean-Claude Killy”
