A Personal Blog

Trust me: after thirty plus years breathing vintage watches all day, every day, I have stories to tell and some solid opinions based on personal experience, not hearsay.  Like all personal opinions, these reflect my ideas, my passion, my education  and my occasionally pretty radical points of view. Prepare yourself to learn some things that many out there don’t want anyone to know, others don’t want you to know and that maybe even you wouldn’t have wanted to know yourself! Everyone’s welcome and I appreciate all feedback: however, you best come with an open mind, a respectful attitude towards views possibly different from your own and an impartial interest for the opinion of others. Should this not be the case, this is probably not the right place for you.

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Alessandro Ciani’s View

My Take

Use caution when reading. These are the opinions and takes of Alessandro Ciani. 

Watchessentially

Watchessentially

The Base of All My Decisions For a change, I will not write about watch restoration and the ways in which this affects, mainly in the wrong way, both the value and the market of a vintage watch. I would like, instead, to debate the assessment process through which we...

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What does Vintage mean?

What does Vintage mean?

We always hear about the word vintage. In fact, it is plastered all over this website. But what does it exactly mean? Are we even using the word correctly? Let’s read further and take a look at the history behind the word “vintage.” History of the...

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Panerai and the Italian Special Forces

Panerai and the Italian Special Forces

When you think special forces, what immediately comes to mind? If you thought of the United States Special Operation Forces, then you are most likely in the same mindset of anyone else reading this. Though, there are other countries out there that have some of the...

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What makes a Rolex so special?

What makes a Rolex so special?

Out of all the watch brands out there (e.g. Patek Phillipe, Audemars Piguet, Tag Heuer, Hublot, etc.), Rolex stands out distinctively as having a very special, yet specific aesthetic. Not only are they elegant and world renown in its class, they are sporty, active and...

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That Question, Again!

That Question, Again!

One question that prospect clients invariably ask me nowadays, whilst going through the process of assessing if a watch is worth buying or not, is: “is the case polished”? This question is legitimate, since the market demands higher prices for untouched watches so...

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That question, again! (Part II)

That question, again! (Part II)

The old fashioned way – almost abandoned, today – to rebuff scratched up cases or remove dents or nicks from beat up watches was an invasive procedure that could literally deform the original shape of a watch case, or at best remove forever that particular...

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That question, again! (Part III)

That question, again! (Part III)

What do we do, now? Keep paying a “never touched” premium to dealers who have learned the way to have their watches perfectly restored for a fraction of that? Or finally learn our own standards and go by those? Is it worth paying other people who will charge us money...

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Press Cut

Assessing the Magic

Assessing the Magic

Today I will not write about watch restoration and the ways in which this affects – mainly in the wrong way – both the value and the market of a vintage watch. I would like, instead, to debate the assessment process through which we could – or...

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Article from OM November 2019

Article from OM November 2019

When Francesca and Fabiana asked me to write something for this issue, they also mentioned that the magazine’s cover would feature Phillips in association with Bacs and Russo. So, the first thing I could think of was to share a couple of thoughts regarding auction...

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The Watch Hunter of Africa

The Watch Hunter of Africa

“Roni Madhvani, a Ugandan of Indian origin, has the rarest collection of Patek Philippe’s vintage watches. In fact, his stock of the Gilbert Albert watches is probably second only to the brand itself. WatchTime India brings you a rare peek into the revered...

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American Dream – OM Magazine Issue 16

American Dream – OM Magazine Issue 16

…So Alex, you have decided to move to the US, near LA in California. Why, and for how long? And what will happen to your business activity in Rome?  Yes, it is absolutely true. I have not worked out the final details yet, but the project I intend to complete at the...

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Solo Rolex – OM Magazine Issue 11

Solo Rolex – OM Magazine Issue 11

It is nowadays impossible not to perceive the increasing importance on niche collecting, and I think it’s about time to carefully evaluate the phenomenon from both an historical and economical perspective.  Objects that until recent times were part of general interest...

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Passion

The Glorious History of the Wrist Watch

The Glorious History of the Wrist Watch

Back in the day, a long, long time ago, watches were not always worn on the wrist. A lot of the times, as you would see in the movies, these beautiful pieces of art would be carried inside of a pocket or linked to a chain. Today, we have just one type of wristwatch...

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A Man’s Cave

A Man’s Cave

Looking at vintage watches from his very personal perspective, Alessandro Ciani focuses mainly on the “perfect balance” of their components in terms of aging, patina, preservation and even at the accessories that complement them, in order to come up with a...

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