What's so special about the opening of 'The OAK Collection International Exhibition' at the Design Museum in London?
Apart from the quantity and variety of the models on display, no less than 162, and the large number of unique or very few pieces, what is special is that this is an exhibition of watches belonging to one person: the collector Patrick Getreide.
A great Patek Philippe enthusiast, who went from customer to friend of President Thierry Stern, Getreide decided to bring to light, in a phantasmagorical manner, a private collection kept secret for decades, even from his closest friends. Legend has it that close acquaintances learned of his irrepressible passion through an article in Paris Match, which announced the forthcoming opening of the London exhibition.
The other outstanding feature of what Getreide's son wanted to christen the One-of-A-Kind (OAK) Collection, is that these are lived watches, which Patrick Getreide wears regularly, even for sport: "If a watch is waterproof, I go swimming in it", and it matters little if it is a rare perpetual calendar chrono. Also, don't just expect antique or vintage models, because the selection of the 162 exhibits (only a part of the entire collection) also includes watches from today until 2020. And if you want to look at brand new and extremely rare ones, you should be lucky enough to meet Getreide and rummage through his pockets (because two wrists are not enough!).
Finally, the striking thing is that we find no particular criteria in the choice of models that have become part of the OAK Collection over the years. The only common characteristic is that they appealed to the collector, a French gentleman who says he only gets excited in front of a beautiful watch.
Curious? Until 25 May, in London, you can treat yourself to a live look at what one of the world's largest watch collections is made up of.
