Watchdreamer launches its first Vintage capsule collection

In a world where everything is accelerating, we’ve chosen to celebrate the watches that invite us to slow down. Those that have already lived, and whose every scratch tells a story. Watchdreamer is launching its vintage selection. It will be presented in the form of capsules, in collaboration with some of the best vintage watchmakers and suppliers in Switzerland. And because dreams have no age, watch financing finds its full meaning here. Offering the possibility to acquire a vintage watch — sometimes rare, often charged with emotion — without immediate constraint, is a way to extend the very idea of time. The choice of our partners is just as precious as the selection of the watches themselves, which is why we’re delighted to collaborate with Watchspare on this capsule. For the occasion, we went to meet Oliver and explore the world of their company, in the heart of Geneva.

An exceptional partner for our first capsule

The story of Watchspare is one we love, especially when you’re passionate about watchmaking. It begins with Nicolas’s expertise as a watchmaker, who had accumulated a vast number of spare parts. He decided to inventory them, then put them online: the success was immediate. So much so that people began referring to Alliance — his first company — as a “national library of components.” But behind this collection of parts, another ambition lay dormant: giving new life to old watches. That’s where Watchspare, his second company, took shape — a natural continuation of a passionate journey. The idea is to build a capital of vintage watches, but above all, to offer a servicing process, a guarantee of quality, and the assurance of real know-how for unique pieces. This is what makes Watchspare’s concept so unique: restoring, authenticating, and offering carefully selected, serviced, and guaranteed period watches. Each piece receives special attention; they are not chosen “because they’re trendy,” but because they are watches that Nicolas and Oliver — and anyone who genuinely loves watchmaking — would want to own. As Oliver puts it nicely: “We select pieces we would want to wear ourselves.”

The process is meticulous and perfectly mastered — worthy of the precision of a Swiss watch. Each piece goes through what Oliver describes as a funnel process: first assessing the condition of the case, then the overall appearance of the watch, before evaluating any potential repairs… This level of detail and expertise enables a unique customer experience: a conversation between enthusiasts. Watchspare is a space for exchange among aficionados of timepieces, a way to nurture the connection between past and present. Although it rises above trends, the company operates in a field that has been gaining momentum and seducing more and more people: vintage. It is undeniable that the biggest watchmaking houses are re-releasing more and more iconic models. It is equally undeniable that certain legendary pieces possess an incomparable charm, both for their beauty and their stories.

We are proud to offer some of these models — such as a Cartier Tank — in our first vintage selection. An iconic, small mechanical-winding piece with a custom-made strap. This watch is one of the first Cartier models signed in Switzerland, produced during the house’s transition from Paris to La Chaux-de-Fonds.

This selection has been crafted for its beauty, the history of its pieces, but above all for lovers of watches and collectors. When we asked Oliver for the three pieces of advice he would give to someone starting a collection, his answer won us over:

“The first piece of advice is to learn — whether online, on YouTube, or with specialists.”

“The second is to buy what you love. Don’t buy what you think will please others, but what you would want to wear yourself.”

“The third is to make mistakes. It’s part of the game. You need to understand that when you buy a 20-franc watch and it stops working two weeks later, there are watchmakers and artisans behind it to fix it. Vintage isn’t always easy; you need to make mistakes to understand it.”

Wearing History on Your Wrist

Universal Genève - 138SS

Oliver speaks passionately about the watches included in this first capsule. One piece particularly caught our attention: a Universal Genève watch equipped with a 138SS “bumper” automatic movement. This movement is especially interesting because its oscillating weight does not rotate 360°, unlike most automatic mechanisms. Instead, it hits two small springs on either side of the balance wheel. The watch therefore reacts to wrist movements, and you can feel it vibrate when one of the movement’s springs is struck. Designed to celebrate the first SAS flight over the North Pole, the Polerouter was engineered to resist the magnetic fields of the poles — a watch born from travel, courage, and ingenuity.

 

Ebel and the El Primero Movement

The selection also includes two watches from the brand Ebel. These two magnificent pieces stand out thanks to their “El Primero” movement. In the late 1960s, a race emerged among the greatest watchmaking houses to create the first automatic chronograph movement. Zenith won with the launch of “El Primero” in January 1969 — a movement so precise that even Rolex used it. An essential chapter in watchmaking history, preserved within these two pieces.

 

Universal Genève and visionary design

Another steel Universal Genève watch also captured our interest. We were charmed by its naturally preserved condition, with a touch of luminous material still on its sword hands — a rarity sought after by knowledgeable collectors. The watch features a micro-rotor movement, giving it remarkable thinness.

It incorporates all the codes of Gérald Genta, the visionary designer who revolutionized modern watchmaking by creating some of the most iconic and timeless designs of the 20th century. The inner bezel, the case shape, the minute track, and the curved lugs are typical of Genta’s Polerouter models.

In conclusion

Each watch in the capsule stands out through its aesthetic, its era, or its story. These pieces were carefully selected in collaboration with Watchspare. Between restoration, passion, and transmission, Watchspare embodies what we love most about watchmaking: the art of making time last.