Every collector I’ve spoken with has a distinct point of view. Some chase chronographs, others gravitate to tool watches, and plenty fall for the big names we all know. But with Roni Madhvani, you encounter a philosophy that stands apart. He doesn’t chase hype or the next market darling. Instead, he focuses on design history, eccentric cases, and watches that double as sculpture.
Roni’s taste centers on what he calls the golden age of case design. The period from the 1940s through the 1960s when brands experimented with lugs, shapes, and unexpected proportions. His collection is filled with double-signed dials, one-off commissions, and forgotten models that speak more to art and history than to market charts. And the same instinct that draws him to these watches also pulls him toward other forms of design, from contemporary art to Art Deco hood ornaments once mounted on vintage cars.
Finding Art on the Wrist
Roni bought his first watch as a university student, a Baume & Mercier chronograph he still owns. From the beginning, what mattered to him wasn’t complication or resale value but design. To him, a watch is a piece of art you wear on your wrist.
That outlook guided him toward the mid-century period, when case makers were at their most daring. It was also when Patek Philippe’s young designer Gilbert Albert created some of the most avant-garde watches in the brand’s history. Roni fell in love with Albert’s sculptural approach, seeing echoes of Mondrian and other mid-century artists in his work. Years later, he even had Albert sign his Patek extracts, a gesture that connected his collection directly to the artist behind the designs.
Watches With a Story
Scroll through Roni’s Instagram and you won’t see endless shots of Daytonas or Nautiluses. Instead, you’ll find asymmetrical Pateks, Cartiers in unusual cases, and Vacherons retailed through long-forgotten jewelers in South America.
What makes these pieces special for him isn’t just rarity. It’s the story each one carries like an engraving, a double signature, or a piece of provenance that ties the object to a life lived. One Vacheron he acquired had an inscription to “Adolf” from the 1950s. Research revealed that the owner was a Jewish émigré who fled Austria and later became a jeweler in New York, adopting the nickname “Dodley.” Details like that transform a watch from an object into a living piece of history.
Cartier and Custom Creations
Cartier has been central to Roni’s journey. He has a deep respect for the maison’s ability to create timeless, unconventional forms, and at one point was among the first to commission custom work directly with Cartier. He even collaborated with them on a unique Crash with a black dial.
But as Cartier expanded its bespoke program and reissued cult designs like the Pebble, Roni grew frustrated with how personal relationships gave way to marketing exercises. A promised Pebble nearly slipped away from him before the maison corrected course. Even with those frustrations, he treasures the piece and points to it as proof that Cartier remains unmatched when it comes to design that endures.
Collecting Beyond Watches
Watches aren’t his only obsession. Roni is also a serious collector of Art Deco hood ornaments and mascots, miniature sculptures that once adorned luxury cars in the 1920s and 30s. Many were made in France by artists like René Lalique, and they share the same mix of elegance and eccentricity he values in watches.
Just as a Patek signed by Gilbert Albert reflects mid-century artistry, a Lalique glass ornament captures the spirit of interwar design. For Roni, they’re part of the same continuum, portable works of art that carry history in their form.
The Collectors Gene Rundown
The One That Got Away: A Vacheron with an enamel dial depicting a twin-tailed mermaid. He passed when it was offered decades ago for $30,000. It resurfaced later at auction and sold far higher.
The On Deck Circle: Hunting for vintage JLC and Longines while keeping an eye on rare Patek, Cartier, and Vacheron designs that fit his love for unusual cases.
The Unobtainable: Pieces like the Patek 2499 or certain rare repeaters remain dreams. Not impossible, but likely beyond reach.
The Page One Re-Write: If not watches or hood ornaments, he’d collect art deco sculpture and contemporary African art. By his own admission, he’s a hoarder at heart.
The GOAT: He resists naming one, but points to Auro Montanari and Jason Singer as inspirations. More importantly, he credits everyday collectors who share knowledge as the real heroes.
The Hunt or The Ownership: Always the hunt. The research, the surprise lead, the chase is where the thrill lies.
Do You Feel That You Were Born With The Collector’s Gene?: Yes, though he laughs when he says it. Collecting is less a hobby than a reflex.
Closing Thoughts
What I admire most about Roni Madhvani is how he collects against the grain. He’s not chasing what the market dictates. He’s not buying because a watch is in vogue. Instead, he looks for beauty, for history, and for design that makes you stop and stare.
Whether it’s a Patek designed by Gilbert Albert, a unique Cartier Crash, or a glass Lalique mascot from the 1930s, Roni’s collection is about curiosity and connoisseurship. In a watch world that often feels swept up in trends, his perspective is a reminder that collecting should be about joy and surrounding yourself with objects that matter, not because they’re hot, but because they speak to you.
