When Jaclyn Li arrived on the watch scene in 2020, it felt like she appeared fully formed: sharp taste, a knack for photography, and a perspective that stood apart. In a hobby often driven by noise, Jaclyn managed to be both precise and approachable. She collects with intention, balancing an eye for beauty with a willingness to embrace imperfection.
Her approach is not about acquiring more; it’s about curating pieces that carry weight. Whether that’s a Cartier Tank with a cracked dial or a Patek Philippe with architectural lugs, Jaclyn leans into watches that invite closer study rather than immediate applause. In many ways, her story underscores what we’ve been circling in recent episodes; that collecting is at its best when it reflects curiosity, not conformity.
Roots and Early Impressions
Jaclyn’s fascination with objects didn’t begin with watches. Growing up between China and Canada, she was surrounded by small but meaningful collections. Her grandfather kept fragile calligraphy scrolls, rolled carefully in drawers. Her father loved old Zippo lighters and WWII motorcycles, even driving her around in one with a sidecar. These weren’t framed as “collections,” but they modeled respect for history and the idea that objects can hold memory.
When the pandemic slowed everything down, she turned to watches. Without an heirloom to inherit or a family of collectors to guide her, she built her knowledge from scratch, gravitating first toward Cartier.
Cartier and the Shift Toward Imperfection
Cartier became her anchor. In 2019, before the current frenzy, she hunted down platinum Tanks and salmon-dial Santos references at prices that seem unimaginable now. Early on, she fixated on the condition. Every dial had to be flawless, every case untouched. But time changed her perspective.
A London Baignoire with a dial that showed cracking in the lacquer opened her eyes. Where once she would have walked away, she now saw beauty in the flaws. The wear wasn’t damage; it was character. She compared it to how an oil painting develops cracks that only add to its depth. That shift marked a turning point: collecting became about intimacy, not perfection.
Balancing Vintage and Modern
Although Cartier is central, Jaclyn’s collection has branched into vintage Patek Philippe. She owns a white-gold 2526 enamel-dial Calatrava and independents like Akrivia and Laurent Ferrier. She even finds value in Richard Mille, whose futuristic energy might seem at odds with vintage Geneva, but for her it all fits.
She doesn’t see the categories as contradictory. Each brings a different kind of joy, whether it’s the quiet elegance of guilloché or the bold architecture of carbon and titanium. For Jaclyn, collecting is about range, not repetition.
Knowing When to Let Go
One of the more refreshing parts of Jaclyn’s philosophy is her willingness to sell. If a watch sits unworn, or if it becomes so ubiquitous online that it loses its intimacy, she moves on. It isn’t about exclusivity but the saturation. When a reference appears on dozens of feeds in a week, the magic dulls. She’d rather hunt for the overlooked.
Collecting in Rhythm
All of this unfolds while she studies at Harvard and co-hosts The Waiting List podcast. Where others might see overload, Jaclyn sees rhythm. She waits for the right watch, the right light, the right frame, letting her photography and collecting breathe. She compares it to her love of ceramics, where patience and precision are just as important as creativity.
Looking Ahead
What excites her now are architectural Patek references with unusual casework such as hooded lugs, stepped sides or surprising geometry. She’s also waiting on an independent commission that’s been years in the making. And while she’s amused by the titles like being named one of GQ’s “Top Five Collectors” in 2022, she doesn’t chase recognition. For her, the archive she’s building is personal, not performative.
The Collectors Gene Rundown
The One That Got Away: Sneakers, not watches. She once owned two pairs of Nike SB “Paris” Dunks, one deadstock, that she traded before their values soared into six figures.
The On Deck Circle: Vintage Pateks with unusual cases, plus a long-delayed independent piece she’s been waiting on since 2019.
The Unobtainable: Unique-dial Calatrava 96s that live in the Patek museum, small and understated but impossibly rare.
The Page One Re-Write: If she started fresh, she’d collect Song Dynasty Chinese art like scrolls, jade, cinnabar boxes that link back to her heritage.
The GOAT: Auro Montanari, Roni Madhvani, and the late George Cramer, who helped her navigate the early days of vintage Cartier.
The Hunt or The Ownership: The hunt. Research, anticipation, late-night scrolling are the moments that make her pulse race.
Do You Feel That You Were Born With The Collector’s Gene?: Yes, though she jokingly calls it the “hoarder’s gene.” She’s always curated whether it be toys, photos, or watches.
Closing Thoughts
Collecting doesn’t have to be about scale, status, or perfection, and Jaclyn walks that walk. It can be about intimacy, about choosing fewer things with more weight. Her watches are personal touchstones, each carrying its own story and imperfections that make them more alive.
In a season where we’ve heard about stones, barware, interiors, and clothing, Jaclyn’s voice adds another layer. She collects with patience and intention, proving that even in a noisy hobby, there’s room for quiet thoughtfulness. And if there’s a lesson here, it’s that sometimes the best collections aren’t the biggest or the loudest but the ones built carefully, one meaningful piece at a time.
