Max Bernardini on Patek Philippe and the roots of vintage collecting (Part 1)

Collectability was in Milan for the Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition and John Reardon took this opportunity to take the Collectability Podcast out of the studio for the very first time and visited Max Bernardini at his beautiful store, Bernardini Milano (@bernardinimilano). The salon founded by Max's father, Franco, right across the street from Leonardo da Vinci's painting of The Last Supper which is on the wall of the refectory at the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. In true Bernardini style, the conversation took place while they enjoyed a traditional Italian aperitivo. Max has been dealing in vintage watches for more than four decades, and it all started with a stainless steel Rolex bubble back his father gave him when he was 16. He tells John how a trade at a Milan auction turned that gift into a better watch and cash in his pocket, and how the first time he saw a Patek Philippe ref. 1518, he just got it. From there, the conversation turns to the watches around them. John and Max look at an oversized Patek Philippe wristwatch from 1918, a remarkably bold design at a time when most men still carried pocket watches, and talk about why its English-language signature suggests it was sold in America. Max remembers the early days of the vintage market in Italy, when dealers traded on Polaroids and faxes, and explains why there's no substitute for holding a watch in your hand. As he puts it, a watch only truly comes to life on the wrist. Portraits of Max Bernadini by Luigi Fiano. Part 2 arrives soon, when a mystery guest joins John and Max. Subscribe so you don't miss it. Follow Max and Bernardini Milano on Instagram:   / bernardinimilano   Visit Bernardini Milano online: https://www.bernardinimilano.com Or in person: Via Caradosso 2, Milan 🛍️ Shop for your favorite watches at the Collectability shop: https://collectability.com/shop/ For more information please email: team@collectability.com Learn more about Collectability on our website: https://collectability.com Follow us on Instagram for regular updates:   / collectabilityllc   Listen, like and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://linktr.ee/Collectability Corrections: 12:06 Grogan was from Pittsburgh, not Philadelphia