Article

Urban Jurgensen watch Ref. 8 stainless steel

The Art of Watch Collecting: KINSMEN's Manifesto

By Shoyo Kawamura | Co-Founder, KINSMEN

The Kinsmen manifesto. Co-founder Shoyo Kawamura introduces the brand's philosophy on luxury watch collecting in Hong Kong, bridging the gap between auction-grade discipline and the secondary market.

There is a distinct moment in every collector's life when an interest shifts into an obsession. For my brother Shoki and me, it didn't happen in a boardroom or an auction hall. It happened in the alleys of Mong Kok. We’d go there to buy BB guns, but every time, we would drag our dad to the windows of the nearby watch shops, faces pressed against the glass, staring at vintage Cartier Tanks and Breitlings until he pulled us away.

It started with a Tag Heuer Formula 1 boy-sized model on a rubber strap—our modest but pivotal entry point into the world of Swiss horology. But as we grew, so did the stakes. We realized that simply buying watches wasn't enough. We wanted to understand the machinery, the history, and the chaotic, opaque market that surrounds them.

We founded KINSMEN in 2018, a time of great uncertainty in Hong Kong. We saw it as an opportunity, a commitment to being here for the long run. We wanted to bridge a gap we saw in the market: the divide between the sterile, high-brow world of auction houses and the fast-moving, often murky waters of the street dealer. The name came to us one night, born from a simple idea: brotherhood. Whoever comes to us for a watch becomes a brother or a sister, and is treated as such.

This is our perspective on Luxury Watch Collecting, viewed from behind the curtain.

The Genesis

"It starts with a feeling, but it survives on knowledge."

It is rare for siblings to share the exact same intensity for a niche passion. For us, it was organic, but our professional approach was deliberately different. The founding idea was simple: "Do not put two eggs in one basket".

While we started together, fascinated by pure aesthetics, we took divergent paths to eventually reunite. I chose the institutional route, spending years at Phillips Auction House to learn history, academic rigour, and the strict discipline of a specialist. Shoki, meanwhile, entered the "jungle" of the grey market. He learned to navigate the streets in a world with no textbook. His early focus was on moving pieces and making as many transactions as possible to build a strong network of clients and dealers. He learned that sourcing is a 24-hour, fiercely competitive part of the business.

KINSMEN is the marriage of these two skill sets. We combined the street-smart agility of a modern dealer with the forensic scrutiny of an auction specialist. This duality allows us to bridge the gap: we understand the "hype" because we live in the market, but we vet the product with the severity of a historian.

We dove into the academic rabbit hole at age 16. We bought the books before we bought the "blue chip" watches. We studied Patek Philippe history before we could afford to own a Calatrava. That early education taught us a vital lesson: Visuals hook you, but scholarship keeps you safe.

The Human Element

"The transaction is the least important part of the deal."

I cut my teeth at Phillips, one of the world's premier auction houses. Spending over four years there changes how you look at a watch, but it also taught me a fundamental value I brought to Kinsmen: Teamwork. Success doesn't come from an individual, but from a solid, ethical unit moving together.

But externally, our philosophy counters the typical dealer narrative. In an industry often obsessed with "flipping" and asset values, it is easy to forget that this is, at its core, a service industry. This is where our founding principle of brotherhood comes to life.

To us, the transaction—clicking the button to buy—is the least important part of the process. What matters is everything that leads up to it and everything that follows. We don't just sell watches; we travel with our clients, we dine with them, and we build friendships that transcend the object itself. Whether you are a seasoned investor or a newcomer, the approach is identical: transparency, honesty, and a genuine desire to connect.

When you buy a watch from us, you aren't just acquiring metal; you are entering a circle of trust in an industry that desperately needs it.

Navigating the Secondary Market

"Information is the key, and execution is the second bit."

The secondary watch market in Hong Kong can feel like a minefield. It is often opaque, intimidating, and rife with "super clones" or doctored papers. Our advantage is our deep connection to the community. As Shoki puts it, "Information is the key, and execution is the second bit." Being part of genuine collector circles gives us the ability to speculate on trends quicker than others.

Beyond safety, we have a specific stance on curation that separates us from the pack. In this industry, most dealers pick a lane: they either specialize in the nuances of Vintage Watches or they ride the wave of Modern Hype. It is rare to find a house that handles both on a serious level. This diversification is our strategy. During the market explosion of recent years, we rode the wave by sourcing what was in trend, but we never got caught in it because our inventory is balanced across modern, neo-vintage, and vintage pieces.

At Kinsmen, we have the experience and knowledge to deal in both vintage and modern timepieces confidently. However, managing such a diverse inventory requires a single, unifying standard. We always approach curation by assessing condition and quality first, and only then do we look at rarity.

Condition is your safety net. If a watch is extremely rare but the quality is lacking, we consider that a red flag. When the market slows down, "average" pieces become illiquid. However, a watch in pristine, honest condition will always find a buyer, even in a bear market.

The KINSMEN Due Diligence Protocol

The Eye Inspection

An initial aesthetic assessment. Does the brushing on the lugs align with factory standards?

The Microscope

We hunt for the smallest irregularities invisible to the naked eye—a re-printed signature or a dial defect.

The Paper Trail

We cross-reference serial numbers. In an era of high-quality fake documentation, verifying the database is critical.

The Heartbeat

Finally, the movement goes on the timing machine. Accuracy and function are non-negotiable.

Vision & Taste

"Make it Second Nature."

We are often asked by young collectors: "Where do I begin?" The answer is not about a specific brand, but a specific feeling. You must start somewhere that makes you slightly uncomfortable. As Shoki learned after receiving his first significant watch—a Cartier Santos from his parents—there is a huge responsibility that comes with ownership. He later lost that watch in a house robbery and reflected, "money is one thing, but sentimental value is another thing that money can't buy." That experience taught him to value the object beyond its price tag.

Commit to a piece—whether it’s a high-quality Swiss entry-level watch or a mechanical Japanese timepiece— that requires a bit of sacrifice. This respect for the object is the true starting point.

Once you have the watch, you can apply what I call the "Routine Test."

Wear it every single day until it becomes second nature. It should be the last thing you pick up before you leave the house. If, after two weeks, you find it left in a drawer, perhaps watch collecting isn’t for you. But if it becomes second nature—if you feel that special weight on your wrist and miss it when it's gone—then you have graduated from "wearing" to "collecting." That is when you start reading the books, studying the history, and chasing the icons.

Once you have established your routine, you must learn to navigate the noise. The watch market has evolved into a high-speed environment where trends are more seasonal than ever and social media amplifies the "hype". It is easy to get swept up in FOMO, but a smart collector pauses. You must ask yourself if you love the watch or if you just love the attention it gets on Instagram.

At Kinsmen, we try to stay ahead of this curve by identifying trends before they explode, which is why we see a massive shift towards Independent Watchmaking and Neo-Vintage pieces. Sophisticated collectors are moving away from the safe, mass-produced "Big Three" and towards creators like F.P. Journe or Rexhep Rexhepi, or specific vintage references where scarcity is real, not manufactured.

Ultimately, do not buy for the flip. Speculators panic when the market dips; true collectors sleep soundly. If you buy based on quality, condition, and personal connection rather than a trend chart, you will always be safe.