About us
Our Humble
Beginning
In the middle of my medical studies at the age of 25, my beloved Fossil watch broke. While looking for a new watch, a good friend and fellow student told me he had bought an old Longines watch from the 1970s. Nothing special: gold-plated, quartz movement, thin case – an elegant and classic wristwatch. When I saw it, I fell under its spell. From that day on, I started to get involved with vintage watches. I spent hours and hours scouring the internet for manufacturers, models, serial numbers, references – it seemed never-ending. I started to buy watches with little money, which I earned alongside my studies, and built up a small collection. My first watch was an Omega Seamaster, gold-capped with a manual winding mechanism. A beautiful watch. The older I got and the more my collection grew. Since I wasn’t allowed to wear a watch in my job as a doctor due to hygiene regulations, my watches rarely saw daylight. I started to sell part of the collection and realized that it gave me great pleasure
After starting my medical career at the University Hospital in Regensburg, I moved to Zurich, Switzerland, in 2019 to complete my training in pediatric cardiology. Even though it was often not easy to balance my 100% job in the clinic and my passion for watches, it was always a nice change to my clinical work. As my medical work has developed over the years, my portfolio of watches has naturally also changed. While my repertoire initially consisted mainly of Omega Seamasters and Constellations, I can now proudly display many rare pieces from Rolex, AP and Patek Phillippe.
Dr. med. Alexander Kossmann
Nevertheless, one thing has always remained the same: my love of unusual models from smaller manufacturers. So, in addition to the established manufacturers, you will always find smaller watch companies or rare references that you don’t see on every corner. “For the love of the game” probably best defines my approach to the watch trade. As WRISTCLASSICS is a part-time business, I am not dependent on income or particularly high profits. This gives me the freedom to engage with each customer individually and usually meet both the customer’s personal- and the price- expectations.
Having collected and traded watches for many years, I naturally pay attention to every wrist I come across. Unfortunately, I still have to realize that there are many terrible watches in this world and I want to change that. I am convinced that there is the right vintage watch for every budget, every taste, every size and every preference. And I am here to find that one watch for you. The search for good and beautiful vintage watches is no longer as easy as it was a few years ago. But from my work as a doctor I am used to precise work and patience. I attach great importance to the origin of the watch, I hardly buy at trade fairs or dealer forums, but only from a close circle of dealers, collectors and curators who, like me, value high quality and originality
