I first came across Collectors Gallery through their connection to Amsterdam Vintage Watches. At the time, it was more from a distance, seeing the kind of pieces they were dealing with and understanding that they were operating in a space not many get access to.
I liked what they were doing. At the same time, with my background, I couldn't help but think about what a more structured social media presence could do for them. Not just posting, but building something that actually reflects the level they operate on.
So I reached out and asked for a meeting.
Just me, the guy with the brown backpack and a camera, showing up to their gallery in the middle of Business Bay in Dubai.
Meeting Ramon and Rutger in person added another layer. Two younger guys, already moving with a level of confidence and access that usually takes decades to build. There was some scepticism at first, which made sense.
I took some photos, did what I always do, and let the work speak. Once posted, the content picked up quickly, around 1.1 million views not long after. That shifted the tone and made the next step easier.
From there, the conversation was open.
I explained what I do. Running Instagram accounts, creating content that performs. It might sound simple, maybe even a bit cliché, but it's true. That's the job.
A few months later, it turned into something more consistent.
What sets Collectors Gallery apart is simple. The watches.
Not in the way people usually talk about rarity, but in what actually comes through their hands. Pieces that don't sit on the open market. Watches that were never meant to. Old special orders, off-catalogue executions, from a time when the relationship between client and brand looked very different.
Back then, you could walk in and ask for something specific. That's just impossible nowadays. Those watches are still out there though, and they know how to track them down.
Today, I run their Instagram and create the visual content around the collection.
I travel around the world to shoot pieces I will probably never see again in a lifetime.
I don't throw around words like this often, but it is an honour to work with them. Not because of the name, but because of how they operate.
And being the one shaping how their watches are presented to the world is something I take seriously.
