Tony Frank on Timeless Favourites Among Collectors

Raised in a family of watchmakers, with both his father and grandfather in the trade, one might have thought Tony’s path was set. But it wasn’t until his father suddenly fell ill that he was thrust into the business—and discovered an unexpected passion for watches. After the family’s shop was sold, he stayed on as manager for another ten years, before being headhunted in 1998 by a Swedish auction house looking to start a watch department.

There, Tony built cataloguing, valuation, and digital presence from the ground up.

“For remote clients, having good images and well-prepared descriptions was crucial,” says Tony Frank.

Since then, he has led the development of several watch departments, both nationally and internationally, and has created, among other projects, a highly noted themed auction focusing on the iconic Omega Speedmaster from the Apollo programme—the watch that went to the Moon.

Sweden – a country full of watch treasures

Today, Tony Frank is regarded as one of Sweden’s most senior watch appraisers. All kinds of watches come to him—from well-preserved vintage pieces to worn chronographs. Sweden has an unusually high number of watches in good condition, thanks to the country avoiding wartime destruction and having a climate that preserves metal.

“You should never write off a watch just because it’s worn or doesn’t work,” Tony reminds us.

For example, a broken Omega Railmaster from the 1950s, with discoloration, sold for SEK 48,000. On another occasion, an almost untouched Omega Speedmaster from 1958 was found in an old ice-cream box—it sold for SEK 2.2 million, a world record at the time.

Expertise that makes the difference

Valuing watches is not always straightforward—counterfeits have become more sophisticated, and often the movement must be opened to distinguish an original from a copy. That’s why Tony Frank recommends auctions for both sellers and buyers, as they guarantee authenticity and correct valuation.

Tony himself owns several personal favourites, with a special fondness for Omega Speedmasters and classics from the 1950s and 1960s, as well as older Patek Philippe models. But his motivation is more about sharing than collecting.

“What makes my work enjoyable is creating precise and fair sales. Somewhere, in an attic or a forgotten drawer, the next million-krona piece could be waiting.”