Meet Matt: a serial collector of many categories known for acquiring pieces with compelling stories and patina—he is part of our growing community shaping the future of watches on Collected.

What's your name, and how did you get into collecting watches?  

Matt Donohue from Raleigh, NC. I started collecting when I was 7 years old. My dad took me to antique shows back in the '80s, and I asked to look at a pocketwatch. It was all downhill from there...got my first vintage Rolex in '87 at the age of 8, a Rolex Army, started trading on Timezone in '96, and eBay around '98. It's been fits and starts over the years, and I built most of my current collection since 2015.

*From top: Jaeger LeCoultre Memovox E859, Rolex Sea-Dweller 1665 Double Red, Omega Ploprof 166.077*

What kinds of watches do you collect today, and how do you decide what stays in your collection?

I prefer dive watches and vintage Rolex. Watches with a story and patina are what stay. The story can be in the history of the watch model itself, like the Ploprof or DRSD that was purpose built, or the combination of the watch and the owner's story, like the Omega SM300 FAP that was issued to a Lt. Col. in 1963, and was on his wrist daily as he rose to the highest ranks of the Peruvian Air Force, even survived a training jet crash in the late 1960's!

What's the most meaningful piece in your collection and why?

That's a tough one, as they are all special, but the one that's the most meaningful is my Rolex Army. I got it in 1987 from Coach Brown, a retired high school football coach turned antique watch dealer from Clearwater, FL who sold me my first watch. The watch was owned by one of his friends who wore it during WWII and supposedly sailed the seven seas...and the patina shows it! My family became friends with Coach Brown and his wife, they'd come over for brunch when they were in town for antique shows, and I'd always buy a piece from him. At a young age I realized that watches went beyond owning the piece and delivered meaningful friendships.

If you had to start your collection over from zero, where would you begin?

I'd do it the same way I started. Buy a watch. Sell a watch. Use the profits to buy a better watch. Rinse. Repeat. Build relationships. Be on the lookout for nothing in particular and everything at the same time. Buy based on patina, honest condition, and upside. Keep what makes you happy.

What else are you into beyond watches?

I'm a serial collector. When I lived in Dallas an old school Americana dealer told me that your house is a display case of your passions. I've taken that to heart, and am constantly hunting for pre-1820 furniture and decorative arts from the South, art, silver, glass, and just about anything that is unique and tells a story. During the spring and summer I'm on the boat fishing, and in the fall I'm hunting and shooting.

Camp cup owned by George Washington’s nephew, John McRae Washington, that bears the Virginia Washington coat of arms and motto Virtus Sola Nobilitas. Pictured with a 1940s Tiffany family crest ring bearing the updated General Washington crest and motto Exitus Acta Probat.

What do you look for when you're deciding who to buy from?

I try to buy from original owners, families of the original owners, or the people that buy those watches from those people. I never buy from dealers. I look for bad pictures, poor descriptions, little to no feedback—everything that people tell you to avoid, I run at it. That's how you buy right. Most of my pieces were a gamble of some sort, but I calculated the risk, and the reward was always greater.

*From top left: Rolex Explorer 1016, Rolex Day-Date 1803 Buckley, Heuer Carrera 2447, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 14790ST*

Tell us about a time you got burned: a deal that went wrong, a watch that wasn't what it was supposed to be, or a relationship that shifted. What did you take away from it?

Knock on wood, I've never been burned, but back in 2015 I had an experience with a dealer that taught me a valuable lesson: there are good people and there are bad people in the watch world. Unfortunately, the only way to learn the difference is to deal with a lot of people, and over time you develop a filter and can weed out the bad ones before you do a deal. If I ever feel squirrelly about a deal, I always ask the seller to talk on the phone—this is the best indication of whether they are legit or not. I did this back in the 1990's when it was the only option, and it saved me time and time again.

What's the biggest thing you've learned buying and selling watches?

Knowledge, hustle, and passion gets results...and a little thing called watch karma. People may laugh, but watch karma is a real thing. Doing right by others and being well liked pays its dividends—watches come to you organically when watch karma is strong. There is no other way to explain it, as it goes well beyond luck and coincidence. A collector gave me advice years ago, once you start, you can't ever stop...you always have to be looking.

Who do you respect most in the watch world, and why?

This is going to sound cliché: it's not one person, but rather a collective of collectors. During Covid, Henry Flores out of NYC put together a WhatsApp group of collectors. Over the past six years we've formed lasting friendships that extend well beyond watches. The great thing about the group is the broad range of expertise and sharing of knowledge—if you want a question answered, you're able to get it fast and know it's correct. Everyone shares in their knowledge and experience, like the old days. No egos, just a group of likeminded people enjoying each other's company and sharing experiences and information.

What would bring the excitement back to the watch community for you?

Excitement in the watch community is all about where you are in your collecting journey and your mindset—it's always there, it just changes.

I've been fortunate to have experienced almost 40 years of collecting, ranging from the pre-internet days to the present, but the most fun I've had was from the 2015-2020 "thrill of the hunt" era. I was buying/selling non-stop, eBay was plentiful, forums were insightful, Instagram was niche, and collectors were connecting, sharing, and learning across the world.

It was a time that will never be replicated for me—I built my knowledge base, core watch collection, and most importantly, my group of friends.

I know I'll never be able to achieve that high again, so I've redirected my excitement to others. Now I enjoy helping collectors, whether it's an extra set of eyes on a piece or a suggestion to a trusted dealer, my excitement isn't in the buying/selling/owning, but helping those who are in an earlier stage of their journey—countless others did this for me and helped shape the collector I am today.

*Rolex Submariner 5513, circa 1964: narrow 4 insert, bitonal lume, gilt dial, sharp case. Sourced for a close friend, with the help of the community.*

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Louped: Matt Donohue

Louped: Scott Heileson