Geneva
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Etienne Lemenager
Director Antiquorum SA & Watch Expert
Etienne Leménager is an enthusiastic expert on pocket watches, wristwatches and clocks. Born in 1973 in Normandy, France, he studied at the "Ecole d'horlogerie de Paris" and, after having passed his "baccalauréat technique d'horlogerie", completed several training courses to further his knowledge.Etienne Leménager joined Antiquorum’s horology workshop as trainee in 1996 upon the recommendation of its former consultant and expert on antique watches, Jean-Claude Sabrier. Subsequently, Etienne was promoted to Director of the workshop and, only three years later, Watch Expert. An accomplished watchmaker, Etienne Leménager is today Director of Antiquorum’s Geneva showroom. He is responsible for watch valuations and private treaty sales to local and worldwide clients. Etienne is together with the other experts, looking after watch valuations and is a key person in the preparation of Antiquorum's auctions in Geneva, New York and Hong Kong.
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Richard Chadwick
Director Antiquorum London & Horological Consultant
With his experience of more than fifteen years of auctions, Richard Chadwick is one of the best known figures in the British clock and watch world. Richard started his career with Sotheby's in 1988 and established in 1990 the clocks and watches sales department in Chester before returning to their Bond Street headquarters for a further two years. Then, he joined Christie’s London as head of their watch department where he was responsible from 1994 to 2002 for organizing the most successful and memorable watch sales to be held in London by this auction house in the past decade. Richard’s particular interest in antique pocket watches and enamels as well as his very broad knowledge of the world of horology has allowed him to make several important discoveries. His expertise is also widely recognized by the community of British collectors and research institutions including the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Wallace Collection and the Royal Collection. He is a Freeman of The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers and a Freeman of The City of London.Richard promotes Antiquorom’s expertise and services to our British clients, with whom he maintains long established relationships, and sources watches during this frequent travels in the United Kingdom. Along with our team of experts and consultants, he contributes as Watch Expert and writer to the production of Antiquorum’s catalogues worldwide.
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Fabien Chicha
Watch Expert
Fabien first discovered his penchant for timekeepers while visiting his great uncle in Paris, an excellent watchmaker who was also a lover of antique clocks and watches. This was to be decisive for Fabien’s later choice of careers. In 2000, after six years’ training in watchmaking and after having received a diploma as a watch and clock restoration technician, Fabien joined the Antiquorum team.He initially worked in the restoration workshop for two years, then was named Workshop Director, a position he held until 2005. Wishing to become more active in valuation and cataloging, Fabien was promoted to Assistant Watch Expert and then to Watch Expert. He has contributed to many prestigious sales: The Sandberg Watch Collection (2001), The Private Collection of Theodor Beyer (2003), Antiquorum ‘s 30th Anniversary (2004), The Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Constantin (2005), The Mondani Collection of Rolex Wristwatches (2006), Omegamania (2007), and more recently The Collection of a European Nobleman (2008).Fabien appreciates all the facets of the art of horology: the blending of tradition, savoir-faire and innovation and the fusion of past, present and future that allow us to better apprehend our daily lives. Despite their tremendous diversity, timekeepers all serve the same purpose, whether they be watches or clocks, new or old, elaborate or sober, complicated or simple, elegant or sporty. They allow us to master time in subtlest and most human way. I say human, for in its essence, each of these manufactured pieces shows a personality, a character, and unique emotions that make it a reflection of us human beings… for don’t we call the dial the “face” of the watch?
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Thomas Perazzi
Watch Expert
Born in Switzerland, Thomas Perazzi was exposed to and developed an interest in watchmaking from a very early age. His interest began with a particular fondness for modern watches. At the age of 18, he discovered the incredible world of vintage watches while being an active participant in the watch market and a regular at the most important watch shows in Italy. After he completed his studies in Economics, he decided to turn his passion into a profession. He joined Antiquorum in 2006 as an assistant in the Milan office, and later launched the Italian version of TimeZone.com, the most important Internet watch forum, where he is the present administrator. In July 2007, he was transferred to Antiquorum’s headquarters in Geneva as a junior watch expert with the catalogue production team. In 2008, Thomas was promoted to watch expert and became the Director of the Milan office. He now travels extensively between Geneva and Milan, the two most significant cities of the European watch market, where he advises his customers about the world of fine timepieces. Thomas, being a passionate wristwatch aficionado, is constantly researching rare timepieces. He is fascinated by the history of these rare objects and considers them not only instruments for keeping time, but also as trusty companions in life. Mr. Perazzi is particularly interested in both vintage and modern Omega and Rolex timepieces and contributes extensive research to the history of these two important brands.
New York & Los Angeles
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Julien Schaerer
Director Antiquorum USA, Inc., Watch Expert, & Auctioneer
Julien Schaerer joined Antiquorum USA as a Watch Director and Expert in August of 2005. Originally from Switzerland, he was introduced to the world of horology by his father who is an enthusiastic collector himself. His interest in timepieces further developed subsequent to working as an assistant at 16 at major auction houses during sales times. After earning his BSBA in marketing, Julien moved to New York where he worked at an advertising firm as a rep on significant accounts such as Citibank and Cointreau.Ultimately, he was lured back to horology and embarked upon his career as a watch expert at the then recently created auction house Phillips dePury & Luxembourg. During his years there, they achieved many world records, most notably for Patek Phillipe and Rolex wristwatches. From Phillips dePury & Luxembourg he moved to Bonhams, another world renowned auction house, where he was involved with and responsible for the conception and development of the European watch department which encompassed sales in both Geneva and Gstaad. After which, he became the Watch Director and Expert at Antiquorum New York. Amongst the timepieces that Julien is particularly passionate about is the Tudor watch brand, desk timepieces from the Art Deco period to the 60’s and sport watches from the 1950’s-70’s.
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Charles Tearle
Director Antiquorum LA & Watch Expert
A native of London, Charles Tearle began his romance with watches at the tender age of five when he strapped the first one on his wrist. He couldn’t wait to experience more, and while still a teenager strode into Somlo Antiques in Piccadilly in 1990 and talked himself into a job selling fine vintage and antique timepieces on the retail floor. Here he fell in love and a lifelong career was born. Somlo proved a fortuitous choice because not only did Charles handle rare and valuable pieces, he also had the opportunity to learn the historic and technical merits of watches from master horologists doing the in-house repair and restoration work for the store. After 11 years of working for Somlo and achieving the general manager position, Charles traversed the globe from Morocco to Canada to examine timepieces. He returned in 2004 to become the head of the clock and watch department for Bonhams, Knightsbridge, in London, and a year later moved to California to establish a watch department for Bonhams & Butterfields auction house in the United States. While at Bonhams, Charles exceeded virtually every sale budget, revised the presentation of the watch department’s catalogues, and helped Bonhams’ horological department in London to achieve its most successful year in 2005, setting new records for sale totals at Knightsbridge and Bond Street locations. Charles joined Antiquorum in 2008 as a director and watch expert to establish the west coast location in Beverly Hills, California. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the team with his valuable experiences from both the retail and auction point of views. As fascinated today as he was when he started, Charles is driven to pursue the best pieces the world over. He has an international roster of clients who trust his market instincts and respond to his infectious passion. He specializes in wristwatches from the 1920’s to the 1970’s, with a particular interest in Patek Philippe, Rolex sport watches and Cartier.
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Erich Lorenz
Consultant & Rolex Expert
Erich Lorenz was born and raised in Baden-Baden, Germany. In 1951, he started a four year apprenticeship in horology with Link Jewellers in Baden, Baden. His training included technical theory: the making of watch parts, and the required tools, technical drawing and service techniques. In 1955, he graduated from the Handwerkskammer in Karlsruhe, Germany. After completing his studies, he started working for Kueffer Jewellers in Waaedenswill, Switzerland as a service technician. The three years he spent there provided him with an excellent knowledge of horology as well as served as a springboard for a lifetime career in the field. His love of watches took him to the United States in 1960 where he began to work for Longines-Wittnauer in New York. The following year he was offered a job at Rolex Watch USA Inc in New York as a service technician. His responsibilities steadily evolved: from Foreman of the service facility, to Consumer Service Representative, to Technical Manager, to Public Relations spokesperson (while simultaneously conducting counterfeit watch identification) to finally ending his illustrious career at Rolex as an Assistant Vice President. After retiring from Rolex, Eric began to purchase Rolex wristwatches at all the major auction houses. Through these channels, he was introduced to Antiquorum and subsequently became an Horological Consultant and Rolex expert for Antiquorum in October 2001.
Hong Kong
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Mary Lee
Director Antiquorum Hong Kong & Watch Expert
Mary Lee started her career at Christie's in 1996 in the Jewelry Department where she was responsible for the production of the catalogue. After three industrious years, in 1999, Mary was then promoted to Watch Specialist in charge of the Asian Market which she successfully developed and expanded. Her broad knowledge of the growing Asian watch market coupled with her love of watches enabled her to become a world renowned watch expert. She subsequently joined Antiquorum Hong Kong in February 2007 as a General Manager and Watch Expert.Mary has a passion for watches in general and has a particular fondness for pocket watches made for the Chinese market. In addition, Mary also has a love of clocks with automatons. A Hong Kong native, Mary speaks English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Paris
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Sharon Kerman
Director Antiquorum Paris & Horological Consultant
Sharon Kerman joined the Antiquorum team in September 2000. She takes an active part in catalogue production and does historical research. She is co-author of "Automata: the Golden Age" (Sotheby's Publications, 1987) as well as of the 1991 video documentary "Automata: Mechanical Marvels of the Nineteenth Century", narrated in English by Dick Cavett and in French by Jean Rochefort. Sharon’s research on the subject of mechanical singing bird pieces resulted in the 2001 book "Flights of Fancy"/"Oiseaux de bonheur", published in a bilingual English/French edition by Antiquorum Editions. She has done research in various other fields as well, including the papers and letters of Pierre and Henry-Louis Jaquet Droz and Jean-Frédéric Leschot, and Piguet & Meylan, as well as several artists and craftsmen of the 20th century.
Japan
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Genki Sakamoto
Watch Expert
Genki Sakamoto’s fascination with mechanical things began at an early age, and therefore, his interest and subsequent career in horology was a natural progression. At one time, he considered becoming an automotive mechanic, but as his father was an avid watch collector, he instead decided to attend Hiko Mizuno Jewelry College, a watch making school in Tokyo, where he would further develop his knowledge and skill in becoming a watchmaker. As he learned more about watches, it became clear that this was the profession he wanted to pursue. In 2005, Mr. Sakamoto began working for Antiquorum’s agent in Japan at the time and in 2006, he joined Antiquorum Japan as an expert and watchmaker. Genki believes that joining Antiquorum was the perfect choice – to be surrounded by the world’s finest and rarest watches on a daily basis. A native of Japan, Mr. Sakamoto is extremely well respected and trusted by the Japanese collector community for his vast knowledge of watch making and the horological market. He has a particular fondness for timepieces from the 1930-1960’s as well as vintage Longines.