Two weeks back, Chapters 59 and 136 of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors held their annual Southwest California Regional event at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego. The marketplace event is three days long, with a preview night on Thursday, members-only access on Friday, and a public-admitted day on Saturday. In addition to the market, the event also features a chapter meetings on Friday and two lectures.
Inside the Del Mar Fairground?s Wyland Center, around 180 vendors?including wholesalers, retail watch shops, and personal collectors?congregated alongside each other and across a half-dozen aisles to display their wares to enthusiastic shoppers?both window and those with cash on-hand. Whatever your collecting preferences may be, there was enough to go around, with about 60% of the vendors focusing on wristwatches and the remaining 40% dedicated to clocks.Understandably, there were more than enough Rolex and Omega watches on display throughout, but there were also plenty of other interesting timepieces to admire if you looked closely. Sean, a screenwriter from Los Angeles, was on-hand with a portion of his personal collection, and within two display cases stood out a Zodiac Seawolf SST 36000, and a Seiko Speedtimer JDM.
When asked if he sold many watches this week, Paul Tociapski said, ?I put crazy prices on them. I don?t sell.? The owner of San Diego?s Antique Watch Company located in the Kurtz Street Vintage Marketplace, Tociapski was clea...