Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Nadine Ghosn - A Jewelry Brand For The Stars and The Nostalgia Chaser
958 Plays6 months ago
Nadine Ghosn joined me on Collectors Gene Radio today and I am not sure there is someone who is making as much noise as she is in fine jewelry. After a stint at Hermes, Nadine found herself yearning for a creativity spark and man did she get it right. Her designs are all about creating a sense of nostalgia from the things we recognize most and using luxurious materials and stones to turn them into functional jewelry pieces. Like her stackable burger ring, or her rose gold pencil bracelet, or her custom designs for the likes of Drake & Lil Yachty. If that’s not enough, her pieces have been worn by Beyonce, the late Karl Lagerfeld, and she’s been making custom croissants out of gold for Cedric Grolet. The best part of it all? She’s a one woman show who is willing to do whatever it takes. With her favorite saying being “Don’t think outside the box, think like there is no box”, Nadine has proven the counterarguments most jewelers told her from day 1 and continues to push the boundaries. So without further adieu, this is Nadine Ghosn, for Collectors Gene Radio.
Nadine Ghosn Fine Jewelry - https://nadineghosn.com/
Recommended
Transcript
Nadine's Cultural Identity and Creative Flexibility
00:00:00
Speaker
I travel a lot, which is obviously something I'm trying to balance a little bit more, but I'm so enthusiastic about expanding or taking opportunities. And I really believe in meeting people in person. So I always say I fit in everywhere, but I belong nowhere. But in that process, basically I don't have a single framework. There's not a single culture that speaks to me. So I'm constantly expanding my knowledge with regards to how people interact, how communities come together, religions, lifestyles, et cetera.
00:00:28
Speaker
And I think that this perpetual flexibility enables creativity.
Introduction to Collectors Gene Radio and Nadine Gon
00:00:34
Speaker
What's going on, everybody? And welcome to Collectors Gene Radio. This is all about diving into the nuances of collecting and ultimately finding out whether or not our guests have what we like to call the Collectors Gene. If you have the time, please subscribe and leave a review. It truly helps. Thanks a bunch for listening, and please enjoy today's guest on Collectors Gene Radio.
Nadine's Impact on the Jewelry Industry
00:00:59
Speaker
Nadine Gont joined me on Collector Stream Radio today, and I'm not sure there is someone who is making as much noise as she is in fine jewelry. After a stint at Hermes, Nadine found herself yearning for a creativity spark, and man, did she get it right.
00:01:13
Speaker
Her designs are all about creating a sense of nostalgia from the things we recognize most and using luxurious materials and stones to turn them into functional jewelry pieces, like her stackable burger ring, or her rose gold pencil bracelet, or her custom designs for the likes of Drake and Lil Yachty. And if that's not enough, her pieces have been worn by Beyonce, the late Karl Lagerfeld, and she's been making custom croissants out of gold for Cedric Rolle. The best part of it all, she's a one-woman show who's willing to do whatever it takes.
00:01:43
Speaker
with her favorite saying being, don't think outside the box, think like there is no box.
Nadine's Lifelong Passion for Jewelry
00:01:48
Speaker
Nadine has proven the counter-arguments most jewelers told her from day one and continues to push the boundaries. So without further ado, this is Nadine Gohn for Collector's Dream Radio. Nadine, such a pleasure to have you on Collector's Dream Radio. Hi, thank you for having me.
00:02:05
Speaker
My pleasure. I'm super excited to have you on. I'm such a fan of all your jewelry and how high-spirited yet elegant it all is. And I know that your love and collecting journey of jewelry started pretty early on, like age three. Yes. I was always very attracted to jewelry. You can look at old pictures of me and I was like two or three years old and I already had my earrings and necklace. I had the matching set going. So I think it was pretty obvious upfront that I was very attracted to these pieces.
00:02:35
Speaker
Yeah, you were screwed from the beginning. Exactly.
Career Journey: From BCG and Hermes to Jewelry
00:02:39
Speaker
As you got into early adulthood, you were working for brands like BCG and Hermes. Was at that point your collection getting pretty serious of jewelry?
00:02:50
Speaker
It's interesting, I had collected jewelry at like big milestones in my life. I think I would always ask for a piece of jewelry or even a watch for like my 20th birthday or 15th birthday, etc. That's always kind of where I spent my disposable income, but I never once thought I was going to go into that realm or work in that universe.
00:03:09
Speaker
I had gone to Stanford and I had done economics and art, which was a bit of a weird double major. And I had pursued what everyone had pursued, which is like consulting at the time. So it wasn't clear to me that that's kind of the direction I was going, but gradually as I evolved, first of all, all my income was going to watches and jewelry. And second of all, it should be. Yeah, exactly. Girl math, girl math makes sense.
Initial Jewelry Collections and Inspirations
00:03:38
Speaker
I'm best then at girl math. That's what I'm best at. What brands of jewelry resonated with you the most and maybe brands of watches as you were building your collection before you started your brand. What were you hunting for?
00:03:55
Speaker
So it's really interesting. Personally, what I felt was true was when you're first entering the jewelry collections, you always go with the classics. You don't really choose to spend such high amounts of money on pieces you're not familiar with or brands you're not familiar with. So there was like Start with Van Cleef.
00:04:14
Speaker
Cartier and the same thing with watches. You start with Rolex, kind of the predicted brands, I would say, the starter pack. And then I think as you become more familiar with both industries, your taste changes. And I think what I found was that I was more attracted to things that I didn't see on other people or that were more conversation starters.
Launching an Unconventional Jewelry Brand
00:04:36
Speaker
And so around 2015, 2016, you launched your eponymous brand, Nadeen Go and Jewelry, and you hit the ground running and you actually end up winning an award for your famous stackable burger ring.
00:04:48
Speaker
Yes. Well, it's funny the way you intro it like that. I love it, but it wasn't as linear. I think it's not. I think I had worked for two years at Hermes and I fell in love with jewelry while I was there just because it was a rotational program and we carved it out based on my interest and my interest had always been jewelry.
00:05:09
Speaker
And within that two-year time span, I realized that you can actually be a jewelry designer without having the background, but also that everything in the market was so conventional. So there was definitely an opportunity to create pieces that were more conversation starters, a little bit more unexpected.
Breaking Industry Norms and Learning the Ropes
00:05:31
Speaker
And so after my two year span at Hermes, I really took a moment. I was turning 25 and I was like, really, where do I want my career to go? And that's where I realized that I wanted to learn something tangible. I wanted to do something I was passionate about and kind of
00:05:48
Speaker
Serendipitously, the idea of creating jewelry came about. As expected, most people did not understand why I would jump away from a job at Hermas, which is the highest luxury brand, to create my own thing with no background and no industry knowledge. So that was a very challenging moment.
00:06:09
Speaker
And I spent one year just understanding the industry from ground up. So in the atelier, going to trade shows, coffee chats, doing everything to understand the lay of the land in order to kind of break the rules and create a bit of an unconventional way of proposing jewelry and introducing it to the landscape.
Design Process: Everyday Inspiration with Luxurious Materials
00:06:30
Speaker
your designs range from pencils and rose gold to big pen bracelets and white gold covered in sapphires and paperclip bracelets. I mean, the list goes on. Was the idea from the beginning to hit on all of these nostalgic censories?
00:06:46
Speaker
I wish it had been preconceived. I would say now it's more obvious to me because I've had mirrors of editors or people interacting with my pieces. But when I first started, I just wanted to create stuff that I would wear. And what I was attracted to was the ordinary objects that we come across that speak to different generations, that speak to different income classes. That was where my attraction started.
00:07:10
Speaker
And then from there, I think I developed my design aesthetic, which is very much taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary. And so each collection is based on my journey, I would say, or a theme that I'm trying to come across or convey, taking these ordinary objects and glamorizing them by using 18-karat material and precious stones. What is the creative process for you coming up with new collections?
00:07:40
Speaker
It is very spontaneous, I would say. What I usually do is I mull over an idea and kind of collect things and elaborate over, I would say, a three, four month span, just in terms of the concept. But then there's this whole production side that has to come with my ideas. So for example,
00:07:59
Speaker
for the Lego building blocks, which are pretty much rings that are stackable, it took quite a bit of time to A, test out which stones were durable or good enough to be set into that shape, but find a cutter who was able to really create the shape that I was looking for. So there's like an idea concept, ideation, but there's also this whole production element that it becomes more and more complicated as my pieces become more complicated.
00:08:26
Speaker
Yeah, that makes sense. I'm assuming it's one of those, you know, some of your designs are definitely easier to produce. Some are probably more complicated and take a little bit more of that kind of testing period and that discovery period.
00:08:39
Speaker
Exactly. So I would say like the whole process of creating a collection for me is very discovery oriented because I don't come from a background. So that discovery just is a continuous factor in the process.
Production Shift from Beirut to Italy
00:08:52
Speaker
Some collections come more naturally. I think my first collection literally I made in a day and then I was with my craftsmen making it in Beirut. So I started in Beirut. That was one of the reasons why I started the brand was because I was trying to preserve know-how locally.
00:09:07
Speaker
And I come from Lebanese descent, but I never lived there. I don't speak the language. Now, today, most of my production is made in Italy. And so obviously the creative process is a bit different. I spend a lot of time with my manufacturers, but I'm not sitting there as they're making the pieces.
Innovative Thinking in Business and Design
00:09:23
Speaker
You often say, don't think outside the box, think like there is no box. And I'm curious to know how important that mantra has been to you in terms of your success and of course the future collections to come.
00:09:37
Speaker
You're well researched, Cameron. You do all my little bits. I love it. That's definitely my motto. I think, to the jewelry industry, I'm a bit of a rebel. I don't follow, I would say, the same approach as other brands. Not because I'm trying to be a rebel, but just because I connect the dots, I would say, differently. For example, I don't have retail presence. All orders are direct.
00:10:00
Speaker
most pieces are customizable so it's a little bit more of a curated experience. I'm also a one-woman show. So I kind of see what's possible and try to get there. Don't think like there is no box. I just think at the end of the day,
00:10:17
Speaker
not coming from a jewelry background helps me just think about okay what's the goal i'm trying to achieve and how do i get there and a lot of the times people were telling me you can't do it this way or you won't be a real valid player if you don't like follow this three step rule or
00:10:32
Speaker
You need to hire a PR team. You need to pay for press. All this stuff I don't believe in. I think you really need to have a vision. You need to stick by your vision and follow through. And I think that in doing that, everyone is unique. You create a different path.
Collector vs Designer Mindset
00:10:50
Speaker
You're kind of in a unique position because you did mention that you are kind of a one woman show. And as a collector, you're also a one person show. Right. And I'm curious to know if you find any parallels between the two having the mindset of a of a single collector and the mindset of a single designer and what those similarities might be.
00:11:10
Speaker
Yeah, I think for me, the biggest similarity is I purchase what I'm attracted to. So there are some things that are very hype, right? That people are like, oh, it's a collector's piece, and second market is so expensive. The value is there, et cetera, et cetera. But if I'm not attracted to the piece, I won't purchase it, right? So I have my own mindset with regards to what is appealing to me. And I think that in the long term,
00:11:35
Speaker
For any kind of collecting whether it's art or whatever it's pieces that should speak to you you know and i think that the difference is that as people become more confident in their own perception of a static or storytelling or whatever they're more bold in terms of their collection and they're more varied which makes it more interesting.
00:11:55
Speaker
storytelling and having stories to tell is such a big part of collecting.
Collaborations with Celebrities
00:12:00
Speaker
And in your case, you've made pieces for people like Drake and Lil Yachty and Cedric Ghrelay, Beyonce's Warner pieces and Karl Lagerfeld. Is there a story that's a standout for you in your career?
00:12:13
Speaker
Well, I think all of, honestly, to be able, when I started eight years ago, you know, and I didn't have the background, just to be able to include those names in my roster is just honestly very humbling. So to me, every story is quite special. The thing that I am experiencing more today, which I'm very excited about and obviously I want to continue,
00:12:33
Speaker
is this kind of creative dialogue with these people, you know, people who have different perspectives and approaches. So for example, with Drake, our piece was very much a collective creation, right? So it felt nice to even have someone to bounce ideas off of, and he was very hands-on. It's the same thing with little Yadi I have, like,
00:12:54
Speaker
clear conversations with him on what he's trying to achieve or ideas and we kind of share it. And we also, uh, little Yachty loves watches. So sometimes we send each other things that we have a crush on or that we're aspiring towards or et cetera, or ask each other like what we think. So it's really nice to have that dialogue.
Nomadic Lifestyle and Cultural Influence on Brand
00:13:12
Speaker
Yeah. And especially for someone like Cedric, if, if he's willing to trade you desserts for jewelry, I would say that's a win. Cedric's always trying to feed me.
00:13:22
Speaker
That's the best kind of friend. Exactly. So you live overseas now, but you've really spent your whole life living in different parts of the world and traveling. How beneficial has it been for you to have had those experiences in order to immerse your brand and create new collections for different markets?
00:13:42
Speaker
So I think like anyone who knows me knows I'm quite nomadic and I travel a lot, which is obviously something I'm trying to balance a little bit more, but I'm so enthusiastic about expanding or taking opportunities and I really believe in meeting people in person. I think my childhood probably fed into the fact that I feel so comfortable traveling or being in situations that are uncomfortable, if that makes sense. So I always say I fit in everywhere, but I belong nowhere.
00:14:09
Speaker
But in that process, basically, I don't have a single framework. There's not a single culture that speaks to me. So I'm constantly expanding my knowledge with regards to how people interact, how communities come together, religions, lifestyles, et cetera. And I think that this perpetual flexibility enables creativity. Is it humbling to think about the idea that folks collect and curate pieces that you've designed?
Connection to Collectors' Journeys
00:14:37
Speaker
Absolutely. For me, the whole thing is humbling because I think I work very in isolation, very creatively. So anytime I interact or observe people who are familiar with the brand or who collect, et cetera, it's very touching. And that has never gotten old. I just recently was at Art Basel and I did a talk and people came and spoke to me after. And one woman was like, it's very inspiring, which is for me, one of my biggest motivations.
00:15:06
Speaker
Because when I started, everyone really challenged me. So I don't know where there was this very strong conviction that I had to go down this path. But had I not had that conviction, it would have been very difficult for me to take a leap of faith in an industry that was highly fragmented, highly competitive. And so for me, what I always try to do is encourage people to take that leap.
00:15:30
Speaker
Absolutely. Collecting, whether it's jewelry or watches or Birkin bags often involves a sense of personal connection and I guess you could say emotional attachment. How do you infuse this sense of intimacy and personal resonance into your collections and what do you hope your designs evoke in those who collect them?
00:15:51
Speaker
I hope that for them it speaks to them about their journey. So like every collection I did resonated with my personal journey. And so what I love is that I create the collection, but then the client who purchases it ties it into their own story. So there's this whole conversation happening. And I think as a brand, I would say one of the most flattering things is to have someone follow my brand through collections, right? So the person who's bought
00:16:19
Speaker
The burger ends up buying the pencil, then ends up buying the bike chain, et cetera. Because at the end of the day, aesthetically, they're very different. It's not like the same burger being repeated. So them following the journey and collecting speaks to me in a way.
00:16:35
Speaker
speaks to the fact that like maybe the stories behind it resume which is super nice i'm a huge collector of different things probably because i never inherited anything and so i think that things that you inherit from your grandma or.
Interest in Vintage Jewelry and Storytelling
00:16:51
Speaker
Mother or whatever have even even more powerful value I would say and so I want to make sure that my next generation gets pieces that I've collected over time and You know reminds them of me I would say and so for me as a collector I collect watches, you know whether it's my 21st birthday and there's an engraving behind it or a one-off piece or you know, I
00:17:14
Speaker
Casio and Hidden, Casio and Ben Clymer, these are cool things that I'd love to give to the next generation. Yeah, no doubt. I mean, it makes sense. And I think having other items that you like to collect and are passionate about probably only fuels your passion to create more designs for your own brand.
00:17:37
Speaker
Probably. It's pretty synergistic, I would say. My biggest weakness, I would say, probably watches and Hermes. I'm a huge fan of Hermes.
00:17:47
Speaker
I saw an amazing Hermes ring the other day. There's a lady down the street from me who has an amazing vintage store. Her name's Misty. It's vintage by Misty and she's sold stuff to Rihanna. I mean, she just gets incredible stuff. It's just kind of one of those places. And she had this Hermes ring that's a horse head and it kind of just, I think it's sterling silver and it just like wraps around your finger and then the other end of it is a horse head.
00:18:13
Speaker
I love that stuff i like all the the object that is made and the jewelry is just. Such cool different stuff.
00:18:22
Speaker
Absolutely. And I think having been in the company for two years, I can say pretty confidently that really creativity is at the forefront of what they do as well as quality and savoir-faire. It's the essence of the brand. And I think that creates a long-term sustainability versus other brands today are more short-term vision. And I think that that translates in the creativity within the brand.
00:18:51
Speaker
Like the same with watches, you know, oftentimes we, for an extended period of time, we'll gravitate towards maybe one specific watch or one specific bag or one specific pair of shoes. With your current collections, is there a design that you're just kind of gravitating more towards right now that you're kind of enjoying wearing on a more average basis? Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I always have a stack on me. So there's most of my pieces. I'm pretty much my, I'm a walking showroom.
00:19:21
Speaker
I love it. I don't know if it's good or not, but people are always like, how do you have such like fit biceps? I'm like, have you seen my wrist? You're like, I'm wearing 45 pounds of gold. Exactly. Before we jump into another passion of yours, which is watches, I wanted to ask you if the jewelry that you're collecting has changed since your brand has taken off or if you're still after the same stuff as before you started your brand.
00:19:50
Speaker
Yeah, I think it has changed. First of all, I don't buy as much jewelry as I used to because obviously, if I'm creating, I tend to create things that I want to wear. But I have this affinity towards very vintage items. And the two brands that come to mind vintage-wise are Bogari,
00:20:06
Speaker
and Hermes actually. I think Hermes has some pretty solid pieces that are very heavy, that are very beautiful, intricate, that you don't see worn often today, and these are the pieces that I find attractive. For example, recently I just bought from Christie's these collectible bulgari earrings that are just different colors. There's a play of color, there's a play of stones, and the piece was purchased 35 years ago, you know, and so just having that
00:20:35
Speaker
To me, it's like a moment of history and having that is really attractive versus purchasing something like Tiffany that everyone is purchasing today. There's more of a storytelling element to older pieces. Yeah, no doubt. All right, let's chat about watches because I know you love them and have quite a collection that you've been building since around the same time that you were collecting jewelry.
Evolution of Watch Collecting Preferences
00:21:00
Speaker
So what was your first watch you ever got and what was your most recent purchase?
00:21:04
Speaker
Yeah, I think my first watch was a G Shock. Love it. Which I loved. And what I loved most was just that glow in the dark aspect where you press the side of it and it would just glow. So that was definitely my first watch as a kid. I was absolutely obsessed with it. I think my most recent purchase was a down payment for Bernaro. I don't know if I'm pronouncing that correctly, but it's a new brand, started by a couple and everything is handmade.
00:21:35
Speaker
you know, the old me probably wouldn't have felt confident purchasing something like that. But like now I'm, I see an aesthetic that's attractive. I see a story that's attractive. I, you know, and so in a way I want to collect one of these different pieces. Yeah. That, that watch is amazing. I can't wait to see them start getting delivered and seeing them on the wrist. It just, uh, what a cool story, right?
00:22:00
Speaker
I love the idea of the K shape. It's kind of melting and the movement looks incredible in the back and just kind of one of these instant success stories, you know, it just doesn't happen often. Yeah, exactly. And I think it's, I'm assuming it's a very hard market to penetrate, right? So you have to be pretty bold. You have to be pretty passionate to launch a watch brand, I think today, right? When there's such strong players in the market.
00:22:28
Speaker
Audemars Piguet has become a favorite brand of yours. Curious to know what it is about that brand that resonates with you so much. I think for me, AP, it's funny. It's a very strong association. Like I was joking that like Cedric Grille will send me pictures of an AP that he likes. And I just feel like now I'm the AP representative. I mean, not a bad thing to manifest. Exactly. It's not a bad, it's not a bad brand to do that with. But what really attracts me with AP is two things. It's first that there are,
00:22:56
Speaker
They're quite rebellious, right? They'll take the risk. They'll innovate. They'll pave the way. And I respect that a lot, especially because brands like them should be the ones because they have the power to change the industry. So the rebel component is very attracted to me. But also the second thing is I think that they do a really great job creating communities.
00:23:19
Speaker
And to me i think that this is gonna be such a key thing for any brand in the future which is to create communities that attract. I would say like minded individuals and there hasn't been a single ap event that i've been to where i don't make a new friend or i'm not.
00:23:35
Speaker
introduced to a new industry leader, et cetera, et cetera. And so it's a really compelling and attractive brand from that perspective. So you want to basically be bought it and you want to be part of that community. It really creates this strong emotional reaction.
00:23:52
Speaker
Yeah, no doubt. I mean, very few brands do that and have that currently. So it definitely makes sense. But recently you posted a photo of a rose gold frosted Royal Oak with a rainbow bezel. And if there was ever a watch that summed you up as a person and summed you up as a jewelry designer, I mean, that has to be it.
Connection to AP's Royal Oak
00:24:14
Speaker
It's so funny because actually the brushed gold was always my favorite AP, was the Royal Oak in the brushed gold. And unfortunately my first one got stolen. So I purchased immediately another Carolina Buchi collection, which was the mirrored one, which now I'm obsessed with, where the face is a mirror basically and it's brushed yellow gold.
00:24:37
Speaker
But it was funny because I was talking to the team and we were always in there like, okay, what's your next watch? I was like, honestly, I think I'm good or, you know, colors is a little too loud, et cetera, et cetera. But after a few conversations, they're like, guys, maybe this is your watch, like this watch represents you. And so it was funny because initially my reaction was it was a bit too loud, it was a bit too bold, it was a bit too colorful. But now it's just become like a classic piece that, you know, as you said, people think,
00:25:05
Speaker
is very synergistic with the brand and actually works quite well. Yeah. I mean, I don't even think a rainbow Daytona even comes close to that watch being so on the nose for you as a jewelry designer and the pieces that you've created. I mean, they just, they feel like two and one of the same.
00:25:25
Speaker
I feel like for me, it was funny because one of my clients tried it on and she has the rainbow Daytona. And she mentioned, she's like, oh, did you ever consider the rainbow Daytona? And I was like, no, absolutely not. What I like about that piece is that it's, to me, a work of art, A. But B, it's not often that you see it on someone's wrist, right? Not that the rainbow Daytona is on everyone's wrist, but I would say it's more familiar and more people wear it.
00:25:54
Speaker
Yeah, and I think the frosted element just adds this extra layer of design intricacy, and it's just another conversation, you know? Absolutely. And I mean, honestly, I think it's really well executed. It's quite a comfortable watch. And obviously with AP's insurance policy now, it feels really nice to have these pieces insured by AP. Yeah, absolutely. What are some other watch brands that you adore?
Prioritizing Design and Story in Watches
00:26:20
Speaker
Non-surprisingly, I'm a huge fan of Patek. I think Patek has some pretty beautiful design pieces. I think it's interesting because you probably interview a lot of different people and they're attracted to different components of a watch. For me, it's very much the design component.
00:26:38
Speaker
I would say it's firstly the design component and second, the story behind it. And so like most of the time, even, you know, the AP, I just, I can't even read the time on it, really. It doesn't really show its purpose in terms of that. And I've noticed that with a lot of people actually, A, their watches aren't on time, or B, they can't really read it. But yeah, so the second brand would probably be Patek, is a close. There's a watch I really, really love that actually a lot of people
00:27:04
Speaker
aren't familiar with and super reasonably priced. And I wear actually quite often, especially when I'm in Europe and like it's not really suggested to be wearing a watch, which is Jar. I don't know the jewelry designer. I'm not sure with him, but he did a limited one for the Metropolitan Museum. And it's quite a cool piece. It actually reminds me a bit of in a weird way because people aren't familiar with it. It's a super interesting watch.
00:27:33
Speaker
Exactly. It's very interesting. I think the thing that I find challenging is I think watches watch brands these days don't really have novelty. You know, they'll come out with same watch in a different color. And to me, that's not a new design. Yeah, that's when these
00:27:49
Speaker
You know, we're approaching watches and wonders coming up pretty soon here. And my take is that it's always just going to be a updated power reserve or an updated dial color. And it's never something that's that exciting and that riveting from the brands that you want to see stuff from. Exactly. And the brands that you usually aren't as excited for are the ones that release the kind of earth shattering new designs and they kind of get lost in the dust a lot of times.
00:28:17
Speaker
Exactly. I think they take more risks. And my question is like, honestly, if you're sitting on, like I understand, I think stay aligned to your brand.
00:28:25
Speaker
but take a risk. I love what Rolex is doing now with the Tetris watch that just came out or the puzzle pieces. I think there's definitely a movement in jewelry and in watches of fun, of this lighthearted levity that we all need as a reminder in our everyday life, especially with everything that's going on. And for example, I would love to see more of that in AP and Patek.
00:28:51
Speaker
When it comes to collecting watches and jewelry, do the same rules for each apply to you? I mean, if it's vintage, what are the comparisons of what you'll accept maybe on condition or something maybe being a little bit too polished? And does that apply to jewelry as well?
00:29:09
Speaker
I think I'm more open. I'm quite flexible, but I do think for watches I'm a little bit more picky because I do think there's an element of I like having the paperwork. I don't need the boxes. I like to have paperwork receipt and have it checked by the brand. A long time ago, I was actually in buying stones and then there was these bunch of watches being sold next to me and I fell in love with a vintage protect Tiffany stamped one.
00:29:33
Speaker
And i got it for very affordable at the time and there was initials on it there was no paperwork there was whatever so i purchased it and then i actually sent it to protect and they took. They took it in actually and revised it but the good thing in that is like i was actually by giving it to tech concern that it had been potentially a stolen watch right.
00:29:53
Speaker
Right. So I think now I'm a little bit more careful of that because I've had to watch the stolen and I'm always hoping one day someone brings it back to AP because we flagged it. But like, I think that with watches, it's a little, you know,
00:30:09
Speaker
There's a market. I don't know. I like to have the paperwork. Versus with jewelry, I'm a little bit more easygoing with regards to polish, not polished, as long as it's been inspected by the brand or it's verified.
Criteria for Vintage Watch Collection
00:30:24
Speaker
That's funny. I was thinking about what watch I was going to wear before the interview today, and I was looking at my collection. I was like, I feel like this Tiffany Patek that I have,
00:30:37
Speaker
is probably an appropriate watch to wear for this interview. So that's funny. You brought that up because that's what I'm wearing today for this interview and it's got an inscription on the back as well. So pretty funny. That's so cool. Yeah, it's one of my favorite. Honestly, it was a very affordable watch. The funniest thing was just that
00:30:55
Speaker
I remember when Patek came back to me with the time it would take to service it as 56 weeks. I was literally like, I hope I'm alive by the time I'm picking this up. This is ridiculous. If I ever said that to any of my clients, they would have been like, forget about it anymore.
00:31:12
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know how they still get away with that, especially with how impatient the world is. Totally. And in a way, I think it's good to tell people to slow down. I do that for my pieces. We'll customize it, we'll work together, but it'll take four to six weeks, which actually for the jewelry industry is quite a fast turnover. But sometimes I'll have people who want something now and I'm like, I'm so sorry, I can't satisfy you as a client, so I'm not the right fit for you. Go somewhere where there's mass production and there's a lot of inventory in stock.
00:31:41
Speaker
I think that for watches, people are more flexible and more willing to wait. Just as an example, the Bernier Rolle and I just put a deposit on. My piece will be ready in 2026. Right. I think four to six weeks for a custom piece of jewelry is pretty damn good. I mean, I would agree, but you know, people are getting so antsy these days. I don't know. Thank you, Amazon.
00:32:09
Speaker
You've built such an amazing brand and it's so avant-garde, but bold and elegant and classy at the same time. Is there anything exciting that is up and coming you can share with everyone that you're working on? Nothing I can share, but all I can highlight is that there's definitely two potential future collaborations I'm working on. For me, my 2024 manifestation and goal is to really secure both of these partnerships. I think one of the things I try to do as a brand is really
00:32:38
Speaker
work with different industry leaders to create something different and new. I think it goes without saying that obviously I'm a very huge fan of watches. So eventually that's kind of something I would like to work with a brand, which is designing something special and something that speaks to both of
Aspiration to Collaborate with Watch Brands
00:32:57
Speaker
us. So I think that is to be expected hopefully in the next few years. I think you will 150% have your own AP one day.
00:33:06
Speaker
I hope so. I hope so. I mean, that would be amazing, especially because I think for me, I'm very sensitive to stories and cultures within a company. And I really, I need to work with people or companies and brands that resonate with my values. Right. And I think that AP is family owned. It's long-term vision. It takes its time. It executes with precision, which are all things I value. Yeah. And they're, they're avant-garde and again, not willing to
00:33:37
Speaker
skip over taking a risk. They're all about taking risks and whether they land or not, I mean, we can see it in all the things that they've done in the last X amount of years. Absolutely. All right, Nadine, let's wrap it up here with the collectors you run
Quick-fire Round: Collector's Gene Insights
00:33:51
Speaker
down. You can answer these questions based on watches that you collect, jewelry that you collect, collections that you made for your brand, however you see fit. Sound good? Sounds good. All right. What's the one that got away?
00:34:04
Speaker
There was a Patek aquanaut I was offered in Zurich that I didn't take. Which one was it? It was the golden one. I actually asked them for the steel and then they showed me the gold one, the rose gold one, which is beautiful. They actually ended up buying it later. That's my favorite. I have a steel aquanaut and I think if there was ever an opportunity to get the rose gold one, I would have to do it. Yeah, it's beautiful. Or just watch.
00:34:31
Speaker
the on-deck circle. So what's something that you're hunting after right now or maybe a jewelry collection that you're excited about? I would say I was hunting for matching heart diamonds, which is actually, if you're in the industry, something very hard to achieve, because you basically need to find two stones that have very similar colors, carrots, cuts, et cetera. And so it's like a little Easter egg hunt. And it's actually quite difficult to find.
00:34:59
Speaker
Have you found at least one? I found one pair, but I'm still in the market. It's funny because most people aren't attracted to hearts, but then when they see me wearing it, they're like, wow, that's actually quite pretty. How about the unobtainable? So this is one that's too expensive or in a museum, a private collection. It's just complete unobtainable no matter what.
00:35:21
Speaker
I think one watch that's unattainable to me but that I think is really cool that came out was definitely AP's collab with Travis Scott. I think it was a really, really cool watch, very aesthetically pleasing. The price point's a little bit inhibiting for me personally and also obviously there's like limited amounts, but it was definitely a cool watch that got my attention.
00:35:42
Speaker
Yeah. Brown is my favorite color, which trying to explain that to people sometimes is really difficult, but I love brown. And when that watch came out, it was one of the few releases that I was like, wow, I could actually get behind that for sure. Exactly. I totally agree. The page one rewrite. So if you could collect anything else besides jewelry and watches, money is no object. What would it be? I'd say bags. Any specific brand?
00:36:12
Speaker
Yeah, her mess. I would say her mess or probably art. I'm a huge, I love art. How about the goat? Who do you look up to in the collecting world that you think is a great collector?
00:36:23
Speaker
That's a great question. Honestly, I wouldn't say it's someone specific that's known. I think that sometimes I meet people and come across people who have very strong aesthetic tastes and basically whatever they wear, you become attracted to or you look at differently. And I think those are the people who have an influence on me and who kind of become muses. Love it. The hunt or the ownership, which one do you enjoy more?
00:36:49
Speaker
I would always say the ownership. It feels nice to have it, but I think Hunt is part of the game, so you appreciate more of the ownership when the Hunt's been brutal. That's for sure. Most importantly, do you feel that you were born with the collector's gene? Unfortunately, for me and my bank account, I would say I was born with the collector's gene.
00:37:11
Speaker
I love it. Nadine, thank you so much for joining me. Cheers to you and all the success that you've had as a one person show over there. It's really incredible and I've loved to see you flourish and all the things that you've created and I can't wait for what's to come this year. Thank you so much, Cameron. Thanks for making the time. Anytime, take care. Bye. All right, that does it for this episode. Thank you all for listening to Collector's Gene Radio.