Wristology 101 : Giorgia Mondani
Two weeks ago, on March 29th, Giorgia Mondani came to our shop, at 26 rue du Bac, in order to present the whole collection of Rolex books by Mondani and offer a free valuation day to estimate your watches by Antiquorum specialists. She kindly agreed to answer our questions and choose a wristwatch from our collection to talk about.
THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF WOMEN IN THE WATCH WORLD, WHAT MAKE YOU DECIDE TO FOLLOW THIS PATH ? DID ANTIQUORUM HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT ?
Obviously, I have always been surrounded by wristwatches since I was a small child. After my graduation I went to work for Antiquorum and that is how I started to work in the watch business. After almost two years in Geneva, I joined the family company Mondani Books, taking our books all around the world. Two years ago, we founded a new company: Mondani Web, the leading communications agency of the watch world. My career in watches began at Antiquorum, so yes, Antiquorum was my first impact onto this male-dominant world, but at that time my personality was much less popular. Today I can really say that I am one of the few women in this industry, but I like it so much and appreciate all other women who work with watches!
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ROLEX DAYTONA REF. 6265 TO WEAR IN ROMAIN REA’S COLLECTION ?
Romain has fantastic watches in his collection but this vintage yellow gold Daytona Ref. 6265, with its emblematic yellow gold bezel has something magical … Vintage watches with history are very fascinating, and the Daytona is such an iconic model!
WHAT EXACTLY DRAWS YOU TO THIS TIMEPIECE ? WOULD IT BE AN INTERESTING PURCHASE ?
I like watches with history and Rolex has a strong one. Especially the Daytona whose reliability and performance are key words that define this emblematic piece, named after the Daytona Beach race in Florida. The Ref. 6265 is the last reference with a mechanical movement. Furthermore, I like watches that can represent a safe investment and a Daytona is one of the clearest examples of how a watch can be the safest investment ever – particularly with today’s worldwide economic situation!
DO YOU PREFER VINTAGE OR MODERN WRISTWATCHES ? WHY ?
Vintage has something magic.. Modern is easier to wear… I don’t know, I cannot choose : I love both !!!
DO YOU STILL COLLECT YOURSLEF, FOLLOWING IN YOUR FATHER’S FOOTSTPES ?
Daniele collects much more than I. Watches are his favorite hobby and he shares it with my dad. It is good because he can learn a lot from my father and he is collecting very good pieces that have already gained good value.
WHERE DO YOU THINK THE LOVE STORY BEWTEEN ROLEX AND ITALIANS COME FROM ?
Italians are obsessed with Rolex and there are several reasons: first, important people like Agnelli wearing Rolex in the past, second, we are obsessed with fashion and brands because of our culture. We need to have a Rolex and/or a Louis Vuitton. Fashion is an important part of our life, like in France.
Horological culture is very strong in Italy because my dad started the publishing house here, and in the 90’s almost every single Rolex collector and dealer were buying our books. People really understood that buying a watch at that time was a safe investment.
IT IS CLEAR THAT YOU HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR ROLEX (AND PATEK PHILIPPE IT SEEMS, ACCORDING TO ALL THE NAUTILUS THAT WE SEE ON YOUR INSTAGRAM). WHY IS THIS ?
Our publications are focused on these two brands and they are also the brands leading the market today! I also like Omega but my family and I prefer to keep the focus on Rolex and Patek. I grew up with my parents who have been collecting these watches since forever, so I guess this is also the reason.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE WRISTWACTH WORLD ? HOW THE “MONDANI FAMILY” DISTINGUISHES ITSELF AROUND OTHER “INFLUENCERS”?
Social Media, and Instagram in particular, is the center of the world today. Instagram is like a business card, it is the new way people can recognize you and look for you. You must be good on Social Media if you want to have success in your business. From my point of view, not using Social Media is like having a store and keeping it closed.
Regarding our role on social network, well, we have invested so much time, money and energy and we could achieve a great success. In fact, 3 years ago we founded Mondani Web which is the leading communications agency of the wristwatch world today. We support and promote watch dealers, auction houses (such as Antiquorum), events and brands though all our channels. We also have created a network of trusted dealers, which pursues the same goal that we have for our books: helping collectors buy the right pieces, with the right sellers. Today, internet and various marketplaces are a jungle: it is to easy to buy the wrong watch, so we guarantee that it won’t happen when you buy from a Mondani Web trusted dealer.
For me, Instagram is like the television. Thanks to Instagram I gained great popularity and I will be always grateful for that. Instagram changed my life and I have to thank Daniele (my husband) because he has been encouraging me every day…
WHAT WERE YOUR DISCOVERIES IN BASEL?
I was lucky enough to have been invited by Rolex to see their new collection, and was very impressed with the new Day-Dates. I find them very beautiful. The GMT with its meteorite dial is also amazing. Regarding the steel GMT Batman, I hope what happened with the Pepsi won’t happen again here: years on the waiting list …