The past weekend saw the second Issued In London collector’s lunch, hosted by Mike Wood and Andrew “Jed” McCormack. Collectors from as far as Indonesia and the United States congregated in UK’s capital to meet for an afternoon of what can only be described as – madness. The discretion and secrecy generally associated with vintage watch collecting at this level precludes me from divulging too much; so you must excuse the sparse details.

Primarily themed around watches issued to professionals (divers, pilots, military personal, etc.), steel was naturally the order of the day. Mil-Subs and COMEXes where out in remarkable force, as well as a plethora of other exceptional pieces.

Primarily themed around watches issued to professionals (divers, pilots, military personal, etc.), steel was naturally the order of the day. Mil-Subs and COMEXes where out in remarkable force, as well as a plethora of other exceptional pieces.

Of additional note, and in a departure from the tool watch theme, was a duo consisting of an ultra rare A Series Royal Oak and Nautilus – both with Oman dials.

The gathering of like-minded collectors not only provided an opportunity for sharing knowledge, information and anecdotes regarding the pursuit of some of the world’s rarest and most collectable watches, it also facilitated some truly astonishing group watch shots – such as 28 military-issued Submariners laid out side-by-side.