Michael Friedman has been called “The most interesting man in the horological world”. He was even name-dropped in the Kendrick Lamar song ‘Rich Spirit’ last year. In this two-part podcast, Michael discusses his stellar career in the watch world and how this led to founding his new company the Pattern Recognition Agency. In Part 1, we learn how Michael’s career started over 27 years ago with his friend, John Reardon at the Willard House & Clock Museum in Massachusetts where they were both assistant curators. Michael then became curator of the National Watch and Clock Museum, after which he joined Christie’s watch department in New York. Following his time in the auction world, Michael became a private curator and advisor to many important collectors including Eric Clapton whose legendary watch collection he helped to build. In 2013, he joined Audemars Piguet where he served as Historian for several years before becoming Head of Complications. In this lively and fascinating conversation Michael also discusses his favorite Patek Philippe watches and his predictions for the future of collecting. Watch this interview on Collectability’s YouTube.
