Carl Palmegren is the head of watches for Bukowskis auction house.

Personal style: I appreciate the craftsmanship and uniqueness of vintage timepieces. I am particularly fond of steel chronographs from the 1950s.

First watch: My father gave me a Swatch chronograph when I was in elementary school. I was immediately fascinated by its start, stop and reset function. By the time I was 10, I had quite an extensive collection of Swatch watches, including a few models that I still own and occasionally wear.

Watch count: I try to own a maximum of three collector pieces at a time. This way, all of them get their fair share of wrist time.

Celeb watch icon: Nicolas Cage, known for his extravagant taste, is associated with many watches, especially Rolex timepieces featured in his films, from “Leaving Las Vegas” to “National Treasure.” Privately, he’s been spotted wearing a Rolex 6062 “Stelline,” which is considered a grail for many Rolex collectors. 

Watch you’re coveting: I would love to own a Patek Philippe steel chronograph from the mid-20th century, perhaps a reference 1463 “Tasti Tondi” in steel with Breguet numerals.

Favorite travel watch: A Rolex GMT-Master, preferably with a gilt dial from the ’50s or ’60s. It is suitable with any outfit, can remain on the wrist throughout the entire trip, and tracks multiple time zones.

Best watch to gift: A watch with a rich heritage — like an Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, a Seiko “Captain Willard,” a Cartier Tank, or perhaps a Lemania TG 195 made for the Swedish military — allows you to not only give a watch but also a piece of history.

Adam Craniotes is the president and co-founder of RedBar Group. 

Personal style: My tastes run the gamut from vintage to modern, small to large, quartz to mechanical, and digital to analog. The watch I’m probably most associated with is my IWC [Schaffhausen] Top Gun Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar, which is a 48 mm, ceramic-cased monster of a watch. Make of that what you will.

First watch: A Casio F-7, which was a gift from my grandfather when I was 8 years old. (Bear in mind that the era was late ’70s/early ’80s, so digital was king.) I gifted it to my son on his third birthday, so that his first watch was the same as mine.

Watch count: I haven’t taken a recent census, but I’m hovering around 50. Mind you, this doesn’t include my G-Shock collection, which has to be over 100 at this point.

Best watch cameo: The Omega Speedmaster worn by Buckaroo Banzai [in a 1984 film starring Peter Weller] when he broke the dimensional barrier in his rocket car. Say what you want about Buckaroo and his Hong Kong Cavaliers, but the man always uses the right tool for the job.

Celeb watch icon: Jay-Z, who famously rapped, “I don’t got the bright watch, I got the right watch.” This isn’t to say that he doesn’t have more than a few diamond-studded timepieces — because he does — but he’s also amassed a collection of significant contemporary and vintage watches that should be the envy of any collector. The man is a true connoisseur. 

Favorite travel watch: Hands down, it’s my Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT. Aside from being supremely comfortable on the wrist owing to its lightweight titanium construction and record-breaking thinness, it has a jumping hour hand that can be set independently of the minute hand by means of a thoughtfully integrated pusher at the 9 o’clock position; home time is read on a 24-hour subdial.

Best watch to start a collection: There are as many ways to answer this question as there are watches in the world. Obviously, available funds play a big role, but for most I would say Seiko is a great place to start. History, provenance, reliability … it’s all there.  

Why wearing a great watch matters: I firmly believe that watches exist at the nexus of art, science and technology, and a good timepiece celebrates all of these things. Imagine, the ultimate expression of humanity right there on one’s wrist!?

Advice for first-time buyers: “Buy what you like, and wear what you buy.” At the end of the day, it’s your wrist, so it’s imperative that whenever you glance at it that you smile. Of course, it’s also important to stay in your lane: As great as watches are, don’t go into debt for one!

Anonymous Instagram favorite, The Owl Lady, posts pieces from her own extensive collection.

Personal style: Eclectic and 99.9% vintage. Some days I wear big (40 mm) tool watches, other days I stack three or four smaller 26 mm and even tinier pieces. On days starting with an “S” I usually wear one of the Timex Snoopy Marlins.

First watch: My mother gave me a rather pretty Bueche Girod onyx-dial watch, but sadly, it disappeared at some stage in my nomadic life.

Watch count: I don’t count.

Best watch cameo: I remember being overly excited spotting a Cartier Baignoire on the wrist of a Parisian in the TV series “Van der Valk.”

Recent purchase: A turquoise-dial, gold Rolex Lady-Datejust (vintage ref. 6517) and a 1968 Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris E859.

Favorite travel watch: This changes depending on where I am going, how long for and mode of transport. I usually choose between my Rolex 5508, chocolate-dial Heuer Camaro or Cartier Ballon Bleu.

Best watch to start a collection: Depends on whether you are collecting to wear and love or whether you are collecting purely for investment purposes, in which case I say, “Boo to you.” If for love, it depends on budget and style but I would look at vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre. There are an amazing variety of styles that are relatively affordable.