Harrogate Homes and Horology by Sheree Foy, Property Consultant
Everybody has a view on houses! Do you prefer your modern, eco warrior palace or perhaps your elegant Georgian manor? Are you a formal dining room fan or an open plan Continental style convert? Functional, Scandinavian decor or English country cottage?
I know that there are as many types, layouts and decors of houses as there are individuals in my favourite town of Harrogate, where I source premium properties.
What I didn't really understand until recently, is the uniqueness in the world of Horology - defined as the art and science of measuring time. My interest involves the immense surge in interest in fine watches, new and vintage, that seems to have defined the last 10 years.
I must have observed hundreds of men peering into the window of Ogden's on James Street in Harrogate; a veritable treasure trove of new and vintage watch gems. They say that you can predict a person by the type of pet they own: maybe there's a connection between one's taste in watches and houses, as well. What does it say about you?
I was chatting with Neil Hollier, Head of Watches at Ogdens in Harrogate and York and we started debating whether you could predict the type of home a person would enjoy from the watch on their wrist. Who knows, but our findings below were good fun and there might be the makings of a bit of office banter or coffee table conversation somewhere.
So, here are the Sheree and Neil, Harrogate Home and Watch matches.
- The modern, functional flats on Beech Grove with commanding views of the Stray. Often a deceptively simple exterior hiding wonderfully spacious interiors with state of the art design.
How about the clean elegant lines of Mühle Glashütte, still hiding that notorious German sophistication mechanically? The Mühle Glashütte Teutonic Handaufzug - simplicity and flair beautifully combined.
- The contemporary homes sprinkled around the town with clean lines and expansive glazing, an eagle eye would spot one of Harrogate's newest and funkiest smart homes on the route into town from Leeds.
A Louis Erard Regulator – Fresh is the best way to describe a regulator not because it is new but because it’s an extremely clean way of displaying the time. 3 hands, 3 dials - 1 time. Mastered in Switzerland and adored globally, the regulator has a no fuss finish that brings true horology to life.
- Georgian homes overlooking the stray. Every one unique but every one blessed with timeless style.
A Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox – What could be more timeless than a timepiece from one of the oldest and revered watch houses? The Memovox is a fine example of this. Released in 1951 as a mechanical alarm wristwatch it was designed with such skill that only the trained eye would know that it actually housed an alarm.
- The countless fine houses on the South side of town. Every house different to the last, but every one offering that little bit more value than some of Harrogate's more traditional areas.
A Frédérique Constant Perpetual Calendar Moonphase – A movement style that has been attempted by no more than a handful of watch houses. Great sophistication, tremendous precision and something that little bit unique in a world of sameness!
- Victorian homes on the Duchy. Bold, confident expressions of the Victorian era; defying age and constantly reinventing generation by generation.
A Zenith El Primero – The story of a watch that we so very nearly never saw. The tools, plans, parts, knowledge were ordered to be destroyed due to the quartz crisis in the Swiss watch industry. As Zenith now continue to grow, the El Primero is its bedrock and is the basis for every re-invention and innovation to make sure that generation by generation it is never lost to the world again.
So, if you've caught the watch bug, wander down to Ogden’s and if you're quick, you might be the proud new owner of any of the above watches. If you want to secure a home that matches your lifestyle, if not your watch, then give me a call at Source Harrogate- The Property Finders. I might just uncover that hidden gem that's not in the shop window!
