This Successful Horologist Has a Great Eye For Exquisite, Iconic & Rare Luxury Watches Zach Lu recalls the way luxury timepieces and their alluring aesthetic technology beckoned to him when he was only a teenager

New York wrist-watch enthusiast Zach Lu (or @zachattack__25 to his 82.9K social media followers) has had a magnificent seventeen-year-long career littered with storied experiences and triumphant memories. And perhaps the most astonishing chapter of his journey is the very beginning, when he took his first tentative steps in the watch world.

Zach Lu recalls the way luxury timepieces and their alluring aesthetic technology beckoned to him when he was only a teenager. "There was no Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, no easily available internet," he said. "But I wanted to know more. I went to the bookstore to look for available options. I had no intention of becoming a collector, of having the life I now have. I just wanted to know more." And with his newly acquired tome of horology knowledge, Zach Lu went to the 2005 Antiquorum in Geneva–simply to see some good pieces and understand how a typical auction worked–and ended up nabbing an exceptionally nice Vacheron Constantin that he fondly calls his "first legit purchase". Zach Lu was still glowing at having a luxury watch on his wrist, when the renowned watch manufacturer Patek Philippe extended a personal welcome to Zach. Apparently, the timepiece landscape was impressed by his intelligence and judgment, and Stern had heard that Zach had a particular interest in Patek. Zach resultantly sat down to lunch with the-then Patek CEO, and talked shop; he was only seventeen. "I felt like I was in a dream," he said. "That first lunch changed my view on horology forever. I started really appreciating the Patek brand."

Indeed, Zach Lu's association with Patek has furnished his illustrious career in horology with several fortuitous experiences. For instance, Zach attended a Patek VIP dinner at the Genevan Manufacture, held in honor of Patek's 175th anniversary and the brand's long alliance with the historic timepiece territory. Zach mingled with inspiring collectors from all the world; "I really looked up to some of them," he said. "It was so special". His long buying history with Patek Philippe also helped score him the auction example of the famed Tiffany Nautilus 5711, the swan song of Patek's popular steel Nautilus line, positioned for retirement after the release of the co-signed Tiffany model. After the original auction winner had to drop out for undisclosed issues, Patek Philippe and Tiffany & Co. commemorated Zach's buying history with Patek for the origins highest bid he had proposed during the auction. Zach has frequently called this purchase "one of the most memorable moments" in his career, "hands down".

Zach Lu's acquisition of the Tiffany Nautilus also came with the added perk of a fledgling relationship with High Management in Tiffany & Co. Zach now gets invited to exclusive events at fashion houses as a special Tiffany guest. In fact, he was on a Tiffany invitation when he met and conversed with actress Anne Hathaway and K-pop sensation Lisa.

Zach Lu has also maintained an intimate career-long tete-a-tete with Richard Mille–a watch manufacturer known for its futuristic designs–which has resulted in frequent meetings with other famous personalities who work with the RM brand. For example, he was invited to the French Open on Richard Mille's invitation and therefore got the opportunity to meet and interact with tennis legend Rafael Nadal.