Raised in Seoul, I fell in love with vintage watches during my years abroad in the US and the UK. I have handled it all - from high end modern independents and neo-vintage to unique vintage timepieces - and shared a part of the journey through my Instagram account @pleasegivemecashmere.

I am grateful that the watch community has recognised my taste and curation. I have been featured by media outlets internationally, contributing to and interviewed by big names in the industry such as A Collected Man, Watchonista, and Hyundai Department Store.

After moving back to Korea, I came face to face with the severe lack of local vintage watch collecting community. While I was fortunate to have had access to various flea markets and auction houses while abroad, the collectors here have minimal access to information. While the reasons for this are complex, I can only feel there is massive room for improvement.

I have been the most active on Instagram, but the platform has its limits. On this website, I hope to expand on my curation to provide more detail than on Instagram, and - less bound by pictorial curation - discuss topics beyond watches.

I aim to be the leading source of information for Korean collectors, facilitating the formation of an active local vintage watch collecting community. In the future, the Rarefied Seoul museum will serve as a physical point of gathering.

My background is not in anything related to watches, but that’s also why I see vintage watches as a great connecting joint that brings interesting people from all backgrounds together. I have met incredible friends through the shared interest in vintage watches, and I hope this project can facilitate more friendships for collectors in Korea and beyond.

Jay Jaeho Chang, DPhil