my name is Elmar, I am the owner of the site, oysterinfo, and I have a special passion: mechanical wristwatches. This probably is also something related to my professional technical background, but I appreciate not only the engineering – mechanical movements are really small masterpieces and have a precision that is not found anywhere else – but mechanical watches are more. They are an expression of style and taste, for tradition and, of course, for luxury.
This enthusiasm was the reason why I launched oysterinfo in 2006. The aim was to bring together the passion and knowledge to share with all interested parties. Information should be easily and quickly available, in order to be able to find it quickly in case of interest in a watch, for example.
When I started the site in 2006, the current big hype around watches did not yet exist. Those who were interested in old mechanical watches were more exotic. They met online and virtually in various forums – in Germany, the R-L-X Forum by Percy, Hannes and Michael was the very first starting point (and is still today). There were, however, already watch-exchanges, which were well, but still much less visited than today.
It developed quickly into real meetings of watch fans in Munich, Vienna, Bensheim and Hamburg and at that time I made some real friendships, which continue to this day. This is the wonderful thing about this hobby: it connects.
Today, the market for mechanical watches has developed tremendously and this is noticeable not only in the steadily rising prices of new watches and models, but also especially in the vintage area. Good (old) watches have become scarcer since the market has become interesting not only to collectors, but also to people who want to make a lucrative amount of money, but basically do not share the passion. On the other hand, smartwatches are becoming more and more popular and the market is undergoing a change, which is also evident in the established brands.
But nevertheless, watches still fascinate me, just as in the beginning and enthusiasm for watches remains. I am lucky that watches are a pure hobby of mine and I do not earn my income with watches. I believe that it is difficult to continue a hobby as work (no matter how happy you are).
After 10 years, I completely redesigned the oysterinfo website in 2016. It should be more modern and easier to use and, of course, optically more beautiful. Also it should be safer, because unfortunately the old site was hacked several times and I had a lot of work to restore the site. The original programming in HTML and PHP is now far too prone to such machinations. In contrast to the old site, almost all information is available in German and English. The relaunch has been so worthwhile and is now the basis for the future to further develop and update.
If you have questions or want to know something, I will try to help. Write me a message on the contact form, or follow me on Instagram and Facebook. I am happy with any kind of contact with people with a passion for watches.
Take care.
Elmar