The Clockwork Contrarian: J. B. Champion Jr.'s Extraordinary Watch Collection

A Lawyer's Paradox

In the autumn of 1967, Joe Ben “J. B.” Champion Jr. sat through a murder trial in near silence, a tactic he had employed before. For a man who once declared himself “the best” lawyer, his courtroom demeanor seemed oddly passive. Yet this apparent contradiction was part of a personality that also drove a meticulous approach to collecting watches.

Champion, born in Dallas in 1917, was independently wealthy thanks to his father's oil royalties. He practiced law not out of necessity but out of a competitive spirit that had once made him a ranked tennis player. His punctuality was legendary; he kept a five o'clock cocktail hour at the Chateaubriand restaurant in Dallas for over two decades, a ritual that mirrored the precision he admired in timepieces.

The First Acquisition: A Pocket Watch

In 1950, at age 32, Champion received his first documented Patek Philippe: a ref. 824 pocket watch in 18k yellow gold. The movement, a 19-ligne “Extra Quality” lever caliber, had been crafted in 1926 and remained uncased for nearly 25 years before Champion purchased it. The cuvette was engraved with his name, marking the beginning of a unique relationship with the Geneva manufacturer.

The Observatory Wristwatch

Two years later, Champion took delivery of a watch that would cement his legacy: a unique platinum ref. 2458 wristwatch. Its movement, derived from a Valjoux chronograph ebauche, was sized at 13 lignes, qualifying it for the Geneva Observatory's wristwatch category (Category D). The movement, numbered 861'121, received its Bulletin de Marche in 1948, ranking third in that year's competition. Adjusted by the renowned régleur André Zibach, it was one of only two such competition movements ever cased for private clients.

Champion's watch featured a silvered dial with baton markers, later replaced by a diamond-set dial from Dallas retailer Linz Brothers. The original dial bore the inscription “MADE ESPECIALLY FOR J. B. CHAMPION.” In 2012, this watch sold at Christie's Geneva for CHF 3,779,000, a record for a time-only wristwatch at auction.

The First Automatic

In 1953, Champion received Patek Philippe's first-ever self-winding wristwatch, a ref. 2526 Calatrava. The movement, cal. 12-600 AT, was the very first off the production line, held back by the Henri Stern Watch Agency until they saw how the market received the new technology. Champion's watch differed from later examples, featuring a bi-metallic balance and lacking the ball-bearing rotor support, making it a piece of horological history.

A Collector's Contradictions

Champion's collecting was as precise as his daily routine. He was known to have requested a diamond at the five o'clock position on his dial as a nod to his cocktail hour, a request that was refused to preserve symmetry. His watches reflect a man who appreciated both technical excellence and aesthetic beauty, yet his courtroom tactics seemed at odds with his fastidious nature. Perhaps it was this very contradiction that made him a fascinating figure in the world of horology.

Authenticity and Legacy

For collectors today, Champion's watches serve as benchmarks of rarity and provenance. His ref. 2458 remains a unique piece, and his ref. 2526 is a testament to Patek Philippe's innovation. When considering similar pieces, verify authenticity through serial numbers, movement details, and provenance documents. The market for such historically significant watches is driven by their documented history, as Champion's pieces demonstrate.