You may think that you’ve got watch Instagram sorted – it is 2021 after all. But then again, there are thousands of watch accounts on Instagram and there are only so many gem-set Rolex #wristrolls anyone needs in their life. We’ve combed through the app to put together a list of 10 accounts that you absolutely must be keeping up with; a combination of brilliant photography, influential collectors, vintage knowledge and a few that just caught our eye for doing something different. And if you want a three-step solution to following absolutely everyone who matters in watches, here it is: 01. Follow Mr John Goldberger. 02. Follow everyone he follows. 03. Follow @MrPorterWatches.

Instagram is well stocked with skilled watch photographers and if you’re into watches, you’ve probably already come across many of them. Our recent favourite is @waitlisted; the mix of macros and unusual studio shots keeps things interesting, and the watches range from Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus-level collector-bait to high-end indies.

Watch geeks love a macro shot and there’s none better in the business. If you want to truly understand what fine finishing is all about, immerse yourself in this feed. Interior angles, broad bevelling, countersunk jewels, mirror polishing, snailed wheels – it’s all here, and all immaculately photographed.

This is the Instagram alias of Mr Carson Chan, collector, expert and the FHH’s man in Hong Kong. This is where you go for great watch photography that informs as well as delights: every watch comes with a paragraph of key intel, and more often than not, even seasoned watch nerds will learn something.

The watch collector’s watch collector, Mr John Goldberger’s array of watches is incredibly broad, incredibly deep and incredibly good. Most of the time he sticks to golden-age Rolex, Patek Philippe and Cartier, but every now and then drops in a Longines Legend Diver, Keith Haring Swatch or something so mind-bogglingly rare you didn’t even know it existed, such as a rectangular white-gold Louis Cottier worldtimer with ladder bracelet.

The man behind MB&F has an Instagram to match: equal parts horological brilliance and childlike whimsy, with a sprinkling of memes, personal insights and a healthy amount of recommendations (his brand is called Max Busser & Friends, after all). It’s a refreshingly authentic window to one of the most inventive minds in the business.

Formerly a dedicated forum, now reborn as an Instagram account, the Hour Lounge is the official home of vintage Vacheron Constantin, a fabulous history that even today just isn’t well-known enough. You’ll find classic triple calendars and reference 222s but also exquisite textured dials, unusual case shapes and one-off creations.

This recently launched initiative by IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN sees nine university students given the run of the brand’s libraries to create content that approaches watches from a new perspective (well, nine new perspectives, specifically). Expect quirky photo styles and connections between watches and the wider world – our personal favourite being the matches between rare sneakers and IWC watches.

A bit of an undiscovered gem, Chasing Cartier is a finely curated feed of the very best vintage Cartier watches, clocks and esoteric timepieces – a gold money clip with a watch movement built in, for example. Vintage Cartier is fast becoming enormously sought-after, so this is the place to build up your knowledge.

Toronto-based artist Ms Julie Kraulis draws enormous photo-real posters of watches entirely with pen and pencil, and they have to be seen to be believed. Recent works have seen her capture the meteorite dial of a Rolex GMT-Master II, the intricacies of an FP Journe guilloché pattern and the complex detail of an A Lange & Söhne movement, all in phenomenal detail.

A simple, fun premise: one picture of a watch drawn daily in under an hour. Mr Lee Yuen-Rapati’s sketches range from abstract or absurd riffs on watchmaking to precise, almost photo-real depictions of specific references. He takes commissions, although currently demand is so high no new work is being accepted.