Julien Toretto and the Art of Curating Watches

Most watch dealers follow a fairly familiar script. Auction rooms. Reference numbers. Low-key discussions about condition and original parts.

Julien Toretto moves in a completely different lane.

If you scroll through the Instagram feed for his Paris-based platform OTOTTOÏ, you quickly notice something else: the watches are just one part of the story. Between vintage Piaget on integrated gold bracelets and yellow gold Rolex Datejust, film stills from Casino, old skateboard graphics, hip-hop references, coffee table books, and sometimes a perfectly worn leather jacket pop up. Far from the feel of a sterile web shop – more like a cultural mood board.

And that's exactly how Toretto wants it.

– I really try to share a lifestyle, not just pretty pictures, he says. The music I post, the images I choose – everything is part of my everyday life. I never share anything that isn't truly a part of my own DNA.

At 33 years old, the Grenoble-born entrepreneur has become one of the more interesting voices in the vintage watch world – not by chasing trends, but by trusting his own taste.

Building Otottoï

Unlike many traditional dealers, Toretto did not enter the watch world through auction houses or family businesses. His background is in the fashion industry. For nearly a decade, he worked in the fashion world, including running a menswear store and later as store manager for Comme des Garçons in Paris. That experience has shaped how he views watches to this day.

– Fashion has really influenced how I see things and objects in general, he says. I choose watches in the same way I would choose clothes – timelessness, quality, history and, if you’re lucky, a really cool twist.

When he launched OTOTTOÏ in 2019, the goal was not to replicate how other retailers operated.

Quite the opposite.

– My only real intention has always been to just be myself and express my own sense of style. There are so many incredibly skilled retailers out there – I’m just one of them. My way of distinguishing myself is to create something that reflects me completely, without compromising my own codes.

This philosophy still shapes the brand today.

Toretto only buys watches that he truly likes – those he would happily wear himself. If a watch doesn’t resonate with him, it simply never makes it into the collection.

– If I don’t like something, I don’t buy it, he says. I wouldn’t be able to sell it convincingly.

Culture before specifications

While many traditional collectors primarily focus on movements and technical details, Julien's gaze is first drawn to another direction.

Design.
Context.
History.

This perspective can be traced back to the cultural mix he grew up in, in a small town in southeastern France.

– I have always been drawn to underground cultures, he says. Where I grew up, hip hop, rap, skateboarding, graffiti, and even metal all coexisted.

This mix left a clear mark on his aesthetic. Movies and series like Casino, Belly, The Sopranos, and The Wire continue to inspire him visually. And musically, it’s a somewhat unexpected soundtrack that is still played most frequently.

– The playlist I probably still listen to the most is the soundtrack from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, he says, laughing.

Vintage Watches – More Than Just a Trend

In recent years, vintage watches have become increasingly visible. Models that previously circulated primarily among niche collectors can now be seen on the wrists of musicians, athletes, and figures in the fashion world.

For Julien, however, this development is about something larger than just watches. It is part of a broader cultural shift.

– When looking at the market as a whole, second-hand and vintage have become a natural part of how we consume today, he says. Vintage allows people to stand out and own something that feels almost unique.

And unlike mass-produced luxury, vintage watches carry something that many collectors value more and more: character.

– I don’t think this is just a temporary trend. It feels more like something that is now deeply rooted in how people think about consumption.

Gold, Identity, and the Future

Toretto has also become something of an ambassador for yellow gold watches – a category that many collectors have long overlooked.

But even that part of the market is changing rapidly.

– The sharp rise in gold prices has made almost all gold watches more expensive now, he says. I’m also a bit worried that some watches that were previously more niche may actually be melted down just for the value of the gold.

Despite the changes in the market, Toretto's focus is long-term. He wants to build something more than just an online shop for watches. His vision for OTOTTOÏ is fundamentally quite personal.

– My dream has always been to build a family business. And if God wills, maybe we’ll be sitting here again in five years and I can tell you that my mom, my sister, my brother, and my wife are all working in the company with me.

For someone who has built his brand around personal taste and cultural references, this feels like a pretty natural goal. After all, OTOTTOÏ was never meant to be just a watch store.

It’s a perspective.

And increasingly – a community.

And when he’s not thinking about watches?

– Right now, I’m completely obsessed with coffee, he says. I’ve built a whole setup at home and can spend hours reading and learning more. It’s a bit of a coffee geek interest – but I fully embrace it.