Nick Gould has an unlikely superpower akin to a horological form of X-ray specs. From the merest glimpse of a watch dial or bezel peeping out from a shirt cuff, he can recognise the brand and model with bewildering accuracy. Interested in watches since childhood when he became entranced by the ticking sound of his mother’s Rolex Datejust, the 36-year-old’s fascination developed after university. “I realised I could identify a timepiece and the particular model quite easily,” he says.

It may sound more like a party trick than a legitimate skill. But Gould, who’s based in Adelaide, has parlayed it into a paid gig as a watch writer and researcher, and become a sought-after authority in the specialist watch media. Revolution hails Gould as “the king of the watchspotters”, he’s been interviewed by Collectability, and contributed to a range of watch sites.