Collector-watch support for your family office

What problem do you solve for family offices?

A family office built to manage investments may not have the expertise to review a yacht, aircraft maintenance or a Hermès bag. That gap matters when a principal wants to buy an aircraft or sell a collection. The team needs a process before a high-value transaction starts. A dealer selling its own asset can also have different incentives from the buyer.

A family office may want outside support without building an internal category team. That need does not establish available capacity. Watch brokerage and valuation remain available; any standing protocol or non-watch work requires confirmed acceptance, defined tasks and the relevant specialists.

How the engagement runs

• Confidential onboarding. A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) covers the office, principal, assets and permitted recipients before private details are shared.
• Mandate defined with your office. The brief states the goal, limits, approval steps and how much the principal wants to be involved.
• Accept the scope. Agree which search, outreach, evidence-review or negotiation tasks can be accepted, who will do them and who authorises the work.
• Reporting on your schedule. Written updates and completion records use the agreed format and go to the agreed recipients.
• Clear fees. Fees and possible conflicts are disclosed in writing before chargeable work begins.

What does your office gain?

An accepted agreement can set reporting rules and state who keeps approvals and transaction records. It does not create a staffed desk for every asset type. Confirm who can accept each non-watch task and who will keep its records for later enquiries.

• An accepted scope for each asset category, with specialist needs identified
• Agree the verification record required by the principal's lawyers and insurers
• Control of private details: agree who needs the principal’s identity for checks and completion
• Clear division of work between the family office and appointed providers
• Agreement on who keeps records for any later enquiry or transaction

What we ask of you

Any accepted mandate needs clear instructions, accurate constraints, and a contact who can obtain decisions. We will decline or pause a mandate when instructions, authority, evidence, or conflicts are not clear. This protects the principal and the family office.

Looking for advice rather than execution? Family office advisory →

Which events should trigger a family office mandate?

Possible enquiry triggers include a first aircraft, yacht replacement, art purchase, watch or bag sale, estate distribution, insurance question or ownership change. These examples do not establish an accepted mandate. Watch work can use the published services; other categories need confirmed availability and a defined review or transaction scope.

What evidence does the office need to prepare?

Confirm the legal owner, who can give instructions, the planned transaction and the advisers involved. For watches, gather the reference, service history, condition and ownership records. Other asset types need different checks. List the records you have and ask which outside experts are needed before sharing a full file.

Specify who will identify evidence gaps and perform each specialist review before giving instructions. We do not provide legal, tax, insurance, lending, regulated investment, survey, or technical inspection advice. The office's advisers remain responsible for those decisions, and the principal approves each commitment.

How are fees and next steps handled?

An accepted partnership with Passion Asset Advisory states how the arrangement works and any ongoing fees or payments. Each accepted transaction needs a separate written mandate. It names the represented side, work, fee method, approvals and conflicts. Terms depend on the asset and tasks, so there is no single fee for every family office mandate.

For the first review, send the office type, likely asset categories, decision process, reporting needs, and preferred contact. Use an anonymised example if helpful. Confirm acceptance and the confidentiality route before sharing principal names or sensitive asset files.