FULL SET presents: Gai Gohari
The Taste That Changed the Game
Inside This Week’s Full Set:
We dive into the world of Gai Gohari— curator behind @morillo55—to explore why true collectors chase personality, not popularity. From that summer‑sun panda‑dial flash in Milano Marittima to rewriting the rules of vintage, this is watch‑obsession on its own terms.
Inside the World of Classic 55
In the world of vintage watches, a few names have come to represent more than just good taste—they’ve become taste-makers. Gai Gohari is one of them. Through Classic 55 and his sharp, signature presence on Instagram as @morillo55, Gai has helped shape a generation of collectors who look beyond reference numbers and rarity charts, and into something more elusive: character.
Gai’s introduction to vintage didn’t come from an auction house or a vault—it came from the beach.
He was 18, spending summer days in Milano Marittima, when he spotted a man he admired. Style personified. And on his wrist, a Rolex Daytona 6239 with a creamy panda dial, gleaming in the sun on an Oyster bracelet.
“It was magnificent,” Gai remembers. “I had never seen anything like it. That watch had aura. And it gave him even more of it.” That was the moment. The spark. The beginning.
The Eye
What Gai has built since is nothing short of a movement. A visual world rooted in design, feeling, and instinct—less about collecting the most, and more about collecting with purpose. He’s developed a curatorial eye that’s become unmistakable: bold, stylish, occasionally irreverent, and always authentic.
A great vintage piece, for Gai, is not just a product—it’s a personality. “I look for watches that make you feel something,” he says. “Cool, stylish, opulent. Something that tells you: this isn’t for everyone—and that’s exactly the point.”
It’s why you’ll see asymmetrical shapes, moody patinas, and unexpected metals on his feed. He chases pieces that whisper rather than scream.
And if a watch has gone too mainstream? “I’m bored,” he admits. “Once it reaches mass consciousness, it’s lost something.”
Stories Over Stamps
While the watch world continues to obsess over provenance, Gai’s approach is more cinematic. It’s not about a certificate—it’s about the narrative you build around the piece. “I don’t care about box and papers. That’s silly,” he says flatly. “Who keeps a cardboard box for 60 years?”
What he does care about is what a watch evokes. “This is the watch the Shah of Iran wore. This Cartier? Valentino owns it.” It’s storytelling as seduction. The buyer doesn’t just want the watch—they want the myth that comes with it.
That emotional connection has always been Gai’s edge. When he discovered the collection of Roni Madhvani, it opened his mind to a whole new genre: the sculptural, the strange, the forgotten icons from Vacheron, Patek and AP. It was a turning point, both personally and professionally. “It changed everything,” he says. “I started chasing design over brand.”
The One That Got Away
Of course, no collector’s story is complete without heartbreak. For Gai, it came in the shape of a Patek Philippe 3604 “TV Jumbo” in white gold with a burgundy dial. A unicorn of a watch. “It made my heart race—and then break. I couldn’t afford to keep it at the time.” He’s never seen another.
Still, he’s not one to dwell. The game moves forward. New shapes, new visions, new rules. And in Gai’s world, the rulebook is always being rewritten.
The Other Obsession: A SAAB Story
Gai’s eye for character doesn’t stop at watches. It extends to the street—specifically, to a eucalyptus green 1993 SAAB 900 Turbo convertible that’s become a personal icon.
“Just like with watches, I chase emotion,” he says. “This car is nostalgia on wheels.”
Inspired by childhood memories of Milano and his best friend’s sky-blue SAAB, Gai hunted this one down sight unseen from a dealer in Chicago. Directional wheels, original paint, the unmistakable scent of 90s leather—it’s not just a car, it’s time travel.
“When I drive it, I’m in a movie I always wanted to be in,” he says. For someone who’s built a world around vintage and feeling, the SAAB isn’t just a ride—it’s the perfect daily driver for a tastemaker living in the past, by design.
Vision Forward
So what’s next?
For Gai, it’s about sharpening the edges. “The funky design space has become crowded,” he says.
“It’s time to reset. I want to bring vintage Rolex back into the mix—but with everything I’ve learned over the past few years.” He’s also planning a European expansion for Classic 55, a natural step for someone whose taste already resonates globally.
And his Instagram? Still his favorite medium. “It’s my personal magazine,” he says. “My stage. My show. I always wanted to be known for my style—and this is how I do it.”
What Gai Gohari offers isn’t just watches. It’s a lens. A sensibility. A reminder that the best collectors aren’t just archivists—they’re stylists, curators, storytellers. And in Gai’s case, tastemakers of the highest order.
Follow Gai’s journey:
Website: classicwatchny.com
Instagram: @morillo55
The story off Gai Gohari coming from his heart he is doing it with a lot off style and with a great spirit
I can feels his passion about it
Great guy with style and elegance
Chapeau …