Wallace Palhares
Collector and founder of Ponteiro Urbano · Rio de Janeiro
“At Ponteiro Urbano, I share this journey with a critical eye and an enthusiast’s voice. I want to help other people make informed choices, discover new brands and deepen their own relationship with watches. The friendships made along the way are part of what makes it all worthwhile.”
The story
From my grandfather’s wrist to the streets of the world
It all started on the wrist of my grandfather, who loved watches and kept a Mido, from the Swiss school, and an Orient 3 Star, from the Japanese one.
With my first paycheck I bought a Citizen. Soon after, my budget felt the blow and I had to sell my TV. It was the first watchmaking lesson life taught me: the mechanism never forgives a miscalculation. From there came several phases of diving deep into the subject, and watchmaking ended up leading me to a degree in History. Since then I’ve been tracing the history behind everything that passes across my wrist.
The “Urbano” comes from my travels. I look for well-lit cities, with a touch of history and a clock to tell its part. Before everyone had one on their wrist, it was the clock on the tower or in the square that kept the whole city in sync, and that’s where I look for a place’s character.
Ponteiro Urbano is that meeting point: my grandfather’s watch, the lens of History and the streets of the world, always with something new tied to time.
Timeline
How I got here
The first watch
A Citizen Promaster Navisurf C320, bought with my first paycheck.
The collection grows
The collection begins with my first freelance contract.
The collection starts to take shape
I start taking a deeper interest, following the news from around the world.
Ponteiro Urbano is born
I decide to share experiences and also to talk about watches as a form of therapy.
Setting out to explore the world
Fairs, dinners and talks are now part of everyday life.
Evaluation
How I evaluate a piece before selling it
Every pre-owned watch goes through the same four steps, and the result goes into the listing.
Step 1
Authenticity
I check the serial number, reference, movement and parts against the brand’s documentation.
Step 2
Accuracy
I measure the rate in seconds per day and the power reserve, and put the numbers in the listing.
Step 3
Unretouched photos
Case, crystal, caseback, clasp and bracelet in natural light, showing every mark of wear.
Step 4
History
Date of the last service, what was replaced and everything that comes with the piece.
Events
Meetups and talks
Speaking about my trip to China, at the invitation of Bernardo Entusiasta · Rio de Janeiro · September 2026 
Dinner with enthusiasts · São Paulo · December 2025
Talk to me directly
Buying questions, piece evaluations, partnerships or event invitations. I reply personally.