Passionate Collectors: What Do Croatian Entrepreneurs Collect?

At first glance, it might seem that entrepreneurs direct all their resources and passions towards building companies, but many of them invest almost equal dedication into – collecting. From billionaires who pay hundreds of millions of dollars at auctions for artworks by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Jackson Pollock to wine cellars with tens of thousands of rare bottles, to private collections of sports cars and sneakers worth tens of millions, the business world is full of stories where hobbies evolve into impressive collections.

For some, collecting means status, for others, investment, and often a personal escape from the daily business rhythm. While François Pinault exhibits his collection of several thousand contemporary artworks in Venetian palaces, and Miles Nadal sells 792 pairs of rare sneakers to fund his foundation, they are all united by one passion – collecting items that carry a story, history, and emotion. Just as in the world, collectors can also be found in Croatia, among whom we should highlight entrepreneur and Lauba owner Tomislav Kličko, who a few years ago made it onto the global list of the best contemporary art collectors, former footballers Davore Vugrinca and Tomislava Butinu, former owner of Sonic Bank, Osijek’s Branka Ostovića, and many others who passionately collect everything from rare cars to expensive playing cards and video games. We managed to catch some of them despite the summer holidays and asked them to reveal what (and why) they have been carefully collecting for years.

One of the most well-known domestic collectors is certainly the owner of the Orbico group Branko Roglić, who has more than eight hundred artworks and about a hundred sculptures in his collection. His love for art, he says, developed in childhood, thanks to family ties with academic painter Antun Gojak.

More than a collection of paintings

– Academic painter Antun Gojak, my mother’s cousin, had a crucial influence on me. During visits to his studio and spending time with him, I developed a love for painting and art in general. I listened to his stories about great world artists Velázquez, van Gogh, Rembrandt, but also about Bebić, Tartaglia (in whose class van Gogh graduated), Vidović, Bukovac, Trepša, Stančić… A great compliment was given to me once by Croatian art historian, poet, and writer Igor Zidić, who told me: ‘Čičo (that’s what my friends call me), in your collection, it is evident that you chose the paintings yourself’ – recalls Roglić.

Besides being permanently directed towards art by Gojak’s studio, Roglić’s collection is also a cross-section of his life path and business and personal identities. It reflects not only aesthetic preferences but also a deep connection with the spaces and people that have marked his life.

– You are right, the collection bears a Dalmatian seal, which is normal because I am a Dalmatian, a Croat, born in Makarska, originally from the Imotski region. Since I started my business career in Slovenia, I also developed a collection of Slavonian painting. I perceive Slovenia as a second homeland, so the collection of Slovenian painting is part of my respect for that nation whose citizenship I proudly carry and of which I am the honorary and general consul in Dalmatia. The national identity of the works is as important to me as their universal artistic values – emphasizes Roglić, whose artworks will be exhibited in a gallery currently being built in Župa Biokovska, the place from which his family, and all Roglićs, originate.

Business success, he adds, was a crucial prerequisite that enabled his collecting passion. The Roglić collection would exist without Orbico, but it certainly would not be as large and would not be in the 930 square meter building currently under construction, which will house approximately 350 artworks and a hundred sculptures. The collections will have curators and will be under Orbico’s patronage, and will belong to the Roglić family, as well as the Tripalo villa in Sinj, the family ancestral home in Župa, and the church of Our Lady of Lourdes built by Roglić’s ancestors, namely his grandfather Ante.

Collector and trader

Unlike Roglić’s collection of artworks, which testifies to decades of building and contemplation, in the younger generation of entrepreneurs, collecting often takes a different form – it is more dynamic, faster, and closely tied to global trends. One example is Lovro Šare, a passionate watch collector and owner of Timeless, the first store in Croatia specialized in selling vintage, used, and new luxury watches.

– My passion for watches started back in high school. At that time, I constantly followed portals and ads for watches, and at 17, I bought my first serious watch, the Omega Speedmaster Reduced. Initially, I wanted to try as many watches as possible, but since the budget did not follow that desire, I started selling them to be able to buy another piece. Quite by chance, I discovered that it could also be profitable, and that’s how the idea for a watch store actually came about – recalls Šare.

Today, his collection includes prestigious pieces such as the Patek 5980R and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph, but, as he himself says, rarely does any watch in his collection stay longer than a year.

– It is important to emphasize that my collection is constantly changing. When I feel that I’ve had enough of a watch, I usually swap it for something new. Currently, I plan to exchange these two for a blue Nautilus 5711 – he reveals.

As both a collector and a trader, Šare often finds himself in a challenging but privileged situation. How to decide which watch will remain in his private collection and which will end up in the client offer? He admits that balancing between personal emotions and business logic is difficult, especially when someone offers him significantly more than he paid. However, he generally keeps the watches he likes the most, as long as he doesn’t feel it’s time for a change.

– One of the rarest watches I recently had was the Patek Philippe reference 1483 with the signature of the dealer Gübelin on the dial. This model dates back to the 1940s when renowned watch dealers could put their own signature on the dial. It is even more special because it had the signature of Josip Broz Tito on the back. I sold that watch to my friend and collector Strahinji Đoriću, better known as Sat na Ruci, who is today the most famous watch influencer in the Balkans – reveals Šare.

Specialization is important

If Roglić’s collection is marked by a Dalmatian seal and decades of systematic building, and Šare views watches as a constant exchange of passion and business opportunity, then entrepreneur and collector Veljko Marton, owner of Martimex, is an example of a person who seeks not only aesthetics or market value in objects but also a story.

Born in 1950 in Zagreb, he showed an interest in art since his student days, regularly visiting museums and exhibitions, and gradually began collecting items of artistic craftsmanship. He acquired his first pieces through newspaper ads in Zagreb and then further afield, while carefully studying professional literature to clearly define the temporal and geographical frameworks of his collection. By purchasing the Samobor manor in the early 1980s, his collecting passion found a true home, and the collection has systematically grown since then. Today, Marton can boast a collection of nearly two thousand exhibits, and his Samobor museum is regularly visited by art lovers from all over Croatia and abroad. What makes him special is his consistent desire to show that Croatia, with its artistic heritage, belongs to the Central European cultural circle. An interesting turning point transformed his hobby into a serious life project.

– Well, I would say it was the meeting with the then director of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb, Professor Maleković, who, after viewing my collection, organized the first major exhibition in 2001. It generated great public interest, which motivated me to approach collecting even more seriously – he explains.

Unlike many collectors who follow trends, Marton had a clearly defined strategy from the beginning.

– I realized early on that specialization in a certain segment of art is key to creating a respectable collection. In my case, it was applied art from the 18th and 19th centuries, considering that apart from Mimara, who created his collection mainly in the first half of the 20th century, there were no serious collectors in Croatia in that field. The value of the collection was certainly great, but its quality still needed to be confirmed by European art historians, which required a significant financial effort and an adequate selection of artworks to meet high standards. This ultimately allowed me to exhibit in the largest European museums – he says.

Confirmation of value

In his statements, Marton emphasizes that he wants to prove that Croatia belongs to the Central European cultural circle. Given that after Mimara there were no significant collectors who brought their collections to the public, he claims that his collection is the first to have generated interest from the profession, as well as the wider public, not only in Croatia but also in Europe.

– Croatia in the segment of applied arts did not have significant collections simply because in the 18th and 19th centuries it did not have a high aristocracy and wealthy bourgeoisie like other European countries, which would have the financial means to acquire the highest quality artistic items. Although there were individual purchases of top artworks, especially by Jewish collectors, as we see in the fund of the Museum of Arts and Crafts, in that segment it could not compete with Europe. That is why the value of the Marton Collection is extremely important, as confirmed by major exhibitions in Vienna, Budapest, Paris, London, Venice, and Naples, which have undoubtedly placed Croatia on the European cultural scene – concludes Marton.