Like it or loathe it, it seems we’re never further than a swipe away from a Rolex wrist shot. “I have a serious crush on Instagram,” says Kristian Haagen, who’s closing in on 67,000 followers, “but I’m a hopeless print romantic – I need a real newspaper, not an online version, and my five previously published titles underline my love for books.” Hashtags & Watches is his latest release, and compiles around 175 photos from his Instagram account, complete with captions and hashtags, hence the book’s title (and its square format).

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A skilled photographer, his favourite images from the book include that of the Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph caked in sawdust, and the Audemars Piguet ‘on the wrist’. “The dusty Patek shot was fun to do. Not only is it of the watch I wear the most, but it also had many Instagrammers fuming, as they thought it was sand, not sawdust. It had its moment, just like Kim Kardashian when she ‘broke the internet’. I like the Audemars Piguet shot for its simplicity ­– the scratches from daily wear are very visible, proving that I actually wear my watches, and don’t just leave them in a vault.”

Haagen says that the approach to luxury is very different in his native Scandinavia – you’ll find no chromed supercars or bottles of Cristal here – and that Hashtags & Watches is reflective of his background. Priced at 55 euros (excluding shipping costs), a copy would make a rather nice stocking filler, if we do say so ourselves. 

Photos: Kristian Haagen