Vintage wristwatches

[Lakewood90712]

Looking to buy a brand name vintage , or high quality modern , Dress watch, conventional dial. under $ 1k. need mid size case/dial. any sugestions ?
The $ 50 gas station / swapmeet phony Rolex will not do LOL.

 

[dirt_dobber]

I do like vintage watches as well - but since I brought this one I haven't worn any other watch I own. It is the Citizen-BU2055-08X - solar powered battery assisted.
I brought this watch for this one reason - the "Day of the Week" dial.
You've got to love ER - I often don't know which day it is!!!
.

 

[Audie Murphy]

Check out LongIslandWatch. It is a great website with a bunch of great quality brands. It is owned by a guy named Marc and is located on Long Island, NY. I recently bought a single hand manual wind mechanical watch called Red Star. There are so many watches in the price range you are shopping for on there.

 

[RISP]

Basically anything Omega made in the 1960s is gorgeous. The Constellations will be over 1k, but many other models in steel will fall in your price range. I have a 1969 Seamaster much like this one that I absolutely love. They are rather small (usually 34mm) for today's taste, though.

 

[Bongleur]

Where can I look for a mechanical stopwatch that can time splits?

 

[cooch96]

Where can I look for a mechanical stopwatch that can time splits?

Start with eBay. If that doesn’t help, check with your local clock repairman. Every major city should have a couple. I would go to pawn shops as a third option.

 

[cooch96]

Looking to buy a brand name vintage , or high quality modern , Dress watch, conventional dial. under $ 1k. need mid size case/dial. any sugestions ?
The $ 50 gas station / swapmeet phony Rolex will not do LOL.

If you want modern, many brands will sell a handsome watch for under $1k, as long as you’re willing to go quartz. I only have one mechanical watch because I appreciate the value, accuracy, and low maintenance of quartz. But there is something undeniably luxurious watching finely made gears and springs spin around on your wrist.

I’m not sure what you mean by modern name brand. Do you require something Swiss with a mechanical movement? Then you’re probably limited to Frederique Constant or Tissot. If you’re willing to shop Asian, French, German, or Russian, than you have many many options. Can’t go wrong with Seiko, Breitling, Orient, Tissel, etc. My mechanical watch is a Chinese Sea-Gull and I like it a lot.

If you want vintage, then I suggest spending some time at one or two clock repair shops and seeing what they’re selling. If you spot an old watch that tickles your fancy, it works, and it’s in your budget, then get it. At the least, the proprietor should be knowledgeable and point you in a good direction.

 

[cooch96]

Check out LongIslandWatch. It is a great website with a bunch of great quality brands. It is owned by a guy named Marc and is located on Long Island, NY. I recently bought a single hand manual wind mechanical watch called Red Star. There are so many watches in the price range you are shopping for on there.

+1
I’m a big fan of their YouTube channel. LongIsland does a great job of explaining both mechanical and aesthetic qualities of watches. I’ve never bought from them, but their prices always look reasonable.

 

[Ducati52]

Looking to buy a brand name vintage , or high quality modern , Dress watch, conventional dial. under $ 1k. need mid size case/dial. any sugestions ?
The $ 50 gas station / swapmeet phony Rolex will not do LOL.

Are you looking for an occasional watch or a watch you'll wear daily? If the former, then you can definitely find vintage Omega, Heuer, Tudor, and a variety of mid-premium brands at your price point. Be aware that there are a lot of non-accurate rebuilds (different movement, repro faces, repro cases) being passed off as genuine on places like eBay. Stick to a reputable jeweler who specializes in vintage watches unless you really know your stuff. Also, a vintage watch is like a vintage car -- it takes more than normal care and feeding to maintain, and it's not the best choice for a daily driver.

On the new side of things, you won't find a mid-premium brand automatic watch under 1k, but there are definitely options in the lower-premium brands, as well as a lot of options with quartz movement watches. I have several chronographs, but I find myself drawn these days to simple three-hand watches, because I think they look elegant and they're much easier to read without having to find my readers! Hamilton has some nice autos under $1k (I like the Jazzmaster and Intra-Matic), as does Tissot, Frederique Constant, Seiko, Raymond Weil, and others.

Also, you might check out one or two of the many watch forums out there. Watchseek is the largest. There's also a lot of reviews on YouTube.

Happy hunting!

 

[rayinpenn]

I do like vintage watches as well - but since I brought this one I haven't worn any other watch I own. It is the Citizen-BU2055-08X - solar powered battery assisted.

I brought this watch for this one reason - the "Day of the Week" dial.

You've got to love ER - I often don't know which day it is!!!

.

View attachment 34062

I’ve always been attracted to watches that are simple with clean lines. My citizen with eco drive is my daily wearer.

 

[gerntz]

With phones, watches have lost their purpose for me. Just one more thing to lug around.

 

[Lakewood90712]

With phones, watches have lost their purpose for me. Just one more thing to lug around.

This is strictly for formal dress ocasions. I have not daily worn a watch in years, even before retorement.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I always thought that Longines made some cool watches. My dad had one from the 1940's, it was a classic beauty.

 

[gerntz]

This is strictly for formal dress ocasions. I have not daily worn a watch in years, even before retorement.

I'll be in a wedding tux in two months & my wrists will be bare.