Vintage Watches – All You Need To Know BEFORE Buying (2023)

People who collect watches or have a strong interest in horology love a good vintage piece with the best luxury watch box. There are many reasons why people think vintage watches are valuable and want to buy them. These watches are a unique way for a person to show their identity, style, or personality. You may have noticed that there have been a lot more re-editions than usual in the past few years. These watches are good for both the companies that make them and the people who buy them.

Recently, there has been a rise in the number of people buying vintage watches. Every day, more and more people want to buy one for themselves. If you’re one of them, here’s all the information you need to purchase your first vintage watch.

10 Vintage Watches By Sales Volume In 2022

Do you like watches? Or do you just have a sense of fashion? No matter what, we’ve put together a list of our ten favorite vintage world-time watches based on how well they sold in 2022 for you to look at.

When A Watch Is Declared As Vintage?

In general, a watch is considered “vintage” if it is at least 20 years old. But if it is more than 100 years old, it is more of an antique. Vintage watches also have different qualities, such as their history and origin, how well they are kept, how well they are made, and how they were made in the past.

Chronograph vintage watches - financing authentic platinum heuer timepiece

There are two main types of vintage watches: estate/important timepieces and previously owned watches. For watch fans, the holy grail is a vintage or important timepiece from ancient. The history of this watch tells us how important and valuable it is. Often, these watches are of high quality, made in a limited number, or have complicated parts. Another thing to think about is the history of the watch’s previous owner. Mahatma Gandhi’s Zenith pocket watch, which sold for $2,096,000, is an example of this.

Estate watches are less common and more expensive than used watches. People also call these “used watches.” Many of them are easy to find online, at flea markets, or in antique shops. Most of the time, the price of a watch is based on its quality and condition. For example, a used Breitling Superocean, which originally cost more than $10,000, can be bought for less than $2,000.

Why Are Vintage Watches Valuable?

Vintage watches that are still in good shape are expensive and hard to find. Most vintage watches have a fascinating story behind them and often serve a real purpose or have historical value. Vintage watches still have value and are often admired.

People prefer vintage watches to new ones for a number of reasons, including nostalgia, iconic design, interesting backstories, and, for serious collectors, the thrill of trying to find a very rare timepiece.

Why Should You Buy a Vintage Watch?

Every vintage watch has a story to tell and has been around for a long time. It has stood the test of time, which is a great example of what it means to be “timeless.” When you wear a vintage watch, you’re also wearing a piece of important history on your wrist.

If you’ve always wanted to buy a high-quality luxury watch for less money, a vintage watch in very good condition could be the best chance. For less than $1,500, you can get a Rolex 34mm Air-King or a manual wind Precision, both of which are great deals.

Depending on how much the watch is worth, buying vintage watches can also be a nice investment. If you need money quickly, it’s easy to sell or pawn the watch.

Vintage watches are one of a kind and have a lot of personalities. Having one makes you feel good and gives you a sense of authenticity that sets you apart from other people.

Checklist Before Buying Vintage Watches

Check the Condition: It is important to pay attention to the watch’s overall condition. This tells how much the watch is worth. Look for dents, scratches, chips, or engravings on the outside and inside of the case. These outer parts are very important because it will be hard and expensive to fix them without changing the watch’s original look.Also very important is the state of the movement. But this can be fixed by a skilled watchmaker.
Dial: Check how clear the dial and the glass are. Look for any spots or signs of water that could mean the dial is already broken. The moisture stains can also hurt the watch’s moving parts. Also, look at the back of the dial to see if oxidation and rust have done any damage.
Most of the time, the corners and edges of square or rectangular dials are broken. You can’t change it, so be careful to choose a watch that’s in good shape.
Case: Is the case scratched in a way that’s noticeable? What number is there? Check to see if the lines and edges of the case are clear and sharp. If they look less clear or sharp than usual, the watch may have been overpolished, which lowers its value and desirability.
Check for any loss of plating. This usually happens to watches that have a gold or chrome finish. But it depends a lot on the watch itself. There are still good watches that are plated with chrome or gold.
Lume: The best lume for a watch is the one that came with it from the manufacturer. Look at the color or put it in UV light to find out if it has been used before. If it looks too clean and shines brightly, it’s probably been relumed. Vintage watches that haven’t been touched should have a glow that has faded over time.

What Are Few Of The Most Valuable Vintage Models?

Without a doubt, Bulova, Rolex, Seiko, Timex, and Omega continue to be the most popular watch brands on the market. Collectors like them because they have a long history of being high-quality, they represent luxury, and they can always be sold for a good price.

1) Bulova Mil Ships

Bulova has picked out a few vintage watches from its many modern collections to make new. With all of its history, the brand also has a number of good options. Its Lunar Pilot (“Moonwatch”) and Oceanographer (“Devil Diver”) are two affordable watches that have done very well. For 2021, the company made a new version of a dive watch that had only been made as a prototype in the past. Fans of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms will find a lot of similarities between this and that watch, as well as a much cheaper alternative.

Diameter: 41mm
Movement: Automatic
Water resistance: 200m

Buy it now from Amazon

2) Rolex Submariner

Rolex is a safe bet if you’re looking for a good return on your investment. They are worth more than most other brands. Just do the research that was suggested above, because the market for Fauxlex is also growing quickly.

The Rolex Submariner is a masterpiece that was made as a tool watch for the growing SCUBA diving scene in the middle of the 20th century. It has become one of the most sought-after high-end sports watches ever made. Used Rolex Submariner watches, whether they are vintage, retro, or new, are highly sought after by serious watch collectors and fans of luxury brands.

Diameter: 40mm cases
Movement: Automatic-self-Wind
Water resistance: 300m

Buy it now from Amazon

3) Omega Speedmaster

Omega has been making watches that they say are perfect. Since 1848, OMEGA has been making history and has become known as one of the best watch brands in the world.

Omega made the Omega Speedmaster watch for the first time in 1957. It was made for racing and was the first watch to be worn on the moon. Just like the Omega Seamaster, the Speedmaster is one of the most well-known watches in the world. It has a long and interesting history.

Diameter: 40mm cases
Movement: Swiss Automatic
Water resistance: 100m

Buy it now from Amazon

Seiko Prospex 1965

Since the release of the legendary 62MAS in 1965, which was Seiko’s first professional dive watch, the company has paid tribute to its rich history by making a number of modern reissues of its legendary dive watch that use the most cutting-edge Japanese watchmaking techniques of the 21st century. Seiko showed off their latest 62MAS reissue, which is a stunning modern piece that combines the timeless heritage design with impressive modern upgrades. This piece stays true to the spirit and vision of Seiko’s founder, Kintaro Hattori.

Diameter: 40.15mm
Movement: Automatic with manual winding
Water resistance: 200m

Buy it now from Amazon

5) Q Timex 1978 Reissue

In recent years, many of the most famous watches of the 20th century have been remade as high-end, modern watches. However, these aren’t your only options for cool retro style and history: Timex has kept adding to its popular Q collection of classic watches from the time when quartz was actually a big deal. These watches are always affordable. They are a nice change from the snobbery of expensive mechanical watches and have a great vintage look straight from the brand’s archives, like the dressy new 1978 Q Timex Reissue Day Date.

Diameter: 35mm
Movement: Quartz
Water resistance: 50m

Buy it now from eBay

Questions to Ask Before Buying a Vintage Watches

What Type of Vintage Watch, Do I Need?

A vintage watch can mean a lot of different things. You can find a lot of vintage watches from different brands and at different prices if you look online. Know what you want to focus on so you can plan and make a budget for it.

How many plans do you have to buy watches? Do you want to start a collection of vintage watches? Or do you just want to put your money into one high-end brand? There are many different brands of vintage watches to choose from. Choose the type of watch you want and its features based on your personal tastes, how you live, and how much money you have.

What Should I Know About Vintage Watches?

Once you know what kind of watch or brand you want to buy, you can start doing research to learn more about that model. It is very important to learn about vintage watches so you don’t fall into the trap of buying a fake one. Pay attention to the small things, because sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between them.

Look at websites and stores that sell watches, join online forums, read articles, and talk to other watch fans or collectors to learn as much as you can. This will help you learn new things and get better at what you already know. It can also help you meet new people and grow your network.

Which Brand Should I Choose?

It can be hard to figure out the brand of a vintage watch. On the market, there are many labels to choose from. Every brand is made for a certain type of customer. Their brand story, logo, and design are all meant to appeal to a certain group of people.

You should be able to find a brand that fits your tastes and fits with who you are. It has to be something you’re really interested in, and you have to stick with it.

Where Can I Find a Good Watchmaker?

If you want to start owning and collecting vintage watches, it’s also important to find a good watchmaker. Vintage watches are fragile and need to be cared for properly. If something goes wrong with the watch, a good watchmaker will be able to fix it.

Every watchmaker is good at something. Some people like to fix up vintage watches, while others prefer to work on high-end modern watches. It is important to find a licensed watchmaker who can order new parts from watch manufacturers. Some parts and movements for vintage watch brands like Patek Philippe Aquanaut and Audemars piguet royal oak are very hard to find and almost impossible to find at all. Your watchmaker must have a huge inventory of parts for these movements or at the very least a vast network, to find them.

Conclusion

Modern watches may be very useful because they are made with the most up-to-date technology, but vintage watches will always be a classic choice. The value of these timepieces will only go up over time because they are old, beautiful, and a wonderful investment. No matter who you are or what you like, you can be sure that there is a vintage watch that is just right for you.