Affordable Vintage Watches

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Do you want to buy a “new” old watch that will not drain your bank account but will also be elegant, stylish and may even trigger a watch collecting hobby? It’s a tall order, but the Gentleman’s Gazette did the hard work of discovering how to buy an affordable vintage watch. 

I believe that watch collecting is addictive, so be warned! If you want to get started as a collector, know that you may find them in antique shops, weekend fairs, garage sales, eBay, websites, and auctions galore (such as Sotheby’s, Christie’s and others). Sometimes, a friend has one to sell; another time, they may know of someone who is willing to part with some nice timepieces. Your dad or an uncle may be soft-hearted and help you with the “seed watch” in your collection.

Winston Churchill's Lemania Chronograph
Winston Churchill’s Lemania Chronograph

Obviously, it is a very competitive market, and some watches may sell for thousands, hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, as is the case of very rare watches – think about Winston Churchill’s Lemania gold chronograph from 1946, recently sold at Sotheby’s: its pre-auction estimate was US$19,000-32,000, but the hammer dropped at over US$208,000.

Paul Newman with his emblematic wristwatch
Paul Newman with his emblematic wristwatch

Or Paul Newman’s own Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman” model, the watch that started the whole premium vintage watch market: it was sold for US$17,752,500 (including buyer’s premium), a world record for a wristwatch at auction.

Obviously, we will not be dealing with this kind of collectible. Our aim is to provide you a practical and affordable guide to vintage watches and brands below the US$1,000 point. In this price bracket, you will find many good steel watches and some gold-plated ones, with an eventual solid gold piece. But you should be looking for design, demand, and style, not for a financial investment!

Guidelines for Buying an Affordable Vintage Watch

Your focus should be on mechanical timepieces. Quartz watches – with very few exceptions – seldom appreciate in value, and many have their catalog price highly reduced after leaving the store. If you look carefully, you may even find the greatest value in vintage watches: the “new old stock“. These are watches that were never sold before and found a nice spot in the seller’s deposit or drawer until being sold now. Many will require a professional inspection and perhaps an overhaul (lubrification, change of gaskets, etc.)

A dial restoration should respect the original design
A dial restoration should respect the original design

However, resist the temptation of changing certain parts of a vintage timepiece, such as dial, hands or bezel. If you do so for esthetical reasons, keep the original parts in an envelope, so that they may be put back in place if you wish to sell the watch someday. Some repair shops “restore” (change!) the dial, devaluating the watch. The most you can do is ask a specialist to clean the dial, but without changing its original design.

Do not buy a watch just because it is a blue-chip brand, such as Rolex, Patek or Cartier. Buy it because you like it, and keep it running properly (which includes regular winding). By the way, an automatic watch should not be shaken around like a maraca to be wound; you must do it through the winding crown, giving it a start, and then wear it. Arm movement will do the rest.

Brands to Consider

Omega

Louis Brandt own workbench
Louis Brandt own workbench

For starters, let us talk about Omega, one of the most serious and known watch brands, with many collectible pieces. Founded in 1848 by Louis Brandt, it is now one of the most important brands of the powerful Swatch Group. They have many successful watch lines, such as the Speedmaster, the Seamaster, the De Ville and the Constellation.

An Omega Sea Master
An Omega Seamaster

You can buy a gold-plated Seamaster from the 1970’s for approximately US$1,000. It has an automatic movement and comes with a leather strap or metallic bracelet. It is sleek, clean and has a date window at 3 o’clock (some versions have a day window, too).

Some Omega Dynamics
Some Omega Dynamics

One of my favorites is the Dynamic. Created in 1965 and released in 1968, it featured an elliptical ergonomic case and came in many options of dial, strap and case material; also, you can choose between manual and automatic winding movements. It has a more relaxed look than the Seamaster, but may surely be worn for work. Prices range from US$250 to US$900, depending on the state.

TAG Heuer

Michael Douglas and Mansour Ojjeh, director of TAG
Michael Douglas and Mansour Ojjeh, director of TAG

The brand started as Heuer in 1860, founded by Edouard Heuer. In 1985, TAG (Techniques d’Avant Garde), a Luxembourg-based holding owned by the Arab Ojjeh family, bought it and helped it renew its portfolio, establishing TAG Heuer as one of the best chronograph makers. Finally, in 1999, it was bought by the LVMH luxury group.

TAG Heuer 4000 Automatic
TAG Heuer 4000 Automatic

The 4000 Automatic was produced in the 1990s and it is water resistant to 200 meters, making it a good companion for the weekend; a small window at 3 o’clock indicates the date. You may find this watch for US$650-700.

Breitling

Created in 1884 by Léon Breitling, his namesake watch company created a reputation for producing watches with great design. I will not emphasize their chronographs, their most prized collections because that would take you to another price range. The examples shown here have prices in the US$500-800 range; some have date windows and the older ones have a second subdial at 6 o’clock.

Longines

Another brand from the Swatch Group, Longines is considered an elegant brand, with an affordable price point. You will find many great Longines timepieces from the 1950’s and 1960’s, for instance. In this brand, founded in 1832 by Auguste Agassiz, you will find many 18k gold cases, something that in most other brands covered here will take you to a higher price point.

Longines Comet Automatic
Longines Comet Automatic

A Comet Automatic as the one shown has its case in yellow gold and automatic winding movement, with a date display on the dial, and would cost you less than US$1,000.

Tissot

The Tissot family founded their namesake watch company in 1853 in Le Locle, one of the most important watch centers in Switzerland. What was said about good value for Longines also applies here (and, by the way, Tissot is another Swatch group company!)

A pocket Tissot
A pocket Tissot

When you look for vintage Tissot timepieces, try to find the italicized name on the dial, with a long horizontal bar on the first “T”. Tissot produced interesting models and I would not hesitate in buying a pocket watch from this brand, such as this 1940s gold-plated model, selling for around US$800.

Tissot Militaire
Tissot Militaire

Another nice Tissot watch is the Militaire, with grey and black dial; the photo shows the stainless steel version, which would cost you US$300-350.

Angelus

Angelus mantelpiece with hygrometer, clock, thermometer, barometer, and compass
Angelus mantelpiece with hygrometer, clock, thermometer, barometer, and compass

The brand was founded in 1891 by the Stolz brothers and is mostly known for their table clocks and combos, such as the thermometer/barometer/clock seen above.

Angelus automatic wristwatch in stainless steel
Angelus automatic wristwatch in stainless steel

However, their wristwatches have always had a following, and the brand is still producing. An automatic model from the 1960s will set you back around US$450.

Baume & Mercier

Baume & Mercier Hampton Dual Time in steel
Baume & Mercier Hampton Dual Time in steel

We have talked about this Richemont group brand here. I know it is not as vintage (in the sense of “before 1980”) as most of the other watches mentioned here, but I have a sweet spot for the Hampton line, with its curved case adjusting to the form of the wrist. The Dual Time is my travel watch, with one movement for each dial – reference or home time and second-time indication. You may pay around US$850-900 for one in steel; the leather strap is an alternative for this model.

Cyma

Cyma Triplex
Cyma Triplex

Usually, Cyma is an underrated brand, even though they have been on the market for over 150 years. A nice timepiece from the 1950s is the Triplex, a military-style watch with good design. Expect to pay US$ 450-500 for one.

Eterna

The Kon-Tiki
The Kon-Tiki

The brand’s flagship is the Kontiki, called after the famous Thor Heyerdahl expedition in 1947. He sailed 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean in a hand-built raft, in an attempt to prove that the ancient peoples could have made long sea voyages, eventually spreading their civilizations to distant places.

The Kontiki watch
The Kontiki watch

A stainless steel model such as this, from the 1970s, will cost you around US$800-850, with automatic movement and date window. With a leather strap, it may serve you double time – at the office and on weekends.

Eberhard

Another brand with a name that does not resonate instantly in the American market, but has a long tradition dating from 1887, is Eberhard. Their most famous model is the chronograph with four subdials, but with a price range out of our self-imposed limits.

A gold-cased automatic Eberhard watch
A gold-cased automatic Eberhard watch

Their vintage models in steel may be purchased for reasonable prices (from US$350 to 800), depending on the conditions. A gold automatic model from the 1960s will cost a bit more (perhaps around US$850).

Glycine

A Glycine from the 1940s
A Glycine from the 1940s

The Meylan family founded this company, which became famous for their Airman watch, with a 0-24 hours indication, making it popular among the aeronautic crowd. But for normal everyday use, I would go with the 1940s or 1950s model. The rectangular model shown has a yellow gold case and manual winding movement, and costs about US$950. I like the numerals and the railway track around the dial.

Movado

The company was founded in 1881, but their flagship design is the Museum Watch, created in 1947 by Nathan George Horwitt. It is unmistakable for its big dot at 12 o’clock, as a symbol of the noon sun. In 1960, it entered the Museum of Modern Art, and it was the first watch to do it.

Movado Sapphire watch
Movado Sapphire watch

Recently, a vintage Movado Sapphire watch was being sold for US$225 at Chrono24, and in my opinion, it is one of the best buys around.

Universal Genève

Elegant and clean, the watches produced by Universal Genève – by the way, one of the few watch companies to include “Genève” in their name. However, when founded in 1894, it was known as Universal Watch. They have some claims to fame, such as the first 24-hour indication timepiece, as well as the first wristwatch chronograph in 1917.

A pocket watch from Universal Genève in steel
A pocket watch from Universal Genève in steel

One of their most interesting watches is the pocket model from the 1960-70s in stainless steel, a thin design that can be a conversation piece: it can be found for US$700.

 A gold-cased Universal Genève watch
A gold-cased Universal Genève watch

You may also find models with 18k gold cases in the US$300-700, depending on the state, such as the one from the 1970s shown.

Bulova

The Bulova Accutron Spaceview
The Bulova Accutron Spaceview

Founded in 1875 by an immigrant from Bohemia, it is one of the best-known American watch companies and one of the rare exceptions I would make to the “non-electronic movement” rule, because they created the Accutron in 1960. This watch uses a 360 tuning fork instead of a balance wheel for running the watch more accurately (and thus its name, a mixture of “accurate” and “electronic”). You’ll find an Accutron model such as the Spaceview for US$600.

Seiko

Even though they are renowned for their quartz watches – after all, they were the guys that almost broke the Swiss watch industry in the 1970s, after the release of their Astron watch – Seiko has been around since 1892. (At the time of its release, an Astron cost almost the same as a medium-sized car!)

Seiko Crown
Seiko Crown

A nice manual winding timepiece such as the Seiko Crown, with a diameter of 34mm, may be found in the vintage market for US$950-1,000.

Conclusion

I hope this modest guide may help you find a “new” vintage watch for your portfolio, no matter if you are a beginner or advanced collector, or just a gentleman that wishes to buy a classic model from a good brand – and comfortable price. Happy hunting!

Reader Comments

  1. Don’t forget Hamilton
    They are of the same or better quality of any on the list, are widely collected and within the same price point as well.

    1. Agreed!

      I have been collecting vintage Hamilton watches for years, and they are certainly of a higher quality than anything Seiko, Bulova or Movado ever produced.

    2. Some of the Hamilton designs are superb and so distinctly American , I really like them .
      The pocket watches they made are exquisite ; they kept the railroads running and were a cornerstone to the effectiveness of the grand US Navy.

    3. I have a Hamilton Ventura. I love the asemetrical watches, not to mention it is electric. Not, I repeat, not a quartz. 1957 beauty.

      1. Classic. I understand they’ve come out with a “re-issue” but as usual try to update the look. I’ll leave that up to others but absolutely, Hamilton represents a great value.

  2. Dear Mr Borges,
    A really nice read , I have a nice Omega Deville (oblong) from around 1968 which draws interest when worn and a nice Cyma (which I like ) from around the mid 1950’s.
    nice to see Bulova get a mention , maybe a Hamilton on the list of the the subjective of things a man can own.

  3. I’ve done rather well with Jaeger LeCoultre (60’s) Bulova (30’s) Gruen (50’s) and some others. Vintage is the way to fly, not only for better pricing, but for classic styling. Great article sir.

    1. Adam,

      Agreed, on all counts. Watch collecting is such an expansive topic, it’s quite easy to get in the weeds. Nicely distilled to the basics and a great starting point. My vintage Gruen is dear. Still, I’ve been warned about “new old stock” from venerable and qualified collectors. Definitely worth a look but expect to have to put some money into them right out of the gate.

  4. Good article Marcelo, thank you!
    I just discovered my late father’s Enicar automatic watch in his personal effects. He was a fighter pilot in World War II and got the watch soon after he got out. (1945?). The crystal was pretty scratched up, so I did have it replaced and got a new band. It looks much now and runs great.
    Very good advice on winding instead of shaking.

  5. I was lucky to have inherited a 1971 Omega Seamaster Deville, as well as a Bulova Accutron from my grandfather. They get a fair amount of wear time, but I’m having a lot of fun these days with an homage to the Goldfinger Rolex that Sean Connery wore, made by Tiger Concepts of Hong Kong. They actually produce some exceptionally good-looking “vintage” time pieces based on Rolex, Omega, etc that are both stylish and very affordable. Mine has a Miyota movement, and I have really enjoyed wearing it.

  6. For a large number of men my age, there remains only one watch: Rolex Submariner. You must be of a younger generation.

    1. Not contesting its iconic status but, have a watch for different occasions. I’m no longer the sportsman I once was and a dive watch ( however universally recognized ) wouldn’t be ideal w/ a dinner jacket? Of late I’ve found myself gravitating toward Orient and while at the lower end of the pricing spectrum, never fails to draw compliments.

  7. Thanks for the article. I just recently jumped into the vintage watch area with a 1964 Omega Seamaster 30. It looks good on the wrist and very unique.

  8. TAG Heuer ? A Heuer maybe, but never a TAG. Some of the 30s and 40s Art Deco watches are
    exceptional, like the Gruen Verythin.

  9. A brilliant article! I have been following this website for a while now and love the content by all of its contributors.
    A quick question: I have thicker wrists and larger hands, do you know of any vintage pieces that measure 40mm or larger in diameter as anything smaller would look disproportionate?
    All the best, Michael

  10. I have been in the market for a vintage watch. Thanks for the great tips. I have a 1939 Hamilton “rolled gold” pocket watch my grandfather gave me. It has only been serviced twice and still keeps accurate time. I have seen one with a clean (restored?) face priced at $150.

  11. Dear Raphael,

    I fundamentally disagree with your approach related to vintage luxury watches. I am a humble collector myself and for a short period of time I considered buying a vintage luxury timepiece myself. After a lot of research I had come to the conclusion that it is not worth it, or at least it is way to risky and one could end paying actually more than for a good quality second hand which is not vintage. I will explain myself:

    1. Good vintage timepieces are hard to find. Based on the mere fact that they passed on to several owners over time, it is possible that some parts of the mechanism have been changed with non authentic parts. While this may or may be not visible at first glance it will reduce the value of the watch significantly so actually you may end paying more without knowing what you bought. I strongly recommend doing a fair amount of research before buying a timepiece like asking to owner for the serial no. of the watch and photos of the mechanism inside. If he is not willing to provide this, than the watch should be avoided.

    2. The cost of repair and service could cost a lot more than we hoped. Vintage watches have at least 50-70 years of service so it should not be a surprise if they stop working properly. However, due to the fact that they are no longer produced, the cost of obtaining some spare parts may be very high and in some cases the brands are the only ones who can provide them at a high cost. It is always possible to obtain used parts from another watch of the same model, but since vintage watches are not a norm in the industry it could be quite difficult to find another watch which is out of service.

    3. Vintage watches are dis-proportioned for today’s standards. If we are talking about dress watches, the norm for vintage watches are between 33-36 mm, which is way to small for today’s standards. While I agree and it is accepted that a dress watch must be indeed smaller than a sport watch, the norm today is about 39-40 mm. It is difficult to find some ”big size” vintage dress watches which are meeting this criteria.

    4. Vintage watches are less well constructed and are more prone to scratches. Moderns watches are constructed by more durable stainless steel and their metal bracelets are more secure and more comfortable. Also, the hesalite crystals glasses which were the norm for luxury brands back in the old days are changed for saphire crystals, which are infinitely more durable. Related to the mechanisms however, I agree that not much changed in through the years, newer mechanisms are more decorated and more complex, but they are not necessarily more accurate than their older siblings.

    So, at the end, one should decide for himself if buying a vintage luxury timepiece if worth the money or not. In my opinion, buying vintage is not really worth it. Instead, I would buy an affordable new dress watch which has a classic feel. For example, at a lower price range, nobody can beet the Orient Bambino series. If you can believe it, they actually have an in-house automatic mechanism for a price of aprox. 350-400 euros. Another brand and line is the Seiko Enamel line, which you to buy for less then 1000 euros.

  12. Fantastic article as usual.
    Thanks alot!

    I was just wondering what your views are regarding Rado watches. They’re never included in such list but sometimes have a high price tag.

  13. I don’t know what folks are talking about with negotiation. I like Rolex and Omega and I have visited ADs of both brands on my travels and these guys don’t/won’t negotiate. If you are an AD of one of those brands and want a customer ready to buy on a good deal contact me. I won’t hold my breath.

  14. Great piece …

    Not too much into vintage dress watches myself, but I do love the old Longines Weems watches that Golden Era and WWII aviators used. They’re still affordable and convey the feelings of those times. And I enjoy searching for, and owning them, which is the best reason to collect.

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