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A budget vintage watch collection

Lucky Strike

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Admittedly, I've posted these photos in the other fora, but as I'm always repeating "vintage, vintage, vintage" in watch threads here, I suppose I should post photos of my watches here as well... Viz:
DeVille.jpg
Omega Seamaster De Ville automatic, gold bezel on steel monocoque case, ca. 1960. Used to be my grandfather's, until he took it in to a shop for repair. The shopkeeper proceeded to tell him that nothing could be done, offered to throw it away for him, and sold him a Timex. He left the watch there. I heard about it a couple of weeks later, drove down to the shop with smoke coming out of my ears, and found the watch, repaired and nicely cleaned up, in the shop's glass counter. I asked to try it on, explained the situation to the man, and told him I would be leaving with the watch. He locked the door and threatened to call the police. I then volunteered to stay and explain the situation to the law, the press and the local chamber of commerce. After an uncomfortable silence, he unlocked the door, and I left.
SportChief.jpg
Longines Sport Chief, steel case, ca. 1954, my dad's first watch. He's forsaken it for a Timex Iron Man, the poor sap.
LonginesFlag.jpg
Longines Flagship, gold case, ca. 1960. Found in the attic of my dorm at university, during the decennial cleaning out of the storage lockers there. I wear it with black tie, and almost never for anything else.
Gullomega.jpg
Omega gold watch, fifties - approx. $15 in flea-market with semi-pro stall vendors. The price was so low I took the chance, then had it checked by my watchmaker and found to be genuine and in good working order. Cleaning and new strap added another approx. $30.
Emayer.jpg
Another flea-market find - this is a completely unknown brand (the dial says "Emayer", not "E. Mayer"), as far as I know, probably with some sort of cheap ETA-type movement in it. I really like it, though, particularly the dial. Paid something like $7, and then had it fixed for another $50 or so.
Seiko.jpg
Seiko DX, my first watch, given to me by my godfather in the late seventies, after he bought several of them cheaply, on a trip to Japan. My beater watch, worn with jeans. The band seems to have come out slightly wrong in the photo, - it actually matches my jeans quite closely in colour.
Orissss.jpg
Oris, discontinued model, my dailiest wearer. Bought used for something like $300. Maintenance over the last five years has been something like another $150. And finally the Longines pocket repeater, which I bought at auction, mostly as a small investment. The price was just too low to pass up on it. I'll probably wear it occasionally, though. It strikes hours, quarters and minutes.
Repeater2.jpg
I'm also having a thirties rectangular Alpina overhauled, long rectangular case, very art deco. It might become my favourite watch when it's finished, but this time, the repair seems to take forever.
bored.gif
 

Kent Wang

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Aesthetically, I like the Emayer the best. Do you know when it may have been made?
 

gdl203

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Nice pieces LS - interestingly, I have in my collection the same two first watches but my DeVille is in a steel case and my Longines has a black dial. Both required repair/service that cost me 50-100% of the value of the watch. I think anyone thnking about buying vintage should be absolutely aware of that
 

Lucky Strike

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Originally Posted by Kent Wang
Aesthetically, I like the Emayer the best. Do you know when it may have been made?
My guess is the early sixties - it's a rather cheap, austere watch, but I like it - it's like something designed by Dieter Rams.
 

Lucky Strike

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Originally Posted by gdl203
Nice pieces LS - interestingly, I have in my collection the same two first watches but my DeVille is in a steel case and my Longines has a black dial. Both required repair/service that cost me 50-100% of the value of the watch. I think anyone thnking about buying vintage should be absolutely aware of that
Fair point, but most new and new-ish watches will require the same amount of servicing in very few years. I used to lurk a bit at TimeZone, and the amount of griping over the prices of service, and everything that goes wrong with almost-new watches is astounding, considering the prices of some of the watches. I think of owning vintage watches rather like I think of owning vintage cars - they're far cheaper to buy, except for the real top-shelf rarities, but can be a bother to maintain. The overall cost of acquiring and maintaining them is still normally far lower than buying, say, a new or slightly used "quality" modern watch. I've been fairly lucky with mine.
 

lawyerdad

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Originally Posted by Lucky Strike
After an uncomfortable silence, he unlocked the door, and I left.
With the watch, yes?
Nice photos, thanks for sharing.
 

Lucky Strike

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Originally Posted by lawyerdad
With the watch, yes? Nice photos, thanks for sharing.
With the watch on my wrist, servicing and nice new strap included. (I'm lucky enough to work with professional product photographers, who can sometimes be pestered into doing me favours.)
 

Tomasso

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Originally Posted by Lucky Strike
I used to lurk a bit at TimeZone, and the amount of griping over the prices of service, and everything that goes wrong with almost-new watches is astounding, considering the prices of some of the watches.

There's a fair amount of hyperbole on TZ when it comes to repair issues. The failure rate for fine Swiss watches is lower today than it's ever been. It's best not to buy a mechanical watch if you're not prepared to have it serviced periodically.
 

gdl203

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Originally Posted by Lucky Strike
Fair point, but most new and new-ish watches will require the same amount of servicing in very few years. I used to lurk a bit at TimeZone, and the amount of griping over the prices of service, and everything that goes wrong with almost-new watches is astounding, considering the prices of some of the watches.

I agree in absolute dollars - yes. It will cost between $80 and $200 to have a watch with a fairly simple movement serviced (much more for a movement with complications). But in relative value, it's a different story. I just want to make sure future vintage watch buyers are aware that they may have to drop $100 to service a watch 6 months after they bought it (maybe for $100 too)...
 

Lucky Strike

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I'll add a few more photos, for your viewing pleasure (these are not mine):
Roamer.jpg
Zenithhhh.jpg
Alpina7.jpg
Omegaaa.jpg
Const.jpg
Certina.jpg
Bluribbon.jpg
 

Lucky Strike

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This?
Alpina7.jpg
It's an Alpina - I think it's probably slightly later than WWI, but it's absolutely the trench style, it even has the Breguet hands, like a pocket watch.
 

LabelKing

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Originally Posted by Lucky Strike
This?

Alpina7.jpg


It's an Alpina - I think it's probably slightly later than WWI, but it's absolutely the trench style, it even has the Breguet hands, like a pocket watch.

Yes, I like the stark elegance of it.

Is it gold?
 

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