Vintage Watches Archives

The History and Romance of World War I Trench Watches

Photo Credit: slake25

This beautiful World War I trench watch has a sterling silver case with import hallmarks from the London Assay office (circa 1918) and a 15-jewel Longines movement. The dial bears the mark of the retailer – J.C. Vickery of London – instead of the watch manufacturer, which was common for the time.

Our story about trench watches begins, oddly enough, back in the mid-1990s when I was still in high school. Unlike most high school students of my time (or any time for that matter), I loved antiques. Happily, my grandmother also loved antiques. So we would often take Saturday expeditions together to the nearest flea market, antique store or junk shop in search of that next great vintage treasure.

One weekend, my grandmother and I visited an antique shop that we both enjoyed frequenting – Three Sisters and Me. Now long defunct, at the time this antique store was an eclectic mix of country primitives, odd Victorian pieces and vintage kitchenware. My grandmother and I loved digging through the shop’s nooks and crannies, picking up whatever struck our fancy.

While browsing through its dusty shelves, I came across a plastic Ziploc grab-bag of vintage jewelry with a $5 price tag. Now most of the items in this lot were costume jewelry or cheap trinkets – exactly what you’d expect for something priced at only a few dollars. But I saw enough sterling silver items in the grab-bag to pique my interest. If nothing else, I would be able to scrap the contents and make myself a small profit.

So with my grandmother’s encouragement, I laid down a five dollar bill on the shop counter and became the happy new owner of an odd, if not intriguing bag of junk jewelry. It was only later on when I was back at my grandmother’s house that I discovered the secret treasure that bag held.

As I dug through my newfound entertainment for the afternoon, I saw it – a World War I era Waltham trench watch. It featured a sterling silver “Admiral Benson” cushion-shaped case with wire lugs and an onion-style, fluted winding crown. Despite not keeping time, the watch’s 15-jewel, manual-wind Waltham movement was still a miniature work of art. The white enamel military dial, although cracked with age, still retained its original skeleton hands – complete with traces of radium lume! The 6 o’clock sub-seconds and red 12 o’clock marker enhanced the dial’s bold, yet elegant Arabic numerals. You simply knew that this piece, like so many other trench watches of its era, had been the prized possession of some unnamed Allied soldier on the Western Front.

Unfortunately, this story has a sad ending. Due to my own ignorance and the folly of youth, I chose to scrap this amazing trench watch for its silver content. After I carefully inspected the piece, I came to the determination that the watch’s defects were too great to justify the expense of a full restoration. Its crystal was missing. The case lugs were slightly bent. The movement was both rusty and non-functional. And the enamel dial had significant damage.

I have regretted that decision for the last 25 years of my life. And I will probably regret it for the next 25 years, as well.

My remorse isn’t due to any financial loss incurred, although that is part of my cautionary tale. If fully restored (at the cost of perhaps a few hundred dollars), I estimate that my $5 trench watch would be worth between $500 and $1,000 today. No, I regret it because my poor decision represents the loss of yet another irreplaceable piece of World War I horological history.

Antique World War I Era Trench Watches for Sale on eBay

(This is an affiliate link for which I may be compensated)

Although made by the millions for the greatest war the world had ever known up until that point, trench watches are incredibly rare today. Untold numbers were lost or blown up on the battlefield, thrown out when fashions changed or allowed to rust away over the course of the last 100 years. As proof, a search for the term “trench watch” on the popular online watch site Chrono24 returns just 33 results out of over 474,000 watches for sale in total!

Frankly speaking, it is a wonder that any of these historically important World War I artifacts have survived intact for today’s vintage watch connoisseurs to enjoy. But before I speak further about the details of trench watches, a short history lesson is in order.

The Great War

At the opening of the conflict in August 1914, the British diplomat Sir Edward Grey famously remarked that “The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.” And in their place sprang up the bonfires of war, with all its accompanying horrors: disease, famine and deprivation.

The war split the great European powers into two opposing factions. On one side was the Entente (also known as the Allied Powers) – Great Britain, France, Russia and, later in the war, Italy and the United States. On the other side stood the Central Powers – Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. Millions of young men from these countries (and many other smaller belligerents) dutifully marched off to war when called to serve.

But the realities of modern warfare circa 1914 were quite different than anyone had expected. Military men and politicians on all sides had almost universally predicted a short, glorious war dominated by the Napoleonic cavalry charges of the early 19th century. However, the invention of the machine gun in the late 19th century had largely invalidated traditional military tactics when no one was looking.

As a result, World War I quickly devolved from dynamic cavalry battles to static trench warfare. Conditions were almost unbearably awful for all participants. Soldiers lived in a maze of zig-zagging trench systems intended to provide interlocking fields of fire while also minimizing the concussive force and shrapnel damage from the inevitable lucky artillery round. Mud, often ankle-deep and ice cold, was an omnipresent problem in these trenches – so much so that the malady known as “trench-foot” quickly entered the popular lexicon of the day.

The worst part of the war for the average infantryman wasn’t the trenches, as horrid as those could be. No, it was the death that awaited them outside the trenches when they were ordered “over the top” for a mass charge into the enemy’s waiting machine guns. In between the two opposing trench systems lay “no man’s land” – a cratered, treeless moonscape filled with barbed wire that could easily be raked by enemy machine gun fire or bombarded with artillery shells. Snipers, hand grenades and (later in the war) poison gas rounded out the omnipresent dangers on a World War I battlefield.

In spite of these travails most soldiers performed admirably, bravely charging into no man’s land on the orders of their commanding officers. A common saying at the time about the British army was that it was “lions led by donkeys”. This refers to how the British generals, like Douglas “Butcher” Haig, repeatedly ordered bloody charges across no man’s land, unmoved by their apparent futility.

Every Second Counted on the World War I Battlefield

In this grim new world of trench warfare, timing was paramount. A handful of seconds might be the only thing separating a soldier from life – and a jubilant homecoming – and death – just another corpse on the battlefield.

For example, if a commander ordered his unit over the top a mere 15 or 20 seconds too early during an infantry assault, the outcome was often total annihilation for the unfortunate group. Enemy machine gunners would naturally target any isolated unit out in no man’s land and wipe it out.

Seconds also counted for a new artillery strategy introduced during World War I called the creeping barrage. In this new tactic, a volley of artillery fire was laid down on enemy position. But instead of being static like artillery fire was early in the war, the creeping barrage methodically “walked” the rounds through no man’s land, then through the enemy’s perimeter defenses before finishing deep in the enemy trench system.

In order for the creeping barrage to be effective, friendly infantry forces had to charge just behind the incoming shells. This meant that they would arrive at the first line of enemy trenches just as the barrage “walked” further into the enemy lines. By using this technique, infantry soldiers could (in theory) avoid the murderous volley of machine gun fire that normally cut units to ribbons in no man’s land.

But in order to work, the timing of the creeping barrage had to be absolutely perfect. If you charged out of your own trench line too soon, you would be torn to shreds by your own artillery fire. If you waited too long, the enemy infantry that had taken cover during the artillery salvo would have time to come out of their bunkers and man their machine guns nests while you were still traversing no man’s land.

And of course, it wasn’t just the common infantryman who needed to know the time down to the second either. Everyone from staff officers to pilots were dependant on a reliable watch in order to be able to coordinate the tremendous complexities of a modern war waged on an unprecedented, global scale.

So for a military man during World War I, a good watch was an absolute necessity. But the old style pocket watches that had dominated fashion up until 1914 were ill-adapted to the demands of this new type of warfare. A pocket watch required two hands to operate efficiently. Removing the watch from a pocket occupied one hand, while opening the watch face (if it was a hunter case), winding it, or resetting the time used a second hand. This situation was unacceptable to fighting men who not only needed to be able to reference the time quickly and easily, but also needed to have their rifles in hand at all times.

The Advent of the “Wristlet”

The natural solution to this problem was the wristwatch, or wristlet as it was often called at the time. Now, wristwatches weren’t invented during World War I. They had already existed for a number of years, albeit as a relatively uncommon style of timepiece with effeminate connotations. In other words, wristwatches were widely considered to be a woman’s watch prior to 1914.

World War I trench watches both masculinized and perfected their predecessor wristlets. Initially, the trench watch took the form of a conventional pocket watch with wire lugs attached at the 6 and 12 o’clock positions (or, alternatively, the 3 and 9 o’clock positions) to allow for the attachment of a leather strap. This facilitated wearing the watch on the wrist – hence the name wristlet.

But watch manufacturers soon found that certain modifications were needed in order to get the most out of this radical new watch design. One of the first changes was the relocation of the winding crown from the 12 o’clock position (where it resides on most pocket watches) to 3 o’clock, where it remains to this day on nearly all wristwatches.

The addition of radium lume to the watch hands and numerals on the watch face also proved to be indispensable. Radium is a naturally radioactive element which, when combined with zinc sulfide, produces a glowing, phosphorescent material that could be applied like paint. Radium lume enhanced trench watches were a boon on the battlefield, where it was common for soldiers to need to precisely know the time in preparation for night actions.

As an added bonus, although the glow from a radium lume dial was easy to make out for the watch’s owner, it was much too faint to be visible to enemy snipers hundreds of yards away. This was in stark contrast to lit matches, which gave away the position of many an unfortunate soldier during the war.

Trench watches also had to overcome the rough realities of battlefield conditions. Dust, mud and water were omnipresent hazards in trench warfare. As a result, many watch manufacturers dedicated substantial resources to making their trench watches as dust-proof and moisture-resistant as possible. They soon discovered that screw-back cases were generally superior to hinged-back or snap-back cases in terms of water and dust resistance. However, plenty of hinged-back and snap-back trench watches were manufactured during the Great War due to their reduced complexity and lower cost.

One of the best known and most highly prized of the World War I era, water-resistant trench watch cases is the Borgel case. First patented by François Borgel in Geneva, Switzerland in 1891, the Borgel case was a screw-back case design that proved to be ideally suited to the rigors of trench warfare.

It should be noted, however, that although Borgel screw-back cases were relatively water-resistant by early 20th century standards, they are not water-proof by modern standards. Please don’t wear your 100 year old trench watch in the pool, shower or Jacuzzi, as you are likely to ruin a wonderful timepiece! True water-proof watches didn’t come into existence until the creation of the legendary Rolex Oyster in 1926.

Another issue that trench watches had to overcome was the propensity of their glass crystals to shatter. This was especially problematic due to the ubiquity of artillery salvos on the battlefield. Exploding shells would not only send primary shrapnel in all directions, but could also spawn secondary shrapnel – fragments of wood, steel or even bone dislodged from anything sitting close to the initial explosion. Secondary shrapnel had a lower velocity than primary shrapnel and was, therefore, less likely to cause mortal wounds. But it could still easily break the glass crystal on a soldier’s trench watch, rendering it inoperable at a critical moment.

Watch manufacturers solved this problem in two ways. First, they equipped traditional mineral glass crystal watches with shrapnel guards – a cut-out metal grille that protected the watch face while still allowing the user to tell the time. With their battlefield connotations and iconic styling, trench watches with shrapnel guards are cherished by both militaria collectors and military watch aficionados alike.

The second way that watchmakers improved the survivability of trench watches was through the development of the so-called “unbreakable crystal”. These were watch crystals made from clear celluloid plastic instead of the normal mineral glass. Contrary to the name, unbreakable crystals weren’t truly shatter-proof – just much more robust than mineral glass.

Celluloid, the world’s first thermoplastic, was originally commercialized in the 1860s and 1870s. However, this wonder-material wasn’t patented for use in watch crystals until 1915, coming to market one year later in 1916. Unfortunately, celluloid is unstable over long periods of time, with a tendency to yellow and warp. Therefore, as a rule, surviving trench watches don’t retain their original unbreakable celluloid crystals.

Trench Watches for the Troops

Trench watches were in huge demand throughout the duration of World War I. Millions of troops on all sides of the conflict desperately wanted – no, needed – to have a wristwatch in order to be better soldiers. But with the exception of select signal corps members, wristwatches were not issued as standard military kit – a soldier was expected to buy his own.

The problem was that a good trench watch was expensive! Period advertisements show that the lowest price a British soldier could realistically hope to pay for a wristwatch was somewhere around £2. Better quality timepieces with more features often retailed for between £4 and £5. If you wanted something truly extravagant, like a solid karat gold case, you could expect the price to be even higher.

To put these sums in perspective, the average British infantry private received a meager salary of 1 shilling a day during the Great War – only £1.5 per month. So a trench watch was beyond the reach of most enlisted men.

British officers, on the other hand, were much better paid than their subordinates. A British infantry lieutenant could expect to draw a princely salary of 8 shillings, 6 pence a day, or £12.75 per month – more than 8 times what a private earned! So the officer corps – lieutenants, captains, majors and colonels – constituted the main source of demand for trench watches during the conflict.

This didn’t stop average enlisted men from coveting trench watches, though. Some members of the lower ranks received wristwatches as gifts from friends or family, while others scrimped and saved in order to be able to afford one. A considerable number of trench watches were also “liberated” from captured enemy soldiers or even looted from corpses strewn about the battlefield. A wristwatch might also be gambled or bartered away during the exigencies of war.

Trench Watch Characteristics

Trench watches were produced by every major watch company of the time and probably all of the minor ones too. Established Swiss and American firms had the highest production volumes, with other makers contributing smaller numbers. Some of the brands commonly seen among antique trench watches include modern-day heavyweights like Omega, Rolex and Longines. The primary American makers were Waltham, Elgin and Illinois. Other notable manufacturers were Zenith and Cyma.

Because wristwatches were just emerging prior to World War I, watchmakers of the time didn’t use special, wristwatch-specific movements for trench watches. Instead, they adapted existing pocket watch movements and simply implanted them into wristwatch cases.

These movements were usually smaller, women’s-sized pocket watch movements (such as 3/0s, 0s and 6s) out of necessity. However, larger movements housed in over-sized cases (generally between 36 and 39 mm in diameter) were occasionally used. 15 or 17 jeweled movements were common in higher quality trench watches, while cheaper, more pedestrian examples would typically employ lower-jewel movements. Seconds functionality was also highly prized in a military-grade trench watch – usually sub-seconds at the 6 o’clock position.

Trench watch cases were generally made from the same materials as pocket watches of the time. An expensive solid karat gold watch might grace the wrist of a senior officer, while gold-filled or sterling silver examples would be more common among junior officers. Steel or nickel-alloy base metal cases were also produced for soldiers looking for the cheapest, most utilitarian option available.

Trench watches almost always had either black or white enamel dials, or some combination of the two. White enamel dials, in particular, were ubiquitous, often with radium outlined or enhanced hour markers and/or numerals. This allowed maximum contrast between the numerals and the background, which was vital to easily telling the time during the chaos of combat.

While both Roman and Arabic numeral dials can be found on trench watches, the latter tend to dominate. This is because Arabic numerals are easier to read at a glance under difficult conditions, with little possibility of confusion. In addition, some watch manufacturers highlighted or outlined the 12 o’clock number (regardless of whether it was Roman or Arabic) in red to help soldiers remained oriented.

Trench Watches After the Guns Fell Silent

At the end of World War I in November 1918, blessed peace came once again to Europe. Workers returned to their factories. Farmers returned to their land. And soldiers returned to their wives. But the world of watches had changed forever.

Old style pocket watches, which had dominated timekeeping for more than a century, looked hopelessly outdated beside the sleek new trench watches. Wristwatches, with their convenience and forward-looking design language, were in vogue. And pocket watches, with their ponderous sizes and large movements, were out. Pocket watch sales declined dramatically throughout the 1920s and 1930s, finally tapering off more or less completely in the 1940s.

The wristwatch was ascendant, albeit demilitarized and reimagined for the Roaring 1920s – a decade of unparalleled wealth, fashion and glamour. But due to massive over-production during the war years, retailers continued to sell World War I trench watches from old inventory well into the 1920s and even up to the early 1930s.

Post Script

A few years before her death at the age of 95, my beloved grandmother, who had been by my side during so many antiquing adventures, confided in me about her very earliest childhood memory. On November 11, 1918, she distinctly recalled marching around outside her family home banging her mother’s pots and pans together to celebrate the end of World War I. It was the first Armistice Day and my grandmother was 5 years old.

May she forever fly with the angels, along with all those lost to us in the Great War.

Read more in-depth Antique Sage vintage watch investment guides here.

Vintage Must de Cartier Watches – The Perfect Starter Luxury Wristwatch

Photo Credit: Guy Sie

Here is a magnificent example of a vintage Must de Cartier wristwatch, circa 1980. Notice the cobalt-blue spinel crown, superb build quality and classic styling of the piece – characteristics shared by all Cartier watches.

The rectangular Cartier Tank wristwatch is one of the world’s most iconic watches. First developed in 1917, the Cartier Tank borrowed its design language (and name) from the most technologically advanced battlefield weapon of its time – the British Mark IV tank. Since that time, Cartier has continuously produced highly coveted luxury watches using this simple, yet instantly recognizable design.

Unfortunately, with a price tag easily exceeding $25,000, an original 1920s Cartier Tank wristwatch is beyond most people’s budget. But what if I told you there was a vintage Cartier Tank model that not only proudly displayed the rich traditions of the storied luxury house, but was also within financial reach?

Welcome to the wonderful world of Must de Cartier watches! These underrated timepieces are, in my opinion, the perfect starter wristwatch for the fledgling horological aficionado.

Must de Cartier’s origins date back to the early 1970s, when, according to legend, an employee who had been prompted for marketing ideas at a meeting exclaimed “Cartier, it’s a must!” This unique philosophy guided the luxury goods company as it sought to create a line of less expensive tank wristwatches that would be more widely accessible. Finally, in 1977, the world renowned Must de Cartier watch line was officially launched.

Because they were targeted at a lower price than traditional Cartier watches, Must de Cartier watches were designed as fashion accessories by the venerable luxury house. In fact, Must de Cartier watches became identified with haute couture in the 1980s after celebrated French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent prominently wore one in his iconic 1983 photo portrait.

Irving Penn’s iconic 1980s black and white photo of the famously shy French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent showing off his Must de Cartier wristwatch. Photo Credit: Delectant

As a result of this fashion-forward thinking, Cartier produced these watches in a dizzying array of styles. Although they all share the ubiquitous tank shape and Must de Cartier nameplate, a surprising number of dial colors and effects can be found. This almost ensures that there will be a vintage Must de Cartier wristwatch that will appeal to you, regardless of your tastes.

Although they were a tremendous commercial success for many decades, Cartier eventually discontinued its Must de Cartier tank line of watches in the mid 2000s. This was done because the company wanted to preserve its image as an extremely exclusive luxury brand, and felt that having a Cartier Tank available under the $2,000 price point might erode its reputation.

Cartier Tank Wristwatches for Sale on eBay

(This is an affiliate link for which I may be compensated)

Consequently, Must de Cartier watches are often treated as an afterthought in today’s vintage watch scene. This is a tragedy, as these high quality timepieces were built to very exacting standards. They allow the aspiring watch collector to own a genuine vintage Cartier Tank – a bona fide luxury watch – at a surprisingly reasonable price.

As a result of being frequently overlooked, information about classic Must de Cartier watches is difficult to come by. I hope that this article will prove to be a useful resource to any watch enthusiast interested in these beautiful horological treasures.

First let’s run down the specifications of vintage Must de Cartier watches. These Swiss-made, uni-sex luxury wristwatches measure approximately 30 mm (1.18 inches) long (including the lugs) by 23 mm (0.90 inches) wide. This makes them rather small by today’s standards. But, by the same token, they are also a refreshing change of pace from the grotesquely oversized 45mm+ sport watches that seem to be everywhere these days.

Vintage Must de Cartier watches are found with two different types of movements: a high quality quartz movement or a manual-wind mechanical movement. Quartz movements were more commonly employed, including the 4-jewel Cartier caliber 057, the 4-jewel Cartier caliber 157, the 7-jewel Cartier caliber 90 and the 7 or 8-jewel (opinions vary) Cartier caliber 690. Cartier produced these reliable in-house quartz movements in a joint-venture with the well-regarded Swiss firm of Ebel, one of the most prominent watchmakers of the 1980’s/1990’s.

Sometimes you’ll find Must de Cartier watches sporting the 17-jewel, manual-wind Cartier caliber 78-1 movement. This particular caliber is based on the ETA 2512-1, a workhorse movement that saw extensive use from the late 1970s through the early 1980s due to its compact size, durability and precision.

This list of Must de Cartier watch movements is undoubtedly incomplete. However, in my experience, Cartier always used good quality, well-finished movements in its Must de Cartier tank line. I find this to be especially remarkable given the relatively modest retail price points that the firm was targeting for these watches. This situation is a far cry from some modern Swiss luxury watch brands (cough *Tag Heuer* cough) that offer plastic cases and unfinished, $10 quartz movements on models in the $1,000 to $2,000 price range!

Now, under most circumstances I don’t recommend that you purchase vintage luxury watches (or new luxury watches for that matter) with quartz movements – especially if resale value or investment return is important to you. Vintage quartz watches almost always trade at substantial discounts to similar vintage mechanical watches in the secondary market.

Mechanical Vintage Must de Cartier Watches for Sale on eBay

(This is an affiliate link for which I may be compensated)

However, classic Must de Cartier watches are a notable exception to this rule. Vintage quartz and mechanical versions seem to sell for about the same price, provided they are in comparable condition. This is a testament to the outstanding reputation and timeless appearance of these vintage timepieces.

In addition, because both quartz and mechanical Must de Cartier watches are readily available, you can simply purchase whichever type of movement you prefer. This is a real boon to the budding watch addict!

Another benefit shared by all Must de Cartier watches is the fact that they were produced by a globally recognized luxury brand. This becomes especially important if you ever want to resell your watch. Wristwatches from no-name or second tier manufacturers are very difficult to sell for good money. The Cartier name, however, carries considerable cachet.

But let’s not make the mistake of believing that Must de Cartier watches have nothing but their good name going for them. To the contrary, Cartier spent considerable effort to ensure that this line of entry-level luxury watches met their exacting quality standards.

For example, they are made of vermeil, which is a solid sterling silver base coated in a thick layer of gold plating. Obviously, Must de Cartier watches couldn’t be made from solid karat gold or they would be far too expensive to hit their intended price point. But if you must gold plate a watch, this is absolutely the way to do it.

The underlying metal, sterling silver, is a precious metal in its own right. Most gold electroplated watches, on the other hand, use a copper-alloy base.

And the gold electroplate layer on vintage Must de Cartier watches is a full 20 microns (millionths of a meter) thick. This might not seem very impressive until you realize that the gold plating on most good quality fashion jewelry is only 2 or 3 microns thick. Cheap costume jewelry might only have a plating 0.5 microns thick!

In my experience, gold plate over sterling silver also wears much better than gold plate over a base metal. In the latter instance, any scratches or pinholes through the plating will quickly develop green spots or other corrosion. But scratches on vermeil – even deep scratches – will remain inert, allowing for a much more attractive, longer wearing watch.

Even heavily worn vermeil, where a significant amount of the underlying sterling silver is exposed, will still tone to a charming patina over time. Of course, having your well-loved vintage Must de Cartier wristwatch re-plated is always a viable option. These horological prizes are certainly worth the effort.

The fit and finish of Must de Cartier watches are also excellent – oftentimes equal to timepieces costing 2 or even 3 times as much money. They are held together by individual, miniature screws that perfectly secure the two halves of the watch case together. There are no sharp edges or sloppy joints. For being entry-level luxury timepieces, Must de Cartier watches are superlative.

Quartz Vintage Must de Cartier Watches for Sale on eBay

(This is an affiliate link for which I may be compensated)

The stunningly deep-blue synthetic spinel cabochon embedded in the crown of each watch is another famous hallmark of Cartier elegance. It is these small touches that set vintage Must de Cartier watches apart from lesser fashion timepieces.

But perhaps the best aspect of Must de Cartier watches is their relative affordability. Examples in mint or near-mint condition can be found in the $1,000 to $2,000 range. More worn specimens might trade for $600 to $1,200. In a world where vintage solid gold watches from well-regarded watchmakers such as Omega, Rolex or Vacheron Constantin typically sell for $5,000 and up, vintage Must de Cartier watches represent exceptional value.

Unfortunately, the popularity of the Cartier name means that it isn’t uncommon to come across fake Must de Cartier watches. This is slightly surprising, as I normally wouldn’t expect a $1,000 or $1,500 watch to be frequently counterfeited.

In any case, I recommend looking at the build quality of the case for clues to a prospective watch’s authenticity. The fit and finish should be superb, with no pitting, burrs or other manufacturing imperfections. In addition, the case should be screwed together absolutely seamlessly, without any misalignment. The dial should be similarly impeccable, with crisp lettering and markers.

The back of a Must de Cartier tank watch case should be inscribed with the French word for silver, “ARGENT” and either “PLAQUE OR G” or “PLAQUE OR G 20 M”, indicating the 20 micron thick gold plating. It should have full Swiss silver hallmarks as well, typically a canard (duck) inside an octagon border, in addition to two or three other stamps.

Moreover, the movement should always be Swiss-made, with the Cartier name clearly inscribed on it. A supposedly vintage Must de Cartier wristwatch housing a Japanese quartz movement is a clear indicator of a fake!

A Must de Cartier tank that comes with its original box and papers is another sign of authenticity, although this isn’t always foolproof.

As always, the best defense against accidentally purchasing a counterfeit Must de Cartier wristwatch is to buy from a reputable watch dealer, preferably one with an unconditional guarantee of authenticity and a warranty program. And remember, if a deal seems too good to be true, then it probably is!

Of course, watch lovers who aren’t satisfied with vintage Must de Cartier tanks can always step up to one of the luxury firm’s higher-end tank wristwatches. Current models include the Cartier Tank Française, the Tank Anglaise, the Tank Américaine, the Tank Solo, the Tank Louis Cartier and the Tank MC. However, don’t expect to be able to touch any of these watches for less than about $2,500. And some of them sell for far, far more money than that.

Regardless of which tank watch strikes your fancy, rest assured that you are getting Cartier quality and a classic, heirloom quality timepiece. If you are an aspiring watch enthusiast, vintage Must de Cartier watches are undoubtedly some of the best entry-level luxury wristwatches out there. The fact that they will also appreciate in value over time, just like any other high quality investment, is simply icing on the cake.

Read more in-depth Antique Sage vintage watch investment guides here.

Art for Your Wrist – Vintage Wristwatches

Here is a fine example of a mid 20th century chronograph wristwatch in stainless steel with a Swiss movement and an original, unrestored dial.

Investing in today’s world can be a maddening proposition. The U.S. Federal Reserve has pegged short-term interest rates at near zero for several years running now. This means that savings accounts and short-term CDs earn meager rates of return and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Some investors have reacted to these developments by transferring money from cash accounts and purchasing stocks. But with most U.S. equity indices having a dividend yield hovering around 2%, there is precious little protection against a downside move in stock prices. Indeed, the omnipresent prospect of a 20% to 50% draw-down in stocks should rightly give any reasonable investor pause.

Other investors have instead opted to move their cash into long-term bonds, where yields are somewhat higher. But the same problem exists here, although it is known by another name. In long-term bonds one takes on duration risk, which is the possibility that interest rates will rise substantially, driving the value of the bonds you hold down.

So in a certain sense choosing between stocks and bonds in today’s market is a lot like the plight faced by the Greek hero Odysseus. In the Homeric Odyssey, Odysseus was forced to sail his ship between the mythological sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis. To avoid one of the monsters meant facing the other. Likewise, if you navigate your financial ship to avoid one peril (duration risk in bonds) you expose yourself to another, completely different, but equally dangerous situation (the risk of a stock market crash).

Therefore, many investors today choose to wait things out, clinging to the safety of cash. While this approach has a great deal of merit, compelling alternatives do exist. Collectible, vintage wristwatches manufactured between approximately 1915 and 1975 are one of those often overlooked, yet incredibly intriguing alternatives.

Provided an investor already has a fully funded emergency account, allocating a percentage of one’s otherwise idle cash to a collection of fine vintage wristwatches could prove a wise choice. An heirloom quality wristwatch, if properly cared for, is unlikely to depreciate in value.

Vintage Omega Wristwatches for Sale on eBay

(This is an affiliate link for which I may be compensated)

With their elegant lines, sweeping curves and retro dials, vintage wristwatches evoke the sophisticated culture of a bygone golden age. The cases of fine vintage wristwatches can be composed of either sterling silver or solid gold, varying in purity from 9 karat (37.5% fine gold) all the way up to 18 karat (75% fine gold). Platinum is occasionally encountered as well, although the price for these pieces is usually significantly higher.

Examples with gold-plated or gold-filled (a type of thick gold-plate) cases are less collectible and should be avoided. Stainless steel, a very common watch material today, began to be widely used in wristwatches starting in the 1940s.

Unlike today’s digital quartz watches, older mechanical watches keep time via a complex arrangement of gears, rotors and springs called the movement. In fact, the mechanical watch industry nearly went extinct in the 1970’s when the market was flooded by cheap, highly accurate quartz watches.

Vintage mechanical wristwatches can use either manually wound or automatic movements. As the name implies, automatic movements use the energy of the wearer’s everyday physical motions to automatically wind the watch.

Watch movements often reference the number of jewels they possess. Jewels are used in mechanical watches to reduce the friction between moving parts, thus increasing accuracy and reducing wear. Vintage watches typically have between 7 and 27 jewels, but a 17 jeweled watch is considered fully jeweled. Increasing the number of jewels beyond this point yields very little benefit.

A vintage watch’s value is partially dependent on the number of complications present in the movement. A complication is any time-keeping operation in addition to just hours, minutes and seconds. A date function, moon phase calendar and chronograph (stop-watch function) are all good examples of complications. Some watches can have a multitude of highly elaborate complications, making them very desirable to collectors.

The complexity of a functioning vintage wristwatch’s movement is a mesmerizing wonder, the culmination of several hundred years of innovation and old-world craftsmanship. In many ways a fine mechanical wristwatch is actually a miniature work of art that rests upon the wrist for all to see.

Vintage Chronograph Wristwatches for Sale on eBay

(This is an affiliate link for which I may be compensated)

There are a myriad of companies that produced very fine vintage wristwatches during the early to mid 20th century. Elgin, Gruen, Hamilton and Waltham are the most well-known U.S. brands and investment-grade examples of these watches can often be purchased quite reasonably today.

Most other collectible wristwatch manufacturers were Swiss in origin and include Audemars Piguet, Baume et Mercier, Breitling, Girard-Perregaux, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Longines, Omega, and Piaget. A few European watchmakers have even become synonymous with the finest quality: Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and, of course, the ubiquitous Rolex.

While Rolex is the most well-known and popular of watch manufacturers today, it is important not to buy a watch strictly based on its brand. Brands naturally wax and wane in popularity over time. While Rolexes are high quality products, other watchmakers have created equally fine watches both historically and today.

High-quality vintage wristwatches serve dual purposes simultaneously. First, they can be a store of value, especially if the watch case is made of solid gold or silver. Second, they are a usable accessory that can be worn for special occasions. A well-made, vintage wristwatch is a subtle, yet instantly recognizable indicator of social status and refinement.

Nothing finishes a man’s formal attire more effectively than a classically styled, yet timeless dress watch. Similarly, a woman attending a formal event with an exquisite, sparkling period timepiece draped fashionably upon her wrist is sure to turn heads.

Vintage Hamilton Wristwatches for Sale on eBay

(This is an affiliate link for which I may be compensated)

Fine vintage wristwatches can vary wildly in price from just a few hundred dollars all the way to several million dollars, depending on condition, rarity, manufacturer, number of complications, case material, etc. However, high-quality, investment-grade examples in solid karat gold, sterling silver or stainless steel can readily be found in the $300 to $5,000 range with many fine specimens available under $1,000. These pieces would not only be functional and stylish, but also serve to diversify a more traditional investment portfolio composed of stocks and bonds.

Read more in-depth Antique Sage vintage watch investment guides here.