Vintage Watches

Photo Credit: coins-jewelry-collectibles

Georgian Silver Cased Fusee Pocket Watch From 1832

Buy It Now Price: $995 (price as of 2019; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This ornately decorated antique fusee pocket watch comes from 1832 Georgian England and is housed in a hallmarked, solid sterling silver case.

-This antique pocket watch measures 52 mm (2.05 inches) in diameter by 20 mm (0.79 inches) thick and weighs a robust 128.6 grams (4.13 troy ounces).

-A fusee pocket watch is an antique mechanical watch where a mainspring chain drives a conical cylinder known as a fusee.  The conical fusee compensates for the fact that spring-driven chains gradually apply less force as they wind down, leading to reduced timekeeping accuracy.

-The case of this superb antique pocket watch was crafted by the silversmiths Timothy Ellison & Henry Fishwick, who operated on Tarleton Street in Liverpool between 1826 and 1837.  It also bears hallmarks from the Chester Assay Office for 1832.

-The first fusee pocket watch was developed sometime in the early 16th century.  They were gradually refined for the next couple hundred years until reaching their zenith in England and France during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.  Fusee pocket watches were slowly replaced by more reliable mechanical movements using lever escapements and balance springs over the course of the 19th century.

-This particular fusee pocket watch was made by Joseph Holden of Liverpool and is signed “Jos’h Holden Liverpool No. 1449”.  It is probable that many of the parts in this watch were hand-finished.

-Fusee pocket watches were indispensable luxury items for the upper class during the 18th and early 19th centuries.  And because they indicated social status, fusee watches were often lavishly decorated with gemstones, enamels, and precious metals.

-This pocket watch not only comes in an open-face, solid sterling silver case, but also has a sumptuously decorated silver dial adorned with applied gold roman numerals and an exquisite engine-turned scallop design.

-I love the richly-gilt, floral engraved interior of this piece.  Opulent decoration in the interior of these types of watches was common because they had to be opened in order to wind the mechanism.  And based on its date of manufacture, the gilding on this watch’s interior is undoubtedly fire gilding – the finest form of gilding known to man.

-This fusee pocket watch is one of those hidden treasures that I rarely come across.  It is the sort of item you would expect to find in a museum, yet it could be sitting in your living room for less than $1,000!  I feel that the only reason it is selling for so little is because fusee watches are (unjustly) considered a horological niche within the broader pocket watch collecting community.

Cons:

-Even though the seller claims that the watch is in good working order, it would still be advisable to have it serviced.  I don’t know the going rate for servicing an early 19th century fusee pocket watch, but I bet it is substantially more expensive than servicing your average 1950s mechanical wristwatch.  Finding a watch repair technician properly experienced with fusee pocket watches might also prove difficult.

Read more fascinating Antique Sage vintage watch spotlight posts here.

-or-

Read in-depth Antique Sage investment guides here.

Photo Credit: coins-jewelry-collectibles

1963 Mystery Dial LeCoultre Galaxy Watch with Diamonds

Asking Price: $1,230.25 (price as of 2019; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This solid 14 karat white gold Jaeger-LeCoultre Galaxy wristwatch features a mystery dial packed with 37 diamonds and a 17-jewel, manual-wind K480/CW movement.

-This watch measures 34.3 mm (1.35 inches) in diameter (including the crown) and 38 mm (1.50 inches) long from lug tip to lug tip.  It is also only 9.4 mm (0.37 inches) thick, which would have qualified it as an “ultra-thin” watch for the time (although not close to the thinnest models available).

-Jaeger-LeCoultre produced some of the world’s most stylish, technically accomplished mechanical wristwatches between the 1940s and the 1970s.  Because of this, the company’s old watches often draw strong premiums in the marketplace from its devoted collector base.

-This Jaeger-LeCoultre Galaxy features a mystery dial.  A mystery dial is any watch where the hands seem to move in an inscrutable way.  In this case, the diamond hour and minute hands appear to float around the dial completely detached from the watch’s underlying movement.

-Founded in 1833 in Le Sentier, Switzerland, Jaeger-LeCoultre grew into a watchmaking powerhouse by the late 19th century.  Between the 1940s and 1976, Jaeger-LeCoultre exported its finished movements to the U.S. where they were locally cased and then sold under the “LeCoultre” brand.

-This LeCoultre Galaxy mystery dial watch is quadruple signed!  It bears the LeCoultre name or logo on the dial, the movement, the case and also the crown.

-During the mid-20th century, Jaeger-LeCoultre teamed up with Vacheron & Constantin to distribute watches in North America.  In fact, some vintage watch experts consider the Galaxy model to have been jointly-produced by Vacheron & Constantin and Jaeger-LeCoultre for the U.S. market.

-This Jaeger-LeCoultre mystery dial Galaxy wristwatch still retains its original, unrefinished dial.  The dial is in fairly good condition too, which is a big plus for watch enthusiasts.

-The LeCoultre Galaxy watch was an upscale luxury model produced from the late 1950s until the mid 1960s.  As befits a luxury watch, it was cased in solid 14 karat gold, solid 18 karat gold or stainless steel.

-Vintage solid karat gold dress watches from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s are incredibly undervalued in today’s horological market, especially when compared to vintage dive and chronograph watches.  It is ludicrous that you can purchase this vintage luxury watch by a storied European maker for only $1,230 when it probably contains 1/5 of an ounce of gold (worth about $300 at today’s spot price).

Cons:

-If you purchase this vintage masterpiece you will need to have the movement serviced and the strap replaced.  I’m going to guess that this will run you an extra $250 to $500 (assuming no major issues are found), which would drive the total price of the watch up to somewhere between $1,480 and $1,730.  But even at the higher price range, this LeCoultre mystery dial Galaxy wristwatch is still a bargain.  I’ve seen similar, pre-serviced models selling for $2,200 to $3,000.

-The seller doesn’t show a photo of the watch’s movement, but does claim that it still keeps time.  I wouldn’t expect the movement to be in perfect condition, but it would be nice to see a picture just to make sure it isn’t a rusty mess.  Having said that, I don’t think the watch would run at all if the movement was excessively rusty, so a photo would just be for verification purposes.

Read more fascinating Antique Sage vintage watch spotlight posts here.

-or-

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

Photo Credit: Watch Work USA

1950s Omega Seamaster with Caliber 410 Movement

Buy It Now Price: $489 (price as of 2019; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This classic men’s 1950s Omega Seamaster watch features an immaculate silver dial, gold hour markers and radium-lume hands housed in a stainless steel, screw-back case.

-The origins of the celebrated Omega Seamaster date back to 1948.  Before that time, most watches were incredibly sensitive to water exposure.  Even accidentally dropping an ordinary 1940s watch into a full sink was often enough to flood the movement, permanently disabling the watch.

-The caliber 410 movement of this 1950s Omega Seamaster is inscribed with the serial number “12,683,017”, indicating that it was produced sometime during 1951.

-Omega, drawing inspiration from British WWII submarines, included a rubber O-ring in their groundbreaking water-resistant design for the new Seamaster wristwatch.  Although the early versions were not waterproof dive watches as we understand them today, late 1940s and early 1950s Omega Seamaster wristwatches were still a quantum leap forward in terms of water resistance at the time.

-This 1950s Omega Seamaster is quadruple signed, which is a very desirable trait for horologists.  The Omega logo or name is present on the dial, crown, case back and movement!

-This vintage Omega Seamaster sports a 17-jewel, manual-wind, caliber 410 movement with sub-seconds.  Relatively little is known about the Omega caliber 410.  Even the normally authoritative Dr. Roland Ranfft shows a photo of the related (but different) caliber 420 movement on the 410’s reference page.  But it is important to note that Omega used the caliber 410 in solid karat gold cases, meaning that it was regarded as a fairly high-end movement for the time.

-Robust collector interest in older Omega Seamaster wristwatches, coupled with the fact that this particular example was just extensively serviced, make this 1950s Omega Seamaster an intriguing buy at only $489.

Cons:

-This vintage Seamaster has a refinished dial and a polished case.  This is a distinct negative in a world where many hardcore watch collectors won’t touch an antique watch that isn’t completely original.  However, a fully original early Omega Seamaster in stainless steel would cost close to $1,000.  In addition, it would most likely be a safe queen that hardly ever sees the light of day.  In contrast, some lucky vintage watch enthusiast can happily wear this iconic Omega everyday without the fear or guilt of ruining a pristine specimen.

Read more fascinating Antique Sage vintage watch spotlight posts here.

-or-

Read in-depth Antique Sage investment guides here.

Photo Credit: ChronoMate

1970s Baume & Mercier Watch in 18K Gold

Buy It Now Price: $1,399 (price as of 2019; item no longer available)

Pros:

-A solid 18 karat gold case, synthetic sapphire crown and tonneau shape make this 1970s Baume & Mercier dress watch (reference 37095) a prime investment candidate.

-With a length of 37 mm (1.46 inches; including the lugs) and a width of 26 mm (1.02 inches; excluding the crown), this vintage Baume & Mercier has proportions that are very similar to that unisex 1980s icon, the Must de Cartier tank wristwatch.

-Originally founded in the Swiss Jura Mountains by the French brothers Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume in 1830, Baume & Mercier became an established international player in the watch industry by the late 19th century.  During the 20th century, the company developed a reputation for experimenting with unconventional styles that were both avant-garde and timeless.

-This 1970s Baume & Mercier watch is triple signed – a very desirable attribute for a vintage wristwatch.  The Baume & Mercier logo or name is present on the watch dial, case back and movement.

-1960s, 1970s and 1980s solid karat gold dress watches are an amazing bargain in today’s vintage watch market.  They can often be found for only $2,000 or $3,000 – less than the cost of many new mid-range luxury watches!

-This 1970s Baume & Mercier dress watch sports a 17 jewel, manual-wind caliber BM775.  Like many vintage luxury watch makers, Baume & Mercier did not produce their own movements, but instead outsourced that part of their business.  The BM775 movement is actually a rebranded 2512-1 from the Swiss watchmaking giant ETA.  These dependable movements had a long-running, 39-hour power reserve and were produced from 1975 to 1983.

-This vintage 1970s wristwatch is in beautiful original condition, with no evidence of a refinished dial, over-polished case, or other tampering.

-If I could, I would buy this watch in a heartbeat and dump it into my IRA or 401-k.  Although this investment strategy isn’t possible because the IRS forbids antiques in retirement accounts, this 1970s Baume & Mercier would still make a superb savings vehicle.

-The classic lines and minimalist design philosophy evident in this vintage Baume & Mercier dress watch is a refreshing change of pace from the excessively bold styling of many contemporary diver and chronograph watches.  Sometimes less is more.

-The fact that you can pick up a lovely 1970s Baume & Mercier wristwatch in solid 18 karat gold for only $1,400 is simply absurd – especially considering that the melt value of the piece is around $700 (with spot gold at $1,275 a troy ounce).  The asking price of this elegant watch is currently less than the cost of a single share of Amazon (AMZN: $1,887) or Booking Holdings (the parent company of Priceline – BKNG: $1,844)!

Cons:

-Although perhaps lacking the cachet of some luxury watch brands (Rolex, Omega, Audemar Piguet, etc.), Baume & Mercier is still a desirable (and largely underappreciated!) watchmaker.

Read more fascinating Antique Sage vintage watch spotlight posts here.

-or-

Read in-depth Antique Sage investment guides here.