Vintage Watches

Photo Credit: ConnoisseurOfTime

Men’s 18K Gold Vintage IWC Dress Watch from 1969

Asking Price: $1,720 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This stylish men’s vintage IWC dress watch from 1969 has a cushion-shaped, solid 18 karat gold case and a manual-wind, 17-jewel IWC caliber 422 movement.

-This vintage IWC dress watch measures 31.5 mm (1.24 inches) wide by 36 mm (1.42 inches) long, including the lugs.  This was a standard men’s sized watch for its time, but would be considered fairly small by today’s standards.

-Founded in 1868, IWC (International Watch Co. Schaffhausen) is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer that isn’t nearly as well known to the general public as Rolex or Omega.  However, knowledgeable vintage wristwatch enthusiasts are irresistibly drawn to this underappreciated watch brand because of its enduring quality and commitment to horological excellence.

-I love the simplicity of the Roman numeral dial and the elegant, uncluttered lines of this vintage IWC dress watch.  In addition, the watch is in excellent overall condition (with a single exception that is noted in the cons section below).

-The IWC caliber 422 is a high quality, manual-wind, 17-jewel movement that was produced exclusively in-house in IWC’s factory in Schaffhausen, Switzerland for only 4 years, from 1966 to 1969.  The caliber 422 movement in this vintage IWC dress watch is inscribed with the serial number 1,915,336, indicating it was made in 1969.

-The seller, Connoisseur of Time, is a respected dealer with excellent feedback who has been selling watches on eBay since 1999 and Etsy since 2014.

-The Swiss city of Schaffhausen is renowned for its superb design aesthetics.  This not only applies to its luxury mechanical watches, but also to its vintage Swiss shooting medals.

-The dial on this vintage IWC dress watch is completely original – an assessment confirmed by the dial’s subtle patina and scattered age spots.  A vintage European mechanical wristwatch with its original dial intact will command a price premium versus the same watch with a refinished dial.

-This exquisite 18 karat gold vintage IWC dress watch has been freshly serviced and comes with a 1-year warranty.  It is ready to wear to your next formal event!

-Vintage solid karat gold dress watches are a great investment in today’s watch market.  But don’t take my word for it.  The well-known watch connoisseur website Hodinkee singled-out vintage karat gold IWC dress watches as one of its top ten undervalued wristwatches.

-Given the fact that this vintage IWC dress watch sports a high quality, caliber 422 movement housed in a solid 18 karat gold case, I find the asking price of $1,720 to be absurdly low.

Cons:

-The seller notes that there might be a slight bend in the top (12 o’clock) lug.  In my opinion, this is rather minor as both lugs will always be covered by the watch band and will never be visible when worn.  It is my contention that the seller probably mentioned this potential (minor) defect out of an abundance of caution.

-Being a dress watch, this vintage IWC lacks the sweeping seconds hand that some wristwatch collectors simply can’t do without.

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Photo Credit: bethw2222

Gold Capped Omega Seamaster Sparkle Wristwatch, Circa 1970

Buy It Now Price: $675.75 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This vintage gold capped Omega Seamaster wristwatch from 1970 sports a robust, caliber 750 automatic movement with day-date function and a super funky “sparkle” enamel dial.

-Omega is one of the world’s most famous luxury watch makers, second only to Rolex in name recognition. And since its initial release in 1948, the Omega Seamaster has been one of the brand’s most desirable and well-known models.

-A gold capped wristwatch is a solid stainless steel case that has been “topped” or “capped” with a thin karat gold shell. The gold shell is actually fabricated separately and then mechanically fitted onto the specially prepared stainless steel case – a very expensive and labor-intensive process. The precious metal layer on gold capped wristwatches is much thicker than on either gold electroplated or gold-filled wristwatches.

-The Swiss 17-jewel Omega 750 movement was manufactured between 1966 and 1970 specifically for the U.S. import market. Due to its lower number of jewels, the Omega 750 movement had smaller import duties than its almost identical 24-jewel sibling, the Omega caliber 752.

-Gold electroplated jewelry usually has a thickness of only 2 or 3 microns (millionths of a meter). Very heavy electroplate is 20 microns thick. Gold-fill on watches is often between 50 and 120 microns. But a vintage gold capped wristwatch from a high-end manufacturer like Omega or Rolex will generally be around 200 microns (0.2 millimeters) or even a bit thicker. It is the very thickest gold-plating out there.

-This vintage gold capped Omega Seamaster wristwatch is engraved on the back with “GEORGE KRAFT 12-22-71 FROM MEN OF EAST RIVER”. I find this interesting because it obviously references the East River in New York City, which separates Manhattan from Brooklyn. The watch was undoubtedly a gift for someone who worked in a blue collar association or union.

-Gold capped wristwatches were popular from the 1950s through the 1970s, when they fell out of favor due to their higher cost of production versus gold electroplated and gold-filled versions.

-Due to its unique metallic reflective dial, this type of Omega is sometimes known as the Seamaster Sparkle among watch collectors. Better yet, the dial looks like it is both original and in great condition.

-I was actually going to originally feature a similar vintage gold capped Omega Seamaster in my Spotlight post this week, but it sold (at a buy-it-now price of $850) before I could complete my write-up!

-While I don’t normally recommend gold-filled or gold-plated watches for the horological enthusiast, gold capped wristwatches get my official stamp of approval. They do not have the same drawbacks of watches with thinner gold plate. For example, regardless of how badly they get scratched, gold capped watches will not expose the base metal underneath. For all intents and purposes, they wear just as well as a solid karat gold watch.

-A gold capped Omega Seamaster wristwatch in good condition will generally cost just as much as (or sometimes more than) an identical all stainless steel model. With a buy-it-now price of only $675, this vintage gold capped Omega Seamaster represents good value in a classic timepiece.

Cons:

-All else being equal, a gold capped wristwatch will never be as desirable as the same watch in solid karat gold. However, a gold capped wristwatch is a reasonable way to acquire a vintage gold watch without the exorbitant cost of solid karat gold specimens, which are often 2 to 3 times higher in price.

-I believe the crown of this gold capped Omega Seamaster is a replacement, as it does not have the Omega logo on it. If desired, a new, period correct Omega crown could be procured for between $50 and $100.

-The stainless steel back of this watch is not in the best condition; it has some scuffs and very light corrosion. However a judicious buffing could remove many of these minor imperfections.

-This watch should be professionally serviced, which typically runs between $100 and $250. Combined with a replacement crown, total servicing costs would be in the $150 to $350 range. This would push the total cost of the piece up to $825 to $1,025, which is still a fair price given its condition and desirability.

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Photo Credit: Continental-Coin-and-Jewelry

14K Gold Retro Lord Elgin Wristwatch with 559 Movement

Buy It Now Price: $719.99 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-Here is a marvelous example of a retro Lord Elgin wristwatch featuring a solid 14 karat gold case and a 21-jewel, adjusted 559 movement.

-This retro Lord Elgin wristwatch measures 26 mm (1.02 inches) wide (including the crown) and 31 mm (1.22 inches) long (including the lugs).  Many older wristwatches are smaller than modern watches, so first time buyers should take note.

-The Elgin National Watch Company only branded their best men’s watches with the Lord Elgin nameplate.  Similarly high quality women’s wristwatches were sold under the Lady Elgin name.

-The Elgin grade 559 was a high quality, manual-wind movement that was produced from 1941 to 1947.  It was adjusted in 4 different positions to reduce timing errors.  According to the Pocket Watch Database website, this particular Elgin 559 movement was probably made in 1947.

-The Mid-Century styling of this retro Lord Elgin wristwatch, with its sleek tonneau (barrel-shaped) case, curved crystal and champagne-colored enamel dial, is truly exceptional.  This late 1940s wristwatch has phenomenal zeitgeist, an important factor when choosing to invest in a high value antique.

-Vintage mechanical wristwatches from the major American manufacturers of the 20th century – Elgin, Waltham, Hamilton, Gruen and Bulova – are significantly undervalued in the market due to today’s irrational obsession with European watch companies.  I feel that this mispricing will eventually be corrected – most likely via increased prices for vintage American watches.

-Shockingly, this retro Lord Elgin wristwatch comes with its original red plastic case and accompanying documentation!  It is always a pleasure to be able to find a vintage item from the 1940s with its original case.  This modestly increases the desirability and investment potential of the watch.

-The seller, Continental Coin and Jewelry, is giving the buyer of this choice retro Lord Elgin wristwatch a one year warranty.  In light of this fact, and the wonderful quality of this timepiece, I think the $720 asking price is fair.

Cons:

-This retro Lord Elgin wristwatch could be cheaper.  It is possible to purchase other vintage Lord Elgin watches with solid karat gold cases in the $400 to $600 range.  However, almost all of these lower-priced watches will need to be serviced at a minimum, if not fully restored.  This will generally drive the total price up by somewhere between $100 and $300.  Fully serviced Lord Elgin wristwatches in good condition – like this example – realistically start at around $600.

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Photo Credit: PayLessDestination

14 Karat Gold Bulova Mini Accutron Wristwatch from 1973

Asking Price: $999.99 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This magnificent Bulova mini Accutron wristwatch from 1973 has a striking blue enamel dial and a solid 14 karat yellow gold case.

-The Accutron was an innovative movement first released in 1960 by the American watch manufacturer Bulova.  The Accutron movement relies on a vibrating tuning fork to keep time.  As a result, instead of ticking like a traditional mechanical wristwatch, Bulova Accutrons make a very distinctive humming noise.  Vintage watch enthusiasts often consider Accutrons to be a stepping stone between traditional mechanical and modern quartz watch movements.

-This vintage Bulova mini Accutron measures 33.4 mm (1.31 inches) wide, including the crown, and 36.8 mm (1.45 inches) long, including the lugs.  This wristwatch is also rather thick, at 9.8 mm (0.39 inches).  Chunky wristwatches were very much in style during the 1970s, but the extra thickness also served to accommodate its advanced tuning fork movement.

-Bulova Accutrons were immensely popular from the early 1960s until the mid 1970s.  It is estimated that several million movements were produced during this time.  The last Accutron tuning fork movements were made in 1976, when they were replaced by cheaper and more accurate quartz technology.

-The use of a Florentine, or textured, gold finish on the case of this Bulova mini Accutron wristwatch is a classic hallmark of 1970s design.  The watch’s bold blue dial and stout proportions are also characteristic of the 1970s zeitgeist.

-This Bulova mini Accutron wristwatch uses a Swiss-made 2301 movement, which was one of the smallest Accutron movements Bulova produced.  Because of this, the 230 series Accutron movement was usually employed in women’s watches.  However, it was occasionally used in men’s watches as well.  Given the somewhat larger case size (for the time) of this specimen, I feel that it was probably originally intended to be a man’s wristwatch.

-This vintage Bulova mini Accutron wristwatch has a case made from solid 14 karat yellow gold and was undoubtedly a very expensive watch when new.  In fact, this page from a 1972 Bulova dealer’s catalogue lists a similar watch (albeit with a solid gold bracelet that this example lacks) for $475.  That would be the equivalent of $2,852 in 2017, after adjusting for inflation.

-I love this watch because it ticks all the right boxes.  It is made from solid 14 karat gold.  It uses the iconic Bulova Accutron movement.  It reflects a quintessentially eye-catching 1970s style.  And it is in amazingly good condition.  But perhaps most importantly, at only $1,000 this Bulova mini Accutron wristwatch can be your gateway into the world’s most under-owned asset class.

Cons:

-Although Bulova Accutrons have fewer moving parts than traditional mechanical watch movements (12 versus 26, respectively), they still require periodic service.  Because the seller has not disclosed whether or not this Bulova mini Accutron wristwatch was recently serviced, it is safe to assume it hasn’t been.  Therefore, it would be wise to set aside an additional $100 to $300 for servicing the watch if you plan to buy it.

-I would have loved for the seller to include a photo of the watch movement.  This oversight is perhaps forgivable, considering that Bulova Accutrons do not suffer from many of the issues that can affect purely mechanical watch movements.