Photo Credit: Central-Jersey-Estate-Liquidators
Men’s 14K Gold & Diamond Retro Longines Wristwatch
Buy It Now Price: $349.99 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)
Pros:
-Here is a very attractive men’s solid 14 karat gold & diamond retro Longines wristwatch from the World War II era, circa 1945.
-The case is made from solid 14 karat gold and the dial has diamond hour markers at the 12, 3 and 9 o’clock positions.
-The dial appears to be in superb condition and has not been refinished – a desirable attribute for European vintage wristwatches.
-This retro Longines wristwatch has a rectangular case that measures 21.4 mm (0.84 inches) wide by 21.4 mm (0.84 inches) long, excluding the lugs and crown. This would be considered rather small by today’s standards, but was completely normal for men’s wristwatches in the 1940s.
-Longines wristwatches were one of the finest luxury watch brands of the early to mid 20th century, easily the equal of competitors Omega and Rolex.
-This retro Longines wristwatch sports a manual-wind, 17 jewel, 8LN movement which is completely consistent with a mid 1940s attribution. In addition, the serial number on the movement, 7059639, pinpoints the year of manufacture in 1945.
-Although I can’t verify the exact model of this retro Longines wristwatch, I am certain it is from the 1940s. It is almost identical, stylistically speaking, to the Longines “Coronation Strap” model which retailed for $125 in 1941. Adjusted for inflation, that is the equivalent of $2,083 today!
-I love the sculpted, hidden lugs on this retro Longines wristwatch. They really epitomize the stylistic zeitgeist of the 1940s era.
-Longines vintage wristwatches are similar to American vintage wristwatches in that they are largely overlooked in today’s marketplace. How else do you explain the ridiculously low $350 buy-it-now price for this solid 14 karat gold and diamond example from the 1940s? I believe that savvy connoisseurs should accumulate vintage Longines wristwatches now, while they are still underpriced.
Cons:
-The crown might be a replacement. You could probably have an original crown swapped in for a modest fee when you have the watch serviced.
-The seller claims this retro Longines wristwatch is running, but doesn’t know its service record. Therefore, he is selling it as-is. If you were to purchase this watch, you would be wise to have it immediately serviced. This would probably cost somewhere between $100 and $300, assuming no major issues are found.
-Some of the hour markers on the wristwatch are heavily tarnished. This makes it appear far less attractive than it could be. Luckily, I think a professional dial restorer could easily clean the hour markers for around $50 or even a bit less. You could also have the rest of the dial restored at the same time, if you so desired, but this would drive up the price. In addition, some vintage wristwatch collectors adamantly favor original dials, and this retro Longines wristwatch has a nice original dial (with the exception of the hour markers).
