WHY BUY A VINTAGE
WATCH?

There is, of course, a huge array of vintage watches available and this can be somewhat confusing at first. These may first be split between those with hand-wound and automatic movements. Then by use, for example, dress watches, sports-dress, sports, dive watches, aviator, and military watches. Further ‘complications’ include chronographs, date and various other calendar functions, as well as Chronometer ratings and other levels of accuracy.

But the purpose of this article isn’t to detail every kind of watch available, instead, we will discuss old vs. new, and explain some of the reasons why choosing a vintage watch is such a good investment.

Of course, if you have the money and really want to buy a new top-quality timepiece from a famous brand, there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t. Provided you can get hold of one of course and you don’t have to wait too long.

However, we all know about the true cost of buying and running a new car, and its value dropping like a stone during the first few years of ownership. Well, the same applies to almost all watches. There are exceptions, notably over the past 10 years, the Rolex Daytona and occasionally certain other sports models from the top brands. However, authorised dealer waiting lists effectively mean that most of these are unavailable except for large premiums on the secondary market. The hot modern Rolex sports watch market, for example, is both speculative and volatile and ultimately driven by fashion. So best avoided unless you have deep pockets and like to gamble.

But even if money is no object, wouldn’t it be better to choose something which retains its market value? Nearly all new watches drop in value during the first 10 to 20 years before slowly beginning to appreciate again. So it’s much safer to invest in earlier models which have found their base price and are steadily appreciating. A well-established and reputable vintage watch dealer will provide you with all the information you need, along with solid guarantees, backup and after-sales support.

If you have a budget in mind it’s important to know if you spend the same on a vintage watch as you might on a new model you will end up with a much higher quality watch.

So, what about the thorny subject of reliability? Well, it’s true a new watch is likely to be more reliable and come with a better warranty than an older watch. But at what cost? The depreciation in value of a new watch and servicing costs will almost certainly make it much more expensive to own in the long term, making vintage a clear winner in terms of investment and sustainability. And Swiss watches are so well designed and built there is never a problem which cannot be overcome by a good watchmaker

Now we know vintage watches make financial sense, let’s take a look at some of the other attributes a vintage timepiece can offer.

Watchmaking, servicing and restoration have seen a resurgence since the 1980s when the industry was hit by turmoil due to the sudden rise in popularity of cheap quartz watches. The crisis saw a great many watch manufacturers close their doors and watchmakers lose their jobs. Thankfully this is now well behind us, but we still need to support the skills and craftsmanship which go into the servicing, repair and restoration of watches.

Many of our current watchmakers are either elderly or have relatively recently finished their training, so there’s a gap as a result of a lost generation. The older generation is teaching the new, and meanwhile, the industry needs all the support it can get. By wearing and using a vintage watch, you’re helping the industry and its craftsmanship to continue by having your watch serviced with the skills needed to do so.