Vintage automatic and mechanical watches are both traditional mechanical watches that rely on mechanical parts to measure time instead of electronic components like modern quartz watches. Both mechanical and automatic watches use a complex series of gears, springs, and other mechanisms to maintain time. Strictly speaking, both movements are ‘mechanical’, the main difference between these…Read more
9ct gold Eterna-matic Centenaire automatic wrist watch.
What an absolutely stunning vintage watch is this 9ct gold Eterna-Matic Centenaire automatic! The black dial, which is in amazing condition for a timepiece dating to 1954, is perfectly paired with the rich, warm shade of tan brown of the leather watch strap. Unfortunately, it had sold before I discovered it, but this is the…Read more
Tissot Visodate Seastar Seven, 1960s.
This is a recent addition to my collection, a Tissot Visodate Seastar Seven wristwatch dating from the 1960s. The watch has a hand-winding movement which is working well. It is a Tissot calibre 782-1 with 17 jewels with a date function. The watch is a reliable and accurate timekeeper. Tissot Tissot is a Swiss watch…Read more
The importance of originality in the vintage watch market
The dream of every vintage watch collector is to come across a watch in pristine condition, as if it has never been worn or left its box. It is possible with New Old Stock (NOS), which refers to a vintage watch that was never sold to a customer and is still in its original packaging….Read more
1960s Avia-Matic automatic wrist watch
This vintage watch is an Avia-matic automatic watch dating from the 1960s. The watch has a Swiss 17-jewel ETA 2472 automatic movement, with Incabloc shock protection. The watch is working well and keeping good time. Avia is a watchmaking company that has a long history and was very prominent in the 1950s and 60s. The…Read more
Eterna-Matic automatic wrist watch, 1968
The latest addition to my collection is this Eterna-matic 2000 Centenaire automatic wrist watch, dating from 1968. Eterna introduced the Centenaire range in 1956 to celebrate the centenary of the company. This is a classic dress watch, a little small by today’s standards, but certainly acceptable as a vintage timepiece. It is gold-plated with a…Read more
The Dirty Dozen watches
The story of the Dirty Dozen watches began in 1943 when the British War Department realised the necessity of having a general service wristwatch built to high standards. They commissioned a watch for its forces. The aim was to find a replacement for the old A.T.P. (Army Trade Pattern) watches that had been in service…Read more
1950s Cyma bumper automatic wrist watch
This vintage Cyma bumper automatic wristwatch exudes character. The Cyma brand is well-respected amongst vintage watch collectors. The watch, which dates from the 1950s, has aged well, and the watch keeps good time. The dial is branded Cymaflex, which was a proprietary shock protection system developed by Cyma in the late 1930s. Cyma Joseph and…Read more
1970s Certina Bristol 235 wrist watch
This vintage Certina watch is stunning. It is branded, Certina Bristol 235, and has a good quality 17-jewel hand-winding movement, calibre 25-66, which is working nicely and keeping good time. The movement is clean and is fully signed with the Certina name. Certina Certina is a Swiss watchmaker founded in 1888 by Adolf and Alfred…Read more
Gents Smiths De Luxe watch, box & papers, 1958.
This vintage Smiths De Luxe watch, dating from 1958, has a black dial and comes with its original box and guarantee. It is in great condition for its age and is keeping time well. It is very unusual to find a vintage watch of this age with its original box and papers. They are simply…Read more