During the 1960s, Omega Seamasters featured classic round cases and minimalist dials. The emphasis was on elegance in preference to complexity. While stainless steel dominated the era, Omega offered silver or black dials featuring applied markers and sharp dauphine hands. This understated, gentlemanly design established the Seamaster as an all-occasion timepiece, complementing both formal suits…Read more
How magnetism can affect a vintage watch
At Set Back in Time, we are very familiar with the effects of magnetism. Vintage watches and electronic devices simply don’t mix very well. A vintage watch is a finely tuned machine, largely made of metal and built for precision. However, if the delicate components are exposed to magnetism, accuracy will suffer. This is something…Read more
Cyma Navystar wristwatch, c1960
The Set Back in Time team is very familiar with the Cyma brand. Back in the 1950s and 60s, Cymas was producing high-quality watches with in-house movements that rivalled some of the bigger Swiss brands. Cyma watches of the aforementioned period are highly collectable. In a recent gathering, one of our group showed this example…Read more
How water-resistant are vintage Omega Seamaster watches?
A question was asked in one of the Set Back in Time sessions in the local pub. As usual, there was a wrist check, and the watch that gathered the most attention was a 1958 Omega Seamaster. And of course, this led to the question: “How water-resistant are vintage Omega Seamaster watches?” In this post,…Read more
Technos Goldshield wristwatch, 1960s.
Uncovering obscure Swiss vintage brands seems to be a recurring theme of recent Set Back in Time discussions. This post is no exception. One of the group recently uncovered this Technos Goldshield wristwatch dating from the 1960s. It is powered by a high-grade ETA 2391 21-jewel hand-winding movement and has a distinctive dial. However, none…Read more
How vintage automatic watches work
In this Set Back in Time post, we will attempt to explain how the automatic movement in a vintage watch works. Generally, vintage watches will contain mechanical movements, which are either manual or automatic. The manual movements are wound by hand daily. Each full wind will give upwards of 40 hours of power reserve. On…Read more
Omega Seamaster De Ville wristwatch, 1965
This particular example of an Omega Seamaster De Ville wristwatch was brought to the attention of the Set Back in Time group in the lead-up to Christmas. It was high on the wishlist of one of our regulars, who wanted a second opinion before they made a purchase. Compared to more famous Omega lines like…Read more
Are vintage watches a good investment?
At Set Back in Time, we are a group of dedicated vintage watch collectors. We enjoy owning and wearing vintage timepieces. We are not buying for investment purposes. That said, vintage watches can have investment potential, and that is the topic of this post. In this guide, we explore why vintage watches are potentially a…Read more
Helvetia automatic wristwatch, 1950s
This vintage Helvetia automatic was shared with the Set Back in Time group in one of our normal Friday sessions. It dates from the 1950s and contains a Helvetia 838 automatic movement. The watch is keeping good time, perhaps +1 minute a day fast. However, this is perfectly acceptable for a 70+ year old watch….Read more
Guide to vintage watches: case materials
If you are looking to purchase your first vintage watch, deciding on the right case material might be a bit of a challenge. It won’t be too surprising that steel is the most common material for vintage watches. It is a safe and durable choice, but there are other options. In this Set Back in…Read more