Category: Brands

A gateway to watchmaking history. Explore vintage timepieces organised by the brands that helped shape the industry. Each name reflects a distinct legacy of craftsmanship, technical achievement and enduring design.

Why wear a vintage watch?

If you are an avid watch fan, you will have noticed in recent years that vintage watches are becoming more common. What is the appeal of these vintage timepieces? Why have they become so popular? Should you consider wearing a vintage watch? In this post, we will attempt to answer the question, Why wear a…Read more

Are vintage watches reliable?

If you are new to the world of vintage watch collection, you may well have asked yourself the following questions. Are vintage watches reliable? How accurate can a vintage watch be? Do I need to leave them safely boxed at home, or can I wear them out every day? Do they have shock resistance and…Read more

Gentlemen’s Longines vintage wristwatch, 1969.

This is a beautiful-looking gentleman’s vintage wristwatch from Longines, dating to 1969. I was drawn by the clean design and the originality of the watch, based on visual appeal alone, it would look great on my wrist. However, I am looking for classic vintage watches to add to my collection which have a depth to…Read more

Tissot Visodate Seastar Seven, 1960s.

This is a recent addition to the Set Back in Time 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…Read more

Eterna-Matic automatic wrist watch, 1968

The latest addition to the Set Back in Time 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. The…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 wristwatch

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 it 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 Theodore…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 clean movement bears the Certina name in full. Certina Adolf and Alfred Kurth founded Certina in 1888 in Grenchen, Switzerland. The Swiss watchmaker has…Read more