The movements in vintage watches are typically mechanical, although it is entirely possible for a vintage era watch to include a quartz movement. Most of the vintage watches that will appear on this website will have mechanical movements, hand-winding or automatic. Although, you have probably spent a lot of time admiring that vintage watch on…Read more
Category: Collecting
Explore our articles on vintage watch collecting. This covers everything from identifying and researching watches to understanding movements, restoration, and building a meaningful collection.
Decimal wrist watch from Camerer Cuss, 1970s
I came across this curious vintage timepiece when browsing The Vintage Wrist Watch Company. It is a 1970s metric or decimal wristwatch from the respected retailer Camerer Cuss. It is called decimal or metric because it only has 10-hour markers, which are subdivided into 100 minutes. I am not sure how practical this vintage decimal…Read more
Mappin & Webb Favre Leuba Sea Chief wristwatch
This is a rare gentleman’s Sea Chief wristwatch from Mappin & Webb with a movement by Favre Leuba. This vintage watch is in beautiful condition with the original box and papers. The Sea Chief was a brand that was more commonly sold under the Favre Leuba label. Mappin & Webb Mappin & Webb (M&W) is…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
Vintage watches, automatic vs hand wound movements
Vintage automatic and mechanical watches are both traditional mechanical watches that rely on mechanical parts to measure time. This is in contrast to modern quartz watches which use electronic components. 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…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 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 and a date function. The watch is a reliable and accurate timekeeper. Tissot Tissot…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 wristwatch
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 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