I’m personally a big fan of men’s vintage watches. Vintage men’s watches tend to follow a more classic aesthetic and are traditionally smaller than their modern counterparts. For someone like me who has fairly tiny wrists, it can oftentimes be difficult to find a unisex style of watch that also isn’t unisex in size (in other words, way too big).
I find vintage watches to be a good compromise in terms of size, aesthetic and price. If you know what you’re doing you can find some unbelievable bargains on the vintage market. One of my favorite additions to my collection is a 1960’s gold-plated vintage Oris that I bought off ebay for only $40.
Size
As I mentioned before, the original sizes of men’s vintage watches were much smaller in the past. Modern watches have ballooned in size ever since the 60’s, and while the trend is now moving back toward smaller unisex watches that fit both men and women, I often find that the unisex sizes end up being neither here nor there.
Value for Money
With vintage watches, you can pay considerably less than buying a new watch in-store or from an authorized dealer. Sometimes you can find steals at flea markets or estate sales where owners are trying to getting rid of a number of items, and are not watch experts themselves.
Provenance
Unlike a brand new watch that comes straight off the factory floor, a vintage watch is a unique piece of history. Vintage watches often have a story to tell -- the older they are, the rarer they become. If you found one that you liked but didn’t purchase it straight away, there’s a good chance you’ll never see one like it again.
People say that purchasing a vintage watch is not for the faint of heart -- buying a vintage watch can have major disadvantages too. The age of the watch makes the movement much more fragile than a new watch, maintenance tend to be higher, and if the piece hasn’t been appraised, there’s no guarantee that all the parts are original. But if you’re willing to put in the time to do the research, you may end up wearing your own little piece of history.
To learn out more about the potential pitfalls of buying a vintage watch, you can read out our article on "The Hidden Costs of Vintage Watches”.