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Vintage Watches

Every vintage watch has a story to tell, and that’s what makes them special. Each piece offers a unique window into the past that traces back through generations, and owning one means getting to enjoy a piece of decades-old mechanical art. Welcome to the world of vintage.

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Cartier Santos Galbee W20011C4 428256

Cartier

Santos Galbee

W20011C4

Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 3848 417088

Patek Philippe

Golden Ellipse

3848

Rolex Daytona 16520 413326

Rolex

Daytona

16520

Cartier Tonneau W1528151 424100

Cartier

Tonneau

W1528151

CHF 23’035 CHF 24’240

Tudor Submariner 75090 424091

Tudor

Submariner

75090

CHF 4’055 CHF 4’505

Tudor Submariner 79090 424087

Tudor

Submariner

79090

CHF 4’495 CHF 4’995

Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 401310

Rolex

Sea-Dweller

16600

Rolex Submariner 1680 388953

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Submariner

1680

IWC Da Vinci Automatic IW352803 391592

IWC

Da Vinci Automatic

IW352803

Rolex Turn-O-Graph 16263 402737

Rolex

Turn-O-Graph

16263

Rolex Lady Oyster Perpetual 67180 414317

Rolex

Lady Oyster Perpetual

67180

Omega Seamaster GMT 2534.50.00 399091

Omega

Seamaster GMT

2534.50.00

Rolex Submariner 1680 Single Red 410644

Rolex

Submariner

1680 Single Red

Vacheron Constantin Overseas 42042/423A-8724 384647

Vacheron Constantin

Overseas

42042/423A-8724

Tudor Prince Date 79280P 362700

Tudor

Prince Date

79280P

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 3891.50.81 373519

Omega

Speedmaster Moonwatch

3891.50.81

Omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow 3594.50.00 403532

Omega

Speedmaster Broad Arrow

3594.50.00

Omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow 3594.50.00 403526

Omega

Speedmaster Broad Arrow

3594.50.00

Omega Seamaster Chrono Diver 2598.80.00 403534

Omega

Seamaster Chrono Diver

2598.80.00

Rolex Datejust Lady 69278 397478

Rolex

Datejust Lady

69278

Rolex Sea-Dweller 16660 403527

Rolex

Sea-Dweller

16660

Rolex Submariner 16613 393702

Rolex

Submariner

16613

Rolex Explorer 14270 395059

Rolex

Explorer

14270

Rolex Air-King 5500 398888

Rolex

Air-King

5500

CHF 3’950 CHF 4’185

Tudor Sport Collection 7032/0 316074

Tudor

Sport Collection

7032/0

Rolex GMT Master II 16713 317668

Rolex

GMT Master II

16713

Omega Speedmaster Vintage ST 376.0806 299061

Omega

Speedmaster Vintage

ST 376.0806

Rolex Sea-Dweller 1665 263975

Rolex

Sea-Dweller

1665

Tag Heuer Monaco 1133B Vintage 209137

Tag Heuer

Monaco

1133B Vintage

Rolex Air-King 5700 402378

Rolex

Air-King

5700

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Omega Seamaster 300m Mid-Size 2562.80.00 425028

Omega

Seamaster 300m Mid-Size

2562.80.00

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Datejust Lady 69173 399167

Rolex

Datejust Lady

69173

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Mid-Size Datejust 68273 408676

Rolex

Mid-Size Datejust

68273

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Breitling Callistino B52045 424395

Breitling

Callistino

B52045

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6694 400842

Rolex

Oyster Perpetual

6694

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Vacheron Constantin Patrimony 81180/000J-9118 412196

Vacheron Constantin

Patrimony

81180/000J-9118

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Panerai Radiomir Manual PAM00997 424829

Panerai

Radiomir Manual

PAM00997

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Omega Constellation Mini 1262.10.00 404972

Omega

Constellation Mini

1262.10.00

Product Location

CHF 1’170 CHF 1’380

incl. import taxes & duties

Omega Speedmaster DayDate 3520.50.00 415346

Omega

Speedmaster DayDate

3520.50.00

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Omega Constellation 1510.30.00 423265

Omega

Constellation

1510.30.00

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Datejust Lady 69160 401865

Rolex

Datejust Lady

69160

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Datejust 16233 424619

Rolex

Datejust

16233

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Vintage Watches

There has been a huge upsurge in vintage watch collecting over the past twenty years, a natural consequence perhaps of the mechanical watch revival that took place in the 1990s after the doom-laden era of the quartz crisis had receded.

Since then vintage watches have grabbed the watch industry’s biggest headlines, with a number of Rolex and Patek Philippe models regularly selling for well over a million dollars at the most prestigious auction houses.

Vintage watches have never been in such high demand, with even models from lesser-known brands seeing their value increase ten-fold over the last decade or so. Of course, precious few vintage timepieces—or any timepieces, for that matter—will reach anywhere near the astronomical price ($17.75 million) fetched by Paul Newman’s Daytona in 2017, but a vintage watch by a brand like Omega or Zenith which sold for a couple of hundred pounds in the 1990s, would fetch several times that in today’s market.

If you’re wondering what defines a vintage watch in the first place, the answer isn’t set in stone. Some people consider any pre-1980 model to qualify as vintage, while others insist it’s anything over 25 years old. Any watch over a hundred years old, on the other hand, is classed as an antique—one you might consider locking in a safe rather than actually wearing.

If you’re thinking of starting your own vintage collection featuring the most established brands, there are a number of names and models to consider. Vintage Patek Philippe pieces are among the most desirable, whether it’s a pre-World War II time-only Calatrava, a 1970s Nautilus or any perpetual calendar model in gold or platinum.

The most popular vintage Audemars Piguet models are the first-generation Royal Oaks, a luxury steel sports model launched in 1972 that gave rise to a whole new genre in high-end watchmaking.

Extremely rare and therefore much sought-after are vintage Panerai watches, of which as few as 350 were made between 1938 and 1994, after which the brand finally began making watches commercially and for the civilian market, rather than just for the Italian navy. Vintage Radiomir and Luminor models now command six-figure sums at auction.

Vintage Breitling and vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre watches are generally more affordable than the above, but even more wallet-friendly are a number of chronograph models by the legendary Heuer.

Vintage TAG Heuer (as it is now called) is best represented by several chronograph models with strong motor-racing links, the most famous being the square-cased Monaco. Famously worn by Hollywood maverick Steve McQueen, this distinctive and iconic timepiece is now a regular in the brand’s catalogue, with a number of dial variations and special editions. There’s something extra-cool about the early models, though, whose tiny imperfections enhance their appeal.

A few oft-repeated rules for budding vintage collectors are as follows: always buy from a trusted seller; try to buy watches with all original parts (dials, for example, have often been repainted or replaced on older watches); and never wear any vintage watch, whether a diver’s watch or not, in water as it will have almost certainly lost its water resistance due to the seals on the gaskets eroding.

And don’t be put off by faded lume, the odd battle scar and a little patina. Part of the charm of a vintage watch is that it’s been around the block a few times, had a few different wearers, got a few tales to tell.

At Watchfinder we sell a number of vintage models from brands including Rolex, Tudor, Zenith, Omega and more. Browse our selection online today to find your perfect vintage timepiece and add another chapter to its story.

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