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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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Rolex Datejust Lady 69173 422889

Rolex

Datejust Lady

69173

Rolex Datejust 16233 422880

Rolex

Datejust

16233

Rolex Datejust Lady 69173 422887

Rolex

Datejust Lady

69173

Rolex Datejust 16234 422899

Rolex

Datejust

16234

Rolex Submariner 16610 421346

Rolex

Submariner

16610

Rolex Datejust 16234 426548

Rolex

Datejust

16234

Rolex Submariner 1680 388953

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Submariner

1680

Omega Seamaster 300m Mid-Size 2561.80.00 435694

Omega

Seamaster 300m Mid-Size

2561.80.00

Rolex Datejust Lady 79173 442736

Rolex

Datejust Lady

79173

Rolex Day-Date 18238 399902

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Day-Date

18238

CHF 17’575 CHF 18’500

Rolex Datejust Lady 69178 442735

Rolex

Datejust Lady

69178

Rolex Datejust 16234 430749

Rolex

Datejust

16234

Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust 17014 432441

Rolex

Oysterquartz Datejust

17014

Rolex Submariner 16613 427495

Rolex

Submariner

16613

Rolex Submariner 16613 430764

Rolex

Submariner

16613

Rolex Datejust 16233 430753

Rolex

Datejust

16233

Rolex Datejust Lady 69178 416892

Rolex

Datejust Lady

69178

Omega Speedmaster Date 3513.30.00 430747

Omega

Speedmaster Date

3513.30.00

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15010 408431

Rolex

Oyster Perpetual Date

15010

Rolex Day-Date 18238 419441

Rolex

Day-Date

18238

Rolex Datejust Lady 79190 426585

Rolex

Datejust Lady

79190

Jaeger-LeCoultre Odysseus 165.7.89 S 413858

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Odysseus

165.7.89 S

IWC Da Vinci Chronograph IW372805 425129

IWC

Da Vinci Chronograph

IW372805

Rolex GMT Master II 16710 416787

Rolex

GMT Master II

16710

Rolex Sea-Dweller 1665 263975

Rolex

Sea-Dweller

1665

Rolex Datejust 16233 422906

Rolex

Datejust

16233

Breguet Marine 8400SA/12/X40 432480

Breguet

Marine

8400SA/12/X40

Omega Seamaster Chrono Diver 2598.80.00 403534

Omega

Seamaster Chrono Diver

2598.80.00

Rolex Turn-O-Graph 16263 402737

Rolex

Turn-O-Graph

16263

Rolex Submariner 16613 393702

Rolex

Submariner

16613

Rolex Datejust 16233 422065

Rolex

Datejust

16233

Rolex Datejust Lady 69160 422894

Rolex

Datejust Lady

69160

Tudor Sport Collection 7032/0 316074

Tudor

Sport Collection

7032/0

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 3891.50.81 373519

Omega

Speedmaster Moonwatch

3891.50.81

Patek Philippe Calatrava 3919J-001 401507

Manufacturer's Warranty

Patek Philippe

Calatrava

3919J-001

Rolex Submariner 16613 408440

Rolex

Submariner

16613

Rolex Air-King 14010 408436

Rolex

Air-King

14010

Rolex Datejust 16220 408433

Rolex

Datejust

16220

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15210 408451

Rolex

Oyster Perpetual Date

15210

Rolex Sea-Dweller 16660 409260

Rolex

Sea-Dweller

16660

Rolex Datejust 16220 408441

Rolex

Datejust

16220

Rolex GMT Master 16700 429995

Rolex

GMT Master

16700

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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