What to Look Out for When Buying Vintage Watches

Investing in vintage watches combines a passion for horology with the potential for financial gains. They are coveted items for collectors and enthusiasts, but the decision to invest in vintage watches should be approached with careful consideration.

Louis Vuitton Monterey II on the wrist

Monterey I & II: The (Almost) Forgotten First Watches of Louis Vuitton

Many think that Louis Vuitton’s first watch was the Tambour, which was launched in 2002. However the brand actually began with a watch collection called Monterey in the 1980s. The Monterey I, an unusual worldtime watch designed by Gae Aulenti with date and moon phase, was soon followed by the ceramic-encased Monterey II that added an alarm function.

Crash Course In Flieger (Pilot) And B-Uhren (Navigator) Watches Covering Both Historic And Modern Examples: Pilot’s Watch Photofest!

The majority of today’s numerous flieger-style watches are inspired by the now-iconic German pilot’s and navigator’s watches of World War II, becoming a genre unto themselves. Bhanu Chopra flies high to take a deep dive into the long history of this popular style.

Seiko Credor Kumakawa Worldtimer: a Genuine Rolex beater for Under $2,000

Quentin R. Bufogle has always been a Swiss watch snob. He knows Grand Seiko turns out some truly excellent timepieces. But for all of impeccable engineering, and craftsmanship, for this watch enthusiast, the brand has always lacked something in spirit. Until he discovered the Kumakawa Worldtimer GMT Limited Edition.

Meet the Spaceman: Popular Fashion Watch of the 1960s and 1970s that was Almost Forgotten in a Drawer

Launched in 1969, the Catena/Zeno Spaceman is special thanks to its funky design. It was a polarizing watch: people generally either hated it or loved it at first sight, and remains so today. Here is the brief history of this fun vintage watch.

Big Fish: Behind the Lens with Unique and Rare Salmon-Dialed Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendars

GaryG enjoyed the opportunity to check out three of his friends’ rare Patek Philippe pieces, all with salmon-colored dials: Reference 5059G-018 and Reference 3940G-029 perpetual calendars from Patek Philippe’s Vintage Collection and a unique piece Reference 5270G. He shares his thoughts and stunning photos with us here.

Why I Bought It: A Bulova Like Mobster Bugsy Siegel

Watch collector Quentin R. Bufogle was determined to add a piece to his collection harking back to those dust-strewn days of early Las Vegas, a time when the occasional tumbleweed still ambled along what would one day become the famous Las Vegas Strip. And he found it in a 1946 Bulova Aviator B. Here’s how and why.

Quick Bite: Vintage Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Aqua Lung ‘No Radiation’

At the recent FHH Roadshow in Paris, Ian Skellern saw a rare vintage Blancpain Fifty Fathoms No Radiation on a wrist and was curious about why the watch had a ‘No Radiation’ symbol featuring so prominently on the dial.

The Grail of Attic Finds: Reunited with the First Watch I Ever Owned, A West End Watch Co Sowar Prima

Colin Alexander Smith is reunited with his first watch and discovers an intriguing watch manufacturer that has been producing mechanical watches in Switzerland continuously since 1886.

The Unintentional Watch Collector: An Unplanned Watch Collection Spanning Eight Decades

Colin Alexander Smith never set out to collect watches; in fact, he suspects that deep down he aspires to being a one-watch guy. He has only bought himself a new watch on two occasions in his life. Nevertheless, through a combination of new and used purchases, gifts, hand-me-downs, and inherited pieces, Colin has managed to accumulate a selection of watches that rather neatly spans eight consecutive decades of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Find out what is behind each of these watches remaining in Colin’s collection right here.