What Watch began your Vintage journey?

I recently acquired my very first Vintage Watch for a grand total of 55€ to add the 3rd watch I´ve ever owned to my collection. 

Only now do I understand why new collectors are usually discouraged from buying Vintage Mechanical Watches. This Vintage Mauthe comes with a plethora of problems. 

The movement is 60 years old, loud, and runs at about 200+ seconds daily. Additionally, winding the movement requires Caution and accurately setting the time is difficult due to the hands jumping around the Dial if the crown isn't handled delicately. To say nothing of the virtually non-existent water resistance or Hacking.

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And yet, despite all of these shortcomings, I am in Love!  

Aye, it isn't a perfect watch nor is it suitable for every occasion. But it does have the most important thing of all: Character! To me, it is simply a stunning watch. Nearly thrice my age, the 36mm Watch now perfectly sits on my slender wrist whenever the occasion calls for a dress-up.

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And what fun it was to read up and learn about Mauthe, apparently one of the oldest Germans Clockmakers of horology. 

Yes, there is dust on the dial from when the last fellow that wore it exchanged the acrylic Crystal for a new one. And Yes, there is a tiny bit of rust on the Hands. But it is this precisely what intrigues me: this Watch has history, an untold story that I have inherited with it.

Spending my money on this watch wasn't rational when comparing the cost of potentially getting it fixed, cleaned, dusted and replacing the crystal to buying a newer and technically better watch.

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But it has taught me to value a Watch despite its flaws, has introduced me to the under-appreciated world of Dress Watches and shown me that 36mm is a perfect size for me.

It has done the one thing we all want a watch to do for us when we buy it: Further ignited my passion for Watches. I am far from disappointed, and more interested in Vintage watches now than ever. 

What was your first Vintage Watch, and were you as delighted as I am? Or did the Cons of vintage always keep you sceptical? What is your favourite Vintage watch today? 

Highly interested in your responses fellow WC Peeps!

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The oldest watches in my collection are from the 1970s-1980s. I have a thing for early digital watches, Maybe not vintage as everyone else would define it, but it has been half a century since the first digital watch was released, so maybe neo-vintage? Anyway, what started it for me was nostalgia. When I was a kid, me and my brothers would get a new watch for Christmas periodically. Maybe not every year, but pretty regularly. My father got into digital watches pretty soon after they appeared. He had one of the first Bulova LED watches, and I and my brothers were fascinated by it. One Christmas in the early 1970s, we all got our own LED watches; the Texas Instruments black resin LED watch. We loved these watches.

When I ran across the Bulova Computron Archive Series reissue, I purchased in immediately.

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Since then, I have been dipping my toes in the pre-owned market, buying vintage (neo-vintage) digital watches and have built a small collection of them.

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In the early 1990's I saw something like this an an antique store and bought it for $50.00. (Picture is from the Hamilton Chronicles, a great resource.) I lost it in a hurricane in 2005 and I don't even have any pictures of it.  I was drawn to the clean mid-century design, there is no wasted decoration or writing on that dial.

It was replaced by this:

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A little fussier, but still beautiful.  Once I had a reliable watchmaker and a little money in my pocket vintage pieces multiplied.  If one gets a little balky I have a few dozen that can take its place.

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My first vintage was my Omega Suveran from 1944. It was my local AD WHO had 3 Omegas for sale on commision. The Suveran, a Cosmic and a Seamaster dresswatch. He told me about the history of the watch and I was intrigued. The Suveran was in nice condition and the 30T2 workhorse movement was just serviced. So I started from 1944 and walked forward in time from there.

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YourIntruder

My first vintage was my Omega Suveran from 1944. It was my local AD WHO had 3 Omegas for sale on commision. The Suveran, a Cosmic and a Seamaster dresswatch. He told me about the history of the watch and I was intrigued. The Suveran was in nice condition and the 30T2 workhorse movement was just serviced. So I started from 1944 and walked forward in time from there.

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Please be careful with that 1944 Omega.  While definitely gorgeous, the old lume on the numbers is almost certainly radium, which outgasses to radon.  You’re going to want to see how much radiation that thing is putting off if you wear it with any regularity.

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My first vintage was a Seiko 6139 helmet. Bought for $100 about a p years ago. I didn’t keep it very long though. 

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Purchased early 80's and still in the collection running well 👍

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JBird7986

Please be careful with that 1944 Omega.  While definitely gorgeous, the old lume on the numbers is almost certainly radium, which outgasses to radon.  You’re going to want to see how much radiation that thing is putting off if you wear it with any regularity.

Whilst shocking, that is Fascinating! It never occurred to me that one might have to be worried about Radiation from a Watch!

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WatchNova

Whilst shocking, that is Fascinating! It never occurred to me that one might have to be worried about Radiation from a Watch!

It's a very serious concern for watches made prior to about 1960 -- radium has a half life of about 1600 years, so even though the phosphors that made the lume glow have long been burned out by the radiation, the radium paint itself is pretty much just as radioactive now as it was when it was first applied to the dial.  Watch how fast the counter jumps in the first video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6oPf3Pq6bU 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKAjevrcIzk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_lxxPAgjqY

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/radium-girls-radioactive-paint/index.html

https://www.gearpatrol.com/watches/a324890/watch-lume/

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LumegaudAnar

The oldest watches in my collection are from the 1970s-1980s. I have a thing for early digital watches, Maybe not vintage as everyone else would define it, but it has been half a century since the first digital watch was released, so maybe neo-vintage? Anyway, what started it for me was nostalgia. When I was a kid, me and my brothers would get a new watch for Christmas periodically. Maybe not every year, but pretty regularly. My father got into digital watches pretty soon after they appeared. He had one of the first Bulova LED watches, and I and my brothers were fascinated by it. One Christmas in the early 1970s, we all got our own LED watches; the Texas Instruments black resin LED watch. We loved these watches.

When I ran across the Bulova Computron Archive Series reissue, I purchased in immediately.

Image

Since then, I have been dipping my toes in the pre-owned market, buying vintage (neo-vintage) digital watches and have built a small collection of them.

Image
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What a true collectors story! You have some really nice digital watches there! I have never given digital watches much attention, but that Seiko Alarm Chronograph on the leather strap for instance makes me want to start checking them out!

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YourIntruder

My first vintage was my Omega Suveran from 1944. It was my local AD WHO had 3 Omegas for sale on commision. The Suveran, a Cosmic and a Seamaster dresswatch. He told me about the history of the watch and I was intrigued. The Suveran was in nice condition and the 30T2 workhorse movement was just serviced. So I started from 1944 and walked forward in time from there.

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What a stunning watch! Omega has a wonderful assortment of vintage Dresswatches, I had never seen this one before though. To think a watch nearly be 80 years old and on someone's wrist, alive and running, is extremely exciting to me. 

I hope my purse will allow for a beautiful omega one day🤤

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JBird7986

It's a very serious concern for watches made prior to about 1960 -- radium has a half life of about 1600 years, so even though the phosphors that made the lume glow have long been burned out by the radiation, the radium paint itself is pretty much just as radioactive now as it was when it was first applied to the dial.  Watch how fast the counter jumps in the first video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6oPf3Pq6bU 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKAjevrcIzk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_lxxPAgjqY

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/radium-girls-radioactive-paint/index.html

https://www.gearpatrol.com/watches/a324890/watch-lume/

F*** me thats really REALLY good to know! I genuinely thank you, I might not have found this out soon enough otherwise! 

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WatchNova

F*** me thats really REALLY good to know! I genuinely thank you, I might not have found this out soon enough otherwise! 

No problem.  A lot of watches from 1960-1990 used tritium paint as a replacement for radium paint.  Those dials still put off some radiation, but not nearly the amount as the radium dials.  Tritium has about a 12 year half-life, so for watches from 1960, the amount of radioactivity today is something like only 0.00153% of what it was in 1960.

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WatchNova

What a true collectors story! You have some really nice digital watches there! I have never given digital watches much attention, but that Seiko Alarm Chronograph on the leather strap for instance makes me want to start checking them out!

Yes, I think putting a digital watch in a leather strap dresses it up in a fun way. 😀 I was actually changing some straps and I put my Citizen CQ Solar on a Vario World Time strap. I think it really works.

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It almost looks like it is an original factory strap. I moved the black suede strap to my Casio AL190W, another watch that is out of production, but not really even neo-vintage.

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I also forgot this little Casio from the late 1980s.

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I also have this analog/digital Armitron from the late 1970s.

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Finally, I have also been enjoying some of the retro/vintage reissue digital watches beyond the Computron.

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JBird7986

No problem.  A lot of watches from 1960-1990 used tritium paint as a replacement for radium paint.  Those dials still put off some radiation, but not nearly the amount as the radium dials.  Tritium has about a 12 year half-life, so for watches from 1960, the amount of radioactivity today is something like only 0.00153% of what it was in 1960.

That´s relieving news. I guess that means I shouldn't worry too much from Watches pos 1970 right?

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WatchNova

That´s relieving news. I guess that means I shouldn't worry too much from Watches pos 1970 right?

No.  They should be OK -- it largely comes down to a tolerance for risk.  Superluminova is inert and non-radioactive.  Tritium dials and tubes still emit small amounts of radiation, including X-rays, but they are generally considered safe.

I veer very conservative though and won't wear any radioactive dials/tubes.  I like my DNA intact, thank you very much.

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LumegaudAnar

Yes, I think putting a digital watch in a leather strap dresses it up in a fun way. 😀 I was actually changing some straps and I put my Citizen CQ Solar on a Vario World Time strap. I think it really works.

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It almost looks like it is an original factory strap. I moved the black suede strap to my Casio AL190W, another watch that is out of production, but not really even neo-vintage.

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I also forgot this little Casio from the late 1980s.

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I also have this analog/digital Armitron from the late 1970s.

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Finally, I have also been enjoying some of the retro/vintage reissue digital watches beyond the Computron.

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I actually think digital watches on leather straps look a lot more Interesting! it works especially well on that Casio AL190W you have there!

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WatchNova

I actually think digital watches on leather straps look a lot more Interesting! it works especially well on that Casio AL190W you have there!

Oh, yeah, getting a digital watch on something besides silicon/rubber or a bracelet totally changes it up. Here is my CA53W on a Barton canvas strap. Straps make digital fun just like analog, but many people miss out on the fun. 😀

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I know EXACTLY what you mean!. 

It's hard to explain, it's akin to your first car, first Girlfriend and so on. 

NO MATTER how badly they treat you, you still have that special place in your heart for them. 

I have collected vintage for about 10 years and have approximately 60 or so, all are thankfully working away fine. 

BUT I STILL found myself envying you when I saw that beautiful blue face!.  😀🤣😀😂