Opinion: Vintage watches take root
By Straight-Six, published on 20 December 2009
It’s happened. Against my better judgement and previous record, I have become a vintage watch fascist.
I blame that fateful discussion with a trader several months ago that saw me trade in five lovely pieces of modern watch-making (and a fistful of euros) for a Rolex Submariner 6536-1 and a 1980 Maxi-dialled Sea-Dweller.
But the abruptness of the decision and its significance has only started to take hold over the last days and weeks.
Suddenly, I had moved from the slick and glossy world of authorized dealers, shiny brochures and stunted discourse to the multi-faceted subtleties and nuances of vintage watch collectors, obsessive beasts who pore over dial and hand configurations, comparing serial numbers of end links and bracelets and much, much more. There is no bottom to this pool of knowledge and passion. No end in sight as you move from one model to the next, opening up entire worlds each time.
And these enthusiasts are so very willing to share. From the sincere enthusiasm of Arno of Bonham’s at SalonQP to James Dowling actually responding to questions on the vintage forum of www.timezone.com, through Hodinkee (on Twitter) and everyone else out there, your questions and curiosity are rewarded in kind. That’s my definition of generosity and community. And I love it.
Yes, the same can be said for all modern watches with their own communities and shared resources. And yes, you don’t need to pick one camp or the other. That’s the balance I’m desperately trying to find, dammit.
But right here, right now, I’m firmly stuck in the blemished, colourful and legend-filled horological past. Please don’t save me.
Opinion: Vintage watches take root
It’s happened. Against my better judgement and previous record, I have become a vintage watch fascist. I blame that fateful discussion with a trader several months ago that saw me trade in five lovely pieces of modern watch-making (and a fistful of euros) for a Rolex Submariner 6536-1 and a 1980 Maxi-dialled Sea-Dweller. But the [...]
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9 Responses to “Opinion: Vintage watches take root”
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Straight-Six
21 December 2009
Dell,
Good points, as ever, and the timezone link has been corrected – thanks.
I agree that diving into the vintage world means you have to accept an entirely different concept of service and support. The onus is on the new owner to hunt out the ever-decreasing specialists who can sensitively service their newfound delights without compromising their historical integrity and value. How? A combination of word-of-mouth and the Net.
Your point about the risk to those who buck prevailing trends and established authorities is a fascinating one. I interpret from your remark that you’ve perhaps run into this issue before. Would be interested to know more..
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I honestly respect what you’ve done.
But…
As I strap a different watch to my wrist every day, I can’t help thinking that by sacrificing the breadth of your collection to pay for your limited vintage pieces, you’re missing on another immense pleasure of watch-colecting: the variety.
One day I’m wearing a modern-day GMT-Master II, the next a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Grande Reserve. Next, I’m strapping on a vintage Navitimer or Speedmaster. You? You’re kinda just always wearing the same watch aren’t you? Oh sure, 20 years separate them but they’re still the same…
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Good to see that you’ve caught the bug! I started out as a TAG Heuer collector and then discovered the Vintage Heuer watches. My collection is now almost all vintage watches. Why?
1) Value: $2000 may not buy you a lot of new TAG Heuer, but it will buy you a far more interesting vintage watch. The same question will be asked when the new Silverstone comes out- for $6500 (RRP) you could get a NOS vintage Silverstone- they won’t appeal to the same market, but vintage Heuers don’t have the big premium that you might expect (relative to new TAGs)
2) Character: The only requirement for buying a new watch is money- but Vintage watches have an element of the hunt- it may take you 5 years to find the one you’re after, so obviously the satisfaction of “finding” you grail is much higher than just heading down to the local AD and plonking down a credit card
Of course, its not an easy step to buy vintage- how do you find out whether what you’re buying is the real thing? And has been pointed out above, they do need looking after and regular servicing.
Vintage watches have taken my love of watches to a new level- plus there is a very friendly community out there willing and able to help.
Enjoy
dc
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Love your point about “the hunt”. You’re spot on I think. That’s the real allure of vintage to me. If you’re buying new, the only challenge is finding the cash or – worse – the credit! If you’re buying vintage, there’s a whole long process of researching and searching before you get your hands on what you’re looking for. And that makes it all the more rewarding.
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Straight-Six
22 December 2009
DC,
Great post and so very true. The satisfaction of learning about the roots of a watch brand are similar to great detective work and just as rewarding when you’ve uncovered the vintage piece for you.
You’ll hopefully have read about our meeting the authority on vintage Heuers, Arno Haslinger, at Salon QP. All I can say is they are exceptional value, have all the heritage you could possibly ask for and bloody good-looking to boot. They truly put the new Tags to shame, in my opinion.
You have pics of your collection somewhere public so we can share in your delights too?
All the best,
ProdigalSix
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..forgot to add that yes, I do know Arno and met him last May. Great guy with an amazing collection and a real passion for Heuer.
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[...] As a whole, 2009 was all about vintage here at Prodigal Towers. As early as February we’d posted about the allure of vintage watches but it wasn’t until October that Straight-Six threw himself into the world of vintage with gusto, trading in his entire watch collection for just a couple of old Subs. We questioned his sanity. He retorted and has been waxing lyrical about vintage ever since. [...]
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[...] In case you were wondering, we’re still deep in the throes of our unhinged adoration for vintage watches. And beyond the serial numbers, specific dial and hand configurations and rare bezels that mark out [...]
Dell Deaton, jbw007.com
21 December 2009
Returning again to the Prodigal pond for a dip in the warm waters, I feel somehow obliged to begin as Quint did for his “Jaws” introduction. You all know me; you know what I do.
Yeah, vintage. It sure isn’t your father’s Oldsmobile. Not only is the buying experience altogether different, but so, too, is all that it takes to keep these on the road. Er, I mean, wrist. Artist-technicians capable of maintaining are dying out. Even fewer of those that remain know where to draw the line between “maintenance” and “restoration,” eg, of dials, to the point where they destroy value.
The current Rolex 16610 Submariner Date is close enough for government work in terms of being a “James Bond watch” in the sense that Timothy Dalton wore this one as 007 in “Licence to Kill.” (Insert obligatory reference here to the fact that Mr. Dalton still sets the bar in terms of portrayal closest to that of the literary character created and described by Ian Fleming.)
But movie fans want no-date Subs. And a little over three years ago when I polled Rolex collectors on the then-current 14060M, 49% said it wasn’t right to consider that model a true James Bond watch, despite its lineage to the 5513 references worn by Roger Moore as Our Man.
To make matters worse, it’s a continuous process. Earlier this year, someone referred to my Omega 2541.80 Seamaster as “a nice vintage piece.” Yup: That would be the quartz watch that introduced Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in “GoldenEye,” way back in the 1990s.
So, welcome to the inevitable world of vintage, Straight-Six. Your comparisons to the old world of new are most helpful, and I’m glad your first steps have been positive ones.
But do be careful. The world of “vintage experts” can be a dangerous place. Care must be taken to show due respect to the established thought-leaders in the realm (think “Godfather” films, or, as I prefer any episode of “The Sopranos”). Buck the trend of prevailing thoughts at your own risk; it’s often not so much about research and the acquisiton of knowledge as it is in perpetuating social relationships on the Internet in lieu of those in the real world.
That said, thanks for another great contribution to “The Prodigal Guide.”
Dell Deaton
http://www.jamesbondwatches.com
http://jamesbondwatches.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/bondwatches
PS: It’s http://www.timezone.com, as opposed to your *.org reference insofar as its relevant here.