Vintage Watch Thread (Pre-1990's watches only)

[DavidLane]

Awesome, were those in trade with the Longines? Or just new pick ups? Either way, the Explorer looks great. I also dig the Zenith.

-DL

 

[LA Guy]

Outgoing:

Parted with a WW2 military Longines to a prominent local militaria collector

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Incoming:

Closest I'll ever get to a vintage 1016

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Closest I'll ever get to a vintage A3818:

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Surpringly good neo-vintage and my first WG watch

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Damn... I need one...

 

[cchen]

Awesome, were those in trade with the Longines? Or just new pick ups? Either way, the Explorer looks great. I also dig the Zenith.

-DL

just new pickups. probably need to let go a few others as well, just too many that don't get enough wrist time

 

[Duke Santos]

Late 50's Alpina hand wind. A sports watch in its day; it makes a perfect dress watch now. I wear it either on a black leather strap or a tight mesh "polonaise" bracelet.

 

[DavidLane]

Late 50's Alpina hand wind. A sports watch in its day; it makes a perfect dress watch now. I wear it either on a black leather strap or a tight mesh "polonaise" bracelet.

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Those lugs are fantastic!

-DL

 

[DavidLane]

@cchen I would reconsider your stance on the 1016. It took me many, many years to get one. However, now that I do, I can't imagine ever having a collection without one.

-DL

 

[classicalthunde]

Just stumbled across this thread, so I figured I’d share my one and only ‘vintage’ watch…an early 20th century Illinois in a ~33mm cushion case with a @DavidLane goatskin strap

I basically kept it cause I love the font, but it doesn’t get too mush use since it’s a tad too small and the movement is noisy. I’ve been toying with the idea of using it as the basis for a custom from RGM Watches

 

[cchen]

@cchen I would reconsider your stance on the 1016. It took me many, many years to get one. However, now that I do, I can't imagine ever having a collection without one.
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-DL

Great example! Not for want of trying... I'd ideally want an unpolished case, gilt dial, but the prices are out of reach already

 

[DavidLane]

Yeah, I gave up on unpolished. I just wanted one that was as close to original as possible with a matte dial and hacking seconds. This is the second one I bought, having sold the first one. I am always looking, but the dial and hands on this are pretty much perfect.

-DL

 

[Michigan Planner]

I had been searching for a deal on a vintage Citizen Challenge Diver for a few years now but everything I found was either beat to hell or about double what I was willing to pay. I recently came across this one with a clean case (I don't mind that it's been polished) and a bezel that wasn't tooooo terrible for a 45+ year-old watch for roughly what I was willing to pay. It's got next to no power reserve anymore but otherwise seems to be running pretty well.

Looking something up about these the other day, I saw that Citizen is actually planning to release an updated TI version of these old Challenge Divers later this summer. They look pretty close to the original except that the new version is 41mm compared to these at 40.


I've got a couple vintage Citizen dive watches now and sort of would like to hunt down an old Aqualand or Aquamount but they seem to have such a strange shape that I'd probably never actually wear them (it's not as if I ever get in water deeper than about 6'). It's sort of like the Omega Ploprof - a very interesting watch but not something I would ever really wear.

 

[jiredell]

I had been searching for a deal on a vintage Citizen Challenge Diver for a few years now but everything I found was either beat to hell or about double what I was willing to pay. I recently came across this one with a clean case (I don't mind that it's been polished) and a bezel that wasn't tooooo terrible for a 45+ year-old watch for roughly what I was willing to pay. It's got next to no power reserve anymore but otherwise seems to be running pretty well.

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Looking something up about these the other day, I saw that Citizen is actually planning to release an updated TI version of these old Challenge Divers later this summer. They look pretty close to the original except that the new version is 41mm compared to these at 40.


I've got a couple vintage Citizen dive watches now and sort of would like to hunt down an old Aqualand or Aquamount but they seem to have such a strange shape that I'd probably never actually wear them (it's not as if I ever get in water deeper than about 6'). It's sort of like the Omega Ploprof - a very interesting watch but not something I would ever really wear.

Obviously, the diving point is kind moot with any vintage watch, right? I love divers for their style. Never picked one up, though I'm not sure why. I've always liked chronographs more. Nevertheless, for me, I've long since made it a personal rule to not venture into environments completely hostile to human life. I've seen The Abyss and Apollo 13. I'm good on zero oxygen/high pressure/zero pressure environments.

 

[PhilKenSebben]

1950 longines automatic

Some interesting personal history here. Y great grandfather used to have this exact watch. It was destroyed (and I mean really destroyed) and all I had was the warped case, an old dial beat to hell and back and the case back. I searched off and on for 15 years looking for the exact watch and just Tuesday, I found it! Bought it, arrived by post today, popped the un engraved back off and popped my great-grandpas on and voila! Ship of Theseus watch for the win!!

 

[jiredell]

Beautiful. If you happen to know the story of the watch's destruction, I'd love to hear how that happened! But what a great way to preserve some family history!

 

[PhilKenSebben]

Beautiful. If you happen to know the story of the watch's destruction, I'd love to hear how that happened! But what a great way to preserve some family history!

I wish I had any history! When he does it came in a box of stuff to be. No jewel, no bezel, no strap, no hands, the face looks like it was sprinkled with acid rain and the case isn't true
But the movement works pretty damned well 😂🤣😂🤣🤣

 

[DavidLane]

These are the stories, awesome!

-DL