Historical Horology: Buying Vintage Luxury

When it comes to the history of watches, it can be fun to dive into the audit trail of a particular brand, or a specific type of movement.  Invariably, though, this is going to lead you to wanting to add some vintage works to your watch case.

Where should you start?  You definitely don’t want to get ripped off with a fake (particularly if you’re looking at the high-end), or get something that’s a hodgepodge of parts and uncertain pedigree.

When it comes to finding a vendor, if you’ve got a local shop you can build a relationship with, all the better.  Otherwise, you’ll need to get familiar with the wild and wooly online marketplace.  Here, you can frequent forums that will help point you in the correct direction.

Of course, before you start worrying about where to buy, you’ll want to determine what to buy.  To that end, this article over at ABlogToWatch covers three well-known quantities in the vintage luxury market for your consideration:  a Rolex Submariner 16800, Omega Speedmaster .861, and the Cartier Tank.

Even if none of them are quite your particular cup of tea, it gives you a quick (if small) slice of what is possible when looking to breathe new life into an older watch.