6 Steps to buying vintage watches
This week’s edition of Historical Horology is going to continue the trend we have had with the Historical Horology series as of late, where we get into some history, but also share some information that is useful to the collector of modern (or semi-modern) watches. When it comes to Swiss movements, ETA is probably the most well-known and widely-distributed name. Given that, it makes sense to dive into the history of the brand a little bit, as well as get an overview of some of their movements.
Welcome back to another Seiko-flavored edition of Historical Horology. Last week’s dive into the Seiko Monster proved popular, which makes sense. The Monster is a popular entry-level diver, and it is also one that John and I have recommended quite a bit. While that last article really was more of a look at how the watch and it’s movement are put together, this week we do have a more historical look at the Seiko Tuna. It’s not a particular deep history, considering that the watch was introduced in 1975, but it is a history nonetheless.
When it comes to iconic dive watches, I am sure we all have many of the same ones pop to mind, most often coming from Rolex and, due to their more recent resurgence, Panerai. Back in the 1950s, though, there was another brand that produced what I feel is an iconic diver as well – the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. That is the watch we will be going through in today’s edition of Historical Horology.
When it comes to mechanical time keeping, the oscillator is truly what allows the measurement of time. Take, for instance, a grandfather clock – it is the frequency of that pendulum swinging back and forth, at a constant rate, that allows the internal gearing to tell us the time. While things are on a much smaller scale, the same sort of principle applies to watches, be they mechanical or quartz watches. The humble oscillator has some really rather interesting developments recently, and that is what we will talk about in today’s edition of Historical Horology.
When it comes to watches, many brands seem to have an iconic model that comes to mind when you hear the name of the brand. For Omega, that watch is (for me, at least) the Speedmaster. This is a watch that started life in the late ’50s, and has seen some interesting developments. Read on for a dive into the history of the Omega Speedmaster.
I do not know about you, but for me, Longines is a brand that has not occupied a lot of space in my watch-related focus. To be sure, I am well aware of the brand, and run across their print ads with some regularity. Today, you might be familiar with their sponsorship in horse racing, or perhaps their aviation history. Let’s take a peek a bit further back, however. Today’s edition of Historical Horology will go back to the start of the Longines brand.
I like dive watches. My first automatic, years ago, was an inexpensive (Freestyle I think) dive watch that I purchased because I started diving. For years, my daily watch was a Eco-Drive titanium dive watch. My first purchase on kickstarter (and the direct link to me writing for this site) was an Anstead dive watch. My first high end watch is likely going to be the Omega Seamaster in orange (one I run out of other things to spend $6,000 on). But let’s be honest, these are no longer tools for diving, rather they are fashion choices.
When it comes to watches, there are generally two camps – those who are interested in where our modern watches originated from, and those who could care less. Now, the second camp, I am guessing we lost those people as soon as they saw the title of the post. Those of you left, well, welcome to the first camp. In today’s entry in the Historical Horology series, we will talk about who created the first chronograph.
In today’s installment of Historical Horology, I just want to give a quick preface, and then set you loose on the main article that I ran across. In this day and age, many watch brands like to emphasize their lineage, especially if the brand has stayed in the hands of one family. But what if you you found out that you were a descendant of a founder of a watch company you admire – and that it’s still in family hands?
