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Tell us why you like vintage watches and what's your favorite!

eduardor

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Don't know if there is already a thread about this but i thought it would be interesting to know why people like vintage watches.
I am a rolex fan so i like Rolex vintages beacause of the high crystal looks, yo can wear them with whatever you want and they look pretty cool on your wrist.

My favorites
1680 red sub
1675 gmt pepsi
1665 DRSD
 

SecretAgentMan

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8/4/12
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I dont like vintage watches at all but would wear a genuine Patek Philippe vintage :)

Scene some old Patek's in auction shows on tv that were handed down from generation to generation, really cool.........

Forgot to mention I actually like IWC vintage as well.
 

revhrd

Respected Member
5/2/11
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zenith defy vintage diver or el primero the original date at four both are classics

Zenith_TonnChrono1.jpg


DSCF9730_resize.jpg
 

sub4me

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30/4/06
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I don't like them and never understood why anyone would want an old beat up looking watch. I mean guys buy these watches and then make them look worse by scratching them up, fading the dial, and making them look used.
 

arcadia

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11/8/11
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I hate it when they overdo it. But there are vintage subs done by LHOOQ in the vintage section that are quite pristine.
 

nielsen

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I just found this in a dumpster and it was still running, so what the heck....
Seriously, I like to tinker, and I teach history. Put the two together et voila.....
P1030828.jpg
 

tommy_boy

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23/4/09
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The Evergreen State
I'm with sub. I don't get the "distressed" look, whether it's watches, furniture or whatever. Beating up new stuff so it looks old is just odd, IMHO.

That said, philly distressed a bezel insert on a Rolex (gen) and the result surprised me in that it looks really cool.

But if he'd beat the crap out of the case, sanded down the hands, scratched the crystal and dial, etc. I would have had a different reaction, I suspect.

Now, this one got its look the hard way. It's over 40 years old. It has stories to tell. (I guess that describes me,too! :biglaugh:) It's my first watch:


P1040034.jpg
 

sub4me

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I like the red date wheel, very cool. Keeping a watch yourself because it has meaning is one thing, buying a new watch that looks old and making look worse is another.
 

wat44

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20/6/09
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Rolerai, Cali, daytona, subs are my favourite vintage reps

Memovox is cool as well, and art deco gondolo or reverso also from the 1930s would be grand
 

rol_man

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25/7/08
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As the saying goes: "To each his own".

I have both vints and modern and love 'em all however, something about older watches that show a bit of wear and tear and have stories to tell as tommy-boy said that give them more character and a certain feel on your wrist. Sure there's nothing like a bright shiny watch but once in awhile it feels good to put on the old DRSD or 5512.
Might have something to do with age also! ;)
 

tommy_boy

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Yeah, I guess the "vintage" thing is a fashion thing. I have other old watches, older and in far better shape than the old Waltham above. I like the old-fashioned designs. But I don't like to wear watches that look like they came out of a landfill.

The nod to history, character and the like is an interesting aspect of this trend. But IMO it's a fashion thing similar to ripped jeans: I want old stuff and I want it now and in quantity. Or so it seems to me.

It's a shame to have a classic (old) dive watch that has lived its life as a safe queen, too.

Just my $0.02 USD as always.
 

rooster133

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I don't like them and never understood why anyone would want an old beat up looking watch. I mean guys buy these watches and then make them look worse by scratching them up, fading the dial, and making them look used.

I agree. Whenever I see reps with crusty old dials, scratched crystals, dents and dings all over the place I ask myself why people go that far. Good gens don't look like they have been through 50 cycles in a washing machine. Some people do look after their watches, and being old doesnt have to mean being beat up. For example, why would you have a nice 40 year old gen and not use some polywatch to clean up that crystal? So why not do the same on a rep? Instead you see folks scratching up crystals on purpose... :lol:
 

nielsen

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Some of us just can't leave well enough alone. As a confirmed romantic, I can invent all sorts of heroic stories for my Deco Bezel Panerai that came from the wreck of a Wellington bomber last week--and still works well. Try as I might, I can't fool myself like that with something brand new and shiny.

nielsen
I like your panerai
Thanks for that. Not everyone's cup of tea, and that's OK. It was fun to create. I like seeking advice on dials, hands, cases, and the like from knowledgeable members here on the board, and then going ahead with some experimentation of my own. Testing my craftsmanship is, to me, one of my joys in life.
 

nycreplica

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14/1/11
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I'm not attracted to vintage watches although I respect the people who do.
 

levelmanroger

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1/10/08
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I do have a think for vintage watches. NOT reps of vintage watches made to look beat up, but real good condition true vintage watches.
My favorite is my grandfather's late '50s Wakmann Triple Date -- the watch that started my obsession.
I've gotta take new pics of my collection soon. I keep saying that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

replicaking

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17/4/12
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nielsen, yes, really not everyone's cup of tea,
Maybe I like Panerai too much,
and I feel patek philippe also nice, but costly :)
 

ricou2273

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Hello;

I'm completly love vintage rolex.
I'm waiting for a 6263, i love too vintage esplorer 1016 and james bond submariner.