An incredibly exciting part of collecting vintage watches is the variety one can have. Sure there are a plethora of different brands, models, and years of production. Another dimension is the condition that vintage watches can come in and how the years of their existence have had an impact on the overall look of the watch. The five pieces we will cover over the next several weeks show the spectrum of what vintage watches can look like.

Girard Perregaux Sea Hawk reference 7901

The Sea Hawk from Girard Perregaux is one of the classics, similar to what the Seamaster or DateJust are for collections. This Girard Perregaux was manufactured in the 1960’s. The watch has a stainless steel case is in good overall condition. The case shows signs of age, with some scratches throughout. The bottom right lug has a larger scratch on it. The watch features rectangular lugs that are long and extend flatly from the case. The watch has an unsigned crown. The white dial has a beautiful light hue of patina with large applied hour markers. The watch runs of the caliber GP 12.4 manual wind movement.

Omega Geneve Automatic reference 166.002

Quintessential Omega, that is the best way to sum up this Omega Geneve. The watch was manufactured in 1967. The watch has a gold filled case that is in good condition. The case has some oxidation on the right side of the case and has signs of wear and polishing. The lugs are short and angle towards the wrist. The watch has an unsigned crown that is likely a replacement from the original. The white, sunburst dial has patina from age, and has applied hour markers, Omega logo, and date window at 3 o’clock. The watch runs on the Omega caliber 565 movement.

Universal Genève reference 21222

Universal Genève is a company that true watch enthusiasts love to see, research, and own. This Universal Genève was manufactured in 1940. The watch has a stainless steel case in very good condition. The watch has very few signs of polishing but does have signs of wear, as to be expected with a watch that was worn and loved from 40’s. The lugs are long and sharp, with three angles of polish still visible. The watch has an unsigned crown, likely a replacement from the original. The watch has a white dial that has beautiful patina on it. The watch has hour markers and a seconds track around the outside of the dial. The blued hands are likely replaced, or have been re-lumed due to the colour of the lume being different than that of the dial. The watch runs on the famous caliber 263 movement.

Bulova MIL-W-3818A US Military Watch

Military watches are some of the best watches to collect because of their histories and easily tracked provenance. The Bulova MIL-W-3818A was produced for ‘general purpose use’ by the US Army, Navy, and Air Force. The watch was manufactured in 1962 based on the “M2” marking on the movement. The watch has a stainless steel case in excellent condition, with little to no polishing. The lugs are thick, sharp, and long making the 32mm watch wear larger. The watch has a large, unsigned crown. The watch has an incredible black dial, with printed dial text, including a 24 hour display for the time. The watch has cathedral hands with lume that has aged nicely and match the hour indicators. The watch runs on the caliber 10 BNCH manual wind movement.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 6549

The Oyster Perpetual is one of the most iconic, important, and influential models Rolex ever produced. This Rolex was manufactured in 1958. The watch has a stainless steel case that is in good overall condition, with signs of wear and polishing. The watch has an engine-turned bezel. The lugs show signs of polishing. The watch has a Rolex signed crown. The white dial has patina-ed over time to a warm hue and has applied hour markers, Rolex logo and name. The watch runs on the caliber 1161 movement.

Enjoy!