The vintage vs new thread from a few weeks ago got me thinking about the practicality, durability, and preservation (of condition and value) of a (small) vintage collection. I can definitely see the merits of both parties, and although I lean heavily towards the vintage spectrum, I was curious what other's take on it is. Do the vintage enthusiasts here only wear vintage, and if so, do you buy some less valuable/expensive vintage pieces for "everyday" wear? Or, do you supplement with a modern piece(s) and all of it's "conveniences"?

To add context, let's take one of the watches at the top of my search/lust/quest list, a pre-professional Speedmaster (a 2998 would be great, but I'm realistically open to all of them). As I patiently wait for the 'right' time, 'right' watch, and 'right' price, I occasionally question if when starting a collection, it makes sense to save up my monies for something I really want, or favor the potentially more practical for a main watch, like a FOIS. One one hand, I love everything about the pre-pros, but if this is going to be a regular in my (limited) rotation, do I need to worry about excess wear and potentially devaluing the watch, or constantly being concerned with what's on my wrist? I mean, I take very good care of my belongings, and don't intend to give it a hard life, but I want to be able to regularly use the chrono and wear it! Part of me feels that these watches went to the moon, they can surely handle what my daily desk job throws at it, BUT, they are 50+ years old... On the other hand, with something like say a FOIS, you have a lot of the vintage appeal, not as much character, but you don't need to think about using the chrono multiple times a day, or if you're wearing out something that can't be had anymore, and you get modern conveniences like functioning lume.

So, the TL : DR question would be to those of you that have pre-pros or other prized possessions, how regularly do you wear them? Am I being overly concerned, or do you place high emphasis on the value of these remaining pieces and wear them selectively? I guess this would apply less to those with multiple pre-pros, transnationals, etc., and more to those with say two or a small handful of watches. I'm not particularly looking for an answer, but more to see what your take is. I could certainly buy a 105.003 and a Swatch Sistem51, but I am interested in stirring up the discussion.

 

I wear mine, I only have two, on a weekly basis,I have a F1 TAG HEUER chronograph from 1991 that I use most of the week. I have not spent too much money on my omega watches but if I had one that cost many thousands of pounds then I think I would be scared to wear it too often which would be crap. My dream watch is the seamaster bullhead but part of me thinks about buying the new version as I think it would be easier to fix and i think it is just as nice as the 1969 version. I dont see the point of having them if they are just going to sit in a box, but the models I have/want are relatively cheap.

 

After 7+ years of forum life and seeing thousands of members come & go, and even longer collecting watches, I think I can safely say most vintage aficionados do have a few modern watches. Those watches might be inexpensive, or they might be high end dress watches. However, I'd bet that 70% or better have a beater for beach / work duty. Seiko seems to be the favorite, closely followed by G-shocks for that purpose.

 

there might be a matter of how old/rare a piece is too. a 2998 might be tough to find parts for if/when you need them, but a '68+ with a cal.861 might not be so bad... still has a cool history and many of the classic attributes, but could also be more easily serviced (for the most part) and could easily be a daily wearer.

the watches I have acquired so far are for wearing. some of them were not cheap, but i really enjoy and appreciate them every time i look at them, and that's worth something to me. I'd probably shy away from a $20K 2998 as I don't think I'd wear it often, but a nice piece that cost a quarter of that is on my wrist almost every day.

 

Microbrands are another alternative these days.

 

Interesting responses so far, so let's change the 2998 to a 105.003, 105.012, 145.012, or even a 145.022 transitional (something in $4000-8000 price range), does that change again? Realistically, I would probably target a 105.003 or maybe even a cal. 321 Professional, but are things like using the chrono multiple times a day, or even wearing it most days of the week a concern? @oddboy brings up a good point on getting an early 861, and one that I have considered, but does even that change it much?

I keep an eye or for random inexpensive finds for this purpose, but my tastes favoring 60's (straight lug) chronos doesn't make it easy. Plus, I happen to use a a stopwatch pretty regularly.

 

I use an early 70's Mark II regularly, and use the chrono pretty frequently, at least a couple times per day. I also have a cal 1045 based Speedy which i wear often and use the chrono frequently. I can't comment on the older cal. 321 as i don't have any of those (yet), but I would probably still use the chrono. if I couldn't use the watch, then i wouldn't buy it.

I guess everyone's tolerance will be different, but I will "take the risk" on using a watch that cost a few K's. a nice condition 105 or 145 would fall into this category for me. a 2998 probably wouldn't, but then, i won't know until i try, right??

 

I buy to wear, value is not the determining factor, fragility and look are more relevant to me. I have modern watches that have very high value of 8k to 12 k to 15k that I wear with little thought, and my beaters are the smp 300 and the 45.5 po, neither is cheap. But I'm careful when wearing my 1912 Waltham trench watch because I know it's less resilient. I do have more $ invested on relatively modern watches with a couple of notable exceptions, but I try to buy modern that will be relevant as collection pieces towards the future like the LMLE PO or laureus blue Portuguese Chrono iwc or Date radiomir California Panerai. All 3 watches of very limited editions. The rest are just pieces I like to wear. My sore piece is my speedy Pro, I love it but on hindsight I would rather have a pre moon on that particular model. But I have other priorities ahead of it. A zenith primero, a Daytona a de ville and of course then gonna go back to vintage dress pieces. And I hope to wear them all.

 

I've got a small collection of 7 or 8 watches, the most expensive to replace probably being a 2002 Speedster Professional - and I've worn it a lot in the last 13 years, it's scratched, theres a dink in the bezel from where I fell of a wall whilst very drunk in Munich, I love wearing it and keeping it tucked away would be a travesty.

These things were made to be worn and to be used - to my mind, locking them away and brining them out to look at is nuts.

 

AAAAAAHHHHH! That's a Watchuseek answer if I've ever heard one!

Bingo!

 

I've only got vintage 321 Speedmasters (although I'd like to broaden my horizons at some point) and I wear them everyday, unless I'm at the beach, doing mucky work or having a heavy beer session.

If I need to purely know the time during these activities, I have a phone. If I'm wearing a watch, I want to wear a watch.

As long as it's regularly serviced, get them worn. That's what they're there for. Unless it's genuinely rare or nos.

 

I use all my watches and of around 55 pieces I would say 95% are vintage. When having and using as many watches - of course the wear does not amount to much for each piece.

When it comes to strategy of using vintage watches/modern watches I anwered in another thread - about using watches in water:
"(It) Depends.
(dive watches)
Modern watch (but outside warranty time) that has been recently pressure tested/serviced under your ownership = go
Modern watch (but outside warranty time) that is said (by seller) to be recently pressure tested/serviced = no go
Vintage watch, which already have had parts changed (making it non original and not period correct) and when service parts are still available and if it is recently pressure tested = go
Vintage watch in strict original state/period correct and/or where parts are no longer available = no go

For instance - my Seamaster 1000m has a service dial and bezel. Serviced last year and parts available = go
My old but recently serviced Seadweller = go
My Seiko 6105 (not serviced and original parts not available), Zenith 1000m (no parts), Certina DS-2 SuperPH1000 (no parts) = no go
Value is less important than these parameters (Seiko vs Seamaster 1000)"

End of qoute.
Parts regarding vintage watches can be used on all kinds of vintage watches (not only divers) with some modification. That is - If your:
- Vintage watch is in strict original state/period correct and/or where parts are no longer available = use it a lot but with care and plan your use according to what you are going to do during the day (ie are you working at a desk or working a jackhammer).
- Vintage watch, which already have had parts changed (making it non original and not period correct) and/or when service parts are still available = go for it in any way you like...

 

Having enjoyed the wrist watch love affair for over 5 decades (yes it's less problems and less expensive than women) I want to wear a vintage Speedmaster for my "everyday beater". Keep in mind that at 68 and retired, it won't get much of a beating ;-) I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new/old "beater", see pic. Like most of these vintage timepieces, it has a few issues. I plan on sending it for an internal service and a very sympathetic restoration. The restoration being a new Omega logo crystal, new Special Tail chrono hand and a realignment of the original DON bezel only.

Way back when there was an independent Omega watch restoration/repair specialist in Philadelphia PA. I don't rember their name but I have learned that they are now working out of Govberg in Philly. Can anyone tell me anything, positive or negative, about their current operation. Needless to say if Archer wasn't so jammed up this would be a mute point.

 

great answers everyone! To be clear, I fully intend on wearing anything I purchase, I don't have the disposable income or even desire really to buy something and keep it locked away (no offense to those that do, if I had the means, it might be different). I don't have (and most likely won't have) a large rotation - I tend to save and purchase pieces I really want rather than a few here and there I like. Day after day of seeing all of your gorgeous watches got me to wondering how many of those with say a pre-moon or pre-professional speedy are actually putting them through the daily grind.

 

<-- Hardly been off my wrist since I got it. I swap it for a modern diver for exercise and rainy days, but otherwise I can't take it off. My other modern pieces are mostly dressier (plus beaters) and haven't had much use lately (recently serviced). My thoughts lean toward travel and such, where I still want to wear vintage, but would be nuts to wear one as valuable given the higher chances of loss or damage. So I'm leaning toward finding a less valuable 321 that I would wear traveling and could also be a parts donor in case of future catastrophe.

One daily use quirk. I have developed a habit of holding my wrist against my back pocket as I walk around the house or other confined spaces. My wrist lines up exactly at doorknob height.

 

These days, I don't buy a watch that I don't want to wear. I do have some modern watches - every thing is relative - but most (90%) of my collection are vintage. I have never sold a watch but there are a few in my collection that I don't think I will wear again - but who knows?

Six of them are post 2000, with the latest having been bought in 2012. The other 60 or so date from the 1930s to the 1970s with one from the 1980s and one from the 1990s. Four of the modern ones are kept on a winder so are ready to go if I'm running late in the morning and one is quartz

I have to have the date set correctly if the watch has that feature so I will wear vintage half of the time and modern, the other half.

At the weekend, it's quartz beater time but vintage if I'm going out.

 

So sad, but so true

 

Yes very, I guess you are around 6"4'.....bloody annoying

 

I wear all the watches i own, just pick the watch for the task i have during the day. If its 50 years old and been serviced i use the chrono as it was intended when bought new

I have a growing collection of beaters as these are needed most days while fishing or climbing over ships and machinery at work.
Have recently bought a few cheap vintage divers as beaters,

A Sperina off a member a few weeks ago.1970 s Under $300