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  1. bmd64v46u Feb 7, 2015

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    Ok, maybe challenge isn't the right word. Let's call it a request for the most experienced on this forum to list the timepieces they feel are the most integral to a vintage watch collection. Maybe list the watches you have saved in your collection, or ones you have been searching to add. They can be expensive or relatively cheap. Any and all. Just list the watches you personally think would make a great addition to a vintage watch collection. (And obviously any non-staff members can post as well).
     
  2. Pvt-Public Feb 7, 2015

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    OK, I'll play. Every collector should have at least one "Dollar Watch" type pocket watch. From what I understand they started being produced by various companies around the turn of the 20th century, with the retail price being about $1.Mine is a Westclox "Pocket Ben" produced in Feb 1949. (Westclox produced Pocket Bens from 1915 thru about 1990) Yes it still runs,albeit rather poorly, but what the hell it was probably only intended to run a couple years or so. By the way I think by 1949 the price had gone up from $1 to about $4 and I don't know what they retail for now.
    P1031878.JPG P1031879.JPG
     
    Edited Feb 7, 2015
  3. kyle L Grasshopper Staff Member Feb 7, 2015

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    Omega-wise I'd say probably a good Pie-Pan Constellation, Speedmaster, Centenary, Chronometres...maybe a nice bumper. A vintage sports Rolex like the GMT-Master and Submariner is also a solid choice!

    [[​IMG]
     
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  4. SeanO Feb 7, 2015

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    A Reverso,

    A Sub,

    A Type 20 Chrono,

    Something WWII probably a WWW or a Pilots watch of some sort

    A Weems,

    an early IWC Ingenieur

    and for me a Hamilton Ventura (preferably in 18k RG).
     
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  5. agee Feb 7, 2015

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    Any military watch, especially with military service provenance
    Love the British WWW's- "Dirty Dozen" and the 3 Czech Pilot Watches
    Here is my WWII Hamilton Canteen Watch-the first "frogman watch"
    001.JPG
     
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  6. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Feb 7, 2015

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    In my opinion the statements about "what every collector should have" are not relevant, except for the person making that statement, because not everyone collects the same type of watches.

    There is no "master list" or "must haves" in my view.

    Cheers, Al
     
  7. Hijak Feb 7, 2015

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    Every collector should have one of these...
    Slava, 1.JPG
    ;);););)
     
  8. Darlinboy Pratts! Will I B******S!!! Feb 7, 2015

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    I consider myself an enthusiast, not a collector, and only buy what I personally like and will wear. Wide variety in my current vintage stable.

    :)
     
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  9. Darlinboy Pratts! Will I B******S!!! Feb 7, 2015

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    Obviously, but what the heck is it? ::confused2::
     
  10. Hijak Feb 7, 2015

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    Its a cheap Russian Slava, they sell these to tourists over there.
     
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  11. ConElPueblo Feb 7, 2015

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    A Rochefoucauld, I would say, should be in the collection of all serious connoisseurs.
     
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  12. RawArcher Measures thread drift on the Richter Scale Feb 7, 2015

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    At LEAST one Weed watch!
     
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  13. ulackfocus Feb 7, 2015

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    If you're an ultra-thin collector, the list isn't terribly long of mandatory movements:

    - Piaget 9P manual and 12P microrotor
    - AP 2003 manual and 2120 automatic / VC 1003 manual 1120 automatic

    Maybe add the IWC 401 manual (the thin version of the caliber 89), the Omega/Rayville 71x automatic, and if you can find them the Lassale 1200 manual and 2000 automatic.
     
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  14. bmd64v46u Feb 7, 2015

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    Al, it's pretty obvious that no one is advocating here that there is a master list of watches that a larger deity compiled that causes anyone that doesn't have one of the listed watches to be deemed a lesser watch collector than the one that has said watch. Everyone thus far has included what they personally believe every collector should have or what they consider to be integral to a collection. This is important because it allows others to pick and choose watches; agree and disagree with others' choices. Maybe explore watches they never heard of. It's all personal tastes. And you even allude to that when you say, "...not relevant except for the person making the statement." I don't think anyone in here read any of these posts and thought that anyone's statements were demeaning others collections because they personally didn't have the timepieces that someone else listed as a "must have" for a collector. So what was the reason for your post? To belittle those that happened to weigh in with their own opinions about watch collections because you have a "higher" opinion than us plebeians? I guarantee you have a list of watches you consider to be important that you either love in your collection or desire to purchase for your collection. That's the information I was looking for. Everyone's personal opinion. If you supplied that instead of taking offense over the semantics of "every collector should have", I wouldn't have felt it necessary to type up this diatribe in defense of those that did answer the question.
     
  15. Modest_Proposal Trying too hard to be one of the cool kids Feb 7, 2015

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    Chillax! Archer wasn't being hostile and I agree with his statement.

    You asked for a "list the timepieces [we] feel are the most integral to a vintage watch collection". You did not ask for a list of timepieces [we] feel are the most integral to our own vintage watch collections. This is a huge distinction.

    Asking for a generic "must have" watch is nonsensical because every watch enthusiast has their own opinion about what a freakin' cool watch is. We all geek out over different things (ex: chronographs, 1940's Longines, art deco dials, large vintage cases, ultra-thin movements, ultra-rare pieces, chronometre, etc.) so there is no catch-all piece that satisfies everybody's desires. Thus, there is no watch that any experienced watch enthusiast would designate as a "must have" watch because simply not everyone appreciates the same stuff. If you could just change the wording a bit, everything would be roses.

    If you are asking what watch is classic, attainable, and will never get old, I would recommend the Omega Speedmaster, if you have a decent width wrist.
     
  16. bmd64v46u Feb 7, 2015

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    Ha. It's a manufactured issue. That's all. I took it too seriously I know. It's just that most everyone else saw the intent of the thread. Most everyone else saw when I wrote, "Maybe list the watches that YOU have saved in YOUR collections or ones YOU have been searching to add... that YOU personally think would make a great addition to a vintage watch collection" that it clearly was directed for people to give their personal opinions on vintage collections. You stated "asking for a generic "must have" watch is nonsensical because every watch enthusiast has their own opinion about what a freakin cool watch is." YES! EXACTLY! Everyone has an opinion on what watch should be included in a vintage watch collection. Everyone. And that's what I wanted to hear. Everyone's opinions. It's up to the reader to decide from all the lists of people's personal favorites which one suites her or her own needs.

    If someone listing his personal favorites on a vintage list somehow undermines your collection then maybe we are all a bit too sensitive. Also, If the placement of the letter "a" vs the word "your" causes that much consternation that we need to change it around to keep everything roses then maybe we are reading a little bit too much into this thread.
     
  17. Taddyangle Convicted Invicta Wearer Feb 7, 2015

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    I think your required to own a Speedmaster before you hit 500 posts (modern or vintage).
     
  18. Nobel Prize Spell Master! Feb 7, 2015

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    I would say some important pieces would be:

    5512 sub
    321 speed master
    Zenith el Primero
    Iwc ingenieur
     
  19. gatorcpa ΩF InvestiGator Staff Member Feb 7, 2015

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    The cal. 403 was at least adjusted! ;)

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I have several times that many posts, and really have no desire. Nothing against the Moonwatch, just that it doesn't do anything for me aesthetically. I also tend to not follow the conventional wisdom on most things. Kind of a personality quirk with me. :)
    gatorcpa.
     
    Edited Feb 7, 2015
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  20. Modest_Proposal Trying too hard to be one of the cool kids Feb 7, 2015

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    Your posts are chock-full of contradictions, though, so confusion is bound to occur.

    On one hand, you want forum members to "list the timepieces [we] feel are the most integral to a (meaning non-specific) vintage watch collection” and state that “everyone thus far has included what they personally believe every collector should have or what they consider to be integral to a collection.”

    Then you go on the other foot and say that you're asking for "everybody's personal opinion" (which, by the way, is a non-point, since everybody's preferences are necessarily their own opinion). You're simultaneously asking for an objectively necessary watch (one that a collector believe every collector should want) and a personally favored watch.

    Archer wrote a quick and perfectly reasonable post and you attacked him. I felt the need to defend him. I wouldn't have thought about posting otherwise.