Up until a month ago, I had been wearing a vintage watch 90% of the time for about 20 years.

I had modern watches sprinkled in here and there, but they never stayed around for very long or got much wrist time.

As my collection grew over the last couple of years, with last year bringing some collector grade pieces into the fold, I was wearing vintage 100% of the time.

A month ago I bought a modern watch, a Panerai 005, and since that time, I have worn a vintage watch 2 days...blasphemy I know!

As silly as it sounds, my life is a bit easier as I am 100% worry free about my watch for the first time in years, and I really enjoy wearing the 005.

Knowing that a scratch won't crush the value, that the movement won't require a special service, and that parts are no issue is a piece of mind.

For the time being, wearing vintage is a treat for me, and my collection is more of a true collection then ever before.

Will it last? Who knows, but it is an interesting change of pace.

 

7 modern watches bought new get worn for sport, travel, weekends, drippy days. Vintage Rolex can do wet weather duty but swimming is out. The rest are fair weather friends.

 

No wrist shot?

 

So that's how paneristi are born!

 

Totally...when you want a watch you truly do not care about and do not want a Seiko!

@Archer is high on these for a reason.

With the market being in the crapper, I cannot recommend them highly enough.

 

For some reason these speak to me, just have to find the right one at the right price. Any suggestions as to where to start?

 

ThomasM, owner of PuristS, always thought Seiko was the biggest bang for the bucks. He happens to be one of the worlds foremost collectors of watches and vintage sports cars.

 

can't go wrong with a base logo (I think that's what "they" call them). check with @watchdaddy1 and see what happens next (strap fetish).

I am in my recovery phase, down to just a radiomir and a half a drawer full of straps.

 

I love Seiko, but everyday I want something a little more. They are definitely thrlet biggest bang for the buck.

 

So do I, but only a few like Derek Jeter and ARod straps those on everyday Oh, you're talking about wrist watches

 

Congratulations Base is Ace . Let the strap whoring commence

 

Ebay...a lot of PAM buyers are not watch people...they bought for the trend and don't really follow the market.

They now see PAM as an old watch and just want to sell.

Some good deals to be had.

 

which is not so good for the LE market......?Omega take note?

 

I have a single modern watch (FOIS), and it rarely gets wrist time.





On the other hand, one of the cheapest watches I've ever bought has become the go-to watch.





If I ever were to buy another modern watch, it would have to be something that I could wear specifically in situations where a vintage watch would be inappropiate.

Still have to figure out which situation that would be.

 

Glad you are enjoying the watch! I'm not surprised, because this was my reaction as well when I bought mine. In fact reading your thread yesterday prompted me to take my Speedy off and put the 104 on again.

I think once you are far enough along as a collector/enthusiast and can get past the often negative image of these watches (stigma around "cheap" movements, childish jokes about compensating, etc.), and just be secure in wearing what you like no matter what others think, it's pretty easy to be attracted to them.

From a legibility standpoint, they are pretty tough to beat (don't need reading glasses to tell the time with these!). The early Vendome models are easily serviced, and they are rugged and reliable.

Again they are often a target of a certain crowd, but those people are easy to ignore once you have one of these on your wrist. People often spend a lot of time on watch forums trying convince each other that what they have bought is somehow better suited than someone else's choice. I don't really care what an owner of another watch site thinks is the best choice - not sure why anyone else would, but to each their own I guess. I have always been an advocate of wearing what you enjoy, and the fact that you like a watch is justification enough in my books. Not everyone will get there clearly, but when you do it's quite liberating.

Cheers, Al

 

I know what you mean. I didn't really take to PAMs for quite some time, due to the usual excuses - 'too big', 'too thick', 'worn by poseurs', ' too plain' - until I found a Radiomir that was smaller, slimmer and lighter (my Ti PAM338)

Then it was love!

They are very readable indeed, and I like the sandwich dial. The versatility with straps is another plus. While I do like my vintage watches, and my dressier watches, the PAM provides a welcome change on weekends when I want something sportier and unapologetically PAM-ish.