Modern or Vintage?

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I do have some somewhat modern watches that I like very much but I'm going to make you guess which way I slant. Here's your clue...
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😉
Oh my Gawd, you stole one of my watch boxes! 😲

 
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Oh my Gawd, you stole one of my watch boxes! 😲


When did you get the third one bottom row...🥰
 
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For all of your fear and scare about servicing and parts availability, you've chosen the most limited watch Omega ever made commercially. You've just proven the irresistible lure of vintage vs modern.😜🤨😁

Haha, I know how to pick em apparently. 😜 I haven't figured out how I'm going to approach servicing on this guy yet.
 
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When did you get the third one bottom row...🥰
😁 August 2013
 
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Oh my Gawd, you stole one of my watch boxes! 😲

Not yet, but there are a few in there I'd like to!😉
 
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I own both, and like both - it is completely dependent on the watch though. To give examples of how things vary based on the specific watch or company as a whole...

For a watch like the Speedmaster Professionals, I like both vintage and modern. Not interested in the modern watches with the co-axial escapements in the Speedmasters though, so the modern would only be the 1861 family.

For Rolex, I really have zero interest in anything modern, but I do like some vintage models.

For JLC, mostly modern, but some vintage watches are appealing.

So the real answer is...it depends...

Cheers, Al
 
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When did you get the third one bottom row...🥰

I was thinking D1 is rather lovely! And the wishlist expands...
 
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I was just looking at the SM 300 thread, some beautiful watches on there, the only thing that scares me is that there are so many ways to end up with a dog with three wooden legs while paying pedigree prices. I also had a look at a thread on the modern watch thread and there is a post about the sm 300 co axial and I was thinking I could be tempted to get one of those for an everyday watch, don t like the middle links though, would have to bin those. But most modern watches don t shake my sh#t, unles they have a vintage feel about them.
 
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I'm a vintage guy, but have my eye on several modern pieces as well. Vintage pieces have history, charm & character. They typically are ideal size (36-40mm) for my style too. Lange, Patek & FP Journe make a few modern pieces I'd like to have, but I'm not ready to spend that much. Yet.
 
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I think it would be very difficult for most die hard watch aficionados to definitively declare one or the other. So many of the great modern watches have evolved from iconic vintage pieces. So whether you start obsessing with a vintage or modern piece, you inevitably start researching the history of the watch, whether it be newer iterations or older references or inspirations. Research leads to further obsessing and the cycle continues, vintage to modern, modern to vintage.
 
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My collection is roughly 50/50 pocket and wrist watches. The pockets are mostly American railroad approved, a couple Brandt (Omega) railroad pocket watches, and with a few exceptions they span the years from circa 1890 to circa 1960. Other than a few modern Quartz railroad wrist watches, my newest wrist watch is my Speedmaster automatic from circa 1989. My wrist watch collection covers the years from 1915 for an English Rolex, up to my 1971 Rolex Air-King that I won in a sales contest in 1972 when the retail on that watch was, get this, $215.00! Then there are a few Omegas, a few other Rolex, many Accutrons, etc. from the '70s to late 80s. I often see modern watches shown on this site that appeal to me. But one really has to draw the line somewhere, doesn't one? But the pleasure I derive out of the older pocket watches has influenced what I prefer in the vintage of my wrist watches.
 
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only vintage will do it for me, nothing will compare to wearing something that has a history behind it...
 
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Both. All vintage for omega. SM300 might change that. Modern for JLC, mix of both for Rolex. I do not buy new at retail tho.
 
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I'm more into vintage watches just love the classic look with a nice patina on the dial, about the only modern watch I like is the Submariner.
 
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Modern are so much easier to buy compared to vintage. I would love to buy a vintage speedy, but it is so difficult to determine what would be a fair price given how much these watches vary.

As an example, I bought an Omega Grand that looked amazing in the pics, but once I got it for inspection there were tons of things wrong. I bought knowing I could return, but it was such a time consuming process.

Since I like both modern and vintage, given all the challenges to buy vintage, I find myself owning 90% modern.
 
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Personally Im a modern guy I don't really like anything that coming out right now but where I really fancy some watches are from the late 1990 and early 2000's. I have a great deal of respect for people who own vintage watches and the watches themselves but the service cost quite frankly scares me quite a bit.
 
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I was thinking of getting the yellow schumacher watch, from the early 90s and I do like the SM300 that has the vintage look, but I don t feel that the service costs are too bad. I just sent a 1967 chronostop offf for a service and I think it will only cost a few hundred pounds. I also enjoy having to do the research to make sure I am not buying a pile of poop.
 
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I agree 100% with Stewart. You buy a modern watch and apart from the fact it's no way as cool as its vintage predecessor you start losing money. You buy let's say a vintage Heuer, Omega, Zenith or Rolex, you wear it every day and then you sell with a nice profit after six month to a year.
It's really easy to understand and a real no-brainer to me.