hi! I was looking to find some high end vintage bracelets for vintage collection I was wondering if anyone knew of someone that sources bracelets! Looking for brands like Gay Freres and NSA!
ebay I've received some stunning bracelets in boxes of crap. search: Box-o-watch bands bracelets, then start digging.
Ah, for the good old days.... when it was still regularly possible to buy a 7077 for the price of a non-running Seamaster or Constellation
It depends on what you want, I know a guy I purchased some UGs from who's selling some G.F. bracelets.
I have a hard time to justify paying 400-500 bucks for a 70's bracelet. I guess a vintage bracelet makes sense for a collector, if the plan is not to daily wear the timepiece. On the other hand, I personally buy all my watches to wear and enjoy them. I know it is an unpopular opinion, but let's look at the features of a vintage NOS bracelet: a) folded links. b) flimsy clasp. c) folded sheets (instead of milled stainless steel). And in case of pre-owned bracelets, you also got to face the fact that they are not really tight (i.e. got some huge play). In this days we have better bracelets (solid links, screws for adjusting, double locking clasps, micro adjustment, diver extensions) in the price range of 80 bucks (strapcode) to 170 bucks (Staib mesh). As I mentioned in my review of a Strapcode endmill for a Mark 4.5 (https://omegaforums.net/threads/review-strapcode-ss-endmill-mark-4-5.90693/), it is possible to find brushing patterns that are quite similar to the original vintage case finish. And if you wanna have the original Omega logo, a modern Omega bracelet will cost pretty much the same as the vintage one (but with all the goodies of a modern bracelet).
This evening I pulled a 1967 bracelet out of the box -- well actually I pulled it out for the watch it's on. It had 7-8 years daily on a semi-commercial diver's wrist. Then another 7 years daily on my wrist diving under rally cars, offshore sailboat racing, and not doing anything stressfull at a drawing board. It works. It will not serve to strap a 75 tonne main-battle tank to a transporter, but to hold a watch on my wrist I have no problem with its ability. Oh, it has new springbars. Those original to the watch lasted me 45 years but they have been replaced of course.
Remember that the vintage Speedie bracelets (7077, 7912, 1035, 1116) were deemed too strong to go to space.
@MRC it is good to known you have had good experiences with vintage bracelets. So far, I've only had 3 omega chronograph watches on vintage bracelets (2 original omegas, 1 third-party supplier) and I'm not particularly impressed. Concerning getting the job done: it is possible to say that a Ford Bronco from the 70's will drive from point A to point B and get the job done just as good as a 2019 Tesla Model X. But would you pay a Tesla price for a Bronco? That is the whole point I have on vintage bracelets: what you pay X what you get (plus the fact that modern bracelets are technically superior).
I know nothing about Broncos or Teslas. Oldest car I have driven was from 1904, steered beautifully. Changing gear was a total pig of course, stopping not great either. Oldest race car I have driven was at the time the oldest running Lotus. Well it steered OK, the problem was seeing anything because the shaking from the front suspension rattled the eyeballs too much. (Technical explanation available on request.) Because newer is better does not mean old is bad if it can do the job.