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The ONE that started it all...
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Spruce
··Sunburst dial fanThis Oris started it off for me
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ras47
·I was hot and heavy for Seamasters for a while, but what piqued my horological lust was the Rolex GMT Master BLRO.
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Dan S
·My father's IWC ... redialed. 🤦
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vbrad26
·I've had a thing for watches since my age was in the single digits.
One of the first watches I remember owning was one of these:
More recently, the watch that got me into the "nicer" watches was a Hamilton that was given to me by my Dad seen here on a leather NATO:
One of the first watches I remember owning was one of these:
More recently, the watch that got me into the "nicer" watches was a Hamilton that was given to me by my Dad seen here on a leather NATO:
Edited:
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Canuck
·Collected in 1975. Not my first watch, but the first one that I consider that started me seriously collecting. I am the second owner. My late father bought it in about 1930, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where he was plying his trade as a watchmaker. Rolex Prince Observatory duo-dial “doctor’s” watch, before centre sweep seconds hands were common on wrist watches. Adjusted to 6-positions, temperature, and isochronism, rare 18-jewel model.In other words, a wrist chronometer. Typical of these watches marketed by Rolex in Canada at that time, it is a gold filled case 🙁. In later years, he used this watch as a “loaner” when he was repairing a customer’s watch. So I guess I can be thankful that it has survived. Runs beautifully, but I rarely wear it. I believe the movement was made by Aegler, and it was this movement that was also used in an equivalent model, by Gruen.
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Joe_A
·
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Larry S
··Color Commentator for the Hyperbole.My story is more like an ignition sequence to vintage obsession. These were bought close to each other in time
The first mechanicals:
Two informed decisions: 7 hour layover in Frankfurt on the Rolex but I got a great deal.
Business and holiday trip to Paris yielded the Master Moon. The RGM had been on order for 8 months:
Another trip to Paris, a visit to a colleague’s bother’s shop and the vintage watch that stared it all, 2998-6.
View attachment 635570
The first mechanicals:
Two informed decisions: 7 hour layover in Frankfurt on the Rolex but I got a great deal.
Business and holiday trip to Paris yielded the Master Moon. The RGM had been on order for 8 months:
Another trip to Paris, a visit to a colleague’s bother’s shop and the vintage watch that stared it all, 2998-6.
View attachment 635570
Edited:
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Vitezi
·My first vintage Swiss mechanical watch was this one, from 1955:
A week later I acquired this one, also from 1955:
A week later I acquired this one, also from 1955:
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jimmyd13
·This was my first, bought when I was 19:
While I always wore a watch my daily one was a quartz LIP. About 10 years ago I really started to get into vintage mechanical watches and I've not stopped since I buy more than 100 watches a year and probably keep one in four. This was the one that started my headlong rush down that rabbit hole:
While I always wore a watch my daily one was a quartz LIP. About 10 years ago I really started to get into vintage mechanical watches and I've not stopped since I buy more than 100 watches a year and probably keep one in four. This was the one that started my headlong rush down that rabbit hole:
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Mark D. Stroyer
·I don’t have photos for these because they’d be embarrassing. I did some fruitless Googling nonetheless.
I really took to watches young. The first one I distinctly remember was just some Timex I got around...nine? Field-styled analog, basic design, beige and cloth strap, and big-ol’ bright Indiglo that, being around nine, I used frequently as an emergency flashlight to find doorknobs and lightswitches. I remember it distinctly because everything before had been decidedly Cheap and quickly smashed to pieces against a wall, it lit up so nicely, and I ended up having it for around a year and a half. At which point I promptly smashed it against the corner of a wall one too many times, or maybe it got splashed and wasn’t water resistant, I don’t really remember.
After that I had a series of Walmart budget specials that lasted all of Not at All before meeting a grisly corner-of-something Fate, and there were several years after my late teens that I gave up having things last only six months and my wrist felt awfully naked for a few years but I wanted something that was actual quality.
And at some point that became this Citizen:
So in terms of at least kinda-sorta actual watches that’s my genesis, and seeing as how the mechanical watches I currently own are a bit problematic and haven’t been worn, that’s about it.
I really took to watches young. The first one I distinctly remember was just some Timex I got around...nine? Field-styled analog, basic design, beige and cloth strap, and big-ol’ bright Indiglo that, being around nine, I used frequently as an emergency flashlight to find doorknobs and lightswitches. I remember it distinctly because everything before had been decidedly Cheap and quickly smashed to pieces against a wall, it lit up so nicely, and I ended up having it for around a year and a half. At which point I promptly smashed it against the corner of a wall one too many times, or maybe it got splashed and wasn’t water resistant, I don’t really remember.
After that I had a series of Walmart budget specials that lasted all of Not at All before meeting a grisly corner-of-something Fate, and there were several years after my late teens that I gave up having things last only six months and my wrist felt awfully naked for a few years but I wanted something that was actual quality.
And at some point that became this Citizen:
So in terms of at least kinda-sorta actual watches that’s my genesis, and seeing as how the mechanical watches I currently own are a bit problematic and haven’t been worn, that’s about it.
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BenBagbag
·
Did a lot of research so I wouldn't pay the noob tax and I think I got a good deal on this one. It's got some gritty patina but I love it just the same. It's my brother's daily wearer now. Kinda on permanent loan.
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ICONO
·Bruges, Belgium 1997 …Pre Euro currency, was the Belgian Franc…and the cost then, was less than £250
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Baz9614
·A good friend purchased an SM300 that has aged to an electric orange patina on the dial, and I had to have one! He guided me to the informative sites and cautioned me on fakes and frankens, and the hunt was on! Remarkably it only took a couple months of searching, and then this one popped up on eBay, and I jumped on it! My first expensive purchase online, through PP, and PP held back my payment for what seemed to be an eternity and the seller almost canceled the transaction. . . Thankfully all ended in my favour! I’m apparently the 2nd owner, and it came with box, and 1506/16 bracelet 😁
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many
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davidswiss
·With me it was this cal.89, bought in Vienna and still a favourite.
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ahsposo
··Most fun screen name at ΩFI've related this story before but I'll always do it again:
My late mother found this watch, head only - was probably carried in and lost from the pocket of running shorts, at a running track back in the 1970's. After a fruitless attempt to locate the owner it was forgotten in a drawer and eventually given to me. At the time I had quartz and digital watches and found this too big and heavy and relegated it again to a junk drawer. Never threw it away and it came with me through many household moves. Finally one cleaning day I decided to pitch it out but thought I should check eBay to see if such a thing had any value.
Imagine my surprise when I found they were worth between $2,000 and $10,000 US! I started to research what I had, co-incidentally finding this EXCELLENT fora, and in the process fell in love and lust with mechanical time pieces.
145.022-68
My late mother found this watch, head only - was probably carried in and lost from the pocket of running shorts, at a running track back in the 1970's. After a fruitless attempt to locate the owner it was forgotten in a drawer and eventually given to me. At the time I had quartz and digital watches and found this too big and heavy and relegated it again to a junk drawer. Never threw it away and it came with me through many household moves. Finally one cleaning day I decided to pitch it out but thought I should check eBay to see if such a thing had any value.
Imagine my surprise when I found they were worth between $2,000 and $10,000 US! I started to research what I had, co-incidentally finding this EXCELLENT fora, and in the process fell in love and lust with mechanical time pieces.
145.022-68
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Baz9614
·I've related this story before but I'll always do it again:
My late mother found this watch, head only - was probably carried in and lost from the pocket of running shorts, at a running track back in the 1970's. After a fruitless attempt to locate the owner it was forgotten in a drawer and eventually given to me. At the time I had quartz and digital watches and found this too big and heavy and relegated it again to a junk drawer. Never threw it away and it came with me through many household moves. Finally one cleaning day I decided to pitch it out but thought I should check eBay to see if such a thing had any value.
Imagine my surprise when I found they were worth between $2,000 and $10,000 US! I started to research what I had, co-incidentally finding this EXCELLENT fora, and in the process fell in love and lust with mechanical time pieces.
145.022-68
