Hello friends. At the request of @ckhaing and with permission from @Omega1, I am starting this thread where we can post up some of our inexpensive, probably not collectable or valuable, watches we wear and enjoy. I think for now, unless others decide differently, I will let "on a budget" be open to each collector's interpretation, for me it is probably $10 U S. I would think it should be less than $50 U.S. or the equivalent......definately under $100. Anyway, here is my little Elgin that I have less than $1.40 invested in and a cute little Waltham I picked up for a $1. Full disclosure, I am a chronic yard saler. After you folks post a few I do have a Bulova Sea King I paid a quarter for and a Hamilton that I paid $9, that under my rules would qualify.
View attachment 1278877 Thank you for commenting. Yes, it is unique. From different angles it looks simply round or more TV dial shaped depending on if the light catches the contours of the case or not. I don't think this watch is terribly valuable, but about a year ago there was one listed on eBay touting how unique the case was and it sold for $160 U.S. I was dumbfounded. I picked this watch up for nothing, as a throw in, when I hesitated on a trade between myself and another "junk" collector. He was like, "I will throw the watch in if you will make the trade." He knew he had me. LOL McK
This one I bought at a rural yard sale. I missed it, but my missus found it. I asked the lady what the price was. She thought for a moment, and told me it was 50 cents. I didn’t have the correct change, so I paid he $2.00 (Cdn,) for it. Then the fun began. Rotor post, $45.00, dial re-finish, $90.00 (Cdn., Kirk Dial), crystal, crown, clean, chrome plate case. This Certina has a Kurth Freres (Certina) 25.45, 21 jewel movement in it. The watch was a farmers watch, and the chrome case was a mess. I place this movement on a par with many mid-range Swiss movements of the late 1950s. A good runner!
In 1982 I payed 5 Deutsche Mark at the flea market for this hand-wound BULOVA. At that time, I relumed the hands. Alas! PS: I admit: It's (old stock) radium
This was fished from the ‘Bay for less than $10 and featured a broken crystal, tarnished hands, and worn-through lug holes. It cost twice that price to mail it to me and twenty times that price to service it. I clearly have the cost-to-value part of this hobby completely backwards.
Over decades in the watch repair business and retail jewellery, I have accrued so many donor watches/parts watches, that I weight them, rather than count them. So many watches in my collection are the result of resurrecting some of this stuff, and performing “marriages”. In effect, I have far too many that cost me nothing more tha a few parts, and some sweat equity. May I show a few? I bartered for this Omega bumper, Calibre 351. I fixed three watches for a chap, and I inherited this one. Actually, the watch I bartered for was a basket case, but I found a dial, and a case in my stash, and this is the result. Investment. Sweat equity. Acquired this one in pieces. The parts were in a tin can of Omega parts that I inherited, 45 years ago. The parts were all there, including the cross hair dial, as you see it. My only expense was for the case. Cost. Sweat equity. Given to me by a previous owner who tired of trying to have it repaired, elsewhere. Cost. Sweat equity. 1950s vintage bumper automatic. Found in a bow of watches I inherited, 45 years ago. Cost. Sweat equity. I inherited this one from its original owner. I sold it to him, new, in 1969. It was his only watch, and I maintained it for over 30 years. He called me from his death bed, and bequeathed the watch to me. I lost a friend, but other than that, the cost was sweat equity. This 1936 J W Benson (Tavannes) in a 9 karat case was given to me 35 years ago, when the owner’s family didn’t want it. I kept it all these years, and recently contacted the family, and the son who didn’t want it 35 years ago, was delighted when I gave it to him. Cost. Sweat equity. Early 1970s Birks Rideau automatic, found at the bottom of a box of scrap watches I inherited, 45 years ago. Cost. Sweat equity. Second owner of this rose gold filled jumbo omega from circa late 1950s. The owner wanted to give it to me. We sawed it off as I had a gold chain repaired for him. The repair cost me $5.00. Given to me 35 years ago by the (then) general manager of Rolex, Canada who had been president of Gruen, Canada, when Gruen folded. He refused any kind of payment, and was furious when I sent him a 26 of Johnnie Walker Black Label! And I could go on and on, but my iPad battery is dying.
Got this Tissot of the eBay for $35. I took a chance as it looked repainted based on the not so great pictures from the seller. I got lucky as the numbers had nice gold applied. And I even found a fellow member who had sold the exact reference (as I couldn't find a single example elsewhere). Now to find a sweep for it...
Went on a skindiver kick a while back, and I think this was $30 on eBay. Unfortunately it doesn’t run properly (might just need a new mainspring) but it’s too cool for me to let go of.
Two more from me for now. A yard sale Bulova Sea King from 1963 for 25 cents. At the moment of purchase, I didn't think it ran, but I shook it as I walked down the driveway and it came to life. Gains 1 minute a week. My thrift shop Hamilton Rodney for $9. Runs about 30 seconds fast per day Just remembered I have a few other $3 to $5 thrift shop watches, but I will give some others a chance first McK
This cost me next to nothing from a friend - it was his grandfather's, but I could not persuade him to hang on to it. I wear it from time to time because it is such a clean design (and it keeps very good time).
i like watches there are lots of interesting, uncommon, and quality watches out there to be had for not much $. many of mine were really pretty inexpensive. these croton buccaneers come up pretty often under $50, these were less than $25 w/o the bracelets
this may barely qualify as vintage, and not hard to find on ebay every now and then got it head only from ebay for $25 for my wife those Manson branded watches are offed around that price range she is not too excited for it but i just i love it looking and holding, being a small automatic, subseconds and antimagnetic swiss made timepiece i got my memory recollection wrong, not an automatic
