Vintage Competitors

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Dan S

·Oct 18, 2023

I know there are some very creative members here with deep collections, so maybe this can be a fun theme.

Post a grouping of two or more watches that filled the same "niche," and may have been marketed as competitors back in the day.

I will kick things off with two pairs to illustrate the theme.

(1) A pair of 1960s Japanese skin-divers.

(2) A pair of 36mm early 1970s Swiss sport chronometers with date function.

 

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Larry S

·Oct 18, 2023·Color Commentator for the Hyperbole.

Hmm .. Gonna have to visit the bank.. May be a useful excercise to ID purge candidates.

 

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Dsloan

·Oct 18, 2023

This is a great challenge, as it requires some real knowledge of brand history and markets.

Do you think these two are close enough to count? The Seiko is 1967/1968 and the Bulova is 1971?

 

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Duracuir1

·Oct 18, 2023·Never Used A Kodak

Dan, I sold so many of my watches that I cannot participate seriously… but consider this a bump.

 

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Tony C.

·Oct 18, 2023·Ωf Jury member

Top of the line manual-wind watches from the 'Golden Era' of two high-class manufacturers...

 

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Dan S

·Oct 18, 2023

Tony C.

Top of the line manual-wind watches from the 'Golden Era' of two high-class manufacturers...

Just ... wow.

 

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pdxleaf

·Oct 18, 2023·"I cut it TWICE and it's still short!"

1969 automatic chronographs.

 

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Dan S

·Oct 18, 2023

pdxleaf

1969 automatic chronographs.

Good one, that was really a competition.

 

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Canuck

·Oct 18, 2023

Both the same vintage. Two different manufacturers. One reached the market far too soon, in a frenzied effort to be first. The other reached the market after about 10 years of development with no concern about beating the other guy. One a colossal failure, the other an enormous success. Do you know which is which?

 

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pdxleaf

·Oct 18, 2023·"I cut it TWICE and it's still short!"

Canuck

Both the same vintage. Two different manufacturers. One reached the market far too soon, in a frenzied effort to be first. The other reached the market after about 10 years of development with no concern about beating the other guy. One a colossal failure, the other an enormous success. Do you know which is which?

Well, the Bulova's are still running, if that's a hint.

Still, love them both, so that also means something

 

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daderaz

·Oct 18, 2023

Sub-competitors

 

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Canuck

·Oct 18, 2023

pdxleaf

Well, the Bulova's are still running, if that's a hint.

Still, love them both, so that also means something

You didn’t have to guess which was which! The Accutron pretty much made Bulova, and the Hamilton Electric sank Hamilton.

 

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pdxleaf

·Oct 18, 2023·"I cut it TWICE and it's still short!"

daderaz

Sub-competitors

Oh my! 🥰🥰

 

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Spruce

·Oct 19, 2023·Sunburst dial fan

A couple of C case styles from mid 60s/70s

 

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lindo

·Oct 19, 2023

Two 18k gold competitors..

 

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Duracuir1

·Oct 19, 2023·Never Used A Kodak

@Dan S @Dsloan @Tony C. @pdxleaf @Canuck @daderaz @Spruce @lindo

Great submissions. This thread could serve as some kind of reference.

Were these similarly priced? Dan, it would be a good addition to the thread. (I think).

 

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Spruce

·Oct 19, 2023·Sunburst dial fan

Duracuir1

@Dan S @Dsloan @Tony C. @pdxleaf @Canuck @daderaz @Spruce @lindo

Great submissions. This thread could serve as some kind of reference.

Were these similarly priced? Dan, it would be a good addition to the thread. (I think).

I don’t know what mine were new but the 70s Longines Admirals are currently about £350-650 on eBay. Constellations are ….. well, you all know 😉

 

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pdxleaf

·Oct 19, 2023·"I cut it TWICE and it's still short!"

Duracuir1

Were these similarly priced? Dan, it would be a good addition to the thread. (I think).

Current prices suggest the Movado El Primero is twice to two and a half times more expensive than the 6139 Seiko. Recent prices have dropped, which has affected these as well, however, I think this relationship is still valid.

This is based on condition. Both of these are in very good original condition and thus higher. Both are specific references that match watches worn by Pogue and Carr, so have a premium. Movado is similar to a Zenith, but the Zenith is much more expensive in the USA, while the Movado seems to be more desirable in Europe. If this were a Seiko compared to a Zenith A386, I have seen a NOS Zenith priced at 40K and an excellent Seiko for tops 3k. (Many people would consider these too high.)

I don't know what they were originally priced.

 

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kyle L

·Oct 19, 2023·Grasshopper

Dot dials 😜

 

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Dan S

·Oct 19, 2023

kyle L

Dot dials

Those gave me a chuckle, Kyle.