I'm stuck on this... The new Rolex's/Omegas look like they are built better with the ceramic and the solid bracelet.

I'm also of the belief as the millennials and/or gen y will have new vintage and want their "birth year". I'm wondering if the price is driven up for vintage by folks who want close to their birth year and rare. The millennial generation might want the same. The trend could shift again if media or movies gives preference to particular brands since product placement drives sales.

Late 80's, 90's and 00's will eventually become vintage for the younger generation. I don't see too many sales for watches made in the 50's or 60's.

Granted I think there will be purists who want the rarest of the rare, but a watch is more of an emotional buy than a logical one to me. I find myself looking for a birth year model or close to it but the price is so close to a new purchase with all the longevity upgrades, vintage is just for "looks", it might have character, but it's not mine, someone else's character... But I still find myself drawn to vintage!

What are your thoughts?

 

Oh I don't know. I think I lean towards vintage.

 

I'm sure there's a line of "dibs" on this, but please consider this my official request to be added to the list!

 

Good question. I would go vintage myself. I do wonder what realistic options those will have that were born in the 80s and 90s and looking for a birth year watch? Let's take Omega for example. The 2254 and SMP?

My fascination with Omega is with vintage divers before 1975 and of course the Speedy. I will look to share my newest vintage Omegfa diver later today.

While I do not own any vintage Omega dress watches, the ones I see here all seem to be 1950-70s and simply amazing.

Maybe the millennials will collect quartz for their birth year watches...

 

SpeedMaster 3592.50 90's discontinuation an and Speedmaster 3572.50 in 2002... In addition to the 2254... As they come of age and make more money, some of them will look into high end watches. I think you probably see that now with the market... People who have always wanted the coveted "Rolex" or "Omega" will go out and buy it when they finally have the means. I have a little more faith in the millennials, since they outnumber the baby boomers and their spending power will continue to grow.

The thing is, getting vintage pieces serviced becomes a major pain as you can't send it back to mfg. for a.) fear of updating b.) cost prohibitive. Which makes servicing much more difficult because based on parts and movement, it becomes more difficult to find quality people to service these pieces and increasingly so more over time... That being said, it's kinda cool to have something from way back that only a few people can touch.

 

Just on the 'no one will collect 50s watches' - a third of my collection is fifties/early sixties and I wasn't born until the seventies. In football there's a phrase - 'Form is temporary. Class is permanent.' I think there will always be a market for fifties pie pans, for forties military, for thirties enamel dials, for twenties art deco...

 

I never said there will be no one to collect 50's. What I am implying is that market will gradually get smaller but there will always be purists. I said I don't see too many sales of them. My question was more about the evolution of what becomes vintage vs what becomes old.

Just curious about the changing nature of supply/demand cycle and how it changes or doesnt...

More so, now that a lot of problems are fixed should u just get new and is there a new generation of vintage being made? Or do u think it is just mass produced cookie cutter that will fade out.