I understand reasonably priced is a subjective expression so I'll define it from my perspective.

Im very fond of these brands:

Wittnauer
Benrus
Helbros

I also have a Seiko or four. Some of them cost less than breakfast @ Starbucks.

I feel like the finishes on some of these guys are as good as any. I love finding some random watch which sat in some random guys sock drawer for 50 years and I like it even better when only costs me 50 bucks. Sometimes more satisfying than stressing over a 10k watch of the same year. After all, money is hard to come by.

does anyone else cut the same jib? hahaha

 

I was focussed on Omegas for a while when I was on the Omega forum on WUS, however after being committed to this nuthouse and seeing the variety of other watch brands, I have expanded my brand collection, primarily to Swiss watches from 1930/40 to about 1970.

Some brands I've found to give good interest/value are:

Wittnauer
Wakmann
Vulcain
Rotary
Roamer
Cyma

I could go on but have limited myself to what I have in my hot little hands at the moment

And no post is of any value without a pic!

 

great list. I always read your posts and it seems like you have a ton of cool watches. I wore this to work tonight and although it wasn't on my original list it falls under my personal definition of reasonable (90 bucks, 50). And, it's super east to read.

If I give her a full wind, it's probably > +/- 20 seconds p/day which is just perfect for ~91 bucks.

 

Mmmmmmm.........me likey.

They come up sometimes, I'll have to keep my eyes open.

 

Jim,

since you mentioned Rotary I was wondering if you could give your frank opinion of this watch. I don't want to be pushy but if you could give me idea of what you think a fair price would be, I would really be grateful. Also, if you're ever passing through NYC I would like to have you as a guest at my music club which in my humble opinion has the best live shows in town (literally, all types of music - 3 separate stages).

I really want to make the seller an offer but haven't a clue what it's worth.

 

Thank you. I purchased it because of the nice movement.

It seems like GP cared about finishes for their movements, even their lower price stuff.

also - sorry for typos and such - I'm one handing an iPhone and it's clearly getting the better of me lol.

 

Wow, nice one! Excellent condition and a handsome looker to boot.
I think serious convivial negotiation with the owner would be the best way to handle this.
Find out what his expectations are and then bargain back and forth until an agreement is reached.
Just off the cuff, I don't think it's going to be cheap. Going on US prices, I'd be happy to pay up to $500 or even a bit more.
If a mutually satisfactory price below that can be attained then you have a winner!
It's an unusual watch and I wish you the best with it, and........DIBS!

PS: I'm based in Melbourne Australia, but if I do venture to TLOTFATHOTB in the near future I'll be sure to let you know.

Cheers

Jim

 

Good call !! Seller is asking 750 USD so ~500 is probably close to his bottom dollar. I'll let you know how things turn out .

Apropos of, my best mate (I love speaking Aussie hehe) lives in St. Kilda. He fell in love with a girl from Oz, packed his bags and never returned to New York City. His wife is an actor and she was on that show "Neighbors". http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Cole
Apparently, this show was a big deal.

Gloria and Ms. Kylie Minogue remained close friends. Going to dinner with these two in Australia circa 1998ish was quite the experience. I think Kylie was about as famous as a person can be back in late 90's...

if you're ever passing through New York, just let me know. *edit - we have an Aussie group named "The Kin" which took up a residency last year. They're >THIS CLOSE< to blowing up. Lots of industry support. keep you eyes and ears open.

www.thekin.com


http://journalstar.com/entertainmen...cle_67d62e5e-bbf7-5090-b1ad-d5a90da43611.html
haha - you can impress all of the youngin's in your social circle / family by front tipping a band which will be famous. Lol. It's pretty much a lay-up.
The drummer is Bonham - Baker - Stephan Morris good. Real good.

thanks for keeping me company tonight - going to head home now.

 

GP was midrange at best back then - not the company they are today.

I think Benrus might be the best value in complications although that's changing as word gets out.

Wittnauer made a great looking 3 hand dress watch and are really undervalued.

However, if you want to know my opinion on the best buy in vintage watches it's Eterna. Seriously, they're the grandfather of the modern full-rotor automatic winding system and were WAY ahead of their time. Once the patent expired on their ball bearing system the majority of the industry adopted it. Some companies found ways around the patent before it expired.

 

I agree with Dennis that Eterna are undervalued in the vintage market, as they produced both attractive watches and excellent movements. I also like Cyma, Alpina and Mido (among others).

At the risk of being pedantic, though, I would quibble with this:

I agree that GP was, broadly speaking, a mid-range brand. However, their Gyromatic HF chronometers not only featured high-class movements, but were – and still are – capable of greater accuracy than any automatic movement made by any manufacturer! When my gold HF shown below was serviced, it produced an average variation of 0.8 seconds per day over 10 days. That is astounding accuracy, underscoring that GP was well capable of competing with the best even back when they were engaged primarily in mass marketing.

 

Quibble away when you have a good argument and post pics like that!

oh, and DIBS!!!

 

Have you snagged that Aquaplunge yet?

It's a real cherry compared to others I've seen, it won't last long if you dither you know

PS: I'd add Enicar to my list as well.

 

Respectable Member Tony C

Indeed, it is beautiful example and this GP is a reliable watch. It is virtually in mint condition.

I can see Eterna-Matic is a good but undervalued watch.

What do you think of this watch and also, its asking price?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181332758792?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

Thank you.

 

Hello Seamonster,

Thank you for your kind comments. You have chosen to focus on an interesting example of an interesting model, and I will make several related points.

First, when I mentioned Eterna as an example of a brand that represents good value in the vintage market, I was definitely not referring to this model. I do believe that the regular Kontiki models represent good value, but this model is perhaps the most fully valued of all of the vintage Eterna offerings.

Why are these so popular and (relatively) expensive? They are larger than the regular Kontiki, which appeals to many collectors, and some of them have the additional allure of being military watches, as they were used by the IDF (i.e. Israeli Defense Forces). Also, Eterna has re-issued this model recently, attracting new attention to the originals.

The particular example that you have shown appears to be attractive, and in good condition given its likely history. However, even though the seller is based in Israel, which inspires some confidence, collectors should be very careful before paying premiums for examples that have the IDF engravings on the case backs. There have been more than a few example of such markings being added by dishonest sellers in order to increase the value of the watches. I am not an expert in this particular area, so I would advise doing some serious research before considering such a watch.

Assuming legitimacy, there are two ways to look at the valuation of an IDF Super Kontiki. The first is that it is possible to spend less money on an equivalent SK without the IDF markings. That would be my personal choice, were I to be in the market. The second would be to spend extra for the IDF markings, as there were fewer produced, fewer on the market, and a steady demand for them. Given the overlap of vintage dive watch collectors, vintage Eterna collectors, and vintage military watch collectors, it seems reasonable to project that the model will continue to command a premium in the market.

Finally, I do not have any strong opinion about the asking price, as I have not been following that specific market closely.

Regards,

Tony C.

 

In my case it has to be this one



I didn´t even bother to buy a strap for it, so it can be viewed also as a Lemania GMT pocketwatch

Must be extremely rare!

 

No hesitation for me, my favorite reasonable priced vintage wrist watch is this one :



my father's watch.....

 

Much said; Three names: Alpina, Universal Geneve and Eterna. Quality vs price is ridiculous compared to the ones we are tought to love and desire.

 

Respectable Member Tony C

I agree with what you stated. Just to make some extra bucks, the military markings are sometimes faked by unscrupulous elements. This is very unethical.

I have made it a point before I pick up any vintage-watch for close friends, however nice a watch may seem from a distance, the opinions of experts and knowledgeable respectable forum members like you are important.

That Eterna-Matic Kontiki Super is indeed very masculine-looking.

Thank you.