Let's See Your Watches! The Vintage Watch Thread.

[Wild Root]

Why have repro watches when you can...

Have an original! I own three vintage watches my self... well, five if you count the two pocket watches... I have a 1933 Elgin (Art Deco beauty!) I have a 1936 Bulova, and a 1940 Bulova. They all work great! I found the 1936 Bulova at a thrift shop... it's not perfect but, it was working perfect and was marked at $5.00!!! Yeah, they drove a hard bargain but, I had to have it!lol My 1940 Bulova was no more then $80. and the Elgin was $65. and they work so well!

The trick is just to wind them up nicely each morning... one should never wind it all the way, it's bad on the spring! They keep good time and look so nice... you can get these fixed at most older jewelry shops or, a watch repair shop... those are hard to come by but, just crack open the phone book and start looking for one in the area... if you live close to LA, there's a guy who does great work! I can dig up the guy's info for those who may be interested!

Ebay is great to find vintage watches but, I also enjoy looking in antique shops... you can hold it, wind it, see how well it works and haggle a little on the price some times... and in the end, you walk out the store with a beautiful watch you can start to enjoy!

Now, the only plus to a repro is that they are battery operated... that's all I see good about'em.

=WR=

 

[Matt Deckard]

Because most of the repros you don't have to wind...

Can't wait til I save up the money for one of those electric jobs!

 

[Powerhouse]

Have an original! I own three vintage watches my self... well, five if you count the two pocket watches... I have a 1933 Elgin (Art Deco beauty!)


Swello... I'v got a nice modernist '33 elgin with a blue glass jewel! It's my fave. I will try to post a pic.

I also have a bunch of others. I will post them as well. I have actually customized some vintage watches that worked fine but needed a new face and band. I am a graphic artist who works solely in modernism so I made myself a neat trylon/peri watch face.

I got a repro ww2 GI watch from an ex and it was an excellent repro. Cost about $250.00 lol Thanks double ugly. lol lol lol

 

[Marc Chevalier]

"Swello"?



.

 

[Powerhouse]

Yeah..Swello

How about... Solid. Or would you prefer phat? lol

 

[Wild Root]

Swello... I'v got a nice modernist '33 elgin with a blue glass jewel! It's my fave. I will try to post a pic.

Elgin with a blue glass jewel? I've got to see that!!!

=WR=

 

[The Reno Kid]

Ebay is great to find vintage watches but, I also enjoy looking in antique shops... you can hold it, wind it, see how well it works and haggle a little on the price some times... and in the end, you walk out the store with a beautiful watch you can start to enjoy!

Now, the only plus to a repro is that they are battery operated... that's all I see good about'em.

I agree about antique shops, although I tend to find a lot more pocket waches than wristwatches. I like pocket watches and I own a couple but for me, wristwatches have more of a golden age vibe. If you spend enough time in antique shops, you will come across deals on both kinds.

For me, batteries aren't a plus. One of the things I really love about vintage watches is winding them. Also, you have to set most vintage watches from time to time because none of them will ever be as accurate as the plastic freebie that came out of a box of Cheerios. But absolute, split-second accuracy sort of misses the point. I guess I just like the interactivity of a vintage watch.

All of that being said, I also own at least one repro Elgin and and a couple of repro Gruens. They are nice looking watches but there is something disheartening about opening them to replace batteries and finding a tiny little plastic-encased movement that's not much bigger than the battery itself. When you take the back off a decent vintage watch, you are confronted with art.

 

[The Reno Kid]

Man, I've got to start typing faster!

 

[Wild Root]

Reno, I totaly agree!!!

I found my Deco baby (1933 Elgin) at an antique shop... lucky I was! I'm a wrist watch man too... I have the two pocket watches for when I feel like digging in my pocket to see what time it islol

For me, it's all about the old... I love the sound of the ticking and the small workings in the back... it's truly art as you put it!

=WR=

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I guess I just like the interactivity of a vintage watch.

Funny ... one man's "interactivity" is another man's "who-needs-the-aggravation?" lol


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[J. M. Stovall]

One of the things I really love about vintage watches is winding them.

I wear a 1964 Bulova Self-Winding with date every day, it keeps great time as long as I keep movin', keep movin', keep movin' movin' movin'.

 

[Powerhouse]

I wear a 1964 Bulova Self-Winding with date every day, it keeps great time as long as I keep movin', keep movin', keep movin' movin' movin'.

gee? Was your mother bitten by a jukebox? HAHAHAHlol lol lol lol

Ya know, from the Powers Girl movie. I hope you got that or you mighttake that as an insult.

heres a clip- 2min 39 seconds into the clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwHOIJ9HPrc&search=the powers girl

 

[Wild Root]

YEAH BOY! That's such a great clip!!! I love how Dean and Jewel are dancing with an umbrella!!! So cool!

=WR=

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Umm, are there prints available from the photographer that, um, snaps a shot of the girl, um, you know, sliding towards him?

 

[Wild Root]

lol Yeah, good question!

K, back to watches and not dripping dames sliding on the wet ground photos...

=WR=

 

[Powerhouse]

lol Yeah, good question!

K, back to watches and not dripping dames sliding on the wet ground photos...

=WR=

Oh, jeez I better sit down.

What? I mean because I have some work to finish. lol

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Watches? Oh right, watches.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Tony,

I work in the town where that watch was made about two blocks away from the old factory. It is a beautiful watch.

Thanks! It's a bit small on me, the picture fools you because the watchband is only 5/8". (16mm) Then again, I don't supposed guys back then went for the combination wristwatch/brass knucks style that we have nowadays.

 

[221b]

Vintage Reproduction Watch

It's a reproduction of a Graves 1933 watch. Looks good. It costs $99.
I dont know about quality though.[huh]

 

[Zach R.]

There was a thread on COW a while back about these watches, I seem to recall that they were held in pretty good esteem--very reliable and sturdy timepieces.