Vintage Watches, Timeless Works of Art
Watchmaking today has reached the pinnacle of efficiency. Even complex watches can be had for little money, and they tell time down to the microsecond. Atomic watches are unparalleled in accuracy, diving watches are completely waterproof down to fifty fathoms, and nearly all will never need anything beyond battery or strap replacement for a hundred years.
Yet, there is something that is often lacking in modern watches that can be found in abundance among vintage or antique timepieces - a sense of style.
A vintage watch is one that was manufactured prior to the revolution in timing and internal design that produced modern electronic types. With the coming of quartz controlled timing, watches became ultra-accurate and radically reduced in moving parts. But, while vintages watches are almost all mechanical and hence more prone to wear, breakage and inaccuracy, they have an unerring sense of fashion.
Vintage watches were individualistic, stylish and daring. They were made of gold with inlaid designs. Or, they altered the traditional circular or rectangular shape into triangles, hearts and a dozen others. Or, they had a style that was hard to define but easy to see.
The faces were not merely backgrounds for hands - they were works of art. Scroll work, thin lines and subtle shades, and a thousand different variations in weight, shape, color and material gave them a unique character.
Hamilton produced one of the most distinctive designs in the 1950s, that is still popular today. The Hamilton Ventura chronograph, circa 1957, might just be the most celebrated work of watchmaker's art in history.
But Rolex was no slouch either. While the company is still producing outstanding watches, the 1938 Pink Gold Chronometer remains one of its finest, thanks to the model's simple elegance. It has stiff competition from Girard-Perregaux, Longines and others who have been producing reliable, accurate watches that are also stellar fashion accessories since the 1920s.
Many of these superlative items of the horologer's craft can be found with interesting additions, some of which have little to do with telling the current time. There are vintage watches that track the phases of the moon, tell the day or date (but in unique ways) or display miniature analog stop watches.
Some vintage watches are available at modest prices, others are valuable antiques. But whatever you pay, all will benefit from special consideration. Since they're mechanical, they will usually require winding and occasional cleaning.
Vintage watches don't have the advantages in every case of modern precise manufacturing and contemporary materials. Though given the limitations of technology 50 and more years ago, it's amazing how carefully constructed they were. It may be necessary to replace a crystal with something contemporary. Stems are more easily broken and springs may not be as accurate as they once were.
However, if you wanted the most precise accuracy possible, it might be better to opt for an atomic watch. These technological marvels sync up with a signal from the US Naval Observatory or the National Institute of Standards in Colorado. Or, you could just look at your computer or cell phone.
But if you remember or can imagine a period when style was worth more than efficiency, you'll want to investigate what's offered among vintage watches. You might just recapture the spirit of bygone days, and find your contemporary life lifted to the zenith. After all, the best is always timeless.