Dress Watches
The Joy of Vintage Wristwatches
by on Aug.06, 2010, under Dress Watches, Military Watches
Vintage wristwatches have for centuries been one of the most prized collectors’ items. Not only that, but vintage watches are also hugely popular as hand-me-downs, family heirlooms and as gifts for a variety of celebrations. They do not even have to be ‘vintage’ in the strictest meaning of the word; many companies specifically design and make these watches to resemble a vintage look, and sometimes even have modern features incorporated into them. Those are known as replica vintage watches.
Let’s talk a little about actual vintage watches, though. The year was around 1900 and Dietrich Gruen introduced his line of wristwatches to the world. His mission: To produce the thinnest watch possible by cutting out some of the internal overlapping parts. Doing this, famous watches such as the VeriThin, SemiThin and Pentagon were made substantially thinner than its competitors.
Technically speaking, authentic vintage watches have certain characteristics:
- Typically, they are considered vintage if produced before 1970.
- Watches made in the mid ‘70s until modern day almost always use the Quartz movement feature which is Swiss-invented and is not indicative of a vintage watch.
- Vintage watches serve many purposes, like: as heirlooms, collector’s items, people who love to study in the inner workings, and so forth.
- Classic vintage watches have unique characteristics, such as: dials with Arabic numbers, oversized faces and shells, Swiss military engravings, or individual families’ last names engravings.
- Vintage watches were made by several renowned companies, such as: Wittnauer, Hamilton, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Omega, Perrelet and Universale Geneve.
- The Vintage Military style is one of the most treasured. It can be either Swiss or American-made, and common manufacturers of Vintage Militaries include Hamilton, Omega, Bulova, Waltham, Universale Geneve and Elgin.
- Of the former, 90% of them were made during or around the time of World War II, and are extremely valuable wristwatches.
- They were made, and are still sold by many antique dealers with metal, leather, or gator-skin bands.
What it means to own a vintage wristwatch
Owning a vintage wristwatch is a symbol that you are a person of integrity, sophistication, tradition and character. In many cultures and subcultures, vintage watches are handed down to posterity once they attain a certain age, or once a specific milestone has been achieved. In other cultures, people collect fine vintage wristwatches that have been fully-restored. They will then either sell these watches to discerning patrons or proudly display them at home and on their wrists.
Vintage watches are so much more than just keeping the time. They are a reflection of taste and an expression of high-style of the owner. They simply exude charm—something which most modern wristwatches cannot claim. In addition, vintage wrist-wear symbolizes an era that’s gone-by: an era where railroad workers used wristwatches and pocket watches to keep track of time, and a period of time in where quality and style in smaller numbers really meant something. We live in a time where goods are produced en masse and sold to the masses. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that. However, if you want to keep alive the times before mass-marketing then go online and browse the great selection of vintage wristwatches.
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Buying an Antique Pocket Watch
by on Aug.01, 2010, under Dress Watches
Pocket watches have an aura of romanticism and charm that wristwatches could never really claim—at least not until about the turn of the century. Antique pocket watches simply ooze with charm and sophistication. As early as 1462, an Italian pocket watch maker was made by Bartholomew Manfredi for a friend of the Duke of Modena. Since then, pocket watches flourished through the 15th and 16th centuries, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that a practical pocket watch was invented. Instead of having only an hour hand, it now was manufactured with the hour and minute hands—the ones that we know today.
Henry Pitkin is credited with manufacturing the very first fully-functional pocket watch in 1830. Later on in the 19th century, Schaffhausen-Japy watches were coming out of Switzerland at an alarming rate. America responded with the American Watch Company; it made more than 50,000 pocket watches. This only made the Schaffhausen-based watchmaker eager to produce the most precise and the most accurate pocket anybody had ever seen. From that, the Swiss Army Knife/Watch was born.
Types of antique/modern pocket watches
Antique pocket watches are, nonetheless, one of the most prized collector’s items of modern times. They are also widely produced and still worn in the mainstream. Two of the most notable types are the hunter-case and the open-face. The hunter-case pocket watch boasts a spring-hinged, round metal cover; this houses the crystal, dials and inner workings, and shields them from soot in the air, dirt, debris, nicks and scratches and other items.
The other mainstream type is the open-face. The main difference is that it has no cover over the crystal, or the watch face itself. Both models use various combinations of pendants (for winding), dials and “sub-second dials” for setting the time.
Facts about “modern” antique pocket watches
• Most of them are made in partial or solid gold, stainless steel, antique brass and similar fashions.
• Many hunter-case watches come with ornate compasses inside the lids. This type simply exudes sophistication and style.
• “Steampunk” is a subculture of style that heavily relies on such things as antique pocket watches, Victorian-era design, and steam-powered machines.
• Gold pocket watches are often given to employees as a retirement gift by many employers, families and friends.
• Men who want that extra-classy, traditional look use them as time-pieces inside their business suits—where they are attached via a chain or some sort of lapel.
• As many did in olden days, men sometimes wear these pocket watches on their belt-loops.
• Additionally, many of these open-faced and hunter-cased pocket watches are family heirlooms or part of a collector’s prized collection.
A treasured pocket watch can be for anybody
Antique pocket watches make superior gifts. Do you have a relative who is about to retire, or is newly-retire? Do you have a college graduate as a son, sibling or friend and want to purchase something really classy for them? Check out the abundant selection of pocket watches online and you’ll find one that is absolutely perfect for you, a family member or friend.
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Swiss Army Watches – Do They Live Up To The Hype?
by on Jun.21, 2010, under Dress Watches, Military Watches, Sport and Dive Watches
One of the most recognizable and well respected brands in the world is ‘Swiss Army’, but it seems that they are far better known for their knives than their watches. Switzerland as a country has always been known for its precision, elegance and beauty, and the fact that the Swiss government itself has a hand in making these products suggests that they are serious about making them as best as they can.
Unlike some watch companies, there is a huge variation of Swiss Army watches available at the moment – from waterproof watches that allow you to dive up to 100m deep with them, to Swiss Army automatic watches that automatically change in conjunction with daylight saving. While make watches that were designed to be worn with elegant suits and tuxedos, they also make timepieces that look far more casual that could be worn with anything, so there’s definitely a large variety available and something for everyone.
These watches are often identified by the white cross over a red background (which is the same logo as their knives have) and throughout the years, it has become a symbol of quality and precision. Swiss Army celebrated its 125th year in business recently, and although the event was very much a look back at many of their successes, it was also a look forward to a no-doubt bright future.
One of the main successes of the company is the special edition watches that they produce every few years (for both men and women). Only a handful (i.e. less than 200) of these limited edition timepieces are ever produced at any one time, so the demand for them is always high (as are the prices).
The standard Swiss Army mens watches start somewhere between $200 and $240, with more expensive models breaking the thousand-dollar mark. It is important to note that while these watches are expensive, they are supposed to be something that you can keep for years to come, so in fact, this is more of a one-time investment than something you do every few years (which is the average lifespan of many inferior watches).
One interesting thing about these watches is that they are only ever available in analogue format (i.e. with the hands pointing at numbers) and that they have never made a digital watch. That being said, they do include many of the features that typical digital watches have (such as a date and month reminder and a stopwatch) so you are really not missing much at all.
It is not only men that Swiss Army makes timepieces for, but women too. Most women like the idea of wearing a watch more as a fashion accessory than as a practical and useful object, and it seems that they fully understand that. By this I mean that their selection of lades watches are stylish and right up to date with the fashion trends of today, and each one retains the famous red and white logo that is now almost a fashion icon in itself.
The basic Swiss watch was designed with the adventurous person in mind, which is why they are suited to those that like to get outdoors. As I previously mentioned, many of them are waterproof (meaning you can go swimming with them on) and lots of them also have a tiny light inside of them so that you can see them in the dark. This type of watch is perfect for those that are frequently out in the dark (such as fishermen and hunters).
Their most popular model currently on the market is the men’s Chrono Classic watch, which can be bought from Amazon.com for around $330.00. It is part of the Victorinox Swiss Army range, and has a classic stainless steel look to it. It is water resistant up to 330 feet and feature luminous hands that glow in the dark.
Their second most popular selling timepiece at the moment is the Class Chronograph Brown Dial watch, which is available for around $275.00. This watch has a fairly more subtle look, as it features a brown leather strap and a slightly less vibrant face. It has a date display that can be easily set by pressing the buttons on the side and twisting the dial, and it is the perfect watch for anyone looking to get started.
The most popular ladies Swiss Army watches on the market are the Victorinox Cavalry watches, which can be found for around $250.00 each. This timepiece has a far more feminine feel about it, as it does not have the same loud and brash features as its male counterparts. Made in Switzerland, it has a scratch resistant screen that is easy to read thanks to the large numbers. Another really popular watch is the Wenger Commando Watch. This is really tough and great for the outdoors. If money is no object and you are looking for the world’s toughest watch, then the CX Swiss Military is the right one for you.
Overall, Swiss Army watches are some of the finest on the entire market, and if you are looking for accuracy and durability these will provide you with everything you will ever need.
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