[jackteet]

Hi, As the title suggests I am interested in where you guys buy your vintage pieces.
I have recently picked up from ebay USA a Gruen Verithin and a Waltham. Both rectangular and both almost mint.
I have looked on auction sites but these tend to think that prospective buyers expect to pay a fortune for their watches and accordingly prices are ridiculous.
I live in spain which is not exactly full of watch enthusiast's so I need to hunt round the UK and the US. I would really appreciate knowing what outlets you guys frequent for your vintage jobbies.Many thanks jack

 

[mikeyt_53]

Hey Jack. I probably bought most of my vintage watches thru eBay with a few others thru sites like Kijiji.com & Etsy and then thru personal contacts etc. There is always an element of risk when buying thru commercial sites but I'm prepared to accept that possibility and when buying i look closely at the vendor just as much as i would look at the watch.

 

[jackteet]

Hi mikeyt_53, As always thanks for your advice, I have never thought to look at Etsy and never heard of K ijiji so I shall take a look. Thanks again. jack

 

[mikeyt_53]

I wouldn't bother with Kijiji as it is basically a Canada / USA site and most of the time it means meeting up with the vendor to do the transaction. Etsy works though.

 

[jackteet]

Hi mikeyt_53, thanks for that, Etsy does seem better and plenty to choose from. thanks jack.

 

[CometHunter]

Except for a '72 Omega Seamaster I bought directly from a Toronto jeweler advertising on the web, all of my vintage pieces (more than 50) came off of eBay.

 

[mikeyt_53]

Hi mikeyt_53, thanks for that, Etsy does seem better and plenty to choose from. thanks jack.

What vintage Gruen 'Veri Thin' and Waltham did you buy? Pics? With the Gruen, all of the identification for it is inside the case back. Should be two sets of 3 numbers separated by a hyphen. One set will likely match the movement number and the other is the style number.

 

[jackteet]

Except for a '72 Omega Seamaster I bought directly from a Toronto jeweler advertising on the web, all of my vintage pieces (more than 50) came off of eBay.

Hi Bill, Thanks for that. Etsy looks good but I think I shall stick with Ebay. jack

 

[CometHunter]

Oh, by all means , yes!
I just included that in the spirit of full disclosure. The store owner had a item in stock he was anxious to get rid of, and I was in the right place at the right time...
a once-in-a-lifetime-occurrence.

 

[jackteet]

What vintage Gruen 'Veri Thin' and Waltham did you buy? Pics? With the Gruen, all of the identification for it is inside the case back. Should be two sets of 3 numbers separated by a hyphen. One set will likely match the movement number and the other is the style number.

Hi Mikeyt_53, I attach pics of the Gruen. Year is 1954/6. I wont attempt to remove the back cos I shall invariably cause some form of damage. A mid blue Ostrich leg strap from Vietnam is on its way to me. So far as the Waltham is concerned I at long last found a watchmaker who is fitting a new mineral crystal. Once with me I shall post pics, jack

 

[mikeyt_53]

Unfortunately without that information from the inside of the case back it will be very difficult to identify the watch and give it a name. Here's what it should look like inside the case back (Note that your numbers wont match with this sample photo)

 

[jackteet]

Unfortunately without that information from the inside of the case back it will be very difficult to identify the watch and give it a name. Here's what it should look like inside the case back (Note that your numbers wont match with this sample photo)

View attachment 229712

It will have to remain the watch with no name as I am not going to risk removing the back and doing something stupid. The same applies to the Waltham. I am just so accident prone. jack

 

[RMUSE]

Depending what you mean by vintage. I've gotten a few 80's period from eLady in Japan. They take them in, but don't have much demand in Japan it seems. One Breitling was a fantastic buy. Mint, looked like it had only ever had light wear. To be fair, you have to look often to find the older ones.

 

[jackteet]

Depending what you mean by vintage. I've gotten a few 80's period from eLady in Japan. They take them in, but don't have much demand in Japan it seems. One Breitling was a fantastic buy. Mint, looked like it had only ever had light wear. To be fair, you have to look often to find the older ones.

Hi RMUSE, I`ve got this Gruen and a Waltham both 1940`s/ 50`s which I think is considered vintage. 1980`s a bit late for that designation I think.jack

 

[CometHunter]

....I`ve got this Gruen and a Waltham both 1940`s/ 50`s which I think is considered vintage. 1980`s a bit late for that designation I think...

I think he mistakenly thought you were asking a general question about vintage pieces, as opposed to a specific watch.
And I tend to agree with you. Personally, I do not consider anything from the 80 old enough to be vintage.
Then again, it's been well over 15 years since I started this hobby and I Still cringe when the word "vintage" is used to describe old watches, cars, televisions, etc.. To me, VINTAGE is strictly an oenological (wine making) term, having to do with WHEN and WHERE a wine is made.

Then again, I've often been considered an oddball.

 

[jackteet]

I think he mistakenly thought you were asking a general question about vintage pieces, as opposed to a specific watch.
And I tend to agree with you. Personally, I do not consider anything from the 80 old enough to be vintage.
Then again, it's been well over 15 years since I started this hobby and I Still cringe when the word "vintage" is used to describe old watches, cars, televisions, etc.. To me, VINTAGE is strictly an oenological (wine making) term, having to do with WHEN and WHERE a wine is made.

Then again, I've often been considered an oddball.

I completely agree with you old chap. Now that makes two oddballs. I wonder whether some people add the word "vintage" to justify a higher price for an article.
Modern watches often lack soul and character. When I am watching an old black and white movie I look for the watches being worn by the male actors. I will often go to slow motion in order to identify the make. Now that is being very sad and way beyond oddball. Perhaps reaching the stage of requiring medication. Being English I can always please eccentricity.

 

[mikeyt_53]

But i thought that, at his age, CometHunter was considered 'vintage' ??? 😉

I know this is a tangent from the original question but..... i consider watch related items as 'vintage' if they were made from the 1930's - 1960's (pre quartz revolution) and 'antique' as anything from the 1920's and earlier.

 

[jackteet]

But i thought that, at his age, CometHunter was considered 'vintage' ??? 😉

Oh dear well that makes two of us. My birth certificate is written in Latin.

 

[mikeyt_53]

Oh dear well that makes two of us. My birth certificate is written in Latin.

Comet's was written on papyrus ....

 

[jackteet]

Comet's was written on papyrus ....

Love it, the poor old bugger.