As I'm becoming more interested in the hobby, I've decided to start keeping an eye out for vintage staking sets online. Frankly, though, I have no idea what I'm looking for exactly. I expect that they will likely need deep cleaning, poli…
Continue readingBalance Pivot Sanity Check- Tavannes cal. 365
So I've got a couple Tavannes cal. 365 movements on the bench, one with an antishock setting on the balance cock and one without. Both were running (albeit poorly) when received, and both appear to have an identical jewel setting on the base plate…
Continue readingAlprosa Rectangular (Enicar) Movement ID
Hello, I was looking through cheap watch listings looking to salvage a good vintage 16mm strap, and I ended up buying this Alprosa for ¥5000 (≈$32). I did some research on the watch afterwards, and it turned out to be a lot nicer than I expected! I have read that Alprosa is a sub-brand of Enicar, and is typically Swiss parts cased and/or assembled in Germany. I initially assumed it was a 1950s women’s watch, but I now believe it is a much earlier men’s/unisex model- I’ll lay out what I know…
Continue readingMy First Overhaul!
TL/DR: I spent a little money and overhauled a ~90-year-old watch for the first time. My reflections and mistakes below.
As someone who has been solely interested in vintage watches, I have felt like my biggest roadblock so far has been my inability t…
Continue readingFinally Burned by A Japanese Dropshipper..
Well, I’ve been pretty lucky with 20+ online purchases so far, but the other night I bought a vintage quartz watch (will update with details pending judgement) described as in fair condition, with no remarkable defects or flaws and a new battery. the seller also mentions that he is selling it because his fashion tastes have changed and he no longer wears the watch. Well, turns out it doesn’t work. There’s also some faint signs of water damage on the dial that were not visible in the photos…
Continue readingGreat (Non-Military) Watches of the 1940s?
As a collector of mostly dressy and gold watches, I have noticed a 1940s-shaped hole in my watch box. Military designs don’t do much for me, but it seems that the new designs of the 1940s were almost completely dominated by military-style watches, like…
Continue readingOvercoming “Vintage FOMO”
I was reading a Public Forum post about people people trying to quell their buying habits when I was reminded of a watch I bid on last night. It was a late 30s/early 40s Tissot Antimagnetique- 37.5mm case, good chrome plated case, clean running movement, immaculate dial, and the original signed buckle!
Continue readingI have been interested in an early Antimagnetique for a while now, and while I don’t watch for them religiously, I have seen quite a few. I have NEVER seen one that looked half as good as…
Baltic MR Classic- Still Recommended?
Hello everyone,
I have been eyeing the Baltic MR Classic series for some time now, and since they have been out for a while and are more available I am looking even harder at getting one. So far my main holdup has been the steel case, as most of my co…
Continue reading“Vintage Style” Straps- Fact or Fiction?
I have noticed that one of the more popular watch strap styles these days is one where a fairly thick strap, often unlined, is accented with two very thick stiches on the sides near the springbars, and often another v-shaped stich accent on the bottom. Here’s a typical example;
Continue reading
Most every retailer I’ve seen advertises them as “vintage style.” It occurred to me, though, that I have never seen a real vintage strap that looked like this. In my experience…
“Hot-Rodding” 1915 Elgin Wristwatch (Grade 320-115 Swap)
I’ve only had it for a week, but let me tell you that I am absolutely loving this watch. I bought it assuming it would need an overhaul, but so far it seems to be functioning tolerably well- roughly 3 minutes per day, with a strong power reserve and decent amplitude. Beat error is around 3ms on average. The inside of the case back carries a service mark for November 2023, and I’m inclined to believe it.
Continue readingSince the movement appears to be original to the watch (matching year serials), I…
