How to Buy a Vintage Watch (under $2000)

Dear Ask Debonair,

I have recently been in the market for a vitage watch.  I am not looking to break the bank with the purchase, what would you recommend?

A rare vintage watch is a staple of every stylish man, but finding a unique and storied timepiece can be both time, and bank account consuming.  Sure, we’ve all dreamt about buying a vintage Rolex Daytona, but most of us don’t have the means to spend the price of a mid-sized BMW on a watch.  This list will provide you with five high-grade, rare, and collectable vintage watches, all of which can be found for under $2000.  The only thing left to do is track them down.

Omega Chronostop: The Chronostop was made for a short time in the late 60s and early 70s.  Aimed at professional and recreational racers, this watch features an interesting 60-second timer that was operated by a single button.  It came in two separate calibers, one with a date window and one without, and two separate configurations.  The most valuable and rare version of the Chronostop was designed to be worn under the wrist so that drivers wouldn’t have to take their hand off the steering wheel while checking their lap time.  Also, the clasp was intented to be worn as an ID bracelet.  The idea never caught on like Omega had hoped and the Chronostop remains an underappreciated and rare vintage sport watch. (Photo credit – Antiquorum)

Wittnauer Futurama 1000 – An impressively complicated watch, this early 1970s Wittnauer was one of the few double-retrograde timepiece created in the era.  One hand points to the hour while the other points to the minute as they descend down the face of this retro classic.  Upon reaching the bottom of the registers, each hand flies back to the top to repeat the process.  While stainless steel versions do you exist, you are much more likely to find a gold Futurama.  (photo credit – watchismo.com)

Hamilton Fontainebleau:  While Hamilton may have been the greatest American watch company of the 1960s, the Fontainebleau featured one the greatest Swiss movements of the generation.  Called the Chrono-matic by Breitling and the Caliber 11 by Heuer, this movement was one of the first automatic chronographs ever made.  It featured a distinctive left-handed winding crown and date aperture at 6 o’clock.  Even the famous Heuer Monaco worn by Steve McQueen himself used this movement, and the retro Hamilton is one of its less well known houses.  The Fontainebleau is one of the best values in vintage watches out there, a great retro case with a historically important movement (photo credit – losttimes.com)

Breitling Top Time:  While the Navitimer may get all the attention even to this day, it is the Top Time that represents the best value for your dollar in the world of vintage Breitlings.  This watch has everything you could ask for in a vintage chronograph; classic design, a solid Valjoux-powered movement, a good sized case, and of course that infamous Breitling name on the dial.   Top Times do come in two register and gold plated variations, but they don’t compare to the three register version in steel, which gives the watch the most function and the lasting power.  (photo credit – corrvintagewatches.com)

Rolex OysterQuartz: You may have heard that you should never trust a man whose Rolex ticks, but even the largest watch company in the world made a quartz watch or two.  These OysterQuartz Datejusts from the 1970s were not a cheaper substitute to the traditional Rolex, in fact they were actually priced above their mechanical brothers.  Also, these ticking relics of the quartz revolution feature an impressive integrated bracelet and all the same finish you’d expect from a watch carrying the Rolex coronet.   (Photo credit-antiquorum)

“Ben Clymer is a noted wristwatch expert based in New York City.  He is the Executive Editor and Publisher of Hodinkee.com, as well as a widely regarded journalist in the field of luxury timepieces.”

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