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Thread: Vintage Daily Wearer - How old would you go?

  1. #1
    Master
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    Vintage Daily Wearer - How old would you go?

    What's practical as a daily wearer?

    I've a couple of 80's Rolex, a 5513 & a 1603 to be specific and I find I'm wearing these most days.
    Recently I'm starting to feel a little guilty to be wearing them so much.

  2. #2
    Grand Master Sinnlover's Avatar
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    As long as the seals have been checked and it keeps good time, I don't see an issue.
    If you start to wreck the original inserts that cost a fortune to replace, then I might think about getting a service replacement insert and keep the old one in good condition, should I want to sell at a latter date.

  3. #3
    Master
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    I routinely wear my early 80's rolex watches and my early 70's omegas. They are not one of a kind pieces, they seem to have been perfectly capabale of lasting up to this point, so I tend to treat them like any other watch, i.e wear and enjoy.

  4. #4
    Grand Master RustyBin5's Avatar
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    Watches should be worn - enjoy them and don't feel guilty about wearing em


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    I wear an 80-90ish year old rolled gold plated Sackville in rotation.

  6. #6
    Guilty??
    For wearing an expensive watch or an old watch or for subjecting them to potential damage?

  7. #7
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    Three early seventies watches and one from 1922 worn as part of regular rotation. None of which are remotely as robust as a Rolex, obviously.

  8. #8
    Master
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    When I had a speedmaster from 1967, I wore it daily for everything for 6 months or so. Obviously I didn't swim or shower in it, and didn't wear it for sports, but I did the washing up and all other activities with it and it was just fine. Watches are generally much hardier than we imagine!

  9. #9
    Master Mark020's Avatar
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    I wear all my watches but given the fact I have 2 dozen of them or so as well as a bank vault I don't wear them much longer than say 6 weeks before I swap them. My oldest is 1940ish and yes I do wear it.

  10. #10
    Grand Master
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    I have a couple of late 70s Rolex and wear them regularly. (Well, one is off being serviced but that's beside the point) if they're looked after and pressure tested in particular because of the plexi then they're excellent wearers.
    Don't feel guilty. They've lasted for years, consigning them to a box would be a big shame. They were built to go on :)

  11. #11
    Master
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    I'm not in a position to be wearing expensive watches but my most worn is an original 62MAS.

    Remember, you're a long time dead!

    Wear, enjoy!

  12. #12
    Grand Master Mr Curta's Avatar
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    The oldest that I wear regularly is a 1952 JW Benson, but I'm sure that I would wear an older watch if I had one.

  13. #13
    Craftsman
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    Most of my collection is from the 1970s and I have no hesitation in wearing any of them. They were made to be worn, not locked up in safes as investments. Why own something and not derive any pleasure from wearing it?

  14. #14
    Master Optimum's Avatar
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    With my usual daily (an SMPc) in for service I seem to have settled on a 70s Omega Megaquartz for day to day duties. I would remove it for anything where it stood a good chance of getting wet or bashed but otherwise it seems to be OK and is grab and go with a bit of character.

  15. #15
    Master markc's Avatar
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    I used to wear a 1969 Omega Geneve dress watch pretty regularly - I don't really see the problem, I've always said "If you don't wear it - why own it?"

    Cheers,

    Mark C

  16. #16
    Grand Master Velorum's Avatar
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    I regularly wear my 1959 Timex 100 - obviously I wouldn't get it wet but otherwise its absolutely fine.

    I also wear my most precious watch quite often, the 1976 Speedmaster Professional LCD that I bore the arse off everyone about, despite the fragility of the now impossible to replace bezel.

    I wouldn't own a watch that I wasn't happy to wear normally.

  17. #17
    1953 (ish) Smiths De Luxe A404. I figure that if a similar watch was on Hillary's wrist when he climbed Everest, it really is in little danger on mine!

  18. #18
    Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sinnlover View Post
    As long as the seals have been checked and it keeps good time, I don't see an issue.
    If you start to wreck the original inserts that cost a fortune to replace, then I might think about getting a service replacement insert and keep the old one in good condition, should I want to sell at a latter date.
    Not quite so simple in my view.

    For an old watch to be used as a daily wearer (particularly an automatic) it needs to be very thoroughly serviced initially. I would make it clear to the repairer that the watch will get daily use, that could sway decisions to replace parts which may be costly. Get it right, then keep it right by having it serviced every 3-4 years. Depending on the movement and the availability of parts I`d be tempted to clean and relubricate the automatic winding parts every 2-3 years, it really does depend on the watch.

    I`m sure that's not what some folks like to hear because it means spending more to maintain the watch, but I don`t make this stuff up off the top of my head and I don't simply repeat what I`ve heard on the internet. As I've already stated, automatic winding parts are a concern because in some watches they lead a hard life. The mainspring barrel in an automatic leads a harder life, particularly if the wearer is very active or the watch is stored on an incorrectly adjusted watch winder.

    Seals and water-resistance would be the least of my worries provided replacements had been fitted and the watch had been checked. If it's possible to get a 40 year old watch waterproof again by replacing seals it'll stay waterproof for a long time, the problems arise when sealing surfaces are pitted and that's usually caused by older type seals degrading.

    Paul

  19. #19
    Master
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    It depends on what your day entails I suppose?
    If you work as a middle manager in an insurance office, wear what you want. If you are a deep sea diver, maybe not so much.

  20. #20
    Master
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    I regularly wear my 70's Omegas. They were made in great numbers but you're unlikely to bump into someone wearing the same model.

  21. #21
    Master golfg60's Avatar
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    I wear my 1960 1675 gilt dial gmt
    1978 1665 seadweller
    1978 1680 sub

  22. #22
    Master Pitch3110's Avatar
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    I wear my '69 5513 on occasions on a NATO but would not wear it out if say going to the football or drinkies.

    If going out for dinner I will treat myself to the C&I riveted, thats really special.

    Pitch

  23. #23
    Grand Master seikopath's Avatar
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    I had a trench watch I bought on here, more than hundred years old. Had no qualms at all about wearing it everyday. I loved the porcelain dial.
    Good luck everybody. Have a good one.

  24. #24
    Banned
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    Vintage Seiko's are something I like to wear , so much value for money and you can pick these up for anything between £100-300 in very good condition on the bay . Will give you years of service too


    Seikoboy

  25. #25
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Velorum View Post
    I regularly wear my 1959 Timex 100 - obviously I wouldn't get it wet but otherwise its absolutely fine.

    I also wear my most precious watch quite often, the 1976 Speedmaster Professional LCD that I bore the arse off everyone about, despite the fragility of the now impossible to replace bezel.

    I wouldn't own a watch that I wasn't happy to wear normally.
    Agree on the last paragraph the oldest is a 65' Connie that was regularly on my wrist when flying around on a Boris Bike. Regularly wear 70's vintage as well.

  26. #26
    Master
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    Talking Rolex, I'd wear anything that I'm comfortable with - probably not a $250,000 PN, but that's more cost than delicacy. However, I wouldn't swim in an acrylic crystal diver. It bugs me too much when the retention ring rusts and then discolors the case. I think the sapphire/matte transitional models are perfect do everything vintage watches.

  27. #27
    Master ordo's Avatar
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    Can't beat a solid quality 50s-60s swiss dress watch such as Omega.

  28. #28
    Craftsman
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    This issued Moeris ATP is my oldest wrist watch at about 80 years old and I have no concerns at all wearing it. A watch should be worn and enjoyed.



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  29. #29
    Master bobbee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by seikopath View Post
    I had a trench watch I bought on here, more than hundred years old. Had no qualms at all about wearing it everyday. I loved the porcelain dial.
    Me too.
    This one is 1914, and am currently sorting out a 1913 Omega and will wear it too.





  30. #30
    Craftsman Ribena36's Avatar
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    To answer it another way I wouldn't buy a watch that I wasn't planning to wear quite regularly. I get that watches can make a good investment, but I think it's a bit of a shame when people just buy to lock away.


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  31. #31
    Apprentice
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    That is what many people do. Otherwise the market would not be so empty.
    However, I wear all my watches regularly except for some pocket watches. Some pocket watches I wear, but others I just have because I like them and they are also some kind of investment.
    And to answer the question: I wear vintage pieces regularly. I have several wrist watches from the 1940ies and pocket watches starting from the early 18 hundreds.

  32. #32
    Master
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    Sorry guys, I've not been able to get online for a week.

    To clarify I have no issues with wearing vintage watches in rotation, something I have always done.

    Let me clarify, I have an great condition & recently serviced, unpolished 5513 that was intended as one watch in 6-8 watch collection.
    However, its my only sub & due to the flexibility of the Sub I've been wearing it almost daily for the last year.
    Given the condition it's likely this has always been a "For best" watch & I recently had a few twinges of guilt that I was suddenly accelerating its ageing after 35yrs of it being mollycoddled.

    I'm still wearing it, juts now in more of a forced rotation and wondered if anyone else had ever had these thoughts?

  33. #33
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by RAJEN View Post
    Guilty??
    For wearing an expensive watch or an old watch or for subjecting them to potential damage?
    Guilty about the accrual of damage over time.
    Maybe its an engineer thing.

  34. #34
    Craftsman
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    This one from '56. Just back from Steve Hale .


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  35. #35
    Master
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    I have a 1982 Seiko SQ100 I use when doing rough manual work. It cost me £15 from the boot sale. Scratched to hell including the Hardlex. Keeps good time though.

  36. #36

  37. #37
    Master
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    No issue with a '68 1675 GMT and '70 1680 sub.
    I find they actually do better than modern watches for taking the impact of wear and tear and still looking good.

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