| Vintage mechanical watches |
| Monday, 25 December 2006 |
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I find watches fascinating, particularly mechanical watches. They offer the same functions we expect from our modern electronic wristwatches but using tiny, precision-made mechanisms. They're interesting to me from an engineering point of view, and because they represent a lost world – the Swiss mechanical watch industry never recovered from the quartz revolution in the early 1970s. Quartz watches are fine if you want accuracy; if you want character, get a mechanical watch. Though I'd love to get an Omega Speedmaster or Heuer Monaco I'd probably never wear either of them because I'd always be worrying about damaging them. I've bought cars for less than the current value of either. The watches I have are more humble and much cheaper to buy, which makes them all the more usable. I'm always looking for interesting items to add to the collection, particularly interesting watches that many collectors ignore simply because they don't sell for a lot of money. So if you've got something you think I might like then I'd be pleased to hear from you - but if it's several thousand pounds/dollars/euro of Patek Phillippe, that's not really my style. A really cheap Heuer or Omega or Breitling or Chronosport might make me take notice - and if you have a Sinclair Black Watch or an old mechanical Seiko or a Heuer Autavia you really should tell me about it because you might just persuade me to buy it. Maybe. |








