let's talk about vintage watches and how accurate do you need it to be, could we live with a watch that gaines or loses some time? follow me at Instagram @fernado7h
im back! gotta catch up on your videos! I graduated from med school, passed my boards and now working finally. Looking foward to learn more and purchase my first vintage watch.
Absolutely with you! A vintage timepiece is more a men’s jewelry than a precise clock. Everything under +/- 1,2 Minute a day - is just fine for me. I prefer it when a watch gains, then I’ll never be late 😎 By the way, too much stress to set my watches after the atomic time, especially since I change at least twice a day my watch!
I have a camel trophy 30 years old with eta 2824-2 from my dad, never serviced and it runs about 13 secs a day, I’m really happy and I’m going to wear it my whole life :)
My vintage watches are primarily Seiko Speedtimers that have been restored so they run better than 15 sec/day. This is great for me. My modern 7750 based Hamiltons actually run at COSC levels and this I have grown to accept. So I consider these in two different classes of expectations. Great video again.
I have a seiko snk809 wearing it for 9 months now.keeps great time to within 10seconds a week,strap keeps going no sign of wear better than the price of a Hamilton.
My 1970 Omega Geneve,has just been serviced by a very reliable independent Watchmaker.It looks absolutely stunning,and is within a few seconds a day.I do worry about using it as a daily wear,but it is so much more comfortable than my other pieces.
I would like an accurate watch. Had my rolex serviced because it was +13. Came back +4. 6 months later +7. 12 months later +10. Its just getting faster and faster, maybe because the oils are “bedding in” ? Its supposed to be within -4/+6 so im not that happy. It cost a lot of money and only has 1 job to do.
Oh yea, I want my watches to be more-less precise, within a minute a day at least and if I can tweak it even closer I would do it. I do have a few antique watches that are not doing so well and are stopping randomly but thats due to the fact that I did not find a capable watchmaker yet who I can entrust fixing my watches. And these are the watches I wear even without setting time so I can just stare at them :D
Having said that while watching the video I was just opening my latest watch that is about 100 years old and the first day and a half I had and it was running absolutely flawlessly probably within 15 seconds (no seconds hand) and it just ran out of juice after 34 hours(!). I was extatic how good it is! So I opened it up to look at the movement and take all the pics of everything inside as the seller said he did not have any tiny screwdrivers to open it so I didnt even see the movement when I bought it. Checked everything, closed, wind it up and it stops after 15 minutes😬OMMFG FML WTF did I just do?!?!?!?😂Then I noticed minute hand was scraping the dial around 3h mark as the dial was not sitting on the movement properly casue the dial is not mounted on the movement, its just sitting on it, took me 3 attempts to open and close it to get it sit right, I hope it is ok now lol
I suppose I'm lucky, my vintage pieces are all quite accurate. If not I have them regulated and or serviced so they are. I had a 92yo Waltham overhauled and it kept dead accurate time after. Wearing a watch that doesn't keep accurate time is not, personally for me, something I would do. At the end of the day, watches do have a core purpose - To keep and display accurate time, vintage or not. Just my own opinion and stance but respect to others who differ.
Just ran across this vid. I fix vintage watches and sell them. I guess I'm too much of a perfectionist. I regulate the watch through positional error and the watch has to pass a 5 day test. For example if it runs 10 seconds fast crown down. Try to regulate it 10 seconds slow dial up. So at night it gains back the time lost during the day. Is there a market for a vintage watch that keeps almost perfect time for it's age? I need to raise my prices if this is so rare. Also some watches don't pass my test. After watching this, I feel more comfortable about selling those. I always talk about the watches time keeping capabilities before I sell it and I'm very honest. I feel like there are a lot of dishonest people trying to get money for vintage watches and giving the rest of us a bad name. Thanks for the video. I subscribed!
I bought a GP Seahawk 30mm, because of your influence, I am so thrilled with this watch. I find myself looking at it, on wrist, 10 times a day. I can't thank you enough. I couldn't care less how much time it loses.
what should i expect on a cyma tavannes 1925/1939? ( with black dial arabic numbers and triangular with 2 dots 12 o´index, the lufftwaffe kind of watch) , i managed to get it in -12 seconds a day, , but i got cocky and i ended up loosing that sweet spot. noticed that precision drops after mid spring battery, too
Good point here. I have sent a 45 year old Longines for restoration by Longines and it came back in perfect condition except that i noticed that it started to stop in the area between 5:30 and 5:45 every 24 hours, and it only needs to pull the crown and push it back in so it starts running again!! Also, power reserve dropped down from 38 to 35 hours which is fine with me. I understood from such expiriences that vintage watchs ,as you said, keep working as is and you its not a wise decision to push them to modern standards without taking the risk of having some irreversible damage. Same thing applies to vintage fountain pens and lighters that i made some restoration experiments on , with unfortunate mistakes and regrets! Thanks for the video and sorry for my long reply. My best regards, Sameh.
When I want precision, nothing beats any of my Satellite Wave Citizen watches. I don't have vintage watches because of the precision, but the history and remembrance!.
Thank you so much . I have e a 70 years old Bulova automatic that is running a little fast . Maybe 2 min a day . I am not going to mess with it . Better to be fast then slow . If I want to be spot on i can wear my Timex quartz watch . Lol.
I have a Vostok Volna Precision chronometer watch from the 1950s, the 2809 movement which is based on the 1948 Zenith 135 chronometer. It runs 4 seconds plus a day. People buy chronographs thinking they will be more accurate. You need a certified chronometer watch if accuracy is your thing. My most accurate new watch is a 'flying wheel' Seagull retrograde day date. It has a built in method of compensating for positional variance. Over a period of time it gains a second or two and then it will lose 2 seconds. So if you don't adjust it at all over a month it will end up perfectly in synch with my radio controlled clock. Spooky. I still like my 1954 Omega with the beautiful 266 handwound movement. Runs plus 10 seconds per day fast. I backwind hack it every now and again to synch with my clock.
On many of my vintage watches, I don't wear them daily. So, since I have to wind them up and set the time, I'm satisfied even with + or - 5 minutes per day! Because I know it will keep correct and accurate time for the period of time that I'll be wearing it. And if I go a second day, I'm going to have to wind it again, so I just re-set the time. Surprisingly though, I do have some old mechanical watches that keep scary accurate time! A 1903 Waltham pocket watch and a 1904 Elgin pocket watch, both very accurate! And an old Swiss Bulova from the 70, keeping near chronometer time specs!
I think this is great advice! I just received my first vintage watch last week. I’ve been checking the accuracy via my phone, and I am stunned to find it’s about eight seconds slow a day. It’s a 1947 Omega, and I absolutely love it. For a watch that is 71 years old, recently serviced, I am absolutely delighted! I would no more have this watch taken apart at this level of accuracy. I would’ve been happy if it had been + or -30 sec/day. Since I rarely wear any of my watches for more than a day, except when they’re new to me, it doesn’t really matter. If I did wear them longer than that, I just sent them a minute or two fast or slow, and let it get right.
Totally agree with you. I sold an original 1950's Seamaster Calendar Honeycomb to a guy at a very reasonable price and he got all upset with me because the watch was off by 25 sec/ day. I just didn't see what the fuss was about and he went on and on about it and how I didn't know what I was talking about etc. etc.
Hello there, Fernando, I live in the UK and I'm seeking a manual-wind, not too showy dress watch that I could also wear on a daily basis, My budget is low (under US$2000) and wonder whether you could offer any advice? I'm prepared to buy vintage or new. Many thanks!
If I can get any of my vintage watches within 20 seconds a day I am absolutely delighted. I don't have a time grapher and I can just do some simple adjustment without one if the watch is 30 seconds or more out per day. I really wouldn't be bummed out if it was a minute a day out, as long as it's consistent. You know, if it's a minute out one day and then three minutes out another day and then something else another day, that's when I feel the need for it to be looked at profesionally, but if it's consistently out every day, I can make allowance for that and not be bothered one bit. So yeah, consistency is more key for me than accuracy.
Another good video. I like you, don't mind at all if my vintage pieces are out by a few minutes a day. As you say their to be enjoyed for what they are, and it's just not worth potentially damaging one to gain a little more accuracy. My newer pieces and daily wears however I try and ensure are as accurate as possible.
Excellent video. You highlight an important consideration that you risk damage/problems when a watch is serviced. The level of risk obviously depends on the competence and experience of the watchmaker. I obviously like my vintage watches to be accurate but the priority is to preserve them. However, if you wish to wear a watch from time to time you need to ensure the movement is clean & lubricated otherwise you run the risk of damage being done to parts that may be expensive to replace and hard to obtain.
I have a timegrapher and they can be very misleading if the readings are just taken at face value. I feel, with vintage watches, it is far better to wear them for a few weeks (real world testing) and see how far out they drift in that situation. Often this is far more revealing that the timegrapher is in terms of the used experience. As you say, vintage watches have components that have been worn together from decades of use. To strip and clean the mechanism is a risky business unless you are a time-served watchmaker. Better, in my opinion, is to use a blower to dislodge any loose dust and dirt that may be impairing the movement and maybe use an oiler pen to pop some high grade light oil, like Moebius 9010, onto the jewel bearings.
Bought a 1970s LIP (French) watch for $30 on eBay last month, regulated it from +130sec/day to +8sec/day myself, had it serviced for $60 and it now runs at +0.4 sec/day. That's as good as quartz (generally French watches are WAY more accurate than Swiss, even without a service). Just sayin'...
If it loses 5 or ten minutes a day why wear it.least I expect is 2 mins no more.when im on a break and I need to return to work I need correct time.also if you paid alot for it and it losses time you will feel cheated eveyday.just my opinion. Carl uk
im back! gotta catch up on your videos! I graduated from med school, passed my boards and now working finally. Looking foward to learn more and purchase my first vintage watch.
Will G - congrats man! What are you looking to buy if I may ask?!
Congratulations!
@@SoCalWatchReviews Thank you! I might go for an Omega
Will G - that’s awesome, love Omega!
Congratulations brother so proud to see you accomplish your dream and now for the rest of your life you shall be Dr. Will 🤗👍
Absolutely with you! A vintage timepiece is more a men’s jewelry than a precise clock. Everything under +/- 1,2 Minute a day - is just fine for me. I prefer it when a watch gains, then I’ll never be late 😎 By the way, too much stress to set my watches after the atomic time, especially since I change at least twice a day my watch!
I have a camel trophy 30 years old with eta 2824-2 from my dad, never serviced and it runs about 13 secs a day, I’m really happy and I’m going to wear it my whole life :)
My vintage watches are primarily Seiko Speedtimers that have been restored so they run better than 15 sec/day. This is great for me. My modern 7750 based Hamiltons actually run at COSC levels and this I have grown to accept. So I consider these in two different classes of expectations. Great video again.
I have a seiko snk809 wearing it for 9 months now.keeps great time to within 10seconds a week,strap keeps going no sign of wear better than the price of a Hamilton.
My 1970 Omega Geneve,has just been serviced by a very reliable independent Watchmaker.It looks absolutely stunning,and is within a few seconds a day.I do worry about using it as a daily wear,but it is so much more comfortable than my other pieces.
I would like an accurate watch. Had my rolex serviced because it was +13. Came back +4. 6 months later +7. 12 months later +10. Its just getting faster and faster, maybe because the oils are “bedding in” ? Its supposed to be within -4/+6 so im not that happy. It cost a lot of money and only has 1 job to do.
Buy a citizen radio atomic.
Oh yea, I want my watches to be more-less precise, within a minute a day at least and if I can tweak it even closer I would do it. I do have a few antique watches that are not doing so well and are stopping randomly but thats due to the fact that I did not find a capable watchmaker yet who I can entrust fixing my watches. And these are the watches I wear even without setting time so I can just stare at them :D
Having said that while watching the video I was just opening my latest watch that is about 100 years old and the first day and a half I had and it was running absolutely flawlessly probably within 15 seconds (no seconds hand) and it just ran out of juice after 34 hours(!). I was extatic how good it is! So I opened it up to look at the movement and take all the pics of everything inside as the seller said he did not have any tiny screwdrivers to open it so I didnt even see the movement when I bought it. Checked everything, closed, wind it up and it stops after 15 minutes😬OMMFG FML WTF did I just do?!?!?!?😂Then I noticed minute hand was scraping the dial around 3h mark as the dial was not sitting on the movement properly casue the dial is not mounted on the movement, its just sitting on it, took me 3 attempts to open and close it to get it sit right, I hope it is ok now lol
Loss of seconds is one thing... Loss of minutes could mean potential part failure... And a costly service.
I'm in my 60s. So, I'm not in much of a rush. I'm cool with a watch that's a bit ornery.
It should be up to 60s/day delay.. and I think is possible . I have a Volna 1960, and it’s ~10s/day delay. It was serviced from 140s/day delay..
I suppose I'm lucky, my vintage pieces are all quite accurate. If not I have them regulated and or serviced so they are. I had a 92yo Waltham overhauled and it kept dead accurate time after. Wearing a watch that doesn't keep accurate time is not, personally for me, something I would do. At the end of the day, watches do have a core purpose - To keep and display accurate time, vintage or not. Just my own opinion and stance but respect to others who differ.
Just ran across this vid. I fix vintage watches and sell them. I guess I'm too much of a perfectionist. I regulate the watch through positional error and the watch has to pass a 5 day test. For example if it runs 10 seconds fast crown down. Try to regulate it 10 seconds slow dial up. So at night it gains back the time lost during the day. Is there a market for a vintage watch that keeps almost perfect time for it's age? I need to raise my prices if this is so rare. Also some watches don't pass my test. After watching this, I feel more comfortable about selling those. I always talk about the watches time keeping capabilities before I sell it and I'm very honest. I feel like there are a lot of dishonest people trying to get money for vintage watches and giving the rest of us a bad name. Thanks for the video. I subscribed!
Nando, I don't move around as fast as I used to so give vintage a break and let it be. Another good video and commentary.
A person could always set their watch ahead or behind to start with, to compensate for a loss or gain in time....
Thank you!!
I bought a GP Seahawk 30mm, because of your influence, I am so thrilled with this watch. I find myself looking at it, on wrist, 10 times a day. I can't thank you enough. I couldn't care less how much time it loses.
what should i expect on a cyma tavannes 1925/1939? ( with black dial arabic numbers and triangular with 2 dots 12 o´index, the lufftwaffe kind of watch) , i managed to get it in -12 seconds a day, , but i got cocky and i ended up loosing that sweet spot. noticed that precision drops after mid spring battery, too
Good point here.
I have sent a 45 year old Longines for restoration by Longines and it came back in perfect condition except that i noticed that it started to stop in the area between 5:30 and 5:45 every 24 hours, and it only needs to pull the crown and push it back in so it starts running again!! Also, power reserve dropped down from 38 to 35 hours which is fine with me.
I understood from such expiriences that vintage watchs ,as you said, keep working as is and you its not a wise decision to push them to modern standards without taking the risk of having some irreversible damage. Same thing applies to vintage fountain pens and lighters that i made some restoration experiments on , with unfortunate mistakes and regrets!
Thanks for the video and sorry for my long reply.
My best regards,
Sameh.
When I want precision, nothing beats any of my Satellite Wave Citizen watches. I don't have vintage watches because of the precision, but the history and remembrance!.
Thank you so much . I have e a 70 years old Bulova automatic that is running a little fast . Maybe 2 min a day . I am not going to mess with it . Better to be fast then slow . If I want to be spot on i can wear my Timex quartz watch . Lol.
How accurate can I expect a circa 1960 Vacheron 1003 calibre to be?
I have a Vostok Volna Precision chronometer watch from the 1950s, the 2809 movement which is based on the 1948 Zenith 135 chronometer. It runs 4 seconds plus a day. People buy chronographs thinking they will be more accurate. You need a certified chronometer watch if accuracy is your thing.
My most accurate new watch is a 'flying wheel' Seagull retrograde day date. It has a built in method of compensating for positional variance. Over a period of time it gains a second or two and then it will lose 2 seconds. So if you don't adjust it at all over a month it will end up perfectly in synch with my radio controlled clock. Spooky.
I still like my 1954 Omega with the beautiful 266 handwound movement. Runs plus 10 seconds per day fast. I backwind hack it every now and again to synch with my clock.
On many of my vintage watches, I don't wear them daily. So, since I have to wind them up and set the time, I'm satisfied even with + or - 5 minutes per day! Because I know it will keep correct and accurate time for the period of time that I'll be wearing it. And if I go a second day, I'm going to have to wind it again, so I just re-set the time. Surprisingly though, I do have some old mechanical watches that keep scary accurate time! A 1903 Waltham pocket watch and a 1904 Elgin pocket watch, both very accurate! And an old Swiss Bulova from the 70, keeping near chronometer time specs!
I think this is great advice! I just received my first vintage watch last week. I’ve been checking the accuracy via my phone, and I am stunned to find it’s about eight seconds slow a day. It’s a 1947 Omega, and I absolutely love it. For a watch that is 71 years old, recently serviced, I am absolutely delighted! I would no more have this watch taken apart at this level of accuracy. I would’ve been happy if it had been + or -30 sec/day. Since I rarely wear any of my watches for more than a day, except when they’re new to me, it doesn’t really matter. If I did wear them longer than that, I just sent them a minute or two fast or slow, and let it get right.
Totally agree with you. I sold an original 1950's Seamaster Calendar Honeycomb to a guy at a very reasonable price and he got all upset with me because the watch was off by 25 sec/ day. I just didn't see what the fuss was about and he went on and on about it and how I didn't know what I was talking about etc. etc.
Hello there, Fernando, I live in the UK and I'm seeking a manual-wind, not too showy dress watch that I could also wear on a daily basis, My budget is low (under US$2000) and wonder whether you could offer any advice? I'm prepared to buy vintage or new. Many thanks!
When I look at my watch, I'm happy it even works at all... Perfect time is a luxury we would all like...
Buy a donner and choose the best pieces out of them 2. And watches are built to be taken apart..
If you want accurate time, look at your cell phone or computer. Very few watches are accurate with mechanical watches.
Some women are a little skinny and some a little fluffy....but you love them all the same..
agree with you great video thanks
I agree with you. On the other hand, I just ordered one of those 'dangerous' machines. Wish me luck.
If I can get any of my vintage watches within 20 seconds a day I am absolutely delighted. I don't have a time grapher and I can just do some simple adjustment without one if the watch is 30 seconds or more out per day. I really wouldn't be bummed out if it was a minute a day out, as long as it's consistent. You know, if it's a minute out one day and then three minutes out another day and then something else another day, that's when I feel the need for it to be looked at profesionally, but if it's consistently out every day, I can make allowance for that and not be bothered one bit. So yeah, consistency is more key for me than accuracy.
Another good video. I like you, don't mind at all if my vintage pieces are out by a few minutes a day. As you say their to be enjoyed for what they are, and it's just not worth potentially damaging one to gain a little more accuracy. My newer pieces and daily wears however I try and ensure are as accurate as possible.
Excellent video. You highlight an important consideration that you risk damage/problems when a watch is serviced. The level of risk obviously depends on the competence and experience of the watchmaker.
I obviously like my vintage watches to be accurate but the priority is to preserve them. However, if you wish to wear a watch from time to time you need to ensure the movement is clean & lubricated otherwise you run the risk of damage being done to parts that may be expensive to replace and hard to obtain.
I have a timegrapher and they can be very misleading if the readings are just taken at face value. I feel, with vintage watches, it is far better to wear them for a few weeks (real world testing) and see how far out they drift in that situation. Often this is far more revealing that the timegrapher is in terms of the used experience. As you say, vintage watches have components that have been worn together from decades of use. To strip and clean the mechanism is a risky business unless you are a time-served watchmaker. Better, in my opinion, is to use a blower to dislodge any loose dust and dirt that may be impairing the movement and maybe use an oiler pen to pop some high grade light oil, like Moebius 9010, onto the jewel bearings.
When you're on a hot date, you actually hope your watch keeps slower time or completely malfunctions....
Bought a 1970s LIP (French) watch for $30 on eBay last month, regulated it from +130sec/day to +8sec/day myself, had it serviced for $60 and it now runs at +0.4 sec/day. That's as good as quartz (generally French watches are WAY more accurate than Swiss, even without a service). Just sayin'...
Aw geez.....keep me within a minute or two......
I wouldn’t like it if the watch would lose/win more than 1 Minute a day. More Than that would offend me
If it loses 5 or ten minutes a day why wear it.least I expect is 2 mins no more.when im on a break and I need to return to work I need correct time.also if you paid alot for it and it losses time you will feel cheated eveyday.just my opinion. Carl uk
You can always wear a new quartz watch on the other wrist....