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  • Writer's picturePhilip Dashiell

The Value Proposition Of Vintage Watches


It's been a couple years since I began my descent down the rabbit hole known as vintage watch collecting! I went into this sub-set of the hobby, eyes wide open to the fact that many of these aged beauties, would require much more TLC, than their modern counterparts. True to this, I've probably had a quarter of my vintage watch collection serviced during this time period; and as the new year approaches, it looks like there will be yet, two more of my vintage timers, sent off for a full service.


I've never been a proponent of watch collecting as an investment opportunity. The fact is, unless you're collecting high-end, limited manufactured pieces, there really isn't much investment upside. Much like a new car, depreciation hits a new timepiece heavy; once that bracelet is sized and your new "affordable" timepiece is on the wrist, its value is probably about 70% of what you paid.


The advantage of finding the right vintage timepiece, like my JLC Futurmatic pictured above, the depriciated value starts to be recouped, as a piece becomes more sought-after by collectors, for whatever reason. The service expense becomes negligible, as keeping such a rare bird in top mechanical condition, will ensure maximum resale value.


I marvel at how well these watches of a certain age, continue to hum along, keeping perfect time, as many of the mechanical timekeeping components of these vintage timepieces, are upwards of 50+ years old. If nothing else, regular servicing of my mature tickers, will ensure many more years of wearing enjoyment, whether or not I decide to place them on the selling block in the future.


P.D.

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