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Will I need to service my vintage watch?
At the time of purchase your watch will be in good running condition, but it will need servicing/cleaning/oiling/adjustments in the foreseeable future, once again this is entirely normal as with most mechanical machines etc. Of course quartz watches will need less attention than mechanical ones will, but this is how it goes. You may also want to replace crystal, straps and other parts along the way, as with a used car, parts eventually need to be replaced and regular services are necessary to keep it going.
We offer a 30-day money back guarantee, no questions asked and generally offer to repair or replace any purchase if there has been a problem mechanically. Thereafter, any servicing/repairs and all the above-mentioned work is solely the responsibility of the buyer.
Vintage watches need care and attention. If you want the watch to last a lifetime, then swimming, surfing, rock climbing and other activities are not a good idea. Expensive old pieces are very easily broken; inappropriate force to the crown, dropping, water, magnetism, inappropriate storage, damp, humidity and numerous other environmental factors will conspire to harm your pride and joy.
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Can I collect or view your collection?
Many ask us this question, and unfortunately the answer is no.
We do not have a shop for viewing or collections, so we are strictly an online business. Therefore it is very important to study the pictures, read the descriptions and ask questions when unsure of something as we like to avoid returns where ever possible.
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Do you have spare links or parts for me?
You may find that your vintage watch does not fit you and we haven’t provided any extra links. We, unfortunately, do not stock extra links or have any spares of any sort. We sell our watches as is, so be sure to check the descriptions of the watch in question and make sure it will fit your wrist or that you are able to source these parts.
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Will my vintage mechanical watch keep perfect time?
First off, its important to know that a mechanical watch would rarely if ever keep time as perfectly as a quartz watch would, this is entirely normal and has no relation to the quality of the watch you are buying. It is also important to know that your mechanical watch, whether it is an automatic or a manual wind watch, will not run if left unattended.
Automatic watches can take many hours of wearing before they are fully wound and even then you would need to continue to wear it in order to maintain this. I usually recommend allowing at least 72 hours before its running to its full potential, and this means that you actually need to move your wrist and be active, sitting at a desk hardly moving will probably not suffice in most cases. Many automatic watches can also be wound manually, which can be handy if you are not going to wear your watch all the time.
With regards to manual wind watches, in most cases, one needs to wind these every day in order to keep it running. Usually between 10-20 times depending on the watch and of course how far a single wind is for you until the natural stop of the mainspring is reached. A certain level of care is always recommended when doing this, remember these watches are sometimes quite delicate.
People are often nervous about how they handle their vintage timepiece, which is entirely valid in most cases. One needs to be careful of how they pull out the crown, in most cases, a simple tug is enough, otherwise putting a fingernail between the case and the crown and wedging it out also works well. Most of all, don’t get frustrated and pull too hard, forcing it can most certainly break it.
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Why is my vintage watch so much smaller than my modern one?
Vintage watches were generally a lot smaller than their modern counterparts simply because this was what was in fashion. So be sure to check the sizes provided in the description of each watch to see whether it would suit your preference.
We realise that it is not always easy to see this in the pictures as we try to get as close up as possible. So before making your purchase, it may be looking at our watch size guide
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Are these watches waterproof?
No, our watches are most definitely not waterproof/water resistant. Even when one of today’s modern watches is pressure sealed, it is never entirely certain as to the guarantee of it being 100% waterproof, after all, it is just a rubber case seal and the glass that protects it from the near death of being flooded with water. Now imagine adding a few decades onto the watch as well as all the wear and tear and no pressure seal, it wouldn’t end well.
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Does this watch come with original box and papers?
Most of our watches come without original box and papers, mostly due to the fact of the watches age.
I could only guess that when these watches were originally bought as new watches all those years ago, people never thought that one day their watch may be a sought-after item and they should keep the paperwork. Many of the boxes were also made of very fragile cardboard and it is no surprise that they didn’t survive.
Not having the original box and papers does not mean that your watch is not authentic at all, it is very rare for a vintage watch to have these and besides, it is much easier to fake a piece of paper or a box than it would be to fake a vintage watch. Often, boxes of all sorts are sold alongside a watch to make it look ‘more genuine’.
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Are all our watches original?
This is probably one of the more popular questions from our customers. Full originality is usually a concern for the serious vintage watch collector, who are looking for pristine untouched models, but most people just want to know what they are buying really. So although our watches are authentic, some parts may have been replaced over the years.
So when looking into this, you have to remember that these watches are old, some more than others, and therefore there is a lot of wear and tear over the years. Things like crowns, stems, straps and the crystal take the most abuse over the years. Straps fade and scratch when rubbed up and banged on things, as well as crystals scratching from many of the same abuses. The crowns get pulled and turned, especially in the case of winding watches being wound an average of 10-15 times a day over a number of decades, this is sure to wear out the tiny ridges milled into the perimeter and often these parts need to get replaced. Also, as the decades go by, dials and hands begin to fade which is normal and therefore some watches have a certain level of restoration, whether the dial has been repainted or the hands touched up.
Basically, when one asks if a 40-year-old watch is completely original, it is highly unlikely unless it has been sitting in the loft for the past 35 years in completely perfect conditions. Therefore when purchasing a watch from us, be sure to check the description as we mention which parts have been replaced if any at all. The more original the watch, the more sought after it will be. I hope this has helped answer your question, do contact me if you need any clarification.
I could only guess that when these watches were originally bought as new watches all those years ago, people never thought that one day their watch may be a sought-after item and they should keep the paperwork. Many of the boxes were also made of very fragile cardboard and it is no surprise that they didn’t survive.
Not having the original box and papers does not mean that your watch is not authentic at all, it is very rare for a vintage watch to have these and it is much easier to fake a piece of paper or a box than it would be to fake a vintage watch. Often, boxes of all sorts are sold alongside a watch to make it look ‘more genuine’. If you have any more FAQs, please do not hesitate to contact us..
