Date pointers, moon phase, self-winding movements all add dollars.Īlso, early innovations. Any windup chronograph is going to be worth at least $50+ more than its "time only" counterpart. The thing to remember is that a high jewel count Swiss movement from a no name company is probably the same movement used in well known watches.īonus Tip - Complications usually mean money. Some were in business only a handful of years but made great quality watches. Other High Grade Swiss Makers - Some honorable mentions are: Clinton, Croton, Cimier, Gotham, Mimo / Girard-Perregaux, Waltham (for early watches, lower quality later). I don't have enough room to list all of the names of all the smaller watch firms. You don't see as many as some of the others on the list, but they are a good quality watch that sells for reasonable prices. I have seen them in vintage Montgomery Ward's Catalogs. They were owned by the Hamilton Watch Company. Quality watch for low investment.īuren - A very popular watch in the day.
The history of their company dates back to the 1800's. The Didisheims went on to create Marvin Watches, a brand that is still in operation today. Winton / Nassua - Made by the Didisheim family that went on to create the still popular Martin watch brand. Winton and Nassua watches were one of the names imported by the Didisheim family. Bucherer, also a watchmaker, offered quality watches rebranded under the Bucherer name. The two companies have been inseparable ever since. Belforte watches are also of great quality, but sell cheap because the name is less known.īucherer - In 1888 Bucherer opened Lucerne, Switzerland's first watch and jewelry store and partnered with a then little known watchmaker Hans Wilsdorf that was just starting his watch company called ROLEX. What is less known is that Belforte was an off shoot of Benrus. You can find them for really great prices. They were larger than Bulova in their day, and made really great watches. You can find them for real bargains.īenrus / Belforte - Benrus is the highest priced maker on this list. The company name was eventually sold off due to financial mismanagement, but they always made great quality watches. For a while Gruen and Rolex used the same movements. The Quality of a Caravelle far surpassed the Quality of a Timex for the same price. In the 1960's Caravelle replaced Westfield as Bulova's entry level offering. You can find wrist-alarm, triple calendar, and automatic watches for a fraction of the cost of a comparable Movado, Bulova, or Benrus.Ĭaravelle - Also a Bulova subsidiary. The thing I love about the Helbros is the way the kept current on trends. They were very popular in the day, and made great quality watches. That means many times the 1930's Westfields outlast the same era Bulova's. The fascinating thing about Westies' is that Bulova used shock-protection in Westfields before it incorporated it into the Bulova lineup. Westfields were made by Bulova and look the same many times as the Bulova counterpart with a few less jewels inside. Westfield - You can pick them up for under a hundred dollars and get a really nice watch from the 1930's or 40's. So what are the most undervalued watches and why? I think this advertisement from the 60's sums it up. When it comes to vintage watches though the quality of a Timex pales in comparison to the quality of a lesser known American / Swiss brand. They have great staying power in the market. I laugh to myself when I see a tray of watches and they have a 1960's Timex and Caravelle or Helbros priced the same. Just as some of these watches are overrated, some really good watches are underrated. I think the first five on the list have managed to elevate themselves into a status symbol role. So from a watchmaking perspective the mechanics don't justify the inflated price tag.
You will get a lot more for your money from a $1,500 Omega than a $1,500 Cartier for instance. The last five on the list present the best value per dollar in my opinion. Most of the best known watches are on my Top 10 list of the fine watch brands: Vintage watch collectors know that there are hundreds of vintage watch brands, most using the same Swiss movements, but the average collector only knows a handful. That could lead to a real bargain.if you know what to look for! Vintage watches sell for $50 to $50,000 Many of the lower cost watches are excellent quality, but made by lesser known makers.
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