Collectables
WATCHES
WATCHES
WATCHES
WATCHES
by Nick Fletcher
Demand for old mantel clocks, wall clocks and even grand-father
clocks has tended to mark time for the past few years as furnishing tastes
have changed, but interest in old watches continues to tick along nicely.
A vintage wristwatch is regarded as an interesting – even trendy - fashion accessory so collecting
demand is still very strong.
Enthusiasts tend to prefer the ‘golden age’ period for wristwatches, from the 1920s to the 1960s – though
later examples of top quality will still command premium prices. Indeed, not long ago, a world record
auction price was set for a wristwatch - £1 million.
It was not owned by a celebrity, or even Royalty, and it was made in 1944, so not even the earliest
vintage. Admittedly, it was a unique watch was made by one of the world’s most famous watch
companies, Patek Philippe, in eighteen carat gold, and with a multitude of functions but the
breathtaking sum it fetched astounded many collectors.
The wristwatch is a relatively modern creation, for while examples were produced as early as the 1860s,
they did not gain widespread popularity until around the time of the First World War.
Generally, for an old wristwatch to be valuable, it needs to have been by a really good quality maker
when it was new. Top-quality makers include not only Patek Philippe, but Rolex, Breitling, Cartier, I.W.C,
Longines, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Tag Heuer, Audemars Piguet, Chopard, Girard- Perregaux and Omega,
among others. They sell on their fine craftsmanship, and sometimes by association with famous people
– when Sir Edmund Hillary climbed Mount Everest he was wearing a Rolex, and when Neil Armstrong first
stepped onto the moon, he checked the time on his Omega!
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