COLLECTING
NIVADA CROTON
VULCAIN CRICKET
The $1,500 - $2,500 Price Range
While there are dozens and dozens of brands I could discuss, I
have selected less than twenty of them to highlight here. These
are brands that I have personally owned or worked with as a watch
dealer. They are brands that offer a great package of name recog-
nition, design, functionality, movement, and they are increasingly
becoming more popular.
For example, I have noticed an increased demand for Croton and
Nivada Grenchen watches. Moreover, for watches that offer more
functionality beyond timekeeping, there’s the Vulcain Cricket, the
Universal Genève Polerouter and the Lip Nautic Ski.
For military style watches, BMC, Airain, and Omega have some
fantastic options. On the other hand, for handsome timepieces with
beautiful dials, there are plenty of choices from Vetta or Eberhard—
particularly those watches with snail and/or mono pusher.
Brands that are currently undervalued yet emerging due to a
solid appreciation from collectors are Movado and Oris, while other
names I’m hearing more frequently talked about in the market
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include Gallet, Angelus, Favre Leuba, Girard-Perregaux and Heuer.
Some of my personal favorite affordable brands are Universal,
Vulcain, Wakmann, LeCoultre, Minerva, Lip, Zenith and Movado.
However, the brand that has the most to offer is Omega—they
are excellent quality watches that are very reliable, beautifully
designed, and continue to hold or appreciate in value over time.
MOVEMENTS
Aside from brand names, another element that impacts the per-
ceived value of a vintage watch is the type of movement that
powers the watch.
Famous movement brands include Valjoux, Venus (of Breitling
fame), and Landeron. Typically, brands that run on Valjoux move-
ments retain their value well since they are coveted by collectors,
while Landeron calibers were often destined for less expensive
models. Within the same brand, some calibers are more sought
after than others. Take for example the iconic Valjoux 72 compared
to the lesser-known Valjoux 7733 of the Vulcain Panda.
The function of the watch is an important parameter right now
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