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A visit to a vintage watch dealer


rek001

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Aloha y'all- hope you're having as nice a weekend as mine.

Yesterday I visited an antique dealer that specializes in re-furbished vintage wrist and pocket watches, called Father Time Antiques in Chicago.

They had some very nice timepieces, a few bubbleback Roliies that were quite expensive, but after trying a few on, I was absolutely struck by how small they are compared to what I'm used to wearing. I tried on a mens rectangular Elgin and it looked like a child's watch on my wrist.

I used to go in there, and, although I've never bought, I had considered buying a few of their timepieces. But now I don't think I could wear a watch that small.

Any of you tried on a vintage timepiece and been struck by its size?

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Well i see what u are saying guys ...

i have started with 44 mm pams , 45 mm upo and an 217 destro ...

when i recived my 1st sub a modern one at that it just looked like a toy to me at 40mm but after some time i found it to be normal size and actualy look much more normal on my 18 cm / 7.2 inch wrist ...

My last purchases were a 42 mm pam witch suits my wrist perfect ... and an vintage 1680 sub witch is even smaler than 40mm , maybe someone else knows the size and as it tends to look small on my hand when had it on first day ... after some time i dont feel its small anymore ... it kinda grew on my wrist if u know what i mean :)

regards laz

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I bought a N.O.S. WWII military watch off of eBay a few years back. The watch was absolutely stunning in the pics but the seller didn't mention size. I assumed it was around the size of an Airking. WRONG! It looked like a little kids watch. I don't even think it was 30mm. Yes it was very nice, but I relisted it and resold it immediately.

My personal taste for size is anywhere between a Submariner and a UPO. I'd love an Omega Railmaster but I'm affaid it would be too big.

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My guess is that since many vintage military tool watches were (in general) larger than 'regular' watches, folks started to take notice. What I mean is, I think that folks started to realize that a bigger dial, bigger hands and a larger case provided easier "user interaction". Hey, if the pilots use big watches that look neato, why shouldn't the layman have access to such a watch, too?

I also think that people tend to be larger in size nowdays, too.

'Tis a shame whilst hunting for vintage watches that so many of them are really just kid sized toy watches. There are so many of them that are gorgeously designed timepieces - they're just too small to be worn in this day and age.

By the mid 1950s, watches started to sprout in size (39mm-40mm) with the advent of the Bretiling AOPA Navitimer, the Rolex GMT 6542 + Sub 5512 and the Blancpain 50 Fathoms. Again though, please note that these watches were designated tool watches, but were available to the layman for the very first time.

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It's just a style issue...like button down collars on shirts, pleated pants, etc.The 1940s-1950s watches were small styles. I have a number of Hamilton vintage watches and they are around 30MM. Look like unisex watches, but the quality is superb. Who knows...small watches might come back, then what would we do?

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I am a collector of vintage watches, circa 1940-1960 and you are correct about the size. I currently have about three dozen including a knotty lug Hamilton, a Bulova picture watch a Gruen Curvex among many others. Fortunately I have small wrists so I have no problem wearing them. I agree that men are overall bigger now days and styles change, but I also wonder if the larger sizes are also a result of them being easier to work on. Maybe The Zigmeister can elaborate on this topic sometime.

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