Collecting pocket watches. Collecting watches is an exciting hobby

Natalia Erofeevskaya

We can safely say that the topic of collecting has not spared a single person. Porcelain figurines, postage stamps, toys, postcards, beer caps and coasters, herbaria and outlandish insects - the instinct of collecting in a person has lived, is alive and will live. Today we will talk about a rather expensive, but incredibly attractive form of collecting - collecting wrist watches has a whole army of fans.

Watch collection

When choosing such an unusual hobby, many people ask themselves what is the name of collecting watches? In fact, there is no special term, whether we are talking about antiques or modern ones, but you can often find the unofficial name of such a hobby is horology... And although the term "chorology" directly refers to the sciences of measuring time, it still has some relation to the clock. And then you can often hear that collectors of antique, Soviet or original watches are called chorologists.

What watches to collect?

For himself, a novice collector first of all determines direction of "watch" collecting: antiques, wall clocks, pocket clocks, clocks from the USSR factories, etc. Of course, portable clocks have a definite advantage: they take up much less space in the collection than, say, their wall or floor counterparts. But the size of the collectible exhibit does not affect the cost - a small wrist or pocket watch can cost significantly more than a weighty clock with a pendulum, cuckoo and the like.

Howard Miller Wall Clock

The collection may contain completely different items: workers and those that can no longer be made to walk, watches of a certain country (for example, Soviet or Japanese), or watches that are somehow connected with significant events in the life of the collection owner. The desire of collectors to get something unique in their collection is also quite understandable: some watches are produced in limited editions, cost considerable sums, and true collectors of watches sometimes arrange a real hunt for them.

Collectible men's wrist watch "Poljot" President

It is worth talking about Soviet watches separately - wrist watch of the USSR era can hardly be called a work of art: as a rule, they are laconic and strict, there is nothing superfluous in them. Often such watches were dedicated to certain historical events in the life of the country and the Soviet people: the launch of rockets and artificial earth satellites, nuclear submarines, icebreakers, etc. The brand of military watches "Komandirskie" the day is prized in collector markets around the world.

A significant plus of Soviet watches is their quality: watches in such collections can last for decades with a minimum of maintenance

Men's and women's wrist watches

If we talk about collecting pocket watches, then these are exclusively male models: during the time of their mass use, ladies were not supposed to wear personal watches. Pocket watches were massive, made of precious metals (often gold), decorated with expensive stones and an impressive chain.

Collectible Skeleton Pocket Watch

But the history of watches with a bracelet began exactly the opposite: graceful and not very (depending on the manufacturer and cost) watches were decorated exclusively with female hands for a long time. For men of that era, a solid pocket watch remained a status item.

Wristwatches for men became popular during the First World War. The watches, which cost more than pocket watches, differed in quality and accuracy, were necessary for commanders and senior officers when planning and conducting operations, and performing combat missions. Soldiers who distinguished themselves at the front were awarded with personalized copies, such chronometers, in the event of the death of a soldier, were handed over to his relatives along with military awards and personal belongings.

Soviet wrist watch

It's no secret that for collectors, some chronometer models are more desirable, others less. The October Revolution changed not only the course of history, but also practically discontinued production of new models of chronometers: tsarist factories were destroyed, production was liquidated, private workshops were ruined. Only decades later, in 1930, the production of wristwatches was resumed, but first of all they provided the country's defense forces: the army, aviation, and the navy. Wrist watches for men and women for the mass civilian consumer began to be produced only after the Second World War.

Watch Submarine "Antey"

"Pobeda", "Vostok", "Chaika", "Luch", "Flight" - all these names are heard even by those who are far from collecting watches. They were worn by moms and dads, and grandmothers and grandfathers could have such watches as a reward for military or labor merits. Collecting wristwatches from the USSR especially distinguishes the following brands of a certain year of release that are most interesting for collectors:

• "Victory" issue of 1946;
• Rodina - the first self-winding models produced in 1956;
• chronometers with a signal "Flight" of 1959;
• among the rare models of women's wristwatches, one should especially highlight the miniature watch “Zarya” of the Moscow Watch Factory of 1955;
• and, of course, "Komandirskie" - reliable, practical, distinguished by a holistic design and well-thought-out ergonomics of the case.

"Komandirskie" watches did not appear in circulation in large quantities - they were created specially by order of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union

Where to start collecting watches?

For many collectors, purchasing rare and unique watch models from different eras and countries becomes not just a hobby, but even the meaning of life. The goals of such collecting can be completely different. For example, scientific or historical activities, the placement of personal capital, the compilation of family collections that could be passed on from generation to generation, the prestige and respect of friends, etc.

Scope and content of such collections often directly depend on the financial capabilities of their owners, when purchasing unique copies, it is recommended to focus on the Price Guide to Watch price list published annually in the USA. Beginners are encouraged to search for information - specialized books and magazines, museums, exhibitions and auctions will help determine the era of future collection items, models and cost.

Original collectible watches

The most accessible for the initial stage are watches of the Soviet period, with the growth of the collection you can switch to more expensive Japanese models, military military watches, "amphibians" of old issues and military chronographs and designer pieces, the cost of which exceeds thousands and tens of thousands of dollars and euros.

"The Golden Age of Watchmaking" corresponds to the period 1950-1970s: most of the models of that time were assembled by craftsmen by hand, and therefore the quality and precision of the mechanisms were at the highest level. In the pre-quartz period (1960-1970) the so-called tuning fork and electromechanical watches were produced - these transitional models were few, and therefore to this day many collectors dream of getting such an interesting piece in their collection.

Electromechanical table clock

Both beginners and collectors with experience pay attention, of course, not only to the brand itself and the origin of the watch, but also for the originality of each copy: every detail must be authentic, since replacing even an insignificant element with a non-original one significantly reduces the cost of the entire piece. Reputable auction houses closely monitor such moments and, if there is an unoriginal item in the watch, they may demand a return of the purchase amount, taking into account moral damage.

Note that there is a definite tendency among specialists in the field of watch collections: watches of vintage periods are slowly but surely losing their attractiveness for collectors. Collecting newbies increasingly prefer modern models of unusual designsbecause they can be a good investment of capital, and over time will only grow in value.

Keeping in mind the growing demand, renowned brands and designers have been specially producing chronometer series aimed at collectors

September 18, 2018 2:41 pm

Some watch lovers at some point in time become interested in vintage watches. Often - pocket watches, because they are "older" than wrist watches.

There are quite a few reasons for this, as they say, each - his own and, in general, the choice is an everyday matter. But several can be distinguished. The first is interest in antiques and history. Many watch lovers are much more interested in looking at a product with a 100-year history, which "survived" the First World War, the 1917 Revolution, the Great Patriotic War and other important historical milestones than a quartz craft in a standard case.

Second, antique pocket watches allow you to actively expand your collection without making significant investments. If, of course, we are talking about affordable and simple models. Someone will find it much more interesting to “collect” Swiss watches, moreover, from famous brands such as Omega, Zenith and Chopard, rather than buying another faceless homage - for the same amount.

Zenith Pocket Watch (1917). Price category - up to 300 euros
Pocket watch Omega (1926). Price category up to € 300
Pocket watch L.U. Chopard (1890). Price category - up to 300 euros

Third, some people just like the style of old watches. All these hands, engravings and so on - this is practically not present in modern watches, if you do not take into account the premium class.

Collecting antique watches is also an investment. Such watches, at least, do not get cheaper. Many grow in value. Unlike almost any modern new watch (I removed the films, put them on once - already minus 10%).

Of course, collecting old watches is not so easy. Watches require special care, cleaning and lubrication, often - restoration, replacement of glass, hands and much more. Hours that run a day or more are relatively rare, so you will have to wind them up often. And not completely. Sellers, through malicious intent or unknowingly, can slip you outright junk, "cutlet" (watches collected from various remnants of spare parts) or even a remake. Anything can happen. But, if you do everything right and do not rush, then the old clock will delight you.

Some watches are sold at auctions as “run for a few minutes”. This usually means that someone tried to revive them with oil, but overflowed it. The treatment, again, is cleaning. But if you're not a jack of all trades, cleaning will be more expensive than buying a good watch right away. Especially in the case of cheap mass watches from the Second World War. They cost 30-70 euros. Therefore, if you are not a master of mechanisms, then immediately take a normally working clock.

On your own, you can perform the following operations: wipe the watch case with a velvet cloth (you can use a polish for the watch) and (this is already an advanced level) clean the watch case with a special paste or simply toothpaste (after pulling out the mechanism). By cleaning, you will remove plaque from the case, patina, and sometimes even the smallest scratches. Large scratches will require special tools and skills. Replacing glass is a simple procedure (for a master) and relatively inexpensive. But the dial is the face of the clock. If it has shortcomings, then they can often be eliminated, but this is painstaking and expensive work. Therefore, again, it is better to immediately choose a watch with well-preserved dials. The "gossamer" on the number is not a very good sign, if it is very noticeable, then this dial will be replaced.

Arrows are a separate topic. Often they are not original. A comparison with other watches of the same company or a simple observation can help here: whether the minute hand gets the division on the dial. If not, then the arrows are definitely not the original. Glasses are also often changed, especially on the oldest watches, where originally there was ordinary glass (plastic glasses were invented in the mid-20s of the 20th century). In general, there are a lot of nuances.

All old pocket watches can be divided into 2 large groups. Of course, this division is only suitable for residents of the former USSR. So this is: Soviet and foreign watches. The first group includes all kinds of Lightning, ZIMs and other Soviet-made watches, which cost very moderately, and give quite a lot of joy. Moreover, for a beginner. As they say, buy yourself a Lightning and think, do you need all this at all? Of course, all watches are divided by time periods, the same model may cost differently depending on the year of production, but more on that later.

The second group is the Western clock. Swiss, English, French, American and German. Several time periods can also be distinguished in them. These will be just inexpensive mass simple watches (in the overwhelming majority of cases, watches with the function of hours, minutes and seconds, that is, 3-hands in cases of maximum silver).

Well, pre-revolutionary Russian brands like Pavel Bure and Kalashnikov can be distinguished into a separate subgroup. These watches were assembled from European components, but on the territory of Russia, so they occupy a kind of intermediate position.

Pocket watch Pavel Bure, early 20th century. Price category - up to 300 euros

European watches in the available category are of 2 types: with a crown and with a key winding (key). Other things being equal, key prices are often lower, although it would seem that this is a more "vintage" type of watch. The reason is that they are very expensive to repair and can be more expensive to repair than buying the same watch in good condition. Therefore, it is better to immediately take a high-quality watch with a winding key.

And a few words about prices. Of course, all with a high degree of convention. Prices vary a lot. The same watch at a flea market, in an antique store, on eBay, or bought from a master can cost completely different money. This is a guideline just for the reader to understand how much it might actually cost. Since the situation with the ruble exchange rate is very unstable now, it will be necessary to indicate the price in US dollars.

An ordinary Soviet lightning of the 70-80s in excellent condition will cost about $ 20-30 and more. For Europeans - for $ 200-250 you can buy something like a simple Zenith of the 20-30s in good condition. The Pavel Bure watch, produced before 1917, in average condition will cost about the same amount: it's all about limited competition, in the West there are few such watches.

Where to buy? Antique stores, flea markets, online auctions (specialized and global like eBay, as well as Russian), western online stores. Everywhere has its pros and cons.
We will talk more about specific watches in the following publications. Moreover, we will have a corresponding section for pocket watches.

In contact with

Collecting is not just a hobby, it is a real passion. An innocent childhood hobby for many eventually turns into a professional occupation. You can collect anything: beautiful but not practical (baseball cards), useful for science (butterflies), practical but terribly expensive (oldtimers), something that no one else has (red diamonds) ... Any of these collections can cost a fortune, but not everyone can be used.

We suggest paying attention to collecting watches. For example, Alain Delon accumulated them for $ 590,300 - it was for this amount that the collection went under the hammer at an auction in Paris. As for charity auctions, all records here belong to the Swiss brand Patek Philippe. In 2012, his one and only model from the World Time collection brought the children's fund 1 million Swiss francs.

In our store there are quite rare watches - the release of some models has only 99 items. Besides the fact that they are of great value in and of themselves, the packaging or the unusual history of this watch can delight collectors of all stripes - from football players to militarists!

Back in the USSR

Earlier, the air was cleaner, and the equipment served longer. No kidding: solid Soviet watches were famous all over the world. The Poljot watch factory still produces excellent movements for some domestic brands. We remind those who collect vintage: everything new is well forgotten old. 50 years after Yuri Gagarin went into open space, the anniversary watch Shturmanskie again accompanies you and wishes you a pleasant flight.

Limited edition of 500 copies!

Men's watch Sturmanskie 2609-1701695
Men's watch Sturmanskie 2609-1701703

By the way about space

Anyone who is seriously interested in space and dreams of surfing the universe since childhood should know about the existence of two very special Swiss brands.

Since 1994, Fortis has been the official supplier of instruments for the ISS (International Space Station). The wrist watches of this brand are worn by cosmonauts of all countries, including Russian ones. Fortis regularly releases limited collections dedicated to various space events. For example, a training expedition to Mars! Dedicated to all fans of the Red Planet! 2012 copies - in black or orange.

Men's swiss watch Fortis 658.27.81LF.01 Men's swiss watch Fortis 647.28.13SI.19

Owning a Romain Jerome watch is like owning a site on the moon. Or a whole space shuttle. And it's not just the cosmic price. Moon dust particles and the Apollo 11, Soyuz and ISS plating elements used in the manufacture of Moon-DNA watches are actually invaluable. Only a true collector can appreciate one of 1969 examples of such watches.

Men's Swiss watch Romain Jerome MB.FB.BBBB.00
Men's Swiss watch Romain Jerome RJ.M.CH.001.01

First of all - planes

The history of aviation, aircraft models, military hero pilots ... Some collect information, others - beautiful airplanes. We collect unique watches, one way or another related to professional flights.

The model called Sir Alan Cobham is dedicated to the pioneer of aviation by the American watch brand Ingersoll. During World War I, Englishman Ser Alan John Cobham was a member of the Royal Air Force of Great Britain, in which he flew long distances. The watch is limited to 500 pieces.

Mens watch Ingersoll IN1001CR

A limited series of Swiss Oris watches - Challenge International de Tourisme - was released in memory of the heroes of the 1932 international aviation competition in Germany. The release numbers 1932 copies. Each one is placed in a gift box, the set includes a souvenir lighter with a beautiful pattern.

Men's Swiss watch Oris 733-7669-40-84-set

Let's go, beauty, ride! ..

We descend from heaven to earth and immediately proceed to water procedures. The Swiss brand Frederique Constant is pleased to present the Runabout collection, which is entirely devoted to the famous sailing regattas of the 1920s. last century. The models presented here are dedicated to the collaboration of the brand with the organizers of the Concours d "Elegance (beauty contest for yachts). Each model is produced in the amount of 1,888 pieces. Includes a graceful miniature of the retro sport yacht Runabout.

Men's Swiss watches Frederique Constant FC-392RV6B6 Men's Swiss watches Frederique Constant FC-303RV6B6

Off-road rally

If you can easily name all the champions in the world of motorsport, collect car models, attend auto shows with pleasure or even take part in them yourself, you will surely be interested in exclusive models from Luminox, Marvin and Oris:

1000 pieces for fans of Tony Kanaan Men's Swiss watch Luminox A.1146
777 pieces for fans of Sebastian Loeb Men's Swiss watch Marvin MRV-M121.13.44.94
1970 pieces for fans of retro style and leather gloves for free!

Any Belarusian can afford Rolex watches, Armani jeans and Gucci glasses. Numerous fakes, which sellers prefer to worthily call replicas, are a logical continuation of many aspects of our life: not to be, but to seem. Our today's hero Sergei talks about his collection and sincerely believes that wearing a fake watch is like not respecting yourself.

Currently, Sergey, who is also a forum member of farmer +, works as one of the leaders of a large company. His watch collection numbers 70-80 pieces. Due to the specifics, it is not cheap, of course, but there are no copies at exorbitant prices.

- My first watch appeared in the eighties, when I was studying at the Leningrad Institute. It was Flight. Then my father gave me a fashionable watch "Electronics" from the collection "Glasnost and Perestroika". They still occupy a worthy place in the collection. Recently offered interesting exchange options.

At that time every man had a watch. Other gadgets have not yet been invented, but it was somehow necessary to keep track of time. Swiss Made was then available to units. The Japanese Orient was a more massive benchmark of fashion and coolness.

- About 20 years ago, I spent a lot of time at work in the UAE. Once I stood, I remember, in front of the window of a watch boutique and dreamed of Tissot, - Sergey recalls.

But Tissot never happened in his life. Back in Belarus, Sergei bought Casio. And then, as an enthusiastic person, he contracted that very "clock sickness".

- When one desire appeared - to understand watches, another one disappeared - to run along with the crowd and the mass market.

Later, our hero expectedly had Orient. The first "serious" watch was Titoni CosmoKing.

- A solid Swiss manufacturer. I just liked them, and now I understand why. This is a homage - a watch inspired by Rolex. Not copying, but styling. They cost me about $ 850 at a discount. I was sure that I would not have a more expensive watch.

But interest did not fade away. At some point, I wanted to collect watches from different countries based on geography. Now I understand that this idea is specifically far-fetched. The design assortment is huge, the engineering one is not at all. Watch mechanisms are made in Switzerland, Japan, China, India, Russia. Paradoxically, Belarus can be included in this series. Luch is still actually a manufactory, since it can produce everything by itself. Does little, but can.

Most of the watches today are made in China - if not the mechanisms, then their components, cases, hands, dials. The problem even touched the famous Swiss Made brand. Until recently, it could be installed if the mechanism and at least 50% of the parts were made in Switzerland. But all the same, manufacturers went for tricks. Since January 1 this year, the share of local production has increased to 60%. Some consider this measure too insufficient. For example, the manufacturer H. Moser & Cie, with the slogan “No to Swiss Made, yes to Swissness”, removed the Swiss Made brand from their watches. Even earlier, Patek Philippe took this step, believing that its own brand already carries more value.

In general, a geographical collection is such a kind self-deception.

One of the parts of Sergei's collection is Soviet vintage.

- I pay tribute to that period. In the sixties and seventies, the Soviet chasprom competed with the Swiss.

"Komandirskie" is one of the most famous and authoritative watches of the Soviet period.

Curve and oblique "Glory". Asymmetry is not a marriage, but a good design solution.

- One of the best designs is a thin "Ray" on the 2209 movement. This watch is still respected in the world. I bought some of them, oddly enough, on eBay.

This watch "Slava" is very dear to me: my grandfather had the same one. Very harmonious design. I specifically looked for similar ones for a long time and eventually found them in Hungary.

Perhaps you still see ads offering to buy a watch from the USSR era. It is unlikely that these are connoisseurs of retro - rather ordinary buyers of precious metals: watches were covered with gilding.

- Is it profitable to sell? Of course, they certainly have some value. You can get several tens of dollars, for a rare model - several hundred, but this is much less common. These are more expensive - these are new old "Slava", new old stock, that is, they have never been used. Such collectors value more than "used" ones.

Several models and mechanisms have survived the country successfully. Here is an interesting Russian mechanical alarm clock. Inside there is a mechanism "Flight", produced in the eighties. The alarm clock works in vibration mode for a few seconds.

- During the World Ice Hockey Championship I bought Luch. Tissot owns all IIHF partnership rights, so this is an unofficial version. But still, they are frankly hockey: hockey player, dividing the hour scale into three periods. Inside is the Japanese Miyota movement. The result is a solid model. I constantly advise my overseas colleagues on the American watch forum where to buy it. In general, "Luch", "Vostok", "Polet", like other Soviet brands, are well known in the American watchmaking environment.

- We have a good rule on the forum thread: if a person is looking for advice, then he needs help. And the question is usually asked like this: you need a watch for every day from a reputable manufacturer, not a well-worn brand, with a twist for 400-600 rubles. I recommend considering a Japanese watch with such a budget, - says Sergey and shows that he came with Citizen Eco-Drive Super Titanium on his hand. - This is one of my favorite models, and about this I would recommend to half of interested beginners. Instead of a battery (I appreciate the mechanics, but I am aware that quartz is enough for many amateurs), it contains a battery that is charged by light. It will last up to 10 years. The technology is called Eco-Drive. Seiko has a similar energy-saving technology called Kinetic - the battery is charged by movement. Moreover, such watches are relatively affordable and made of a very pleasant and light alloy.

Sergei's set (this is a regularly used part of the collection) consists of ten models.

- Something is chosen according to the mood, something - according to the rules of good taste. For example, it is customary to wear a small-diameter three-pointer with a suit without complications. For example, this one. An interesting watch, although many may doubt the manufacturer - Indian HMT.

- James Bond wore under a suit of Omega, the size of which is not small at all ...

- Dmitry Medvedev wears a Casio G-Shock under his jacket. This is normal. Style boundaries blur. I'm talking about canon rules. For example, Alexander Lukashenko's watches - Patek Philippe Calatrava - fall into the classic style.

There is an intermediate option between classic and casual. I call such a "costume diver" - it's a classic model plus some features. For example, Eterna KonTiki. This iconic model is dedicated to the famous trip of Thor Heyerdahl on the Kon-Tiki raft in 1947. She has already gone through several reprints, but is still popular, including on our forum. However, if there are those who want to call the model pure casual, I will not argue.

Daily hours are suitable for 90% of situations and going out.

Along with large companies, there are micro-brands. Watch enthusiasts accumulate ideas, raise money through crowdfunding, buy mechanisms, order cases and parts. By analogy, these can be called craft watches. At first the production is small, but over time it can grow into a large company. This way, for example, was taken by the British Christopher Ward.

- The Canadian company Cobra De Caliber is one such microbrand. Their watches do not have insane authority in the watchmaking world, but they have a memorable design and interesting functionality: a rotating inner bezel that allows you to measure time intervals. As a result, the entire circulation of these watches has already been sold out, a real hunt has begun for them on specialized watch forums.

- Wrist watches are not a source of information today. It is an accessory and a delight for engineering genius. I cannot at first glance determine the character of the interlocutor, but his watch will help me. For example, there are two people in front of you: one with Tissot, the other with Hamilton. These are brands that are about the same in value, but only the second one betrays a desire to find one's own, interest in a topic, individuality.

All stories about female hunters who can immediately determine the state of a man in a club by his watch are journalistic fictions. Of course, there are experts, but most of them are not. In addition, there are a huge number of replicas that are difficult to distinguish from the original even at a second glance. And there are those that cannot be identified without opening. The level of forgeries is high, although things usually come down to us that do not stand up to scrutiny.

From my point of view, a replica is always bad in everything. Passers-by may not recognize her, but you yourself know the truth. What for? It is dishonest and even dishonest in relation to oneself. Better to prefer a solid Seiko or an honest "Ray".