Let me say upfront that the murky world of vintage watches is quite rightly the subject of many books. This little story is just one personal experience, but it does contain a lesson for the unwary and it does have a happy ending.
The world of watches has many twists and turns. Vintage watches add a layer of complexity probably because it is so desirable to have an old watch that proves quality workmanship is forever, but also because it is so easy to fake that quality with something that isn’t what it seems. Originality is very important here.
My story starts with an interesting looking Seiko 6119 which had an unusual dial layout and appeared in good condition but taught me the importance of checking details.
The stainless steel case was relatively unscathed and the dial appeared in good condition. The interesting feature was a day window at 9 o’clock while the date window was at the more traditional 3 o’clock. That positioning gave a symmetry that I am surprised more watchmakers don’t adopt. (The older I get, the more inquisitive I become about what day it is.)
The watch was working, with reservations, and I decided it was probably worth the $80 or so asked on eBay. And this is a good time to get things into perspective. Yes, I made a mistake buying this watch but $80 is not a lot of money in watch terms and selling off the parts would certainly recoup that outlay plus a profit.
I actually had the watch assessed by a professional watch repairer, but he identified a number of issues requiring a full rebuild. The repair quote at around ten times the purchase price didn’t exactly fill me with joy. This was one of those frustrating watches that looked good, and was actually working, but not reliable enough for daily wear.
As it turned out, I should have known better. There were three things I should have picked up from the eBay photos when I originally made the purchase. The case back was from a Seiko model 6119-8470, the dial was from a model 6119-7130, and the case design matched neither of those references. This was a watch made from various parts from different watches and all assembled to create a tempting offer for the unwary.
Well, now I am wary, and better prepared for future vintage purchases. In the meantime I will put this watch to good use. The professional watch repairer said it basically needed years of gunk removed with a full strip down so this could become my first strip down - an exciting prospect.
I should mention that my four other vintage watch purchases have been more successful. There was the beautiful and rare Seiko Bellmatic 4006-6071 I purchased with the knowledge that it required work but sold on to a watch repairer for a small profit. This led to another Seiko Bellmatic (4006-6037) I purchased from the original owner with its original box and papers and is in outstanding, near mint condition.
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| Seiko 7006-6010 |
On reflection, four out of five is probably a pretty good success rate with vintage watches. I hope you have a similar experience if you choose to go down that path.
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