That’s the beauty of vintage watch collecting. The provenance of this particular watch came originally from Newman’s wife, Joanne Woodward who presented it as a gift in 1968, then via Newman’s daughter’s boyfriend 15 years later, who was, in turn, gifted the watch, with a diversion through south wales and then back to California.
The point is, it’s been on a journey. A journey that could, at any point, have found its way into a locked drawer in the Gower Peninsular (bear with me!) or ended up on a collectors shelf in a west country dealer (whimsical I know). But that’s just it. Once a quality vintage timepiece is despatched into the world there is simply no way of knowing where that journey will lead. And history doesn’t just make men wise, it makes watches valuable!
So if you’re wondering whether that old Rolex you locked in a cupboard 20 years ago might be worth more than you paid for it, then the answer is almost certainly yes. However the real question should be, why the hell are you not wearing it!
Because there can be very few things in life where an increase in value is matched stride for stride, by an increase in wear-ability. Everyone from famous actors (I’m looking at you Ryan Reynolds) to sports stars and politicians are recognising the inherent value of vintage in terms of statement pieces. For the rich, spending £50,000 on a Patek is actually quite a simple process. It’s about money. However, wearing a 1960’s immaculate vintage piece that may have lived through turbulent times speaks to an altogether different thing. It’s about class and sophistication. An appreciation of an art form and mechanical genius that, in its most basic form, hasn’t changed in decades. It’s the difference between wearing a piece to show people and wearing a piece you can actually talk about.
But for me, the real beauty of this passion (and I can’t believe more people aren’t embracing this) is that you can have all that Kudos and joy whilst still protecting your money and investing in something that can only ever really appreciate.
According to a recent Mail On Sunday article, which referenced the sale of the Newman Daytona, vintage watches could yield on average 5% per annum in terms of value. Pah! – Firstly I think 5% might be on the lower side of value but the real story here is what else in life can give you a return like that with such a visceral joy of ownership. Who needs an ISA yielding 4% per annum when you could have a classic 1968 Omega Speedmaster yielding not only north of 5% in yield terms, but also countless envious questions and admiring glances as well as style kudos. It’s not even a choice really is it?
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As we all know and Omega are taking huge pride in publicising this year marks the 50thAnniversary of the Moon landing and Omega Speedmaster Professional watches accompanying Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong on to the lunar surface. It is also the year that Omega will re-launch the 321 Chronograph movement, a design that was the corner stone of the chronograph range from the mid 1950’s until the end of the 1960’s and is considered to be one of the most important chronograph movements of the 20thcentury.
As we all know Rolex is without doubt the most famous watch ‘brand’ in the world and indeed one of the most famous ‘brands’ full stop. Much of this is pinned down to their continual marketing and promotion of ‘brand Rolex’ along side the subtle innovation and fine tuning of watches such as the submariner. In my humble opinion the Speedmaster Professional Moon watch simply must be a close second, a watch that has gone through dozens of design tweaks and innovations, including numerous movements yet is instantly recognisable with a design that hasn’t changed to the layman since 1965 with the introduction of the 105.012-65.
Omega, like Rolex have pushed this watch in to the realms of stardom, they could not have marketed brand ‘moonwatch’ more if they tried, however what remains at the core of it is a watch that was introduced in 1957 and has changed very little ever since, despite being a completely different watch today than it was in 1957.
It is the only watch in Omegas range that has remained unchanged for decades and despite highs and lows for the company has never been dropped from their line up.
So what makes the Speedmaster Professional ‘Moonwatch’ so special, well its that Omega took a design, refined it and produced a watch that could withstand virtually everything man and space could throw at it. A watch that they have had the foresight not to ‘reinvent’ but to refine, it really is evolution not revolution. Whilst Omega themselves are one of the most innovative watch houses of the 20thCentury the Moonwatch is truly a watch that gives any Rolex a run for its money in regards to surviving the test of time and being as popular today as it ever has been.
The Moonwatch is a must for every discerning watch collector and what makes it so special is that it can be bought from as little as £2000 or as much as £200,000, yet on the wrist feel priceless.
]]>Although commonplace now, quartz technology in 1969 was the equivalent of Porsche releasing a flying car today, the technology was an industrial revolution overnight and brought untold potential and wonders to the watchmaking world.
The first quartz watches produced by the Swiss watch industry came in the form of beta 21, a watch so expensive to design that over 15 different watch houses went in together to fund the project. This first movement combined mechanical technology with modern advancements in the form of tuning forks and quartz circuitry, power not by a traditional balance but by a battery. The beta 21 was showcased in 1969 and went into production the following year, adopted by Rolex, Patek Phillip and a number of others but extensively used by Omega, who produced the Electroquartz.
The Omega Electroquartz was their flagship watch, priced way beyond anything else in the range. It boasted 5 seconds per month accuracy, compared to circa 5 seconds per day for the very best mechanical chronometers from any Swiss brand, including Omega.
Swiftly after Omega released the Electroquartz they began working on a top-secret project, a project that would ultimately cost 30,000,000 Swiss francs and would see a total production of only 9000 watches between 1974 and 1978. A watch that was beyond the reach of the average man and in its most expensive form cost more than a new Porsche. The watch was shown at the Basel fair in 1970, boasting an accuracy of 12 seconds per year, a feat that has seldom been achieved since.
It went into production in 1974, released to the market initially in two forms, the Megaquartz F2.4Mhz and the Megaquartz F2.4Mhz ‘Marine Chronometer’, the first and one of the only watches to be certified by the Besancon institute as a Marine Chronometer.
This marvel of watchmaking was eye wateringly expensive, it came (in Megquartz format) with a range of dials, most famously the ‘Stardust dial’, boasting a hand made dial layered with aventurine crystal that sparkled like the night sky. They even made an example in 18K solid gold, weighing near half a kilo and with a retail price in 1974 of a V12 Jaguar E-Type.
The watch was a marvel of technology, a huge quartz circuit and motor unit kept the watch accurate or 12 seconds per year, they are still as accurate today as they were then. The movement was a design masterpiece, modular in construction and showing many of the hallmarks of a mechanical watch despite being quartz.
It is rumoured that Omega lost huge sums of money on every watch but that wasn’t their mission, they aimed to make a watch which couldn’t be surpassed in accuracy and they achieved it.
Today these watches are highly sought after and highly collectable, they are truly a marvel of both design and technology and it is testament to Omegas vision that over 40 years later few watch makers have achieved the level of accuracy that this watch achieved.
]]>I am delighted to have met some of the most genuine people I know through my ‘hobby’ and now I am lucky enough to have been able to take my interest and expand it through this web site. I hope and trust you will enjoy your visit and please feel free to drop me a line with any comments and feedback, even if it’s to point out any obvious flaws and ways to improve things!
Kind regards
Tony.
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