My post about King Harald V' GMT-Master reminded me of King Mihai I of Romania' (1921-2017) lifetime companion, a Patek Philippe reference 1518. It was the first perpetual calendar chronograph watch, released in 1941 with only 281 made (including 4 made of steel, the rarest of all).

The second photo of the King was taken either in 1947 or 1948. It's safe to assume that he worn the very same watch for 70 years.

Hi all, I’m looking to get my first vintage timepiece but I SERIOUSLY am struggling to pick between these few. Some feedback would be really helpful. Thanks in advance.

Over 80 years old and still running great! I like my Tissot a lot!!

1960’s space view humming away

Hello vintage lovers,

I know it’s a long shot, but maybe someone know a little bit more about this watch that landed in my collection.

Is a vintage Orfina Chronograph, powered by a Venus cal. 170, with a Stern Freres dial ( from what I could gather ). The condition is superb, and the dial keeps getting better as I look at it more. Any advice, tip or info is much appreciated. Thank you and have a splendid day all!

The mind-blowing experience I've had with a 1970s Roamer Anfibio (Ref. 100 633) I recently picked up has me completely amazed. The cushion case and vintage stance are already gorgeous, but the real shock came when I tested the beast under the hood. Combining the "28,800" (4Hz) reading from the measurements with the "25 Jewels" text on the dial, the only logical explanation is that it houses an ETA movement (likely an ETA 2784 or an early 2824).

According to my tests with the Watch Accuracy Meter app, the watch is currently running at a deviation of only +2 to +3 seconds per day. The beat error is 0.2 ms. Thanks to the 4Hz beat rate, the seconds hand sweeps across the dial smooth as butter. While my modern Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba (with the H-10 movement) averages around 6-7 seconds a day, seeing a 50-year-old caliber run with COSC-level accuracy has absolutely stunned me.

My theory is that since the patented "Anfibio" case is notoriously difficult to open, it managed to avoid being tinkered with by incompetent watchmakers over the decades and survived to this day in such pristine mechanical condition.

Is it really normal to get these kinds of numbers from a 50-year-old movement? Is it just the power of a great regulation, or am I overreacting?

P.S. The last two photos show two different tests taken at different times.

I got this 1968 Omega Genéve in Amsterdam a few weeks ago for about 1850€. It’s gold plated, manual movement, and since the dial is this faded purple color I’d assume it’s more rare then the traditional white dial models. The reference number is 136.041. I bought it from a very reputable antique store over there so I’m not too worried that it’s fake but I’ve yet to get it fully checked out. I believe I got fleeced for spending that much but I wanted to see what anyone else has to say.

So I just purchased this watch as a graduation gift for my sister. Before I gift it to her I wanted to do some research on it. I also need to get it serviced I guess since the description says it’s not running.
I just wanted to know if this is a good vintage watch and potential good graduation present… I know nothing about watches but saw the green accents and thought she would like it.

Hi all,

A while ago I got a great deal on this watch and my initial intent was to restore it for myself, but after having a kid and some other serious life changes, it's just not in the cards anymore.

The main issue with it is the missing red aluminum anodized ring. I'm not sure what the watch is worth without the ring, but the movement and dial seem to be in really good shape. Case isn't bad either despite not being cleaned in god knows how long.

These are pretty rare watches, so it's hard to find anything comparable on the market to check what others have sold for.

Any information or perspective would be greatly appreciated.

Picked up this 1966 Breitling Navitimer ref. 806 and thought r/VintageWatches might appreciate it.

Venus 178 manual-wind movement with the WOG US import marking. I had it inspected by a watchmaker who confirmed the reference/serial, movement authenticity, and assessed the dial and hands as original. It measured 276° amplitude and the chronograph starts, stops and resets perfectly.

Definitely not a safe-queen — the dial and slide rule have developed a ton of patina over the last 60 years — but that's a big part of why I like it. I have no intention of restoring the dial or trying to make it look new.

Really enjoying this one.

New to me Vintage Waltham manual wind R72 movement

Ebay is a dangerous place.

Is it a Sub?

The battery tab is broken out of the movement. Is it worth getting fixed or should I just sell it as is? Are there movements available to swap to? Any rough idea to fix and service?

I’m not well versed in vintage baume mercies watches so I don’t know if this is a good purchase or not. The asking price seems fair to me and it looks like a good watch to me.

Picked up this vintage Wolbrook the other day. I haven’t been able to find out much more about this special dial though. Found a reference to it on an old forum that was the same but an all white bezel and dial with the mermaid but that’s about it. Anyone know more?

Original strap and buckle!

Any idea what this one is, how rare and what it might sell for?

Heuer chronograph, ref. 3647, manual wind Valjoux 92. Dial says “HEUER” only (no “Carrera”), “T SWISS,” matching tritium patina on markers/hands.

Two questions: 1) Can this be dated more precisely given no Carrera text + T Swiss? 2) Is the orange center chrono hand original, or replaced? It looks noticeably fresher than the rest of the dial’s patina.

Picked this Datejust 16013 recently to commemorate a milestone. How’s it look? Everything on the face seem legit?