Vintage Watches
Vintage watches can be defined as mechanical watches made prior to the 1970's quartz revolution. Because of the popularity of mass produced quartz watches, most watch companies that produced vintage mechanical
watches have since gone out of business. Several other companies that were once bold leaders in the watch making industry have consolidated and been absorbed into a few large watch houses that share mass
produced parts. Unfortunately, they now bear little resemblance to the proud pioneering companies that originally bore their name. With very few exceptions, they just don't make them like they used to.
Some are fortunate enough to have antique watches handed down to them as family heirlooms from father to son or mother to daughter. Others seek them out for their vintage appearance and nostalgic charm. Some are
drawn to their intricate mechanical workings that control complicated chronograph, calendar, alarm, moon phase or tidal data. Some buy them as quality investments or for their fancy solid gold case design.
Vintage watches afford us the opportunity to wear or collect something truly rare and unique and yet at the same time, magically familiar. Vintage watches are for those who seek quality, craftsmanship and style as a
reflection of a lost era, a lost art.
For all these reasons, antique watches are becoming more, and more popular today as people look to the past for something that they cannot buy new at the mega-mall or department store.
How to wind mechanical watch?
1: Check to see if it has a screw-down crown, if it does unscrew it to ready it for winding. If, when you start to wind the crown, it starts to screw itself back in, you may need to gently pull the crown out one stop.
If you have a normal crown, i.e., non-screw-down, you can just wind it without any preliminaries.
2: Wind the watch by turning the crown clockwise a number of complete revolutions. With the watch face-up in your left hand, pinch the crown between your right forefinger and thumb and rotate the crown clockwise. "Clockwise" means rotating it away from you. Wind slowly and consistently. Wind the crown as far as you can in each turn and then release it and start again.
3: Wind it this way until you start to feel some increased resistance. Be patient. For a completely unwound mainspring, this can take from 20 to more than 40 or 50 revolutions.
4: After you feel resistance stop winding. NB: Some watch experts suggest that you wind the crown backwards (counter clockwise) five or six turns. This may help re-distribute some lubricant, and, in the case of some early or special models, it may relieve some strain on the watch's inner workings. In any case, doing this "back-winding" won't harm your watch.
Many people prefer to wind a watch using a rocking motion, i.e., alternating rotating the crown clockwise and then counter-clockwise. You can wind the watch in this way without having to remove your fingers from the crown. This has exactly the same effect on winding the mainspring as the clockwise-only approach, and it has the added benefit of putting a little back-wind into each cycle.
If you have a manual wind watch, try to wind it at the same time every day. Winding it in the morning is best because you will have consistent power throughout the day. This may also contribute to more accurate timekeeping.
When the watch is fully wound you will feel resistance as the mainspring tightens. That's enough winding. Don't try and force it any further. You could damage both the mainspring and components in the escapement.
When winding a manual wind watch, it is advisable to take off the watch. If you keep the watch on while you wind it, you may put unnecessary strain on the winding stem at all points but particularly where the stem attaches to the winding crown.
What about Automatics? Some self-winding mechanical watches (also known as "automatics") can also be wound manually. Check your documentation to see if your watch can be hand wound. If it can, you may want to wind it, at least several revolutions, each day to insure an adequate power reserve, or, if its power reserve has run out and the watch has stopped, you can wind it to give it a jump start.
Mechanical Watch care & Maintenance
Please remember that vintage watches have survived for many decades by being treated well. Vintage watches are not for wearing while doing yard work, working out, or swimming. They are a little more destructible than modern watches. Vintage watches also require periodic service and cleaning. Every couple of years, they would like their 20,000 mile check up, oil change, and general service. By taking care of your vintage watch, you will have years of great service, and a quality heirloom to pass to another generation.
Glossary
Bezel --The top part of the case that surrounds the crystal.
Brassing --When the case has been worn down through the gold fill or plate exposing the underlying metal, usually brass. See also "wear through" below.
CLD --Pronounced "sealed". Hamilton's early attempt at waterproofing a watch. Cases usually have a front opening bezel with a rubber gasket. This did not work very well.
Crown --The winder knob.
Crystal --The glass or acrylic part. Originally many of these were glass when scratched they were unrepairable. Later watches had acrylic [plastic] which could be buffed out. Most replacement crystals are acrylic.
Dial --The "face" of the watch. These were usually silver on vintage hamiltons.
Gold Filled --A mechanical process of sandwiching a base metal with real gold. The layer of gold is thicker than "rolled gold plate", or "gold plate".
Hooded Lugs --When the metal of the case covers [or "hoods"] the connection of the band so the connection is not seen.
Jewels --Usually a synthetic red sapphire used in wear points to lessen friction.
Lugs --The protrusions at the ends of the bezel that the band pins and band attach to.
Markers --The painted or applied details on the dial which take the place of numbers.
Mint --An evaluation of the condition of the watch. This means that the watch is as originaly purchased. Can also refer to one part such as a "mint" dial.
Movement --The actual "works" of the watch.
NOS--New Old Stock --Sometimes original watches or parts are found in old inventories of dealers or watchmakers.
Redial --A redial is when the original dial is refinished. A professional refinisher will strip the old finish off of the dial and reapply all markings--hopefully back to original.
Sub second --When the second hand has a different location on the dial than the hour and minute hands. The sub seconds are usually in the "6" position.
Tank --Originaly, this referred only to the style of case which had an "H" shape. The shape looked like a military tank viewed from above. Now, this refers to all rectangular and square shaped cases.
Wear through --When the case has been worn through both the gold fill and the base metal. Sometimes this is just from wearing the watch over years. This can also occur because of the tension that the gold fill is under on sharp corners of the case--most usually the lugs.
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