Vintage watches vs. Modern watches

What’s the smarter buy: A vintage watch or a modern watch? With so many amazing modern styles available today, and brilliant remakes of vintage designs, is it better to invest in new technologies and materials, or should you invest in a classic piece that has a history behind it?

Before you start your hunt, weight up the pros and cons, to help you choose the perfect watch for you, that will suit your unique needs and your own personal style. There are loads of great pros to both sides, but of course some negatives too. Read on to help you choose whether to invest in a vintage watch or a modern watch…

Reliability

The first thing to consider when looking at buying a new or old watch is how reliable it will be. While you might love the idea of owning a piece with a lot of history behind it, the last thing you want it to have a lot of work done on it, which can end up costing a lot too.

If you’re looking for something low maintenance, a vintage watch may not be right for you. While watches of the past were built to stand the test of time, they may frequently suffer issues and need pieces replacing, whereas modern watches are built using the latest technologies and materials, meaning replacing pieces will occur far less frequently.

With a modern watch, it is likely you will only ever have to replace the battery, whereas a vintage watch could require regular work.

Style

One of the main areas that will influence your decision when it comes to choosing a watch is style. Style is so unique, making it difficult to advise precisely what you should go for. When it comes to choosing between a vintage piece and a new watch, it’s important to think about your own style, and the items you already own.

If you regularly hunt through vintage and antique stores, it might make sense to take the same approach to finding a watch, but it’s important to consider the makers name and the condition of every piece you look at. If you are set on buying an antique piece, it might be worth having it serviced as soon as possible, to avoid any costly repairs in the future.

If you’re keen on the idea of a vintage style, without the additional complications, there some fantastic modern designs that capture that vintage look and feel perfectly.

Our Classic Collection takes inspiration from timeless styles from years gone by, but uses modern technology, to create an elegant timepiece that’s vintage in style, but reliable and hardwearing.

For a style that won’t go out of fashion, try our Classic Tan watch. With a tan leather wrist strap, gold casing, white watch face and gold watch hands, this is the perfect style for vintage lovers who want something low maintenance.

If you’re leaning towards a modern piece, there are loads of charming watches to choose from. Just because a watch is modern, doesn’t mean it won’t last, in fact today’s watches are made to be super durable, as well as stylish too.

We love our Bolt Gold Gun watch, for a modern piece that’s on trend, but won’t go out of fashion any time soon. It’s a great option if you’re looking for something low maintenance and stylish.

Features

Another element worth considering is the technical features within your watch. The watches of yesteryear didn’t come with all of the technical features that we now expect as standard. Watches that date back to before the 1950s are unlikely to provide movements with any form of protection against shock, and early waterproof cases didn’t work like today’s waterproof options. Vintage watches shouldn’t be taken near water, or even damp, which can prove a little annoying when you are wearing your watch on a daily basis.

There was some attempt at protecting the magnetic field of the watch in vintage watches, but this wasn’t even remotely as advanced as today’s technologies.

It is also important to remember that most vintage watches will require manual winding, where as with modern watches this isn’t necessary.

Once again it comes down to how much maintenance you are happy putting into your watch. For those who are happy to restore a vintage piece and accept that a vintage watch can’t be used in the same way as a modern watch, an antique piece might work well. But for those who would prefer something stylish, easy to look after and with modern day features, a new watch is the better choice.

Overall, the benefits of a modern watch outweigh the benefits of a vintage watch. When it comes to vintage watches, it’s all about style, but with fantastic vintage inspired watches available today, there are few positives to choosing a genuine antique piece. For those who are dead set on an older watch, your hunt starts in vintage boutiques and at antique events. For those who want to choose style, substance, reliability and modern features, your search starts here: https://www.lordtimepieces.com/collections/all