What's The "New" Vintage Criteria?

[Beef]

I've noticed more and more watches being discussed on this side of the house that never would have been mentioned here a couple of years ago. It was a rare watch that popped up here with more than four digits in it's serial number. Now.....it's common. Not a bad thing, just happening sooner than I thought the advent of ceramic would herald.

So what do you guys think will be new, desirable vintage criteria?

Tritium dials?
Lug holes?
Non-engraved rehauts?

[V.lats97nsx]

In my book 80s is vintage.

[omitohud]

It's subjective. Personally I would only consider 4 digits ref to be vintage, but then again 5513 was made until the 80's. But I think for the intended purpose of this forum, anything made prior to the 90's can be discussed here.


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[locutus49]

Lug holes are now considered vintage by many who own them

Next up: mechanical movements will be vintage.

[Wesley Crusher]

I think of any model that's two generations old as vintage.

[bondtoys]

I personally draw the line from plexi to sapphire

[chland7]

Charm

[applebook]

Originally Posted by bondtoys

I personally draw the line from plexi to sapphire

But something unusual like the matte 168000 (? keep forgetting the reference) with sapphire would be vintage.

[springer]

30-years-old is a nice place to start. There are a few exceptions for me, but "30 plus" is where I'm at for vintage.

[linesiders]

Plexi -v- Sapphire
Lughole -v- No Lugholes
Gilt -&- Matte -v- Gloss
Applied Radium & Tritium -v- Superluminova w/surrounds
4 digits -v- more than 4

Look at it as a bit of a sliding scale - the more you have on the left the more vintage it is. So a Matt 16800 would have lugoles/trit/matte - v 5 digits/sapphire

A gilt dialed, Tudor no CG 7924 is more vintagy than a 78 Sub 5513 which is more vintagy than a 16710

[themaninblack]

Second hand watch dealers have a vested interest in hyping up the vintage angle. Far more romantic to describe a watch as 'vintage' than 'old' or second hand', and therefore easier to justify pricing. Some watch writers and bloggers play along with this game. A 1980's Tudor Sub is now readily described as 'vintage' and will fetch a crazy $5,000 price. It's almost the equivalent of calling a 1980's Land Rover 'vintage' and asking 10 times what it cost when new! It's not vintage, it's just an old fairly mass-produced watch. There is no scarcity, it's not rare, you can go online any day and find 50 or more of them for sale. I know one dealer who has nearly a dozen put away and he trickles them out including 2 BNIB which he will really cash in on one day. Now I like Tudors including my old one and am delighted that I can fetch a crazy price for it. I like Land Rovers too but I don't think anyone will hand over $250,000 for a "nicely worn" 1985 Defender with "plenty of patina".

Okay, I admit, watches are not exactly the same as cars, to me vintage is a personal or subjective term. I regard it as being, if not before my lifetime then at least well before I was an adult.

[Baco Noir]

Yeah, the blue Tudor Snowflake prices have gotten out of hand.

Plexi, tritium, matte and lug holes define vintage for me.


Sent from my iPhone and I blame autocorrect for any spellin' errs!

[Tools]

You shouldn't stick your head in the sand and say "this is the absolute requirements for vintage" although some still want to exclude sapphire examples. Many models will fall into the vintage category because they certainly aren't "modern".

16760's
16700's
16800's
168000's
16660's
16550's


and the list grows..

[Old Expat Beast]

The sapphire criterion doesn't hold water. Plenty of 1970s models out there with sapphire crystals, with five digit refs, too.

[Showcall]

Originally Posted by Beef

I've noticed more and more watches being discussed on this side of the house that never would have been mentioned here a couple of years ago. It was a rare watch that popped up here with more than four digits in it's serial number. Now.....it's common. Not a bad thing, just happening sooner than I thought the advent of ceramic would herald.

So what do you guys think will be new, desirable vintage criteria?

Tritium dials?
Lug holes?
Non-engraved rehauts?

IMOP 30years old "technically" Means Vintage

[Showcall]

Originally Posted by Baco Noir

Yeah, the blue Tudor Snowflake prices have gotten out of hand.

Plexi, tritium, matte and lug holes define vintage for me.


Sent from my iPhone and I blame autocorrect for any spellin' errs!

"Nipple Dials"

[iclick]

Originally Posted by bondtoys

I personally draw the line from plexi to sapphire

In reality it is a blur and we can see how many opinions we see here. For me, if I were to start a discussion of one of my 20YO Tudor big-block chronos I would place it in the vintage section of TRF. That would also satisfy the plexi and two-generation-old criteria already presented.

[b5audia4]

My own criteria for "vintage" would be matte dials and no surrounds around plots.

[jdmi32]

I'm in the 30+ yrs. camp.

[The_Walrus]

Originally Posted by b5audia4

My own criteria for "vintage" would be matte dials and no surrounds around plots.

I agree with this- WG surrounds signifies modern (or non-vintage) in my book

[NukeMan]

Originally Posted by jdmi32

I'm in the 30+ yrs. camp.

Yup, me too. In my head vintage refers to age and not scarcity or how old-school the watch looks/operates.

[joe100]

So nothing has changed since the last 15 threads on this? Lol

[Beef]

Originally Posted by joe100

So nothing has changed since the last 15 threads on this? Lol

In one sense, no, Joe. But in another I'm seeing more GMTs and SeaDwellers that were produced in the last 8-10 years discussed here. There does seem to a shift. My collection ranges from a 1958 5508 to a 42mm Explorer II, so I love 'Em all. To a point. Not many of the new ceramic issues float my boat.

[Tudor Fan]

Originally Posted by The_Walrus

I agree with this- WG surrounds signifies modern (or non-vintage) in my book

Agreed.

[rootbeer7]

Perhaps a more apt description for some of the newer vintage models would be 'classic'. I'm thinking 80s 5513 for examples or later model 16750s?

[Porsche958]

Personally I consider some WG surround dials vintage, like my 30 year old fat lady.

[clock]

IMO, as a general rule:
Acrylic crystal and matte or gilt dial.

[Fabrice M]

I just had my 1960 airkking serviced ( for the first time in over 30 years ) at Rolex Beverly hills. Anything over 20 years is considered vintage and automatically sent to Dallas which I guess is the only service center authorize to work on 20+ rolex watches.

[crowncollection]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

The sapphire criterion doesn't hold water. Plenty of 1970s models out there with sapphire crystals, with five digit refs, too.

Agreed

Have a few 18000 series myself definitely vintage IMHO

[landroverking]

Not again plz.