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Vintage as an everyday watch
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Author:  jhobbs [ Wed Feb 01, 2012 9:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Vintage as an everyday watch
Due to unfortunate financial reasons over the past couple of years my watch collection has dwindled down to 3 watches, all vintage but only one being something I could stand to wear everyday. It is my Breitling Long Playing (pics in this old post - http://www.breitlingsource.com/phpBB2/v ... 11&t=31103) manual wind chrono. I've flipped various $50-$100 watches over the past year, all quartz some digital some analog, but nothing ever really stuck.

Finally decided I'd just wear the Breitling everyday. It was serviced in 2008 and runs well and keeps decent time. It was not pressure tested when I had it serviced so that is the only unknown. I assume it didn't have much if any WR as new so treat it like it doesn't now. But as you can see in the first photo it was rough when I acquired it and looks like it was worn and used fairly hard and came back to life.

So am I being a fool to wear this everyday, all day for most activities?
Author:  Dracha [ Wed Feb 01, 2012 9:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage as an everyday watch
Its a rugged watch , recently serviced and as long as you are not a construction worker wearing it while pouring concrete etc you should be fine
I wear my vintage pieces all the time with the newest aquisition on the wrist until something else comes along , sometimes weeks , sometimes months sometimes a year and then I rotate between my watches
Author:  Roffensian [ Thu Feb 02, 2012 5:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage as an everyday watch
Assume zero water resistance, but otherwise as Dracha says wear it and enjoy it. It's survived this long, it can sure handle being worn :lingsrock:
Author:  rplace [ Thu Feb 02, 2012 5:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage as an everyday watch
I am no expert on watches, but I say there is not point in having ANYTHING you don't use. I'd wear it and enjoy it...you might be dead next week. Hopefully not!
Author:  rick [ Thu Feb 02, 2012 11:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage as an everyday watch
rplace wrote:
I am no expert on watches, but I say there is not point in having ANYTHING you don't use. I'd wear it and enjoy it...you might be dead next week. Hopefully not!

I agree whole heartedly. If you can't enjoy it and keep it hidden in a case there is no since having it. Watches are to wear and enjoy unless they are so dam expensive they need to be kept in a vault. Usually in this case if you can afford the watch you can afford the risk to wear it!!!
Author:  jhobbs [ Thu Feb 02, 2012 2:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage as an everyday watch
Alright, I feel better about my decision. I didn't really think there would be an issue but not being an expert I wanted some opinion. Mostly wanted to make sure someone didn't chime and tell me I needed to be gentle on that old a watch. I am definitely going to enjoying wearing it and not worry too much. If it breaks or the crystal gets scratched or cracked it can be fixed.
Author:  cruvon [ Thu Feb 02, 2012 4:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage as an everyday watch
IMHO vintages are to be used, I use mine almost everyday. Offcourse a little more caution has to be exercised since these usually have a plastic crystal and many are not waterproof or not properly waterproofed.
Author:  jhobbs [ Wed Mar 28, 2012 5:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage as an everyday watch
Roffensian wrote:
Assume zero water resistance, but otherwise as Dracha says wear it and enjoy it. It's survived this long, it can sure handle being worn :lingsrock:


Very glad I always assumed this, and a good suggestion for anyone thinking they might be okay. I had to get a battery put in a watch a few days ago and happened to be wearing my vintage B. I decided to get a new gasket too so after the guy commented that it was all good and passed the pressure test, I asked some questions about how his machines worked, etc. which eventually led to talking about my old B. I asked how much he would charge to do a dry pressure test on it and he offered to do it for free. He ran it twice and both times it failed. Machine read gross failure both times. It was tested at 1 bar and .5 bar.

Interesting though, the guy told me he has had watches fail the dry test but pass using the wet test so he always runs both.

Doubt I'll be getting my watch overhauled any time soon, but for sure it won't be getting wet at all.
Author:  Novacastrian [ Thu Mar 29, 2012 12:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage as an everyday watch
I like the fact that most of my watches have been around longer than i have. Tough little buggers.
Author:  vintage [ Thu Mar 29, 2012 7:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage as an everyday watch
I look at vintage watches like vintage cars, some are drivers and some are garage queens. Most of the vintage Breitlings that pass through my hands are too valuable to risk damaging in just everyday wear, an occasional outing maybe. I mostly wear the more modern Breitlings like Plutons or Aerospaces that are more common and any accidents can be readily corrected. I do wear some vintage watches but usually other brands where the investment isn't as great. For an example Craig just sent me back this Enicar I thought nice enough to save and still large enough to wear. It was a combination of three well worn Enicars that were combined into one piece by Craig's masterful touch. See. he does do other than Breitling too. :wink:

Image
Image
Author:  WatchFred [ Thu Mar 29, 2012 7:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage as an everyday watch
Paul, small world, look what is lying on my desk as a potential repair project:

Image

do u happen to know if crystals are available for this ?
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