Watch this

 

A few years ago now, my wife bought me an Armani branded watch for my birthday. Nothing extravagant, but a well made watch that looks good and keeps good time. I like it. But a couple of months ago I lost it. Or, rather, I thought I'd lost it. I was very fond of the watch, so I missed it, but was comfortable that I'd had the enjoyment of it for a good number of years, and set about looking for a replacement. I started looking into brands like Citizen. Well made, good reputation, but not extravagant, flashy, or stupidly expensive. Each to their own, but someone who is spending several thousands on a watch is not buying a watch, they are trying to buy credibility and image. They probably have no idea what movement is inside the watch, or why it is so expensive. And, oddly, the really stupidly expensive watches do not have elegant, interesting, creative, or cool designs - they tend to look cluttered and over engineered. I assume it's because someone who is spending thousands of pounds wants their watch to look busy to justify the price, and doesn't really have an appreciation of cool design. 

Anyway, one of the things that I liked about Citizen watches is that they make every part of the watch. And that, I felt, was in marked contrast to my Armani watch, which was not made by Armani (I don't know who makes it - I shall take a look inside it at some point), but is simply branded Armani.  

That got me exploring other watch companies that made their own watches. So, I wasn't looking for branded watches now, I was looking for the  mechanics of the watches, and the history of watches. And as I was looking, I became aware, first of all, of  the interest in vintage Russian watches: Sekonda, Raketa, etc. And then Indian watches, and then Swiss watches from the lesser known Swiss watch companies. And that it is possible to buy well made and interesting vintage watches for very little money. 

Then my Armani watch turned up - it had slipped down the side of the sofa. At that point I hadn't bought a replacement watch - I was still looking. But what surprised me was that instead of being pleased that my watch had been returned to me, I was a little disappointed because I was enjoying the hunt for a replacement. 

So, I decided that I would start collecting vintage watches (and other watches that may catch my eye). I know very little about watches, so I will be learning as I go along. Making mistakes, making discoveries, learning and having fun. And using this blog to record what I learn and what I buy.