Top 5 Vintage Watches Under 3,000 Euro
Written by Maximilian T. on December 18, 2018
1. Omega Seamaster
The Omega Seamaster is an all-time favorite. It was introduced in the 1950ties and “survived” all ups and downs of the watch industry for about 70 years and nothing indicates that this will end. Nearly all (despite the very first) models feature a seahorse logo on the case back, which is easy to fall in love with. It’s also interesting to note, that the Seamaster was born as a “sporty dress watch” and developed over time towards a gentleman’s (diver) watch. Since 1998, when James Bond (played by Pierce Brosnan) wore this model in Golden Eye, the demand for Seamasters skyrocketed as the watch suddenly became really, really cool. The best thing about this watch is that it is highly collectable, especially in its vintage versions. You can have 30 of them and every will look different from the others. Prices start from 700 Euro for steel models and and from 1300 Euro for solid gold ones, and from 1600 Euro for solid pink gold models, that were produced in very little numbers compared to yellow gold models. The Vintage Seamaster is one of our best-selling models and we are working hard to always have plenty of them on stock. See all our Omega Seamaster watches.
2. Omega Constellation
Introduced in the 1950ties, the Omega Constellation was the more expensive and slightly more elegant version of the Omega Seamaster. Best is to compare these two models with cars. A Seamaster would be Audi’s sporty A6 model whereas the Constellation is more comparable to an elegant Audi A8. Both became best sellers. In todays market it’s often eclipsed by the Seamaster, but we think the Constellation – especially the pie-pan dial models in all their variations – are therefore terribly undervalued, somewhat under-appreciated. This may change completely in the next years and therefore these Constellations may be a great opportunity for investment. All Constellations feature, beside their Observatory Logo on the back, a Chronometer Certified Automatic movement. It makes them (theoretically) more accurate than standard watches, being adjusted to 5 positions and temperature. This Chronometer movement is industry standard for today’s watchmaking but was really impressive back then and has a lot of collectors value. Prices start at about 800 Euro for “C-Shaped” (end 60ties) models, become higher for the Classic Calatrava Cased models of the early 60ties and especially for Pie Pan dials which start at 1200 Euro. A premium is paid for special dial variants (honeycomb, hobnail or linen) or precious metal cases. See all our Omega Constellation watches.
3. Omega Oversize // Jumbo
Today everybody loves Oversized Vintage Watches. Particularly, if they are from a “big brand” and feature a stainless-steel case. To understand the market dynamics behind these watches we need to take a leap back in time to the 30ties, 40ties and 50ties, which is considered as the best time in watchmaking history. Back then, Frank Sinatra was singing and a cocktail was considered as a drink which had only three components. Ladies watches were perfectly fine being not bigger than the size of an average finger nail and the standard size for a gentleman’s wristwatch was 32-34mm. People were proud of their small cased watches because it was a lot more difficult to produce a properly working movement for a small watch than for a big one. The smaller the watch movement (and consequently the watch case), the more complicated the movement and the more expensive and desirable it was back then. Big cased models were produced only for very seldom occasions – for instance, military or scientific purposes. For those, big dials were needed to make time easily readable.
That being said, back in today’s time, market demand changed – a lot – and suddenly a small number of oversized models face a massive consumer demand. Both, because of their wonderful 37-38mm case size but also because rare things are extremely desirable in general. Oversized / Jumbo Omegas (in 37 and 38mm cases) are available between 1000 and 2000 Euro in our shop. There is a premium for special dial variants. Especially desirable are unrestored two-tone dials which start around 3000 Euro. These watches are so desirable, that we already sold two of these Oversize models to the Omega Museum in Switzerland. See all our Omega Oversize/Jumbo watches.
4. Rolex Datejust
There is no question that Rolex is the best-known watch manufacture on the planet, world-wide. Particularly the Datejust can be considered the mother of all modern wristwatches, since it was introduced in the late 40ties in 36mm and with a Jubilee style bracelet. It was worn by many leaders of the world and until today, the Rolex Datejust is a watch that you can wear to basically any outfit. From a t-shirt to a tailored suit, you will never be dressed wrong.
There are three basic vintage references – the 1600 (smooth steel bezel), the 1601 (gold bezel), and the 1603 (engined turned steel bezel) that feature a plexi glas and cost arround 3000 Euro. Slightly more expensive are the saphire-glased models that range around 4000 Euro.
There are lot of configurations to choose from and you never can go wrong! You can wear your Datejust on a Jubilee bracelet, or also with a handmade Vintage Ecru Leather strap that may compliment your personal style even better. See all our Rolex Datejust watches.
5. Breitling Top Time
In the 1960s, Breitling launched a new model called the “Top Time”. It was an instant success. This line was created in order to attract a new generation of new clientele for the company, which up to that point was best known for its heritage around the aviation theme. The Top Time offered a new angle on the brand’s product range, with lots of variants of case and dial designs that made it more appealing to a wider audience.
The best about these models is their “Vintage Rolex Daytona” Design and their fairly large 38mm case. Sometimes the sub dials have a sharp but instantly appealing contrast color to the base color of the dial, as you know it from “Panda” or “Reverse Panda” Daytona dials. Top Times usually come as a two-register chronograph but there were also slightly larger three register ones on the market. These Top Times blend perfectly in every watch collection. Prices range between 2500 and 3000 Euro for most models. See all our Breitling Top Time watches.
Best regards,
Maximilian
Founder of Vintage Portfolio