Great news: you don’t need a PhD in horology. Here are the basics.

A. Vintage watches are old. They’ve lived lives, seen things, and probably spent time in a drawer next to some tax returns.

B. They’re not perfect. Patina, tiny marks, warm aging — that’s the point.

C. They need care. Mechanical watches of any age eventually need service. Vintage ones need it a little sooner.

D. They’re unique — some rare.

Over decades, watches get lost, tossed, scrapped for parts, or simply disappear into someone’s heirloom box forever. That means the supply shrinks while demand grows. A lot of the pieces you see here are one-of-a-kind in the wild, and when they’re gone… they’re gone.

If that all sounds charming instead of stressful, you’re in the right place.

They’re not quartz. They’re not SpaceX telemetry. A good vintage mechanical watch might run within 10–30 seconds a day, sometimes better, sometimes mood-dependent. If you need second-by-second precision, you might want to consider quartz or a digital watch. No shame in either.

Because in the 1940s–1970s, nobody was trying to wear a wall clock on their wrist.

Most men’s watches were 34–36mm, and guess what? They still look fantastic by today's standards. Try one before you judge. There’s a reason “classic sizing” has made a comeback.

A few classics:

• Only shopping the big names

• Buying junk or fakes off Etsy

• Thinking 34mm is “too small”

• Expecting modern waterproofing

• Expecting modern accuracy

• Forgetting these watches have lived through actual decades

If you avoid those, you’re already ahead of the game.

No. Absolutely not.

Do not shower with them. Do not swim with them. Do not sauna, steam room, hot tub, or baptize anyone with them.

Vintage watches and water are not friends.

Yes, you can wash your hands. BUT NOT TOO MUCH.