Vintage?

[Speedbird-1]

Given that an 'Antique' is generally accepted to be at least 100 years old.

What is the current date for a watch to qualify as being 'Vintage'?

[upsidedownbelt]

25 years.

[swish77]

Well, if you go over to the vintage section of the forum, you'll see this topic discussed often. I mean a lot, with dozens of threads about it.

Bottom line: There is no definitive definition in the watch world. You can't boil it down to just a number of years. For example, 25 years ago, Rolexes all came with sapphire crystals and were close to switching over to luminova from tritium. Those are not vintage, IMHO. (Those models are often called "neo-vintage."

For me, a vintage Rolex needs, at a minimum, an acrylic crystal and tritium (or radium). Some guys don't consider any five-digit models as vintage, so it all depends on perspective.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by swish77

Well, if you go over to the vintage section of the forum, you'll see this topic discussed often. I mean a lot, with dozens of threads about it.

Bottom line: There is no definitive definition in the watch world. You can't boil it down to just a number of years. For example, 25 years ago, Rolexes all came with sapphire crystals and were close to switching over to luminova from tritium. Those are not vintage, IMHO.

For me, a vintage Rolex needs, at a minimum, an acrylic crystal and tritium (or radium). Some guys don't consider any five-digit models as vintage, so it all depends on perspective.

Have to agree I would most certainly not call any Rolex vintage if just 25 years old in general like you state acrylic crystals.

[Justinmg]

Originally Posted by swish77

Well, if you go over to the vintage section of the forum, you'll see this topic discussed often. I mean a lot, with dozens of threads about it.

Bottom line: There is no definitive definition in the watch world. You can't boil it down to just a number of years. For example, 25 years ago, Rolexes all came with sapphire crystals and were close to switching over to luminova from tritium. Those are not vintage, IMHO. (Those models are often called "neo-vintage."

For me, a vintage Rolex needs, at a minimum, an acrylic crystal and tritium (or radium). Some guys don't consider any five-digit models as vintage, so it all depends on perspective.

Agree! Acrylic crystal and tritium is a must

[johnliley]

what about the 1630 and the 1530 nearly 50 years old and first Rolex Date and Datejusts with sapphire crystals? ah ha.. ;)

[SN13]

Originally Posted by upsidedownbelt

25 years.

OOF.

In this thread I learned that my 30 year old 16628 and 35 year old 18038 are both Vintage.

I've gotta move my posts to the vintage forums!

Check out my Vintage watch w/ Tritium!

[Tools]

And so what was "vintage" in the 80's when everything was "acrylic and tritium"; are some of you saying that vintage didn't exist then?

Vintage is a moving target. If you stick your head in the sand and proclaim that it starts and stops at a certain date (which the above nonsense implies), then you are saying that dozens of models that have been discontinued for decades are "modern".

[afmars]

Originally Posted by Tools

And so what was "vintage" in the 80's when everything was "acrylic and tritium"; are some of you saying that vintage didn't exist then?

Vintage is a moving target. If you stick your head in the sand and proclaim that it starts and stops at a certain date (which the above nonsense implies), then you are saying that dozens of models that have been discontinued for decades are "modern".

Ding ding ding!

[bp1000]

Anything that is older than when I was born

Got to be pre 1980's

[johnliley]

Originally Posted by Tools

And so what was "vintage" in the 80's when everything was "acrylic and tritium"; are some of you saying that vintage didn't exist then?

Vintage is a moving target. If you stick your head in the sand and proclaim that it starts and stops at a certain date (which the above nonsense implies), then you are saying that dozens of models that have been discontinued for decades are "modern".

Boom

[SN13]

Originally Posted by Tools

And so what was "vintage" in the 80's when everything was "acrylic and tritium"; are some of you saying that vintage didn't exist then?

Vintage is a moving target. If you stick your head in the sand and proclaim that it starts and stops at a certain date (which the above nonsense implies), then you are saying that dozens of models that have been discontinued for decades are "modern".

Submariner Models and years:

6200 1955
6204 1953
6205 1953–1957
6536 1954–1958
6536/1 1955–1961
A/6538 1957
6538 1958-1961
5508 1958–1965
5510 1959
5512 1959–1978
5513 1962–1990
5513/17 1972–1978
5514 1972–1978
5517 1972–1978
1680 1966–1981
16800 1977–1987
168000 1987
16610 1988–2010
14060/M 1990–2012
114060 2012–2020
116610 2010–2020

How about any model that's been OUT OF PRODUCTION for more than 25 years?

a 16610 from 2010 is not vintage, and since it's the same model as from 1988 I don't think I consider either "vintage". But since the 1680XX series have been out of production for more than 25 years I can get down with that as Vintage.

[101031-28]

Originally Posted by Tools

And so what was "vintage" in the 80's when everything was "acrylic and tritium"; are some of you saying that vintage didn't exist then?

Vintage is a moving target. If you stick your head in the sand and proclaim that it starts and stops at a certain date (which the above nonsense implies), then you are saying that dozens of models that have been discontinued for decades are "modern".

Originally Posted by SN13

How about any model that's been OUT OF PRODUCTION for more than 25 years?

a 16610 from 2010 is not vintage, and since it's the same model as from 1988 I don't think I consider either "vintage". But since the 1680XX series have been out of production for more than 25 years I can get down with that as Vintage.

Agree with both

[Guinness58]

I agree that vintage means different things to different people. I do not consider my 1997 16610 to be vintage (I bought it new, it is still new in my eyes). Although when I was looking up information on the bracelet (93150) and end links (501B) I found the best posts in the vintage forum. Feel my watch and I are dancing on the edge of modern despite it having sapphire crystal and Luminova hands and indices.

No plans to ever sell the watch, it may well be considered vintage at some point while I am wearing it.

[Case61]

Originally Posted by SN13

OOF.

In this thread I learned that my 30 year old 16628 and 35 year old 18038 are both Vintage.

I've gotta move my posts to the vintage forums!

Check out my Vintage watch w/ Tritium!

I have nothing to contribute to the "vintage" discussion, but WOW is that gorgeous.

[MoosicPa]

Originally Posted by Justinmg

Agree! Acrylic crystal and tritium is a must

Originally Posted by johnliley

what about the 1630 and the 1530 nearly 50 years old and first Rolex Date and Datejusts with sapphire crystals? ah ha.. ;)

Or my King Midas 9630 from the 1960's, the first Rolex to have a synthetic crystal?

https://www.watchbrotherslondon.com/...nly-references

Because there is no standard definition for "vintage", I define it as any Rolex model not currently in production.

[DCheeta]

Vintage watches are like hard-core porn... as the Supreme Court once said, “I don’t know how to describe it, but I know it when I see it.” (1964, Justice Potter Stewart, paraphrased)

[FTX I]

Originally Posted by swish77

Well, if you go over to the vintage section of the forum, you'll see this topic discussed often. I mean a lot, with dozens of threads about it.

Bottom line: There is no definitive definition in the watch world. You can't boil it down to just a number of years. For example, 25 years ago, Rolexes all came with sapphire crystals and were close to switching over to luminova from tritium. Those are not vintage, IMHO. (Those models are often called "neo-vintage."

For me, a vintage Rolex needs, at a minimum, an acrylic crystal and tritium (or radium). Some guys don't consider any five-digit models as vintage, so it all depends on perspective.

^This. The answer is simple to me. Acrylic = vintage. Sapphire = classic.

[skyblue12]

This is vintage?

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

[georgekart]

Originally Posted by SN13

Submariner Models and years:

6200 1955
6204 1953
6205 1953–1957
6536 1954–1958
6536/1 1955–1961
A/6538 1957
6538 1958-1961
5508 1958–1965
5510 1959
5512 1959–1978
5513 1962–1990
5513/17 1972–1978
5514 1972–1978
5517 1972–1978
1680 1966–1981
16800 1977–1987
168000 1987
16610 1988–2010
14060/M 1990–2012
114060 2012–2020
116610 2010–2020

How about any model that's been OUT OF PRODUCTION for more than 25 years?

a 16610 from 2010 is not vintage, and since it's the same model as from 1988 I don't think I consider either "vintage". But since the 1680XX series have been out of production for more than 25 years I can get down with that as Vintage.

I will agree with this. I wouldn't call 16610 of any year vintage. Yet 168000 is. Same as I would not call a 1990 LR Defender vintage. Cause you could get a same one brand new in 2016.

[fskywalker]

Originally Posted by SN13

OOF.



In this thread I learned that my 30 year old 16628 and 35 year old 18038 are both Vintage.



I've gotta move my posts to the vintage forums!



Check out my Vintage watch w/ Tritium!

Beautiful


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[zapokee]

We do need to discuss this extensively every couple of weeks.

[springer]

Originally Posted by Speedbird-1

Given that an 'Antique' is generally accepted to be at least 100 years old.

What is the current date for a watch to qualify as being 'Vintage'?

Probably 100 years if that is the definition that works for you.

[Tavli3]

Originally Posted by tools

and so what was "vintage" in the 80's when everything was "acrylic and tritium"; are some of you saying that vintage didn't exist then?

Vintage is a moving target. If you stick your head in the sand and proclaim that it starts and stops at a certain date (which the above nonsense implies), then you are saying that dozens of models that have been discontinued for decades are "modern".

+1

[saxo3]

Originally Posted by Tools

Vintage is a moving target. If you stick your head in the sand....

Like that one ....

[Speedbird-1]

Originally Posted by zapokee

We do need to discuss this extensively every couple of weeks.

Yeah.....
Are you saying this is a vintage topic?
When, exactly does a thread become, vintage?

[Ksporty]

Originally Posted by Case61

I have nothing to contribute to the "vintage" discussion, but WOW is that gorgeous.

Oh man, not a gold or PM guy, but that's a beaut!

[linesiders]

Originally Posted by SN13

OOF.

In this thread I learned that my 30 year old 16628 and 35 year old 18038 are both Vintage.

I've gotta move my posts to the vintage forums!

Check out my Vintage watch w/ Tritium!

Don't worry - not Vintage ; )

Nice piece though.

Acrylic / Tritium (or older) / Matte dial. Some exceptions made for Matte and Tritium

[Nick9]

What’s “vintage”? Easy, just ask Google:

“the year or place in which wine, especially wine of high quality, was produced.”

Hope that settles it.

[Tom1675]

Originally Posted by SN13

Submariner Models and years:



How about any model that's been OUT OF PRODUCTION for more than 25 years?

a 16610 from 2010 is not vintage, and since it's the same model as from 1988 I don't think I consider either "vintage". But since the 1680XX series have been out of production for more than 25 years I can get down with that as Vintage.

The 1988 version of the 16610 is different from the 2010 in it's lume. Tritium has a lot to do with what I consider vintage. Luminova and Superluminova haven't patinaed... yet...