The charm of vintage classics

Mechanical vintage watches have a certain charm that a phone or quartz (battery-operated) watch cannot replicate, let alone the smartwatch. Mechanical watches belong to an era of simplicity, where one device had lesser function and people did not feel the need to check on their heart rate or steps or floors they have climbed. The sweep ticking, the small case, and the crown that has to be rotated every day to wind the watch combine into an object representing the most prized possession of a man of that era.

People may think of Rolex when they hear the word quality watch or status watch. Still, there are thousands of quality watch brands like Universal Genéve and Vacheron et Constantin in reality. These brands are unheard of but produced watches with great craftsmanship and accuracy. However, several unheard watch brands were designed for the common man in the vintage watch industry like Roamer, Enicar, Titoni, etcetera. These brands do not lack technical merits or quality. It mainly boils down to the luxury aspects like finishing or prestige and history. Patek Philippe’s tagline says, "You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation." This holds true for Patek Philippe's watches and all the other vintage mechanical Swiss watches as well. I believe that these timeless beauties are for keeps.

In the modern throwaway world, where longevity is not a matter of concern, watches provide something that will represent you even when you have passed away. Imagine the notion of passing down an iPhone or an Apple watch, a non-functional piece of e-waste that cannot be used in the era of planned obsolescence by your future generations, but a watch is timeless. No one would laugh at the idea of passing down a watch.

A quality vintage timepiece can serve you until your last breath.