4e,
As the watch moved out of the
pocket and onto the wrist,
watchmakers resisted changing
the angle. Thus, the skewed
view on a 1917 Elgin
transitional watch.
Above: An early decorative
ladies' watch, circa 1925, is in
sterling silver with a tonneau-
shaped case. Left: This 1917
Waltham, an early soldier's
watch, is highly prized.
watches, dating back to the 19th cen-
tury."
Rolex watches before 1955 and Car-
tier watches before 1960 are highly col-
lectible as well. After those dates, they
became mass produced and less exclu-
sive.
The rule of thumb is that a watch is
only collectible when it is more than 20
years old. Therefore, no quartz
timepieces are collector's items.
American watches are generally less
valuable than their European counter-
parts but they're rapidly coming into
their own, especially those from
Hamilton, Gruen, Waltham and Bulova.
Faber's personal favorite is a decorative
gold piece by Hamilton with a heavy
black enamel border.
"Most American watches are much
more flamboyant than European wat-
ches," observes Faber." They have stan-
dardized movements and a wide varie-
ty of case designs."
In his book, he surveys the develop-
ment of great American watches from
1910 to 1960. He suggests that when
purchasing a collectible watch, the
buyer should first be motivated by the
style. Most importantly, however, is to
buy with knowledge, either by con-
sulting an expert or by working with a
reputable dealer who will give you at
least a one year guarantee.
Faber says if you do happen to find
your grandfather's watch in the attic,
you should take advantage of the
gallery's restoration department. There,
they will restore it to its original condi-
tion for between $100 and $200. "These
watches are priceless," he adds,
"because you can't place any value on
sentimental attachments."
In certain circles, watches
have taken the place of
flashy diamonds or gold
chains as symbols of power
and success.
Faber sees many opportunities in col-
lectible American watches as the rarity
factor comes into play. It is not in-
conceivable that a wristwatch will sell
for $1 million in the very near future, he
says. "In fact," he continues, "there is
a moon phase Patek Philippe that
would surely go for a million if it were
on the market."
•
In this day and age when timing
seems to be everything, the wristwatch
has become the single most important
piece of jewelry of our time (pardon the
pun). Virtually every consumer publica-
tion in the country has recently carried
stories about the latest bells and
whistles on watches as well as the new
vintage timepiece craze. Advertising
pages are also filled with watch promos,
featuring up-to-the-minute timepieces
that sell for anywhere from a whopping
six figures to those that go for well
under a hundred dollars.
"It's a phenomenon today—a
lifestyle, a fashion image," explains Tom
Julian, associate fashion editor of The
Men's Fashion Association of America,
a New York-based trade group. "Watch-
es are being treated as a fashion ac-
cessory these days. You wear one for
business, another for sports and
another for dressy occasions. The
various price points makes this affor-
dable to most working class people."
Not all watches are in a price range
that allows us to change them as often
as we change neckties. But many of
them are styled and constructed in such
a manner that they can easily go from
the boat to the office to a black tie gala.
Experts agree that style is the first
item to consider when purchasing a
new watch. Mechanics and reputation
are also features to consider.
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103