Seven of The Best Affordable Vintage Watches To Consider Throughout 2023

By Charlie Dunne

Just last week I published the article ‘Which Vintage Watch Do You Hope To Find in 2023?’ where we heard from over twenty friends and collectors about their watch aspirations heading into the new year. The article was very well received and required minimal effort on my end thanks to the All-Star cast. In hopes of keeping the momentum going, I decided to expand upon the subject - specifically in regard to the more affordable side of collecting.

I can personally endorse many of the watches included below, having had several in my own collection over the recent years. For the term “affordable”, let’s set the price range to the more inviting range of $1,000 and cap it at an estimated retail of $6,000. [Yes, “affordable” is defined a bit different to watch collectors]. For clarity, we’ll also exclude a handful of the pricey bracelets that may be present in the photos. Some of the watches included are brand focused, while others pertain to specific models. I’ll cite some references for you to look into, but for this list we’re keeping it a bit broad.

Vulcain Cricket

If you’re even relatively familiar with my interest in watches, you are aware of my passion for the first mass-produced alarm watch. For the Vulcain Cricket, you’ll be hard pressed to find better quality bang-per-buck in vintage watches without mentioning the model, specifically those prior to the 1970s, as the quality and legacy has dissipated and remained in a stale state since. While the entire vintage catalog is exciting, I’m most partial to the earliest models I refer to as “OG” Crickets. They are 34mm in diameter, but because of their hefty lugs and angled cases they wear larger.

There are plenty of dial variants to choose from. Sector dials, the fully luminous “LBJ” dials, or the non-luminous variants with Roman/Arabic applied numerals. If we are to go off the older generation of collectors’ adage “90% of the value is the dial”, I am here to ring the alarm for everyone who has been sleeping on the value in these early Vulcain Crickets over the years. Couple a great dial with an unpolished steel case (or a mint gold one if you are really trying to go wild), and you are no longer following trends, but instead setting them.

To learn a bit more on the Vulcain Cricket, you can take a trip over to HODINKEE for my Watch of The Week article from 2021, checkout the tutorial on 'How To Use A Vulcain Cricket', a recent piece on Wind Vintage ‘Undervalued: Oversized Vulcain Crickets’ or read my article detailing the 2nd series Vulcain Cricket reference 304001.

Time-Only Movado

If you want something a little less loud, and more dressy than a Cricket, Movado may be the manufacturer for you. Let me clarify for the non-vintage aficionados reading this: “Yes, the same Movado as the brand in the middle of the mall.” To my new watch enthusiast friend, hear me out before you scroll down or exit this article. Movado is one of the most spectacular brands with a remarkable vintage catalog. If you are not into wearing a “fashion watch” give this brand’s back catalog a fresh start. They are much more than the Museum Watch, and serious collectors are willing to cough up tens of thousands of dollars when an attractive chronograph comes up for sale.

Back to the affordable. I would certainly suggest focusing on time-only models (look into François Borgel cases). You may find yourself limited to smaller cases, but there are tremendous styles in this genre. Keep an eye out for Tempomatic models, or even retailer-signed dials such as Tiffany & Co. There are so many examples out there, so don’t get caught up on one specific watch. Instead, be selective on condition and buy from someone with strong standards. If you want to skip the searching, head on over to Kevin O’Dell’s IG (@TheyDid). He is obsessively collecting these himself, so you may have to twist his arm for one you like. But for God’s sake, do not ask him to sell you one of his personal watches then back out of the deal!

1950s OMEGA Seamasters

The OMEGA Seamaster is not only a great area to start in collecting vintage watches, but it is also a very fun genre to seasoned collectors. The model offers great brand heritage. Plus, you can quite literally find a timeless watch without jumping into the deep end of watch purchases. To be perfectly fair, this suggestion could even include the Constellation, but today I am vibing a bit more with the older brother [the Seamaster was introduced circa ‘48. Constellation was introduced circa ‘52].

The above example epitomizes the style of the 1950s, with a touch of flair via the rose-gold case and Breguet numerals. If you are not adamantly opposed to 34mm or 35mm diameters, then you can surely find some killer options from that first decade of references.

Rolex Pocket Watches

Of course Rolex is king. Yet when it comes to the pocket watches, the admiration is just not in the same league as the sports watches (or dress watches for that matter). Every now and then I come across a really charming Rolex pocket watch and find myself asking “How is this so cheap for a Rolex?” Yes, it may take you a longer hunting, but when you land a nice one it will be well worth the wait.

Time-Only Longines

Perhaps one of the greatest watch manufacturers and, alongside Crickets, the best value propositions in the vintage market is Longines. Just as with Movado, you may need deeper pockets to get into the chronograph club, but with the simple time-only models you can flourish. Many vintage Longines from the 1950s-1960s have great dimensions and are timeless watches. Take a gander at the above reference 5356, or explore the Longines Conquest line. Do not count out American-market examples either. The heritage of Longines is exceptional, and it is the true connoisseurs’ watch. Along with the incredible dials, cases and movements, there is a wide range of scholarship out there to plant the seeds for a lifelong passion.

36mm Rolex Oyster & Oyster Perpetual Models

There are endless watches to lust over in vintage Rolex. If you also to appreciate the less sporty aesthetic of the brand, 36mm Oyster and Oyster Perpetual models are both highly romantic and offer a great value. Examples like the OP reference 1018, and reference 6614 are two examples with both timeless aesthetic and proportions. If the automatic checkbox is not a prerequisite, look into Precision options. One in particular is the Oyster Precision reference 6425, an elegant model adorned with wonderful dials, bezels and wear brilliant on the wrist. With decades of production, there are countless examples on the market to hunt.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox

I’ve written about the Memovox in depth, and as it pains me to invite more competition over these watches, I just can’t leave the model out of this list. At the most inviting level, I would suggest starting with American-market Memovox models, such as the below gold-filled Wadsworth case example. From there you can move up gradually into examples such as Memodate Reference 2671 or a reference 2404 - but prepare for an uncharge if you can find the rare and expensive JB Champion bracelet!

While some will argue the examples from the 1950s-60s are not as high quality compared to European examples, you will often find very cool designs within the Western-market Memovox. Hell, if they are cool enough for top international collectors like Fred Mandelbaum, I think the case is closed! Just take a look at his “Empire State Memovox” below.

Transitioning to the international Memovox models, there are an abundance of references to appreciate. With the classic automatic reference E 853 and reference E 855 models, you get the quintessential “jumbo” Memovox. [Yes, including an 18K yellow-gold example is going above my set price limit, but we can still pray these gems are laying around our local Goodwill all these years later.]

Less common examples like the reference E 850 and reference 851 have incredible case styles, with slightly smaller dimensions. Moving into the 1970s, the Memovox evolves with more robust cases, and high-frequency movements (28,800 vibrations per hour). A personal favorite of mine is the “Speed Beat” reference E 875, which is a bit less cumbersome to find in exceptional condition compared to the aforementioned JLCs.