Some people see a watch as simply a functional item; that’s one way of looking at them. Others see watches as fashion statements, and again, that’s a fair view. But there are those of us who view a watch as something very special, a precision instrument that involves complex design and manufacture on its way to giving us the functions we require. A fine watch is, after all, designed to last, and many such watches have found their way into the realms of family heirlooms. Not all vintage watches are supremely valuable, but many have sentimental value that is hard to beat.
On the other hand it is not always the vintage watches that are the most collectable; Swatch is an example of a brand that has become collectable through its own innovative fashion. The brand was originally conceived as a way of bringing back to the Swiss watch industry the entry level customers lost to the Japanese. Simple, stylish and funky, Swatch watches were offered at low prices and featured basic timekeeping functions. Even the name was an indication of intent: it is a derivation of ‘second watch’. Yet these days’ early Swatch models are extremely collectable indeed.
At Creation Watches we have a particular fondness for the Casio G-Shock range, and we think that these functional, cheap, colourful and cheerful watches may be among the collector’s items of the future. There is something about the funky and original design, and its ruggedness and ignorance of tradition that makes the whole range – including the ladies Casio Baby G Shock Watch – fun and exciting in a way that is not often found in modern watch making. The sheer brilliance of such original innovative design is what makes the business so fascinating.
May of us have watches that were once owned by relatives from days gone by; traditional gold cased or steel cased watches with impressive movements and a sort of beauty that is of the age. They may not be particularly valuable if sold, but they are there to be treasured, and passed down, by those that own them. The wonderful thing about classical style Mens Watch and watches for women is that their style endures to this day; a watch made 50 years ago would not look out of place on the wrist today. Like classic cars, old watches are there to be treasured, to be cared for, and to be enjoyed and used.
