With vintage wristwatches currently making eye-watering amounts at auction now is the time to look out for those old models, writes Charles Hanson

With vintage wristwatches currently making eye-watering amounts at auction now is the time to look out for those old models, writes Charles Hanson

It’s one of those strange anomalies of the auction world. 

The less we need something, the more we want it. Vintage watches are a case in point. With our phones on hand, literally, to tell the time, watches have been rendered functionally redundant.

And yet the revival of vintage watch buying is a cultural boom that shows no sign of abating.

Many of the most sought-after were made with a bewildering number of functions designed for divers, climbers, racing car drivers and even astronauts.

So why are well-heed buyers, many of whom might rarely move from a computer screen, seeking them out?

The explanation lies not in utility, but in meaning. 

With their sublime craftsmanship and built-to-last aesthetic, they hark back to an era of rugged romance.

Take this Omega Seamaster chronograph which we came across at a routine house valuationa few yards from our Penzance Harbour saleroom.

We expect it to sell for £1,500-£2,500 at our sale on February 24.

It might look like it should be strapped to wrist of Tim Peaks or an Olympic rower but these days you are more likely to see a watch like this worn by a CEO or futures trader. 

Launched in 1948 to mark Omega’s 100th anniversary, the Seamaster was conceived as a robust, water-resistant watch inspired by military designs used in WWII.

This later 1970s Seamaster is a chronograph, as evidenced by its three sub-dials designed to measure elapsed seconds, minutes, and hours – along with a tachymeter scale for calculating speed.

Consigned by the daughter of its original Finnish owner, it wasn’t kept in a drawer or safe but used for its intended purpose: timing athletic performance. 

She remembers her dad wearing it daily, relying on the chronograph to monitor a variety ofhis sporting pursuits, including running and swimming.

Wristwatches like this that combine mechanical complexity, strong design and a personal story are increasingly difficult to source. 

Of course, whether it ends up on the arm of a desk-bound executive, or sports maniac remains to be seen.

Either way it will be bought by someone who appreciates both its design and precision engineering. 

If you have any old watches tucked away in a bedside table, perhaps handed down or inherited from a relative, you could be sitting on a goldmine. 

Don’t worry about the state of the timepiece a lot of collectors prefer vintage watches in their original condition.

If you have a watch you might like to consign for auction attend one of our free valuations, either at Hatherleigh Community Centre, Bowling Green Lane, Hatherleigh, Okehampton, Devon, or February 25 from 2.30pm-4.30pm; or Newquay Trenance Bowling Green, Edgcumbe Avenue, Newquay, on February 27 from 3pm-4.30pm.

Time is of the essence because you might just be sitting on an auction windfall.

Auction Details

Auction: Cornwall February Antiques Auction to include Jewellery, Silver & Watches, with Collectors & Asian
Auction date: 24th February 2026 | 10am
Location: Hansons Cornwall Saleroom
Auction contact: service@hansonsauctioneers.co.uk
Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk | www.the-saleroom.com

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