Post pics of your watches ***Please NO QUOTING PHOTOS***

Wibbs wrote: »

Fresh battery time for these two and I dunno if it comes across in pics, but a good example of how the same model can look quite different depending on dial colour and strap/bracelet.



Girard Perregaux from 1972, running an early quartz movement designed by GP and Jaeger LeCoultre. No jewels, uses teflon bearings instead so no lubrication required. Superior stepping motor for the time(and arguably even today) with enough torque to drive normal sized hands, when most then couldn't. Set the standard quartz frequency of 32768 Hz, which is the one used by the vast majority of quartz watches since. They were entered into observatory timekeeping trials which were higher standards than chronometer certification(full watches not just movements and observed over 30 days and subjected to shock as well as positional variation) and blew the opposition away. Even today with a bit of tweaking they can run well under 30 seconds per year.

They're pretty solid a movement as the number of survivors attests, though the date mechanism and keyless works(designed by JLC) can cause problems. The electronics and motor are generally bombproof, but the quartz oscillator can die, though because they're the same frequency as modern quartz a new one can be fitted for a few quid(the linen dial one has had this done sometime in its history). The blue one I got from France, the linen dial came from Peru of all places which is pretty cool.

Price wise these days; at ebay auction this model goes for between 3-400, private/forum sales 4-500, dealers 600+ Original box and papers maybe adds 20% at auction, much more with dealers.

Wibbs wrote: »

Which has made them much cheaper than similar vintage mechanicals, so there's that. Even nowadays when some serious collectors have been buying up early quartz models and have driven up the prices a lot in the last five years, they're still cheaper.

When they were new and The Latest Thing™ they were extremely expensive watches and the very top tier of the brand's ranges, with the best dials, cases straps/bracelets. Those Girard Perregaux movement watches were considered cheap for a quartz and they were nearly three times the price of an Omega Speedmaster. When a Rolex steel sub was around 200 pounds the Longines UltraQuartz was closer to a 1000. The Beta 21 movement Omegas were more expensive again. When Omega brought out their Marine Chronometer quartz in the mid 70's it was over ten times the price of a Sub. And they were actually rated as marine chronometers too, with a yearly rate of around six seconds. In some adverts they noted that they were the first and only watch that equalled the accuracy of John Harrison marine chronometers. Even today they're still at the top of non radio controlled wristwatch accuracy. Values today? A good one can be had for around 3000 and the occasional auctions can get one for around 2000. Beta 21 movement watches from the big names can be had from a 1000 upwards.

From what I've observed values have stabilised, even softened in the last couple of years. I suspect because the heavy hitting collectors have the models they want and the quartz has no soul™ effect means the general buyers aren't biting.

Wibbs wrote: »

I have to leg it for a while, but I can have a look around alright 2shea. What's your ballpark budget?