This Vintage Longines - thoughts/advice?

Lex Luthor

I've been hankering after a white or cream dial dress watch for a while and the Stowa Marine is on my wish list, but seen this last night

http://www.qualityvintagetimepieces.com/LonAutAdmiralFOTYfull.html

Condition looks to be excellent for a watch this old...now I'll admit I have zero knowledge on older watches so would like to get the expert opinion of the people on here to advise on this one

What I like most about it is the year of manufacture as its same year I was born

Thanks

Wibbs

OK, yep a nice watch Lex L, however, IMHO it's waaaaaaaay overpriced at 900 quid. Plus it's gonna come from outside the EU so you can be sure you'll get hit with duty etc on it.

Oh and I'd expect a 70's watch to be in pretty good nick TBH. The quality of dial printing etc was pretty tip top by that stage. Some would argue better than many today.

Leave it with me I'll see what I can dig up for you. 1971 you say? OK. The game's afoot!

Wibbs

Here's a few I found after a very quick and dirty search. Including an 18kt solid gold example for less than that Canadian one.

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/LONGINES-ADMIRAL-5-STAR-S-St-Automatic-Date-Watch-1968-Original-Signed-Strap-/261847304947?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cf750caf3

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Longines-admiral-handaufzug-Super-zustand-/271821092665?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_77&hash=item3f49ccb739 this one is a big mad ride of a watch.

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Longines-Admiral-von-1973-unbenutzt-mit-Garantie-/171722984103?pt=DE_Kleidung_Schmuck_Accessoires_Uhren_Armbanduhren&hash=item27fb7ccaa7

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/LONGINES-Admiral-H-F-STAINLESS-STEEL-WATCH-with-Longines-papers-1973-/251786914450?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3a9fab6a92

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Orologio-LONGINES-Automatic-Oro-18kt-70s-GOOD-CONDITION-Vintage-Watch-/181045552589?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_101&hash=item2a2727e5cd 18kt gold one.

Like I say a quick and dirty search on eBay and buy it now prices, not auction so nearly always higher in price, but it should give you some idea of general values out there. Yer man's one is at least a third over the odds. About right for a dealer mind you.

Lex Luthor

cheers Wibbs, as always super responses

this one I picked is certainly overpriced

How do you know for certain its a 1971 watch? I came across some watches just saying 70's

Wibbs

Hard to tell, unless they have the serial number visible. Doubly a pain as after 1970 IIRC Longines changed their serial numbering system. There are lots of resources for pre 70, but little for after, other than emailing them directly. The ones in the links would be around that time though, 70-73 kinda thing. It can also get confusing when you see watches with original sales papers/warranties and it might say 78 on that, but the watch was made in 71. Stock seemed to stick around for longer back in the day. Some are easier to date because they were only out for a year, EG the 71/72 olympics chronographs.

Actually Lex, if I was you? That's the model I'd be going for. It's nigh on your birth year when sold and would have been "born" in the factory at the same time you were coming out into the world. IMH they're very much undervalued. Longines chronos usually fetch big money.



These are the mutts nuts IMH. Longines timed a lot of olympic games(among other sports) back in the day and the 72 Munich games will go down in historical terms because of the appalling terrorist attack. You see these coming up in big auction houses where the fetch 1500 plus, but they regularly come up for much less, 900-1000 should easily get one.