The Vintage HQ Watch Collection is Growing

Small objects, big stories

One of the most enjoyable parts of running Vintage HQ is the unexpected collections that begin to form.

Over the past few months we have quietly started building a small but fascinating watch collection. Some were carefully chosen, others simply appeared as part of larger vintage lots, estate purchases, or op-shop finds.

What began as a few interesting pieces has now grown into a small tray of watches that reflect different eras of watchmaking.

Why vintage watches?

Watches are remarkable objects.

They are both practical instruments and deeply personal items.

Unlike many modern disposable pieces, older watches were designed to last. They were often serviced, repaired, and passed down through families.

Even a simple mechanical watch can represent:

• craftsmanship
• design trends of a particular decade
• the evolution of timekeeping technology

Each one tells a story.

What we are seeing so far

The collection currently includes a mix of:

• classic mechanical wind watches
• early automatic movements
• a few quartz era pieces from the 1970s–1990s
• some interesting branded promotional watches

Not all of them are valuable in a monetary sense, but many are interesting pieces of design and engineering.

Some are running perfectly, while others will need servicing or restoration.

That’s part of the fun.

A few lessons we have learned already

Collecting watches quickly teaches you a few things:

• condition matters
• movements are more important than the dial
• batteries can bring a watch back to life instantly
• corrosion is the enemy of older watches

We are also learning how to identify movements, date watches, and decide which ones are worth restoring.

The plan for Vintage HQ

Over time we will:

• restore some watches

• keep a small reference collection

• list others for sale once serviced or working

It is still early days, but the tray is slowly filling.

And as with everything at Vintage HQ…

every watch comes with a story.