This 1950s Longines has developed a gorgeous honey-colored patina on the dial which really makes for a fantastic vintage look. Inside the 10K gold fill case is a beautifully made Longines 23ZS manual movement, so nice looking that it’s really a shame watches from this era didn’t have exhibition case backs.

Hamilton Illinois co-branded watches, which were only produced for three years from 1953 to 1955, are relatively rare. Hamilton Illinois watches in good running condition are even rarer, so this elegant men’s tank is a great collector’s watch. Perhaps ironically, given both Hamilton and Illinois were storied American brands from the pocket watch era, this watch uses a Swiss ETA movement.

This great looking late 1940s Gruen has a striking guilloche dial with a distinctive cross pattern that contrasts nicely with the gold plated case and a classic sub-second configuration. The Swiss-made 17 jewel Gruen 435 manual movement is small, but a strong runner nonetheless.

This vintage Bulova is highlighted by a full stainless steel case - a relative rarity for the brand - with a matching dial and gold numerals. Inside, the 23 jewel Bulova 10BZAC automatic movement is in fantastic condition.

Sporting the signature red pointer second hand, a calendar display, and a dial with some really interesting and cool numerals at the 6, 9 and 12 o’clock positions, this attractive Waltham makes a great vintage watch statement. It is powered by a relatively rare R614 manual wind movement. Both the case and movement were made in Japan.

An attractive vintage Tissot ladies dress watch in excellent condition. The 17 jewel Tissot 2403 movement powering this beauty is tiny but mighty, with a high 28,800 bph rate for accuracy and a 36 hour power reserve.

This tiny powerhouse Tissot from the 1950s has classic looks coupled with great timekeeping. The Tissot 717 21-jewel movement is unquestionably the smallest fully automatic movement that I have worked on, but it doesn’t skimp on functionality, sporting a sophisticated automatic mechanism with jeweled reversing wheels.

Highlighted by a lovely fluted bezel, this vintage Tissot is a great looking and functional ladies timepiece. The Tissot 2341 automatic movement packs a lot of watch functionality into a very small space, including day and date functions with quickset via a 3-position crown, a ball bearing automatic rotor, and a high 28,800 bph rate for excellent timekeeping.

Even in the heart of the quartz crisis Bulova was still making really nice, handsome mechanical watches like this 2930 calendar automatic. This example has been serviced and given a new crystal, but is otherwise in original condition. The Bulova 11ANACD 17 jewel movement (Bulova movement codes were getting slightly rediculous at this point) has a 21,600 BPH rate for excellent accuracy and an automatic mechanism that is fully integrated into the main plate providing a thin 9mm profile.

Combining Waltham’s signature red pointer sweep second hand with a very cool “sun ray” dial pattern this is a really sharp looking 1960s Waltham. The 21 jewel UTC 233 movement was designed and manufactured by Seiko, and has innovative design elements that exist in Seiko movements to this day, including the highly efficient Seiko Magic Lever automatic winding mechanism

This early 60s Gruen has been given a “light touch” restoration focused almost entirely on the A. Schild 17 jewel Swiss movement, which has been given a full service to assure solid performance and timekeeping. The dial hands and case have been left in original condition, with a clean chrome finish and a nice patina on the dial and hands. The one exception is the crown, which has been replaced as the original was missing.

It’s been a while, but I finally added to the Learning material on the site by publishing my Watch Movement Cleaning Guide. Take a look and let me know what you think.

Looking super sharp in gold and black, this early 1960s Gruen Precision is driven by their innovative N710 SS automatic movement, making this watch a great combination of style and substance. With a 35mm bezel, it also looks great on the wrist.

A great looking watch from the early 1960s with an elegant tapisserie pattern on the dial and a classic sub-second layout. Underneath the dial is a very clean & strong running ETA 1281 17 jewel hand wind movement. The relatively small dimensions of this watch, with a 30mm case size, makes is a good choice for smaller wrists.

A sneek peak at new watches that I have aquired that are awaiting restoration, and which will eventually be listed for sale once restored.

This handsome late 1950s timepiece is highlighted by a red sweep second hand - something of a signature for sporty Bulova watches from the era. It is all-original, including the crystal, which has been restored rather than replaced. It is powered by a 17 jewel Bulova 11ACC manual wind movement.

Replete with signature red pointer sweep second hand, and with a very clean dial, this is an excellent example of a late 1960s Waltham. The UTC 33 movement was designed and manufactured by Seiko, and has innovative design elements that exist in Seiko movements to this day, including the highly efficient Seiko Magic Lever automatic winding mechanism.

A sneek peak at new watches that I have aquired that are awaiting restoration, and which will eventually be listed for sale once restored.

This is a classic 1950s watch design with lovely blued hands and a full stainless steel case. Powered by a Wittnauer 10SB 17 jewel manual wind movement with incabloc shock protection.

A distictive and sharp-looking watch from the late 1950s. This one has a black sub-second dial with cool deco numerals offset by a polished full stainless steel case. Powered by a reliable Bulova 11AF manual wind movement.