Keep This In Mind Before Buying A Vintage Datejust

September 01, 2017

For many collectors, the Datejust is the luxury watch that got them started in this hobby. I hear stories from vintage watch dealers around me that can never have enough Datejusts in stock. Seemingly, everybody wants one, probably because it s more or less the most affordable way of getting your hands on a watch. I also bought one about two years ago. But not long after it arrived, I decided to sell it. I expected a lot from the wearing experience, but it was a big letdown. Let me tell you why.The vintage Datejust was the third watch I bought. After an Oris Art Blakey and a Zodiac Sea Wolf Topper Edition, I thought it was time to buy a . After all, every respected collector owns a , right? But because my funds weren t unlimited, I had to look into the vintage Datejust department. I also looked at the 36mm Explorer, but I tried both on, and I liked the Datejust better. But which Datejust to pick? There are so many different references. My old Datejust on its Jubilee And on a leather strap A blue-dialed Datejust 1603 from 1974As I was charmed by the step dial, I knew it had to be a four-digit reference. I also liked the engine-turned bezel better than the fluted one as it looked a little less shiny. Oh, and it needed to have a blue dial because blue is my favorite color. At one of the vintage dealers in Amsterdam, I had actually seen a blue-dialed 1601, the one with the fluted bezel, and its soft dial was really beautiful. So I decided to look for the 1603 version of that one with the engine-turned bezel. I found one from 1974 on Instagram from Oliver and Clarke, a respected vintage watch dealer in the US.I was a bit hesitant because this would be my first vintage watch, and I would rather have bought it at a store in my hometown. But as it was a respected dealer, I decided to take the jump. I sent the payment through PayPal, and a few days later, the watch arrived at my house. The whole experience was a bit underwhelming. It arrived in a transparent plastic box with nothing else in the bubble envelope. The watch itself looked very good, though. It was exactly the blue dial I d seen before on the 1601 and the lume was very well preserved with a nice yellow patina. The coffee-bean Jubilee bracelet it came on was a bit stretched and long for my wrist, though, so I decided to have it restored. Tomas s Jubilee bracelet before restoration The result after restoration. Unexpected added costsI looked around on forums and watchmakers websites, but in the end, I sent the bracelet to Michael Young s Classic Watch Repair in Hong Kong. It would take around 4-6 weeks to get it refurbished and it would cost around $200. To tide me over, I bought a few leather straps from Molequin so I could still wear the Datejust in the meantime. When the Jubilee bracelet came back, it looked fantastic, and all of the stretch was gone. The watch fit me a lot better, and it looked great on its original bracelet. But I also noticed that the seconds hand wasn t running very smoothly…At some point during each sweep around the dial, the seconds hand would make a little jump. I took the watch to a watchmaker in Amsterdam, and he told me he could service it. In the end, that service cost me around $500, and it wasn t really something I expected when I bought the watch. All in all, the experience of owning the Datejust I longed for wasn t as satisfying as I expected it to be. Yes, of course, it was still a beautiful watch to look at. However, I noticed I was wearing it less and less, both because of the negative experiences in the first months of ownership and the fact that it felt a lot more fragile than the other two watches I owned at the time.A fragile vintage DatejustEspecially around my two little ones, I noticed that I was taking extra care. Even though the Jubilee bracelet had been restored, it still didn t feel like the most sturdy bracelet in the world. The Plexiglass crystal didn t inspire much confidence in me either. Again, it was still a very nice watch to look at, but it didn t provide the wearing experience I d hoped for. It felt too fragile on my wrist. I also wasn t really sure about its water resistance, so taking it swimming or doing the dishes was a big no-go. I had thought about all these things before I bought the vintage Datejust, but I didn t think they would influence my wearing experience so negatively.In the end, the extra costs and the negative wearing experience sapped all of the enjoyment out of owning the watch. I waited another few months just in case, but eventually, I decided to sell it. Luckily, the Datejust market is steady, and I was able to sell it without a loss, even covering the extra costs for the restoration and the service. With the money I got back, I decided to look for a different kind of watch. At first, I thought it might be better to go for a more modern Datejust. But in the end, I went for a Cartier Santos Galbee XL from 2006, and I ve been thrilled with that watch ever since I bought it. Maybe that s thanks to the lessons I learned from my experience with that vintage Datejust.Lessons learnedWhen I bought the Datejust, I really didn t know what I was getting myself into. Yes, I d read about what it would be like to own a vintage or a vintage watch in general, but I certainly didn t have the network to solve the unexpected problems I encountered. Not everyone can restore a coffee-bean Jubilee bracelet, so I had to look for a specialist very far from home. I also hadn t seen the watch in person before buying it, so I didn t see whether it was running very well or not. These days, I d always opt to see a watch in person before shelling out any money for it.And with the network that I have now, I would certainly also ask some owners about their experience with the watch I m looking to buy. Maybe I could even ask to wear their watch for a while before I decide to own it. That way, I could avoid having to sell a watch so soon after buying it. Oh, and not every collector needs to own a . I still haven t got one, and I m very happy!What about you? There must be a few collectors here who started out with a vintage Datejust. Was your experience comparable to mine, or was it more successful? I d be glad to hear about your stories in the comments below!You can also find and follow me on Instagram @fliptheparrot