The wristwatch itself is but 100 years old, and the international trade of investment quality timepieces is still in its infancy. It was just 30 years ago that we saw the first auction of timepieces on an international scale, just 20 years ago that manufactures themselves began to acknowledge historical references, and until recently, the general collecting community was largely uninformed of both the intellectual and investment properties of fine wristwatches.

Sold alongside the most important renaissance paintings and pre-historic artifacts in the halls of world’s great auction houses, vintage timepieces are now coming to the forefront of major collectors’ purview. A symbiotic combination of art, design, engineering, and human interest in a 36mm case, different people appreciate a watch for different reasons.

Vintage watches often tell stories of great humanity – how a Rolex chronograph was used in the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III and how an Omega Speedmaster ensured Apollo XIII returned safely to earth when power was lost. They also offer a tangible and interesting investment vehicle, with watches from Rolex and Patek Philippe often selling into the six-figures while just a short time ago; they could be had for a literal fraction of the price.

Watches made prior to the 1980s were expertly constructed by hand, and with the right care can last centuries, providing the owner a living keepsake. Unlike any other form of collectible, a watch relies on its owner as much as the owner relies on it – without a regular winding the watch will simply stop – the relationship between a man and his watch does not exist with anything else he owns.

- Benjamin Clymer, executive editor, HODINKEE