Groovy New-Old Vintage Watch, Part I

Hello all. I've spoken before regarding the immense "cool" factor of a nice vintage watch. If you can find one in good condition, without yellowing on the dial and corrosion on the hands, a vintage watch can provide the look of a one-of-a-kind piece that will catch the attention of people you meet day to day.

My newest acquisition definitely fits the proverbial bill. In the 1950's, watchmaker Hamilton started making electronic watches, the most famous of which being the "Ventura" (photo 1). After its futuristic design and initial service problems served to bankrupt the brand, Hamilton was bought out by the Swiss company SSH in 1974 and the Hamilton Ventura design became a brand mainstay that is still produced today, now under the model name "505", which was the name of the original electronic movement. The watch was featured on the wrist of Elvis Presley in "Blue Hawaii", and more recently, the wrists of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in the "Men In Black" films. There are now different movements available in the 505. Most are quartz, and some are automatic.

Electronic watches were the first battery-powered watches, and though the movement still functions very much like a mechanical movement, a battery powers tiny transistors in the watch which regulate the time. The battery replaced the mainspring used in mechanical watches. The electronic watches were considered to be more accurate than mechanical watches had been.

Now, on to my watch! In the 1960's, Swiss brand Zodiac began making electronic watches to compete with those being offered by Hamilton and Bulova's Accutron. The Zodiac electronics boasted more reliable movements than their forebearers, and were able to be made thinner as well. My find is one of these Zodiac models, dubbed the "Spacetronic" (photos 2 & 3). Though originally made in 1968, this one has been very recently serviced and works flawlessly. A picture of the movement (photo 4) is shown as well. Notice that on the dial of the watch, there is no yellowing around the hour markers, which is often seen on older watches as the glue breaks down, and no corrosion on the hands. These are features one should look for when selecting a vintage watch.

A cool thing about the electronic watches is that like on mechanical watches, the second hand still sweeps around the dial, rather than ticking. Very cool. Get on the look out for a cool vintage watch. Ebay is a great source, but some small jewelry stores often have diamonds hidden in the rough.

Until next time,

Cheers!

-Paul

*P.S. As always, please click on photos to enlarge!*