In late summer of every year, prices of vintage wristwatches fall. By August, the estate sale dealers have picked off most of the “Hamilton Generation’s Watches”. They will flood the market by listing their haul on eBay.
You will not notice many buyers of vintage wristwatches during August, because people have gone on vacation and have stopped shopping or they have spent too much money on their summer getaways. You also have to consider “going back to school” shopping. Late summer also has its share of last minute preparations for the change of seasons. We all have to think about getting automobiles and homes ready for fall and winter. This time of year, we see people “tapped out”.
Extinction
It’s 2014 and the vintage wristwatch business has joined the ranks of other extinct species on the planet. Aside from the gold harvest of the 1970’s, the short supply reflects the diminished generation of people alive during World War II.
My father fought in the second world war. He lied and joined the army at age 16. He would have turned 90 on June 6. 2014. His generation’s life expectancy in 1948 was 59 years, so most of the people who bought, inherited or received a Hamilton gift have died. The vast majority of those cool watches in jewelry drawers
What’s for Sale?
On eBay (the barometric host of the watch trade), approximately 400 vintage Hamilton wristwatches have listings. Mid-century watches make-up most of those. I don’t consider them either retro or vintage watches. They’re just old.
In contrast to wristwatches, over 200 pre -1920 Hamilton pocket watches have a listing on eBay. Hamilton didn’t make wristwatches before 1920. By 1924, Hamilton took a serious look at wristwatches. In 1927, they purchased
When we look at production figures, Hamilton still made many more pocket watches than wristwatches in the 1920’s. During the Great Depression of the 1930’s, Hamilton sold few wristwatches at all.
The 400 listings on eBay reflect a species going extinct. People have found all of the “grandfather’s old watches” they will find. Hamilton didn’t make a large number of wristwatches until the US military jacked up production in Lancaster.
By 1952, Hamilton Watch Company became a division of itself as management took the company’s cash and began a death march into conglomerate land. The watch division had weak sales. The Swiss bought 50% of the company and by 1969, bought the rest and moved all production to Biel, Switzerland.
What’s left of Hamilton vintage watches? Not much.
Prices
You would expect a spike in prices, but that hasn’t happened. A diminishing demand for Hamilton wristwatches exists. The retro-fad ended in late 2009 as the world fell into a financial crisis.
People no longer buy wristwatches to tell
Prices reflect a relationship between supply and demand if people want a product. Buyers don’t want what they see listed on eBay. Those listings have junk in them.
Ten years ago, auctions made-up 90% of sales on eBay. Today, only 10% of the listings fall into the
Who’s Left
Watch enthusiasts or hobbyists still buy Hamilton wristwatches and they want fixer-uppers. You won’t find many Hamilton parts for sale out there, so many Hamilton
Conclusion
I don’t see a conclusion. You will not see a revival of the vintage watch fad. You will see historical interest remaining and that’s enough. It’s a great story.
Search Hamilton wristwatches on eBay
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