27 Old Wristwatch Brands Grandpa Wore Worth Money
A wristwatch left in a drawer by a father or grandfather sometimes turns out to be worth more than anyone in the family expected. The name on the dial is only part of the picture.
Value swings with condition: an original dial, an unpolished case, a working movement, and the original box and papers all push prices up. The brands below range from American railroad makers to Swiss luxury houses to the budget names that filled millions of wrists.
Some bring high prices only for particular models in strong condition, so a name alone does not guarantee a payout.
Rolex
Hans Wilsdorf founded Wilsdorf and Davis in London in 1905, and the company became Rolex. In 1926 it launched the Oyster, a waterproof case, and in 1927 the swimmer Mercedes Gleitze wore one while crossing the English Channel.
Vintage Rolex watches with original dials and unpolished cases bring the strongest prices.
Omega
Omega’s Speedmaster chronograph was qualified by NASA for spaceflight in the 1960s, and Buzz Aldrin wore one on the Moon in July 1969. The watch earned the nickname Moonwatch and a place in collectors’ wish lists.
Early Speedmasters with original parts command a premium over later refurbished examples.
Hamilton
The Hamilton Watch Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, built its name on railroad watches that kept strict time. In 1957 it introduced the Hamilton Electric, and the triangular Ventura was worn by Elvis Presley in the 1961 film Blue Hawaii.
Electric models are tricky to repair, so working examples are valued highly.
Bulova
Joseph Bulova founded his company in New York in 1875, and in 1960 it introduced the Accutron, a watch regulated by a tuning fork instead of a balance wheel. The fork produced a steady hum that wearers could hear at night.
Working Accutrons in good condition remain popular with collectors.
Elgin
The National Watch Company was founded in Elgin, Illinois, in 1864, and the town gave the brand its name. Elgin made enormous numbers of pocket watches and then wristwatches, so most examples are modest in value.
Rare models and watches in exceptional condition are the ones that draw attention.
Waltham
The American Watch Company began in 1850 and settled in Waltham, Massachusetts, where it pioneered making watch parts by machine. The approach made accurate watches affordable for ordinary buyers.
Early Waltham wristwatches from the 1910s and 1920s fascinate collectors, especially in original condition.
Benrus
The Lazrus brothers founded Benrus in New York in 1921, and the brand became known for dependable, handsome watches. It supplied military watches to American forces, including models used in the Vietnam era.
Collectors favor those military pieces, and pieces with original dials and cases are in the greatest demand.
Gruen
Dietrich Gruen founded his watch company in Columbus, Ohio, in 1894, and it later settled in Cincinnati. Gruen’s Curvex models curved to fit the wrist, and the company advertised its watches heavily.
Art Deco Gruens in good condition appeal to collectors of American design.
Longines
Longines was founded in 1832 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, and registered its winged hourglass logo in 1889. In 1931 it produced the Hour Angle watch designed with Charles Lindbergh to help navigators find their position.
Vintage Longines chronographs and dress watches in sound condition bring attractive prices.
Zenith
Zenith was founded in 1865 in Le Locle, Switzerland, and in 1969 it introduced the El Primero, an automatic chronograph that beat 36,000 times per hour. The movement is still made today.
Early El Primero watches with original dials are among the most sought-after Zeniths.
Heuer
Edouard Heuer founded his firm in Saint-Imier in 1860, and the company later became TAG Heuer. The Carrera chronograph of 1963 was named for the Carrera Panamericana road race, and the square Monaco of 1969 gained fame when Steve McQueen wore one in the 1971 film Le Mans.
Original dials and cases matter greatly for these racing watches.
Breitling
Léon Breitling founded the company in Saint-Imier in 1884, and in 1952 it introduced the Navitimer with a circular slide rule for pilots. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association adopted the watch.
Vintage Navitimers with their original bezels and dials remain in strong demand.
Seiko
Seiko introduced the Quartz Astron on December 25, 1969, the first quartz wristwatch sold to the public. The watch changed the industry by making accurate timekeeping cheap.
Early Astrons and other vintage Seikos in good running order attract collectors, and unpolished cases bring higher offers.
Timex
— Photo by Maria_Artist
Timex built its reputation in Waterbury, Connecticut, as the maker of rugged, low-priced watches. Its advertisements with John Cameron Swayze showed watches surviving punishing stunts, and the slogan about taking a licking and still ticking became famous.
Most Timex watches are worth modest sums, though rare character and military models can climb.
Universal Genève
Universal Genève produced the Compax chronograph in the 1930s and the Tri-Compax in 1944, which tracked the date and moon phase. In 1954 it introduced the Polerouter, designed by Gérald Genta for Scandinavian Airlines’ polar flights.
Original dials in strong condition make these watches especially desirable.
Movado
Movado’s Museum Watch was designed by Nathan George Horwitt in 1947, with a black face and a single dot at twelve o’clock. The New York Museum of Modern Art added it to its permanent collection.
Original Museum Watches in good condition appeal to collectors of modern design.
Tissot
Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son founded the firm in Le Locle in 1853, and the company exported widely. In 1930 it introduced an antimagnetic wristwatch.
Vintage Tissot watches with clean dials, such as the Seastar line, can be worth more than their modest reputation suggests.
Girard-Perregaux
— Photo by postmodernstudio
Girard-Perregaux formed in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 1856, when Constant Girard married Marie Perregaux. In 1957 it launched the Gyromatic, a self-winding watch with a distinctive rotor system.
The company’s vintage models appeal to collectors who like quality movements, and condition decides the price.
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Reverso in 1931, a watch whose case flipped over to protect the crystal during polo matches. The design came from British Army officers in India.
Early Reversos are collectible, and original cases with intact dials draw the highest bids.
Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe was founded in Geneva in 1839 and introduced the Calatrava in 1932. The simple round dress watch became a template for elegance.
Authentic vintage Pateks routinely sell to collectors at high prices, and original condition and papers affect the value significantly.
Vacheron Constantin
Vacheron Constantin traces its roots to 1755 in Geneva, and the company bills itself as the oldest watchmaker in continuous operation. Its vintage wristwatches in gold with refined dials appeal to serious collectors.
Authenticity and original parts are vital, since replacements can lower the price sharply.
Cartier
Louis Cartier made the Santos in 1904 for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, who wanted to read the time while flying. The Tank followed, with designs drafted in 1917 and sold in 1919.
Vintage Cartier watches draw high prices when cases are unpolished and signatures are crisp.
Croton
The Croton Watch Company was founded in New York in 1878 and sold watches in volume through the twentieth century. In the 1950s it made the Aquamedic line, which advertised water resistance.
Most Croton watches sell for modest prices, though clean examples with original dials find buyers.
Doxa
Doxa introduced the SUB in 1967 with a bright orange dial chosen for legibility underwater. The watch became a favorite among divers and later collectors.
Original SUBs in good condition, with their dials unfaded, are among the more valuable vintage dive watches.
Rado
Rado introduced the DiaStar in 1962 with a case made of hard metal that resisted scratches. The watch was marketed as nearly unscratchable.
Vintage DiaStars in good condition find a following among collectors of 1960s design.
Tudor
Hans Wilsdorf registered the Tudor name in 1926 and launched Tudor watches in 1946 to offer Rolex-style quality at a lower price. Tudor cases and movements relied on Rolex’s experience.
Vintage Tudor models with original dials and cases are valued accordingly.
Ingersoll
DepositPhotos
Ingersoll introduced the Mickey Mouse watch in 1933, and the character on the dial helped save the company during the Depression. Children and adults alike bought it.
Early examples in good condition, especially with original boxes, are among the most valuable character watches.
A Dial That Remembers
A watch tells time, but it also records a life: a first job, a wedding day, a long service anniversary. The brands in this list built reputations on dependability, and the pieces that survived were worn, wound, and repaired by their owners.
That history can make a watch more meaningful than its price tag. Anyone holding an old watch can learn more from a qualified watchmaker or a reputable appraiser before selling or repairing it.
Heavy polishing, replaced dials, and swapped parts often reduce value more than anyone expects, so leaving a watch alone is usually wise. The original box and papers, if they survive, add to the story and the price.
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