Becoming a watch collector and aficionado can feel like learning a foreign language.
Sometimes figuratively, as when learning what the names of the various components of a movement are called. After that, trying to understand what each piece actually does is another job again and one that I would have to confess I haven’t finished. Or gotten very far with at all, if I’m honest with you. But still, the desire to learn counts for something, right?
And sometimes it literally is learning a foreign language, unless you’re a native francophone. Looking …

Once the vintage watch-collecting bug bites, it can bite hard. One minute you’re perfectly happy using your mobile phone to tell the time, and the next you’re scouring the internet and your great-uncles’ spare room to check if he bought a watch 30 years ago, but forgot to take it out of the box and actually wear it.
Richard Crosthwaite is one man who has been bitten by a very specific bug- Rich is one of the world’s leading collector of vintage Heuer Monaco watches, and over only a couple of …

If reading the interview with Jack Heuer has inspired you to add to your vintage Heuer collection, then the perfect opportunity is coming up in December 2010, when renowned Heuer collector Arno Haslinger will auction 81 watches from his amazing collection through Bonhams.
Arno’s collection is detailed in his terrific book “Heuer Chronographs” which has detailed photos of all the famous Heuer models from the 1970s, as well as the stories behind the development of each model. The book is a great read in itself, but it now also serves as …

It can be said that there are three types of watch collectors- the “traders”, the “flippers” and the “accumulators”. Accumulators will never sell a watch, even if it only gets worn once every leap-year. A flipper will buy today with the aim of wearing for a week, keeping the sticker on the back and then selling on at a profit. The trader, which describes how I collect watches, sits somewhere in the middle.
I never buy a watch with the sole intention of making a turn on it (which is just …

One of the most enjoyable parts of vintage watch collecting is the thrill of the hunt- some of these models are so rare, that it’s not just a case of paying over the odds to get the watch you want- sometimes, they’re just not available.
Without doubt, the most iconic vintage Heuer is the Heuer Monaco- Steve McQueen’s watch. A crazy square case with its distinctive blue, white and red dial. For many people it’s the very reason that they become attracted to the Heuer and TAG Heuer brand. And when …

Today was D-day for the Patrizzi Heuer auction- all of the results are in, with only two watches passed in.
For a full list of the items that were auctioned today, click here .
For discussion of the auction results, head over to OnTheDash
Full results:

A preview of the Patrizzi & Co. Vintage Heuer auction from OntheDash

Since the original post on 18 September, there have been two examples of the predicted “big movers” that have sold on eBay. Given that these came up so soon after the initial post, I thought it would be worth tracking to see whether there were any signs of values heading north.
1) Heuer Montreal

Sold for USD1,525
25 Bids

The white-dial Montreal is the rarest of the lot, so on the face of it this is a pretty disappointing price. However, look a little closer and note that the hands are not correct …

A new feature on Calibre 11 to help readers find the best of Vintage Heuer and TAG Heuer watches for sale on the web. Each week this page will contain a an interesting Heuer or TAG Heuer watch taken from one of the many watch sale websites on the web- let Calibre 11 sift through the rubbish and highlight some of the more interesting watches out there.
The “Watch of the Week” page is accessible from the menu bar at the top of the Calibre11.com homepage, or directly via this link: …

Every year it seems that a different Vintage Heuer model enjoys its moment in the sun- collectors suddenly realise that there are some under-appreciated models out there (with under-appreciated prices to match), a few examples are bought and photos posted…and the Heuer collecting world has a new favourite.
Of course, there are always the “blue-chip” models- 1133B Monaco, Siffert Autavia, Carrera 12 that will continue to appreciate (although my view is that the Siffert and 1133B values will slow in their appreciation), but the real fun comes in finding models that …

Many watches are branded as fakes- but what does this actually mean? Is your Heuer or TAG Heuer fake? A replica? Or does it simply have a few parts that aren’t genuine because they’re no longer available?

I bought a “NOS” Heuer Calculator earlier this year- it was an impulse buy really, as I had never previously liked the Calculator that much…they always look a little ungainly and over-sized in the photos.
In real life, they look fantastic. Yes, its a big watch, but no bigger than many new watches that are on sale today, so it has a very contemporary look. I’ve received more compliments around the office for my Calculator than I have for my Monaco 1133B!
Have you spotted what’s wrong with the watch yet? Yes, …