Name: Alex Wilson
(One half of Work Duds)
Let me take you back to 1998. I’m eight years young and obsessed with movies; usually cheesy action flicks or anything with Don LaFontaine narrating the trailer. Overnight I become overwrought with expensive taste, living vicariously through my dad. I suggest he purchase the BMW 750iL from Tomorrow Never Dies, Pierce Brosnan’s second outing as James Bond and of course, the requisite Omega Seamaster Professional to finish the look. Whilst he agreed these things are all very nice, his post box red Ford Sierra and charming ultra-thin Seiko serve him just as well.
I’ve since moved on from trying to fashion my father into a movie icon with expensive toys, yet the same (somewhat peculiar) child still resides in the depths of my soul. I still favour subtle 90s saloons over out-and-out sport cars and I still prefer classic watches with fine touches of style, quality and design over the larger, shinier models of today. A watch is not a wall clock, after all.
We have spoken to some of Instagram’s best dressed, asking them to pick a watch in their possession that they’ve a particular fondness for. Every timepiece has a story behind it, whether it’s been handed down, bought as a birthday gift or simply represents an important ‘life’ milestone. To kick things off, I’ll talk about my Tissot Visodate from the late 50s/early 60s. I bought this watch 8 years ago in my early twenties. I wanted a vintage Swiss watch with a small face and found this one, originally on a jubilee strap. I’ve since moved it to a Nato strap and wear it all the time – to work, on holiday, to weddings. It rarely leaves my wrist. A few years ago I parted ways with some of my possessions to bolster my savings, though my Tissot I could never sell. A lifetime investment that has become a part of who I am. It was my first Swiss watch, I love it.
Name: Daniel Breheny
(Other half of Work Duds)
Talking about buying a vintage Omega has been a non-optional bi-weekly topic of conversation between myself and Alex for roughly ten years. Alex knows me better than most, of course, and by that very fact is attuned to my complete inability to ‘walk the walk’ when it comes to following through with sensible, considered purchases. In other words, I’ve wanted a vintage Omega for years, yet have never committed. For my 30th birthday then, Alex came through, accruing himself some serious brownie points. Secretly liaising with my nearest and dearest, he managed to ‘friend-fund’ my first ever Omega, a cal 613 1970 Geneve with a silver dial. Beautifully preserved. It’s in for servicing as we speak. Words cannot describe how excited I am to pick this up and proudly sport it for the rest of my days!
Name: Daniel Breheny
(Other half of Work Duds)
Talking about buying a vintage Omega has been a non-optional bi-weekly topic of conversation between myself and Alex for roughly ten years. Alex knows me better than most, of course, and by that very fact is attuned to my complete inability to ‘walk the walk’ when it comes to following through with sensible, considered purchases. In other words, I’ve wanted a vintage Omega for years, yet have never committed. For my 30th birthday then, Alex came through, accruing himself some serious brownie points. Secretly liaising with my nearest and dearest, he managed to ‘friend-fund’ my first ever Omega, a cal 613 1970 Geneve with a silver dial. Beautifully preserved. It’s in for servicing as we speak. Words cannot describe how excited I am to pick this up and proudly sport it for the rest of my days!
Name: Tom O’Dell
Insta: @odellsstudios
My 1966 Omega Seamaster Automatic is my favourite watch I own. I purchased this when my grandad passed away in 2011. I used one months wages on it. A beautiful classic watch, my first vintage, 1966; a great year for football in this country and of course reminds me of my brilliant grandad, John Brooks O’Dell.
Photo by Alex Natt (@adnatt)
Name: Tom O’Dell
Insta: @odellsstudios
My 1966 Omega Seamaster Automatic is my favourite watch I own. I purchased this when my grandad passed away in 2011. I used one months wages on it. A beautiful classic watch, my first vintage, 1966; a great year for football in this country and of course reminds me of my brilliant grandad, John Brooks O’Dell.
Photo by Alex Natt (@adnatt)
Name: Dachi
Insta: @rugged_frills
The watch I treasure the most isn’t particularly well made. The movement is a terrible Soviet manual wind. Mechanically, it has all the refinement of a Lada on a rough winter road. The dial is poorly printed with pretend Breguet numerals. However, it used to be my grandad’s. I have owned various ‘better’ watches, but this is the one I’d never sell.
Name: Dachi
Insta: @rugged_frills
The watch I treasure the most isn’t particularly well made. The movement is a terrible Soviet manual wind. Mechanically, it has all the refinement of a Lada on a rough winter road. The dial is poorly printed with pretend Breguet numerals. However, it used to be my grandad’s. I have owned various ‘better’ watches, but this is the one I’d never sell.
Name: Kevis Manzi
Insta: @kevismanzi
This is the first polo bear watch by Ralph Lauren, released last year. It is a watch that I like a lot because it suits me completely and combines all my interests such as craftsmanship, with an automatic movement made in Switzerland and a black leather alligator strap. It’s fun too. I consider fashion to be playful. If you want to wear pink boots with flannel trousers, a trucker denim jacket and an NBA sport cap, let’s rock. This watch perfectly symbolises this philosophy – a clean cream dial, juxtaposed with a polo bear in the background wearing cowboy boots and a dinner jacket.
Name: Kevis Manzi
Insta: @kevismanzi
This is the first polo bear watch by Ralph Lauren, released last year. It is a watch that I like a lot because it suits me completely and combines all my interests such as craftsmanship, with an automatic movement made in Switzerland and a black leather alligator strap. It’s fun too. I consider fashion to be playful. If you want to wear pink boots with flannel trousers, a trucker denim jacket and an NBA sport cap, let’s rock. This watch perfectly symbolises this philosophy – a clean cream dial, juxtaposed with a polo bear in the background wearing cowboy boots and a dinner jacket.
Name: Mikko Saari
Insta: @migigp
My Tissot PR516 GL. I bought this back in 2013 in NOS/mint condition from Ebay and it came over the pond from Washington D.C. The sale included the original box and papers. What made me consider this particular watch in the first place was the fact that around the time Tissot happened to make a reissue of this original 70’s style. I much prefer the size and features of this original due to its smaller 37mm case size and plexiglass for that true vintage aesthetic. I have had the Tissot’s in-house 784 movement serviced once during my ownership and it still remains to keep time after 50 years. Big fan of these lower-end Swiss vintage pieces from the 70’s as they are just the right amount of quirky, affordable and relatively easily available on the second-hand markets!
Name: Mikko Saari
Insta: @migigp
My Tissot PR516 GL. I bought this back in 2013 in NOS/mint condition from Ebay and it came over the pond from Washington D.C. The sale included the original box and papers. What made me consider this particular watch in the first place was the fact that around the time Tissot happened to make a reissue of this original 70’s style. I much prefer the size and features of this original due to its smaller 37mm case size and plexiglass for that true vintage aesthetic. I have had the Tissot’s in-house 784 movement serviced once during my ownership and it still remains to keep time after 50 years. Big fan of these lower-end Swiss vintage pieces from the 70’s as they are just the right amount of quirky, affordable and relatively easily available on the second-hand markets!
Name: Nicolas Horloger
Insta: @nicolaslepetithorloger
The story of this watch is something quite unusual, which I always thought was usually reserved for others. When I attended a meeting with one of my producers, we started to talk about watches. After we discussed for a while, he showed me some watches he had received from his aunt that were stored in a box. One of them was this completely untouched Tissot Antimagnetique. I couldn’t believe my eyes, such a watch from the late 1940s in such a condition. Simply unique. When he saw the sparkle in my eyes, he sold me the watch. When I drove away from the factory, I couldn’t stop looking at this crazy dial, which is completely intact. A piece to keep, which makes collecting watches exciting.
Name: Nicolas Horloger
Insta: @nicolaslepetithorloger
The story of this watch is something quite unusual, which I always thought was usually reserved for others. When I attended a meeting with one of my producers, we started to talk about watches. After we discussed for a while, he showed me some watches he had received from his aunt that were stored in a box. One of them was this completely untouched Tissot Antimagnetique. I couldn’t believe my eyes, such a watch from the late 1940s in such a condition. Simply unique. When he saw the sparkle in my eyes, he sold me the watch. When I drove away from the factory, I couldn’t stop looking at this crazy dial, which is completely intact. A piece to keep, which makes collecting watches exciting.
Name: James Kibble
Insta: @kibblewatches
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have the privilege of being a watchdealer for the past few years, handling watches from a few hundred pounds up to the absolute grails from brands like Patek Philippe & A.Lange & Sohne and from truly antique 100+ year old watches to brand new and still stickered.
But for me vintage will always hold a special place in my heart, most of all being the items that allowed me to turn £300 into what KibbleWatches is today. When I sell a watch, especially a vintage watch, I am selling something that can contain emotion, memories and stories. Something you wear, enjoy and pass down from generation to generation. A watch is a lot more than something to tell the time.
It was tough to choose just one vintage watch that means so much to me, but I chose my personal 1974 Zenith Defy. This watch is not only stunning and beautifully made, its also a true vintage watch with scars to match, some from its 46 years of being around and some in the last 3+ years of me owning it. Those scars tell a story, they have meaning and mystery all at the same time. This watch I have sold to fund the business and managed to buy the exact one back from the owner, twice! Thankfully I’m in a position where I don’t have to let it go again, this will stay with me for the rest of my time and I hope to pass it down one day.
Name: James Kibble
Insta: @kibblewatches
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have the privilege of being a watchdealer for the past few years, handling watches from a few hundred pounds up to the absolute grails from brands like Patek Philippe & A.Lange & Sohne and from truly antique 100+ year old watches to brand new and still stickered.
But for me vintage will always hold a special place in my heart, most of all being the items that allowed me to turn £300 into what KibbleWatches is today. When I sell a watch, especially a vintage watch, I am selling something that can contain emotion, memories and stories. Something you wear, enjoy and pass down from generation to generation. A watch is a lot more than something to tell the time.
It was tough to choose just one vintage watch that means so much to me, but I chose my personal 1974 Zenith Defy. This watch is not only stunning and beautifully made, its also a true vintage watch with scars to match, some from its 46 years of being around and some in the last 3+ years of me owning it. Those scars tell a story, they have meaning and mystery all at the same time. This watch I have sold to fund the business and managed to buy the exact one back from the owner, twice! Thankfully I’m in a position where I don’t have to let it go again, this will stay with me for the rest of my time and I hope to pass it down one day.
Name: Mark Large
Insta: @1lrg
This is my 1970 Rolex, which I bought because it’s the year I was born. I’ve always loved the Mickey Mouse ones and knew one day I’d find the right one, I’ve even managed to get my wife the matching one from her birth year. I’ve cracked the glass but I’m pretty easy going about things and I’m happy to live with it.. wabi sabi.
Name: Mark Large
Insta: @1lrg
This is my 1970 Rolex, which I bought because it’s the year I was born. I’ve always loved the Mickey Mouse ones and knew one day I’d find the right one, I’ve even managed to get my wife the matching one from her birth year. I’ve cracked the glass but I’m pretty easy going about things and I’m happy to live with it.. wabi sabi.
Name: Nick Johannessen
Insta: @welldresseddad
Podcast: https://welldresseddad.com/garmology-podcast/
Blog: https://welldresseddad.com
In a moment of weakness many years ago, my dad gave me his Omega Constellation. I can’t recall why, and I don’t think he can either, as he’s tried to sneak it back a few times since. I enjoyed it as my everyday watch for many years, accumulating a fair number of scratches, probably from wrenching on vintage Jaguars, and replacing straps as they crumbled to dust . The watch has just kept on ticking, still keeping time and still looking stylish and elegant.
Name: Nick Johannessen
Insta: @welldresseddad
Podcast: https://welldresseddad.com/garmology-podcast/
Blog: https://welldresseddad.com
In a moment of weakness many years ago, my dad gave me his Omega Constellation. I can’t recall why, and I don’t think he can either, as he’s tried to sneak it back a few times since. I enjoyed it as my everyday watch for many years, accumulating a fair number of scratches, probably from wrenching on vintage Jaguars, and replacing straps as they crumbled to dust . The watch has just kept on ticking, still keeping time and still looking stylish and elegant.
Name: Benjamin Phillips
Insta: @benjamin_glyn_phillips
I really wanted a birth year Rolex and luckily for me my friend David runs Vintage Watch Company and he really looked after me with this 1978 Datejust. At first I thought maybe I should have saved up more to get a Sub or a GMT but I fall in love with this watch more and more every day.
Name: Benjamin Phillips
Insta: @benjamin_glyn_phillips
I really wanted a birth year Rolex and luckily for me my friend David runs Vintage Watch Company and he really looked after me with this 1978 Datejust. At first I thought maybe I should have saved up more to get a Sub or a GMT but I fall in love with this watch more and more every day.
Name: Khabi Mirza
Insta: @khabism
While I’m by no means a collector of watches, I have been super fortunate to have been gifted a couple of Rolex’s over the years.
My first is a 1972 steel Oysterdate which my dear mum gave me for my 21st birthday. And the second, pictured, is a 5513 steel Sub gifted to me by my wife on my 40th birthday.
Having inspired countless diving watch designs, the 5513 Sub has been an utter classic since its 1953 launch. Sturdy, precisely balanced and diverse enough to look the part with any outfit, the Sub is my go-to daily watch.
Somewhere down the road the hands have been replaced but the dial has picked up a gorgeous sepia patina. It’s picked up a few bumps and scratches over the years and sadly I lost the bezel’s lume dot, though I guess that’s to be expected with daily wear.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering why both are 1972 models, it happens to be my birth year, though I’m not certain I share the same design classic rep as the watch.
Name: Khabi Mirza
Insta: @khabism
While I’m by no means a collector of watches, I have been super fortunate to have been gifted a couple of Rolex’s over the years.
My first is a 1972 steel Oysterdate which my dear mum gave me for my 21st birthday. And the second, pictured, is a 5513 steel Sub gifted to me by my wife on my 40th birthday.
Having inspired countless diving watch designs, the 5513 Sub has been an utter classic since its 1953 launch. Sturdy, precisely balanced and diverse enough to look the part with any outfit, the Sub is my go-to daily watch.
Somewhere down the road the hands have been replaced but the dial has picked up a gorgeous sepia patina. It’s picked up a few bumps and scratches over the years and sadly I lost the bezel’s lume dot, though I guess that’s to be expected with daily wear.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering why both are 1972 models, it happens to be my birth year, though I’m not certain I share the same design classic rep as the watch.
Name: David Silver
Insta: @mrdavidsilver
Shop: @vintage_watch_company
Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vintage-Rolex-largest-collection-world/dp/1911663127
Picture by Pictureshed (@thepictureshed_)
The most iconic of the Rolex Day Date models are the Stella dials. This particular red is nicknamed ‘Ferrari’ red. It was great fun for me to be able to shoot the watch along with my all time favourite car. A knockout combination.
Name: David Silver
Insta: @mrdavidsilver
Shop: @vintage_watch_company
Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vintage-Rolex-largest-collection-world/dp/1911663127
Picture by Pictureshed (@thepictureshed_)
The most iconic of the Rolex Day Date models are the Stella dials. This particular red is nicknamed ‘Ferrari’ red. It was great fun for me to be able to shoot the watch along with my all time favourite car. A knockout combination.
Name: Will Varnham
Insta: @rugged_style
Here’s my humble timepiece – it’s not particularly expensive, fancy or rare. But it gets the job done, and looks pretty good doing it. It’s from J Springs, which is a sub-brand of Seiko. They’re entry-level but include some good quality parts. In style it’s a classic diver and I’ve added a khaki strap from Bulang & Sons. I bought it used for not a lot of money, simply because I liked the style and it showed nice, honest, wear.
Name: Will Varnham
Insta: @rugged_style
Here’s my humble timepiece – it’s not particularly expensive, fancy or rare. But it gets the job done, and looks pretty good doing it. It’s from J Springs, which is a sub-brand of Seiko. They’re entry-level but include some good quality parts. In style it’s a classic diver and I’ve added a khaki strap from Bulang & Sons. I bought it used for not a lot of money, simply because I liked the style and it showed nice, honest, wear.
Name: Benedict Browne
Insta: @benedict_browne
I was very generously given this watch (a Rolex DateJust, in steel. I can’t remember the reference number for it, but don’t care since all that stuff is OTT in my opinion) for my 21st birthday back in 2014.
It’s automatic of course which I love because I find self-winding watches too much of a hassle – I don’t think a watch should be maintained on a regular basis. It’s in Oystersteel – which is tough as nails, that – with plenty of bumps and scratches. What I love about it most though is the simple and straightforward combination of the black dial with baton markers, which makes it such an easy watch to wear. It’s fuss-free, clean but considered and doesn’t stick out from a styling point of view.
Overall, I think it’s quite a subtle and discreet kettle. I’m not into ostentatious metals and glaring dial/bezel combinations as less is most definitely more. However, it caught the eye of two desperate smackheads a few years ago who tried their best (bless ‘em) to claim it for their own but thankfully the Air Force 1s I was wearing on that hot, summers day took me to safety and left them in dust.
It’s without doubt my most important possession in my life. I would give up my entire wardrobe for it, despite that amounting to much more. A gift like this should never be traded or sold, so it’s staying firmly on my left wrist.
Name: Benedict Browne
Insta: @benedict_browne
I was very generously given this watch (a Rolex DateJust, in steel. I can’t remember the reference number for it, but don’t care since all that stuff is OTT in my opinion) for my 21st birthday back in 2014.
It’s automatic of course which I love because I find self-winding watches too much of a hassle – I don’t think a watch should be maintained on a regular basis. It’s in Oystersteel – which is tough as nails, that – with plenty of bumps and scratches. What I love about it most though is the simple and straightforward combination of the black dial with baton markers, which makes it such an easy watch to wear. It’s fuss-free, clean but considered and doesn’t stick out from a styling point of view.
Overall, I think it’s quite a subtle and discreet kettle. I’m not into ostentatious metals and glaring dial/bezel combinations as less is most definitely more. However, it caught the eye of two desperate smackheads a few years ago who tried their best (bless ‘em) to claim it for their own but thankfully the Air Force 1s I was wearing on that hot, summers day took me to safety and left them in dust.
It’s without doubt my most important possession in my life. I would give up my entire wardrobe for it, despite that amounting to much more. A gift like this should never be traded or sold, so it’s staying firmly on my left wrist.