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The future of vintage digital watches ?

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elceedee

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The future of vintage digital watches ?

Post16 Feb 2014, 22:40

Cars, for example, are more and more digitalized. Most modern new cars have about 30-75 separate computers inside. The future will bring cars driving by themselves, or at least, correct the driver when necessary.
Personally, I prefer the true classic cars and bikes. I used to restore them when I was younger (although im not that old, just a few decades ;) ) Will we still be able to drive a 1980's car in regular traffic without being sued when causing an accident?

Allright, enough about cars. Vintage digital watches.

These days we seem to be on the brink (which is what the large electronic corporations like to make us believe) of the digital watch-computer; everything at hand (first linked to our mobile, later stand alone)

Personally I believe we will stick to out phones with their bigger screens (curved, rollable , etc), but time will tell.

Will there be a good market for vintage digitals?

YES!

Yes, there will be, maybe even more then at the moment; Watches will become more wide accepted with digital screens because of the upcoming watch computers IF they succeed as predicted. Therefore I believe the vintage digital watch will become a more accepted (more then these days) way to stand out of the crowd with something special; a first Seiko or Casio watch of the 1970's and eighthies (and in a few years, the 1990's)

Is a good market right for us collectors? Yes, and no.. Think about that ;)

Just a thought that just popped in my mind. Curious what you guys think about this.
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cobra007

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Re: The future of vintage digital watches ?

Post17 Feb 2014, 03:15

About the vintage cars, I also like to drive a car from the 1980's with carby and mechanical fuel pump :-). Easy to work with, easy to fix if there is a problem. However, the largest downside of the older cars is the safety. In today's traffic I do not feel the same safety when driving an older car compared to a newer car with all the airbags and stuff. You may never need them, but the feeling they are there "just in case" for me is enough.

As for the watches, I am not a fan at all to wear a watch/wrist computer that needs to be re-charged on a daily bases. I believe most of the smart watches will be just throw-away items while the vintage digitals will become scarcer every year. Having said that, this one looks quite awesome! :O`~
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richard_uk

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Re: The future of vintage digital watches ?

Post17 Feb 2014, 14:43

It does look awesome, whether it will ever exist, or be anything like the renderings, remains to be seen I guess.
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cobra007

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Re: The future of vintage digital watches ?

Post17 Feb 2014, 23:12

richard_uk wrote:It does look awesome, whether it will ever exist, or be anything like the renderings, remains to be seen I guess.


Well in fact, they will start shipping next week :-) but only 500 pieces available and I think USD1,200 (I read GBP1,200 somewhere else).
http://www.hyetis.com/

Michel
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Plato

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Re: The future of vintage digital watches ?

Post18 Feb 2014, 10:55

So, on the original question of vintage digital watches in the future... i am worried that the only reason we collect these is because we owned and saw them when we were young.

will the next generation feel the same?

almost nobody in my office has seen an led watch. before..... and those the same age as me just think it's a strange curiosity.

So will the market be there?

j
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richard_uk

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Re: The future of vintage digital watches ?

Post18 Feb 2014, 14:28

cobra007 wrote:
richard_uk wrote:It does look awesome, whether it will ever exist, or be anything like the renderings, remains to be seen I guess.


Well in fact, they will start shipping next week :-) but only 500 pieces available and I think USD1,200 (I read GBP1,200 somewhere else).
http://www.hyetis.com/

Michel


Yeah I read that too, but confused why as they're so close to shipping there has still been no photos of the actual watch, only renderings, and one shot of a milled out case.

OP.. sorry for stealing the thread :oops:
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richard_uk

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Re: The future of vintage digital watches ?

Post18 Feb 2014, 14:30

I get what you're saying about us 70s kids wanting these watches because we saw them in our youth, but I think there will always be a market for them, just as there has always been a market for anything old and curious.
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SASM

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Re: The future of vintage digital watches ?

Post18 Feb 2014, 18:06

Plato wrote:So, on the original question of vintage digital watches in the future... i am worried that the only reason we collect these is because we owned and saw them when we were young.


Well I´ve never seen a LED watch when I was young. Still I am wearing these on a daily basis.
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simone

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Re: The future of vintage digital watches ?

Post19 Feb 2014, 11:40

Interesting topic....
Well i use everyday an old FIAT 126 from 1975,so a very old car for sure.I know that it's not safely as the modern computerized cars.Maybe you don't know the FIAT 126 but just for an idea you must imagine the classic FIAT 500:it's the same with different design.
Anyway i feel the real pleasure to drive...no electronic that's help me...the car brakes only when i press the pedal...easy to fix when something goes wrong...air cooled engine so....eternal...highlander...it's a life choice ;-)
About watches i don't think that the modern equipment as smartphone,tablet,ipad,notebook,telephone-watch and any other device will destroy the "idea" of wristwatch..oh yes someone don't use a watch cause it's on phone or tablet...it's true that sales of watches (in Italy,so i don't know in the rest of Europe or worldwide) have declined...but it's true that vintage never dies.
So 70's and 80's lcd and led watches will never die...what do you think is better?A Seiko 0624 or an ipod nano wear like a watch?And just think....the digital won..now all is digital....
;-)

Our passion overcomes the barriers of time,our watches are the state of art...ready to be expose at MOMA :grin1:
Some watches are made to last only as long as they are fashionable
Some watches, simply are not made to last
Seiko watches are designed to withstand the ravages of both time and fashion
Someday perhaps, all watches will be made this way
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jagmad

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Re: The future of vintage digital watches ?

Post20 Feb 2014, 03:06

Imo not many if any of these new gadget watch's are made to any where near the quality/standard
as the collectable ones from the era we love. And that's a shame
I was always told quality rarely goes out of fashion. Or rather looses respect.
Personally I think it's six of one and half a dozen of another, (bit of both).
Plato is partly right some of it is down to our memories/relative cheapness.
Although the quality will keep them collectable.
The phase that us 40-60 year old's buying them is in now in, will most probably
happen to the I pad and alike. Hell I sold my old Motorola brick phone at a
car boot sale some time ago for £5 with all accessories. Look at the price now.
And you can't use one of those without changing the workings.
Our early collectable LED/LCD watches are mostly well made, nostalgic and
still do the job they were made to do.

:dwf:
"I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member" Julius Henry Marx

"If necessity is the mother of invention, then mother is now standing at the door calling us in to do our home work"

IF YOUR MOBILE PHONE OR SMART WATCH DOESN'T NEED CHARGING AT LEAST EVERY WEEK YOU EITHER...
A. HAVE NO LIFE/FRIENDS. OR NEED FOR ONE.
B. YOU NEED TO SWITCH IT ON.

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