What is the best known Reliable Vintage Watch Movement?

If one were asked what kind of watch will you buy if you are offered one chance to buy. I guess that 75% of the people would choose Rolex!

Reason is simply Rolex is a tough guy, it runs day and everyday, it works hard and never steal your time away!

New or old a Rolex after an Overhaul it will run well for 5 -20 years without any special care of. Particular model Orchid I bought for my mother in 1982, it still running well and accurate without any Rolex Service at all!

It I have a few watches that I have been used for 20 years and still keep time very accurate You should note that a Rolex should maintain a daily accuracy of +4 to +6 seconds, * after a few years it would slow down to say + 2 seconds as the lubrication oil dries over the years, and it carries the tiny particles, dust and the debris of the movement wear out, the viscosity of the lubricants changes high and additional friction will slow down the watch.

In the 70’s Some of the best movement that collection won't miss: IWC 85 series, Vacheron Constantin 920 (Audemars Piguet 2120, Vacheron Constantin 1120, Patek Philippe PP28-255*) Patek Philippe 460, Omega series 5, and the most adorable 1570.

Especially Rolex is the most cost effect amongst al these top brands. I still recall that PP AP, VC and Piaget had been named as The Big Four from Switzerland in all ads and watch magazine in the 80's.

The new design watch has to fulfill the new demand of the market, consideration for mass production with cost reduction, there have been a lot of changes in watch movement design, we have seen a lot of expensive watch that could not work in some “harsh condition”, it stops once in a while that you do not able to foresee when, some expensive thin watch crown was able to be pulled out or broken, some expensive watch could not take time accurate better than 10 Seconds a day, some have broken Escapement fork, or deformed hair spring. Some watch worth more than $20,000 still using the simplest form of adjustment on the hairspring, at least you should put a screw set type, of course I don’t expect a Gooseneck adjustment on this watch unless I pay more $10,000. Well, many of the watch buyer or users do not know much about the design of the watch. The brand name would tell everything!? Sometimes it may not.

So How about a Rolex Ref, 1570? Well, I met the carpenter on the Ship “ White Sea”, he worn an old worn out case of Ref 1570 and his job is to chip out the rust on board the ship’s deck every the other day. Right hand with a hammer, left hand holding a Chisel, its Rolex had been tortured by such vibration for over 1`million time, but his Rolex on his left hand never stop… that was one of the amazing story I say when I work on board the Merchant Vessel “White Sea” as a Radio officer. It was scrapped and sold 1983 in Bombay.

My Conclusion

The Rolex Caliber 1570 is a real workhorse movement and there are tons of them out there ticking away. Many of watchmakers and Watch Collector tell me that the 1570/1575 which were introduced in approx 1965 are one of the best movements ever made. If you have one, I am sure they are running well.

Rolex is a name for Celebrity and also a workhorse for Carpenter!!

PS
* When I buy Rolex, some time I select one with fast 8 Seconds a day..

as you know Chinese's supertitions, "8" means "rich" and If I wear a Rolex with 8 seconds fast everyday, meaning that I will be Rich Everyday... but the problem is nowadays not so many Rolex AD still offer a Selection on the watch by checking the heart beat of the watch...only a few does. and Usually it is not too easy to get one, normally Rolex is shipped with +2 to +5 seonds a day from all i know... Correct me if I am wrong!

HK Snob