Which mechanical watches of the 80s might history smile upon?

[Rdenney]

That was one of my thoughts when I started the thread: the companies that rode out the eighties were the companies that ended the seventies with enough in the tank....

I suspect Rolex coasted through the 80's, resting on their status symbol laurels. That's their usual MO.

The 80's were the age of the ultrathin Quartz watch, including (led by?) the Concord Delirium and the Movado Museum (which was not, of course, an 80's design). Longines was in that game also.

It was also the decade in which Real Man watches emerged, notably the G-Schlock.

Rick "did I misplet something?" Denney

[Dan R]

I have always maintained that the two largest producers of movements in Europe were ETA/Swatch and Rolex. It does not make either better. Just different.

But I digress,

Dan

[scott59]

The 80s, the death of fine, affordable, Swiss mechanical watches it seemed.

Reminds me of a story told to my Dad in the mid-90s by a watchmaker in town he and I had befriended. A local titan of industry had once brought in his watch for repair. It was a Patek Philippe.

Made sense. He was a very, very rich man. It was quartz. We just shook our heads. To pay Patek Philippe money for a quartz watch? Though I'm sure it was an exceptionally fine quartz movement, but still? What was the world coming to?

[Dan R]

Well, the industry has reformed itself into what it is today. Some brands, Minerva for example, struggled only to die in the early 2000s. Others were bought up. Given the prices they are asking, it seems like they aren't doing to poorly. But this thread is really more about certain styles/models that were cool then and did not cross over the time divide.

Cheers!

Dan