The modern statement wristwatch tends towards the enormous. The Sorna pictured above although usually sold as early Seventies is in reality an invention of more modern years and weighs in at an impressive 47mm on the wrist. Omega have recently increased the size of their iconic DeVille models in order to increase it's appeal. The modern Paneria is nearly half as big again as the vintage diver watches on which they are modeled. The reasons for this sudden increase in size are various and chief amongst them appears to be the desirability of visibility as after all, having invested ones hard earned coin in wrist candy one wants it above all to be seen but there is also the almost universal utilisation of standard ETA movements (all be it occasionally slightly altered or complicated by the better makers) in nearly every luxury brand you can name. The downside of the recent "rush to huge" becomes obvious once your timepiece rests on your wrist. Unless you have big, muscled wrists, these 40mm plus watches look awful. Vintage watches tend to be smaller. This Rolex Precision circa 1962 is just 32mm
The collecting of vintage watches escalates quickly into obsession and seems another of Gods ways of telling you that you've got too much cash. On the plus side, watches do not on the whole hold their value terribly well and buying second hand can be rewarding and affordable. An IWC Portofino in gold will set you back several thousand pounds when a vintage version can cost less than a grand. Vintage Rolex in particular make a great buy as the older patterns such as the Air King Precision and the more famous (and less affordable) Explorers I and II are neither routinely copied by cheaper marques nor forgered by fakers. My daily wearer is a dive watch. True dive watches (as opposed to watches copying the style of dive instruments) which possess any degree of elan are becoming a rarity. In the heyday of dive watch construction, Companies such as Doxa, Blancpain (Cousteau's watch was a Blancpain) Aquadive and Eterna constucted timepieces of stunning utility and style. Orange faced divers were common, and produced most famously by Doxa and Blancpain. Modern alternatives include the Seiko Orange Monster or the much nicer (and ETA Vintage Movement powered) Zeno Orange Diver (Both usually available from Eddy Plats at Timefactors). Caution is advised when buying dive watches from Ebay, as many vintage dive watches were nothing of the sort but merely ordinary watches dressed up to look like instruments. Remember too that vintage watches seldom retain a degree of water tightness which would render them useful under water. Indeed, many supposed degrees of water resistance are disengenuous. 50m water resistance is barely enough for swimming as 50m of water pressure can be generated just by waving one's arm through the water- look for 300m plus if you plan to dive in your watch.