The BEST Vintage Watches for Beginners to Repair (And What to Avoid)

In this video I share my recommendations for the best cheap vintage watches to buy when you're learning watch repair. After working on countless vintage timepieces, I've discovered that some watches are perfect for beginners, while others can quickly turn an enjoyable hobby into a frustrating experience. I'll cover what makes a good beginner watch, which movements are generally easier to service, what features to look for when buying, and the common pitfalls that can catch new watchmakers out. I'll also discuss the types of watches I would personally avoid until you've gained a little more experience at the bench. Whether you're buying your very first project watch or looking for your next restoration challenge, this guide should help you spend your money wisely and build your skills with confidence. Topics covered: • Best vintage watches for beginners • Affordable watches to learn watch repair • What to look for before buying • Common problems and red flags • Watches and movements to avoid • Tips from my own watchmaking journey If you're new to the channel, welcome! I regularly repair, restore and service vintage watches, sharing both the successes and the mistakes along the way. Chapters 00:00 - 03:09 Introduction 03:09 - 05:15 Radium Warning & Invicta Watches 05:15 - 11:56 The Mumbai Special watch 11:56 - 20:52 Accurist Watches 20:52 - 22:38 Avia Watches 22:38 - 25:12 Rotary Watches 25:12 - 30:12 Lanco, MuDu & Swiss Emperor Watches 30:12 - 30:46 Junghans Watches 30:46 - 32:08 Helvetia Watches 32:08 - 32:35 Tressa watches 32:35 -34:25 Seiko, Ricoh and Citizen Watches 34:40 - 36:44 Sekonda De Luxe Watches 36:44 - 41:27 Jump Hour Watches, Buy with Caution 41:27 - 45:17 Pin Pallet watches Should come with a warning! 45:17 - 1:04:13 - Searching eBay for Watch Repair Projects 1:04:13 - 1:07:58 Sum Up What we have learnt Support My Retro Watches on Patreon, helps me to bring you more content and in return receive members only content and updates.   / myretrowatches   Want to buy a watch? or one of my T-Shirt designs? https://www.time-tees.com/ My tool affiliate links page. I earn a small commission for every qualifying sale. All tools are hand picked by myself. http://myretrowatches.com/tool-sale-l... If my video helped you then consider buying me a coffee. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/MyRetroW... My Second Channel:    / @mywatchreviews   My website: http://myretrowatches.com/ My Facebook Group - Retro & Vintage Watches & Restorations. In here you will find a very large friendly community where no question is too silly and you will find no watch snobbery. Stuck on a WATCH REPAIR? join and get answers from the watchmaking collective.   / retro.vintage.watches.restorations   My Facebook Page   / my.retro.watches   My Instagram:   / myretrowatches   Email. [email protected] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About me: My name is Mike and I am a hobbyist watchmaker. I am completely self-taught in watch repair and restoration. My channel is all about my journey of hobbyist of watchmaking. I have watch repair tutorials, watch restorations and watch repair videos. Some of my content you can easily follow along to if you are working on the same watch movement. My main focus is to document my journey and inspire more people into this wonderful hobby and demonstrate that this hobby can be very rewarding. I do not profess to be a professional watchmaker and in my videos, I show all my mistakes, mishaps, highs and lows and keep everything as honest as possible. It is easy to edit all the mistakes out and make my videos look perfect but I believe that keeping it real reflects the true reality of this hobby. So, what are you waiting for? please check out my watch repair and restoration videos, get inspired and start your own watchmaking journey. #WatchRepair #VintageWatches #Watchmaking #Horology #VintageWatchRepair #WatchRestoration #Watchmaker #MechanicalWatches #BeginnerWatchmaker