The "wristwatch" is only about 120 years old, a surprisingly short history when you consider its span.
Since its inception, countless watch brands and designs have been created, and nowadays, owning what is considered a luxury wristwatch has become a "status symbol."
Wristwatches, once the property of the aristocracy, are now accessible to everyone, evolving into marks of success or pieces of fashion.
Today, you can often discern a person's tastes and preferences from their watch, to the point where communities of enthusiasts who share a preference for the same type of watches have been formed.
Personally, I don't have any rigid beliefs about how a wristwatch "should be," but my own personal preference is for "vintage watches."
The definition of a vintage watch is extremely broad. However, I personally favor watches from the 1940s to the 1970s, and surely I am not alone in being fascinated by the details found in that era.
Looking at the details of the Rolex Oyster that recently arrived in stock, the hands are what we call "Alpha hands" and the indices are wedge-shaped.
Compared to recent Rolex models, they are noticeably "thicker."
You can relatively often find watches with this design up until about the mid-1960s, but later, the hands and indices were changed to thinner, sharper versions.
This is said to be because they offer better visibility when reading the time, which can be called the evolutionary process of the wristwatch.
Also, the Oyster Perpetual that arrived today combines thick hands, known as "Dauphine hands," with sharp-tipped wedge indices.
Furthermore, it uses a steel second hand, which is another detail where you can see that vintage character.
These differences in the shape of the hands and indices are parts that greatly influence the impression of the watch, and they are also the features that allow you to identify the era of the watch.
And as a deciding factor, the domed plastic crystal is a detail that cannot be overlooked.
This is a part that strongly conveys a sense of vintage style.
One reason for the domed crystal is that until about the 1950s, the surface of the movement or dial and the hands were curved, and the crystals were crafted to follow that shape.
Later, the structure of watches changed significantly, and crystals were changed to flat plastic ones, just like the hands, leading to a more modern look; therefore, the impression given by the crystal should not be underestimated.
Although the details mentioned above are only a portion of them, I believe these are details that many vintage watch fans commonly appreciate.
From there, adding the brand's background and the stories behind the creation of the models pulls you even deeper into the charm of the watch, but as far as details that evoke a vintage feel, the impact of the indices, hands, and crystal is immeasurable.
If you don't consider practicality, the Rolex "Bubbleback" or "Semi-Bubbleback"—products from the dawn of Rolex's self-winding era—are incredibly attractive, but if you consider practical use and maintenance, the period from the mid-1950s to the early 1960s might be called the golden age of Rolex.
When choosing a watch, please take a look at the details of each part and try to find one that makes you think, "This is the one!"