Any hassles with vintage after purchase that one should be aware of?

[tough]

I apologize for a thread that may seem useless to many, and I would appreciate if people can help me realise some things before venturing into the world.

I certainly appreciate a vintage watch. The history, faded inserts, and patina are very charming.
I am still reading on many things, but have one primary question.
If I am able to locate the perfect watch for me that fits all the criteria and tick the boxes.
Does one expect to later have issues where he will need to source something that will be hard to come by?

Basically I mean. After purchasing a nice vintage piece, other than servicing and of course wearing with care, what else can go wrong which will cost a lot of money and also be extremely difficult to find?

What things are common to go wrong?
I have seen very early sport model rolexes (50+) year old that still look fine, and it is inclining me to believe that a well maintained early 1980s or late 1970s watch should be no different that it will outlive you.

Any experiences or stories are very helpful.
Thanks to all

[J!m]

Depends on the model what might be hard to find later.

Crystals, crowns and tubes are the only wear parts other than bracelet.

[Gliderguy]

I don´t know where you are based but not having a good watchmaker nearby is proving to be a problem for me. I live in Argentina and sending it up to the states for service is costly for shipping and insurance and a potential customs problem upon entering the states and then coming back down.

[tough]

Originally Posted by J!m

Depends on the model what might be hard to find later.

Crystals, crowns and tubes are the only wear parts other than bracelet.

I understand.
I do believe that rolex can still provide a service Crystal, correct?
What causes a need to change the crown on your vintage watch? - I realise this is also a silly question, but as I have said it is a learning path for me for now.

Lastly, do most people that have a nice (period correct) bracelet with not much stretch meanwhile wear their watch on another bracelet to prevent the stretch on the original?
I believe you can still find a similar looking bracelet from Rolex, cannot recall the reference on it. Also have read of people restoring the stretch on their old ones.

Originally Posted by Gliderguy

I don´t know where you are based but not having a good watchmaker nearby is proving to be a problem for me. I live in Argentina and sending it up to the states for service is costly for shipping and insurance and a potential customs problem upon entering the states and then coming back down.

This is not an issue for me as when the time to service comes, there are a few guys with good reputation not too far.

[droptopman]

Depends on the model, but vintage sport models are pretty tough. Once the movement is serviced they have held up well for me.

Some parts are increasingly harder to find and continue to rise in cost. So I would try to find one as original as possible. For example, vintage fat font inserts are crazy money but really give a piece that vintage vibe. Some super dome plexis are basically impossible to find now and a service plexi does not have the same look.

Crowns wear out and are generally replaced with newer models which also changes the look. A 700 crown is different than a 703.

As far as bracelets go, I personally do not fear them stretching. Fairly simple process to have them restored. Although, I do know plenty of folks who leave their bracelets off to preserve them. Just personal preference.

So if I was looking for a vintage Sub for example, I would be looking for one with the original insert, plexi, and crown. These things are not as important to some folks.

Now if the right deal comes along and I have access to the necessary parts to return it to original, I like taking on those projects as well.