Is 1980 Vintage

[Robtayham]

1979 / 1980 vintage? I think they’re just old.

For me, vintage would be older. I don’t think the year of manufacturer is the sole identifier of vintage or not. There has to be both visible external and internal differences.

[Verdi]

'80s models+plexi = vintage

late '80s/early '90s+crystal = neovintage


This is in my books.

[Racer X]

While 40 years of age certainly sounds "vintage," I would reserve that term for watches having particular characteristics, like plexi, matte, 4-number ref, tritium, etc., as opposed to the year of production. As I've said before, this is similar to the term "modern" in art and archetecture. Modern art/architecture is not "modern" in the conventional sense of the term as the modernest movement began in, what, the 1930s?

I like the idea of a separate term, like "classic" for old watches that do not have the vintage watch characteristics. "Transitional" works for the watches between vintage and modern. We could add in "antique" at some point for the really old references.

Of course, there is a huge amount of subjectivity here.