Nostalgia has taken over the watch industry in recent years. That means increasing popularity and prices for actual vintage watches, as well as reissues that offer vintage models executed with modern materials, construction and movements. Then, of course, there are the many homages to famous watches. But some watchmakers have taken a different approach: rather than simply recycling old ideas, they offer retro looks in fresh designs.
Not reissues or homages, we’ll simply call them “retro watches.” This can be a tough balance to strike, as lines can be blurred, terms can be debated and almost everything can seem derivative of something else if you look hard enough — but here are the recent watches that we feel do the retro look best while offering novelty and creativity at the same time.
Serica 5303
CourtesySerica 5303
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€1,290.00 (17% off)
Diameter: 39mm
Movement: Soprod Newton automatic
The vintage vibes are strong with any of Serica’s watches, but you won’t find they look quite like anything else you’ve seen. Their 5303 dive watch collection is quirky enough that you’d think it was made in the 1960s, but this type of design is exactly what the French microbrand has been doing better than almost anybody for years.
