Vintage Watches Are the New It Bags: Our Guide to Finding Your Next Heirloom-Worthy Piece

Vintage watches have quietly transitioned from niche collector's pieces into must-have items for fashion insiders craving something more personal than the latest It bag. As with so many trends, women are leading the charge. Instead of opting for contemporary designs that dominate the market, women are scouring auctions, vintage dealers, and even their grandparents' jewelry boxes for unique timepieces that tell a story. The appeal lies in the details: the patina on an old dial, the weight of a solid-gold case, and the sense of owning a piece of history. It's not just about telling time anymore; it's about signaling taste, sophistication, and a willingness to embrace the kind of craftsmanship that never goes out of style.

Driving this trend is a larger movement toward timeless fashion (pun intended). Just as we've seen with quiet luxury bags and minimalist jewelry, the focus is on investment pieces that outlast seasonal trends. Celebrities have only accelerated the craze, flaunting everything from delicate Art Deco pieces to '70s watches with bold colors. For many women, buying vintage also taps into sustainability, offering an eco-friendly alternative to mass-produced modern options. And let's be honest: There's something undeniably chic about slipping on a watch that feels one-of-a-kind, especially when it pairs as effortlessly with a tailored blazer as it does with a silk slip dress.

If you're still wearing only your smartwatch, consider this your cue to explore the world of vintage—it's the ultimate finishing touch that everyone's talking about. Ahead, read about some of the trend's famous fans, learn experts' best tips and tricks for sourcing pieces, and shop my favorite vintage women's watches on the market right now.

Who's Wearing What

As the first big event of the year, the 2025 Golden Globes red carpet set a high fashion bar. The colorful gowns and dramatic capes were undoubtedly stunning, but my favorite element was decidedly smaller in scope: Nicole Kidman's dainty vintage watch by Omega. The rare Art Nouveau piece from 1920 was "crafted with the curves and arabesque decoration of the period," Omega explained in a press release. "The fantasy platinum case is set with 24 brilliant-cut diamonds and is worn on a black fabric bracelet." The 105-year-old watch is proof that elegance knows no expiration date.

Vintage watches also stole the show at this year's Met Gala, both on the red carpet and at the after-parties. Hailey Bieber, for instance, eschewed new jewels in favor of an Audemars Piguet 1975 archival timepiece in white gold with an opal dial. As unique as fingerprints, precious opals "exhibit a brilliant play of colors that change with the viewing angle—a property known as iridescence," according to the Oxford Museum of Natural History. "[Precious opals have] internal three-dimensional structure arising from the regular packing of sub-microscopic spheres of silica. This structure diffracts light, causing the spectacular iridescence."

For the 2025 Met Gala after-parties, Jenna Ortega went pantsless in a Balmain bodysuit adorned with a curious accessory: a vintage Heuer pocket watch circa 1914. To get the scoop on this ingenious look, I went straight to the source and spoke with Taylor Stoddard, who connected Ortega with the timepiece. "For Jenna Ortega's Met Gala look, I had the privilege of collaborating with [PR executive] Alessandra de Tomaso to define the perfect pocket watch through a mood board and sketch, considering style, dimension, weight, and chain," Stoddard told me. "When it came time to source, I turned to my friend and brilliant collector Jeff Stein, who has always entertained my most ambitious requests even with limited lead time. From his personal archive, he generously offered three museum-worthy options, including the gold rattrapante chronograph that ultimately became the actress's final choice."

"For [Ortega's] tuxedo-inspired bodysuit," Stoddard continued, "the chain was artfully looped around one of the buttons with the watch fastened at her right hip, which was an epic expression of the evening's tailored theme. And I have to emphasize this wasn't a mere prop! It was a fully functioning timepiece freshly serviced just weeks prior. Plus, it had never been worn before in this capacity, so it was an exciting, first-of-its-kind moment for Jenna and the brand. Bringing this to life meant leading nonstop communication with global teams, overseeing intricate shipments, and mobilizing an extraordinary number of resources, but once that first photo came through, it felt like pure magic and worth every ounce of chaos."

Sourcing Vintage Watches 101

For insights on sourcing your next heirloom-worthy vintage watch, I tapped Stoddard plus two additional experts: Georgia Benjamin, a watch collector and content creator, and Julia Rabinowitsch, founder of The Millennial Decorator. Benjamin and Rabinowitsch emphasized that trying watches on in person is invaluable. "Try, try, try. You really don't know your style until you've tried pieces on," Benjamin told Who What Wear. They also agreed that finding a piece you truly connect with is more important than following trends. As Benjamin put it, "Don't buy a vintage watch because it's 'in' right now, as it might be 'out' tomorrow. Go for something timeless that you really connect with." Rabinowitsch echoed this sentiment: "Watch buying is truly such a personal process," she told me. "Take your time and ensure it's a piece you really love—one that you can see yourself passing down."

When evaluating quality, they pointed to key red flags to watch out for. "Personally, I stay away from gold-plated/vermeil pieces," Rabinowitsch told me. "Unfortunately, in the vintage watch space, the vermeil pieces just don't have the longevity or durability of solid gold, platinum, or stainless steel." For Benjamin, aftermarket diamonds are a red flag. "If a watch has diamonds added later by a jeweler and not the brand, it's usually a no from me," she said. "It changes the integrity of the piece."

As for green flags, Benjamin explained that recent servicing by a good watchmaker is a "huge plus" because it "saves you both time and money." She also values a great story. "Vintage watches often come with incredible lore," Benjamin said. "I love reverse image searching the watch and digging into who designed it and even wore it. That history makes owning it feel even more special."

The experts also stressed the value of trusted sellers. "Noah Noah Noah Shop has one of the best vintage curations of watches and fine jewelry," Stoddard told me. "While I'd love to gatekeep her, she has been sourcing watches for Hailey Bieber, including the vintage mini Piaget Polo she's been wearing, and she is the vintage arm for Reformation at its pop-ups. Noah has grown her business from a passion project, and it's been so exciting to see how she keeps taking it to the next level."

If you're in New York City, Rabinowitsch highly recommends buying from Grand Central Watch. Rabinowitsch and Benjamin both love eBay, but they approach their shopping slightly differently. Rabinowitsch is a fan of eBay's Authenticity Guarantee service, while Benjamin prefers local verification. "I always double-check the seller's return policy and take the watch to a local service center to get it authenticated when it arrives," Benjamin said.

Aside from her own site, The Millennial Decorator, where she offers limited-edition Cartier drops, Rabinowitsch also pointed to Chrono24 as a favorite online retailer and Wanna Buy a Watch? as a top brick-and-mortar boutique in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Benjamin called out Loupe This as her auction site of choice. "You can get really lucky on rare or obscure pieces, and their 10% buyer's premium is so much better than the usual 20–30% at other auction houses," she told me. Benjamin's list of trusted retailers also includes Analog Shift, which she describes as "Cartier heaven," The Keystone, Swiss Watch Expo, The RealReal, Wind Vintage, and "the Rolex guy," Tropical Watch.

Shop My Picks

Now that you're armed with expert advice, you might be ready to purchase a vintage watch of your very own. If so, Benjamin has another tip to keep in mind: "Definitely do not stress about boxes and papers," she told Who What Wear. "Think about it. Who's honestly keeping receipts from the '70s? Most 'vintage' boxes today are sourced separately. There’s a saying: 'You’re buying the seller, not the watch.' If the seller knows their stuff and comes from a trusted source, they're not going to inflate the price just because it has a box and papers. Repeat after me: You don't need them."

Below, I curated some personal favorite luxury vintage watches by Cartier, Longines, Chopard, Bulgari, Tiffany & Co., Chanel, and more. One piece comes with a dial made from a mesmerizing gemstone called tiger's eye. Another is an antique, made-in-Switzerland piece circa 1900. A stunning timepiece that also made my list comes complete with dozens of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. Scroll down to shop my selections.