Why Do Some Watches Look Better With Age?

There is something about an old watch that a brand-new one simply cannot offer.

Have you ever noticed how some watches actually look better after years of being worn?

 

I don't mean watches that have been neglected or damaged. I'm talking about a watch with a few scratches on the case, a leather strap that has softened with time, or a dial that doesn't look quite as bright as it did twenty years ago.

For some reason, these watches can be more appealing than a brand-new one straight out of the box.

I've been involved in the watch business for more than twenty years, and it's something I've noticed time and again. A customer will show me a watch they've owned for fifteen or twenty years, sometimes one that wasn't particularly expensive to begin with, and there's something about it that makes you want to pick it up and have a closer look.

It has character.

And character is something you can't really manufacture.

When a Scratch Becomes Part of the Story

Most of us are quite careful with a new watch. We try not to knock it against a doorframe, we wipe fingerprints off the crystal, and the first scratch on the case can be genuinely annoying.

But after a few years, something changes.

You stop worrying about every little mark. The watch becomes part of your daily routine. You wear it to work, take it on holiday, and eventually forget you're even wearing it.

Then, one day, you look at it and realise just how long it's been with you.

I think that's part of the attraction of older watches. The marks are no longer just scratches. They're a reminder that the watch has actually been used.

Of course, I'm not suggesting you should deliberately scratch your watch to give it character. Quite the opposite. Look after it, but don't be afraid to wear it.

That's what it was made for.

The Strange Beauty of Patina

Watch collectors have a word for the changes that happen to a watch as it gets older: patina.

It's one of those words you hear quite often in the vintage watch market, particularly when someone is trying to explain why an old watch is worth more than you might expect.

A black dial might fade slightly towards brown. White luminous markers can develop a creamy colour. The leather strap might become darker in certain areas, especially where it bends around the wrist.

Not every collector likes these changes, but many do.

Take vintage Rolex Submariners, for example. Certain examples with naturally faded bezels or tropical dials have become particularly desirable among collectors. Of course, originality, condition, and the specific model make an enormous difference to their value.

What interests me is that something once considered a sign of age can eventually become part of what makes a watch special.

I find that quite fascinating.

Leather Straps Are a Good Example

One of my favourite examples of natural aging is a good leather watch strap.

When you first buy it, the leather can feel quite stiff. It takes a little time to adjust to your wrist, and sometimes the colour looks almost too uniform.

Wear it regularly for a year or two, and it's a different story.

The leather becomes softer. It develops creases in the places where it naturally bends. Depending on the type of leather and finish, the colour may deepen or become slightly uneven.

And in many cases, it looks better.

This is particularly noticeable on vintage-style pilot watches. A brown leather strap with a little wear seems to suit the design better than one that looks completely untouched.

It's similar to a good leather jacket or a pair of well-made leather shoes. Some materials simply become more interesting with use.

Naturally, there's a limit. A strap that is cracked, weak, or falling apart needs replacing. But normal signs of wear? I don't think they're necessarily a bad thing.

Why Pilot Watches Age So Well

Maybe I'm biased here, having spent much of my career working with pilot watches, but I think they're among the watch styles that handle age particularly well.

Think about where their designs came from.

Early aviation watches were instruments. They needed clear numbers, highly legible hands, and cases that could stand up to regular use. Their purpose wasn't to impress someone across a dinner table.

They were practical objects.

That background is still visible in modern pilot-watch designs. Large crowns, bold Arabic numerals, simple dials, and substantial cases all give them a certain personality.

And unlike a very polished dress watch, which can look tired once it starts collecting scratches, a brushed or vintage-finished pilot watch can often carry small signs of use quite naturally.

In fact, a little wear sometimes makes the whole design feel more convincing.

I've always liked watches that look as though they belong on someone's wrist rather than behind a glass cabinet.

But Not Every Old Watch Looks Good

This is where I think we need to be a little careful.

There's a difference between a watch aging nicely and a watch simply deteriorating.

A lightly scratched stainless steel case is one thing. A badly corroded case is another.

A naturally faded dial might be attractive, but moisture damage that affects the movement is certainly not something to celebrate.

And although collectors sometimes pay extraordinary prices for watches with unusual aging, that doesn't mean every damaged old watch is suddenly valuable.

Far from it.

Some watches look better with age because they were well designed in the first place, made with decent materials, and looked after by their owners.

Others just look old.

There's nothing wrong with that distinction.

Will Today's Watches Look Good in Twenty Years?

This is the question I find most interesting.

When we first started with Chotovelli & Figli back in 2006, we weren't thinking about how our watches would look in 2026. We were focused on creating designs we liked, particularly watches inspired by aviation instruments and vintage military styling.

Twenty years later, it's interesting to look back at some of those early models.

Certain designs still feel relevant, even though watch trends have changed quite a bit.

We've seen the popularity of oversized watches, the return of smaller cases, the growing interest in microbrands, and constant arguments about quartz versus mechanical movements.

Yet a well-designed watch from twenty years ago can still look perfectly good today.

That tells me something.

Perhaps the most important part of a watch isn't whether it follows the latest trend. It's whether you still enjoy looking at it ten or twenty years after buying it.

Nobody can guarantee that a watch bought today will become a collectible classic. And I wouldn't buy a watch simply because someone promises that it will increase in value.

Buy something you genuinely like.

If you're still wearing it in twenty years, I would call that a pretty good purchase.

An Old Watch Doesn't Have to Be an Expensive Watch

Here's another thing worth mentioning.

We tend to associate vintage watches with expensive Swiss brands. Rolex, Omega, Heuer, Longines and the like.

And certainly, there are some remarkable watches from these manufacturers.

But I've seen plenty of inexpensive watches that have aged beautifully, too.

An old Seiko, a simple Citizen, or even a relatively unknown watch from a small independent brand can have just as much personal meaning to its owner.

It may not have a high resale value, but that doesn't make it any less interesting.

Sometimes the watch with the most character in someone's collection is the least expensive one.

It's the watch they wore every day.

One Last Thought

 

I sometimes wonder whether we've become too concerned with keeping everything in perfect condition.

We buy watches, put protective stickers on them, worry about the smallest mark, and occasionally leave them sitting in their boxes because we're afraid of damaging them.

I understand that approach if you're collecting rare watches, particularly valuable vintage pieces.

But for an everyday watch, I think there's something to be said for simply enjoying it.

Wear it. Take care of it. Service it when necessary. Replace the strap when it's worn out.

And don't worry too much if the case picks up a few marks along the way.

Twenty years from now, you might look at that same watch and discover that you like it even more than you did on the day you bought it.

Not because it's worth more money.

Simply because it's yours.

Written from the perspective of Chotovelli & Figli, independent watchmakers since 2006.