Vintage watches were often for sale new with matching bracelets, these typically being an option that a buyer was offered at extra cost at the point of purchase as an alternative to a leather or crocodile skin strap.

For the modern day collector, bracelets are something of a minefield and an area worthy of study in their own right. During the vintage period, they were never manufactured by the watch houses themselves, but produced by third party suppliers to a predetermined specification.

In many instances, in order to avoid high import duties that were levied on goods incoming from Switzerland, bracelets were manufactured in their country of retail sale. A lot of the vintage Rolex bracelets we offer were produced in the UK and we’ve purchased early Rolex, Omega, Jaeger LeCoultre and IWC bracelets made in the USA, South America and even Japan in the past.

Particularly if buying an expensive rare vintage watch bracelet with an eye to investment, condition is very significant. A lot of the older bracelets in circulation are now very worn, with considerable sideways play between their links and, in the case of sprung bracelets, springs that are weak and overstretched. We apply the same very critical eye to our bracelets that we use when buying vintage watches and the stock for sale on our site is of the highest standard to be found anywhere, either online or in the traditional physical marketplace.

After more than twenty years of experience, we are able to offer first class advice as to which bracelet is correct for a specific model and year of vintage wristwatch. We have a good selection of vintage watch bracelets for sale by all the major brands, with a strong focus on classic Rolex bracelets from the 1950s and ‘60s. Keeping all the variants from the pre-war years through to the 1970s in stock isn’t easy, but we usually have most of these in stock. If what you’re looking for isn’t shown on our site, or you’re not sure exactly which bracelet is the appropriate one for your vintage watch, do contact us by email or telephone and we’ll gladly try to assist. In this situation, it would be very helpful if you already know the model reference and serial number of your watch and have measured the distance between its lugs in millimetres.