"retro ho rol o" .... huh? who?
retro horology was born out of my passion for vintage everything. My name is Michael Shaller and I have been dealing mid-century modern furniture and design for over 20 years with a gallery and warehouse located in San Dimas, California. You may visit my gallery's website here: simplymod. I also invite you to view my over 20 years of 100% positive Ebay feedback references here: simplymod-auctions.
My Father-In-Law turned me on to watches many years ago and from that moment I was hooked. After a few years of collecting, I figured what better than to blend my day to day world dealing vintage design with my love of cool timepieces. So with that in mind, the hunt began. While searching the globe for interesting furnishings for the gallery, I always keep an eye out for cool well-designed watches.
I am setting out to do something a little bit different in that my goal is not just to target watch enthusiasts. I would like to help expose the vintage watch market to the audience of mid century design in general. After all, if you have the perfect vintage mid century decor in your home, why not showcase good design on your wrist as well :-).
While browsing the site, you will note I am not at all biased to specific brands or price structures, rather I simply go for interesting well-designed pieces that catch my eye. You will find watches in all price ranges with a large emphasis on affordable pieces. Whether it be a $100 or $10,000, I feel every watch on this site should be described and photographed with equal research, care, and attention to detail.
member of the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors
Prior to the quartz boom in the 1980s there were hundreds and hundreds of watch manufacturers and brands all over the world. Some were true watchmaking companies, while many others were assembly companies that sourced shared parts and simply branded them. Thus it is important to note that many of the more obscure watch brands of the period used many of the same quality components (movements, cases, etc.) as the more well-known brands, so in other words, do not necessarily be afraid of a watch brand that you may not have heard of.
I should note that while my interest and research on the watches I sell runs deep, like many of you, I am learning new things every day and having a blast doing so. Feel free to drop me an email anytime if you have feedback on the site (good or bad), insights about a watch you see here, a cool watch of your own to share, chat about, or even sell. I would love to hear from you.
There are lots of amazingly cool vintage watches out there to be discovered and I hope you enjoy browsing my current selection. Please be sure and read the watch sale terms in the order info section above for more details on purchasing a watch.
Thank you for visiting and I look forward to helping you find that perfect cool timepiece.
M. Shaller