Jump Hour Watch

There are some great new jump hour watches around, but you can never beat an authentic vintage jump hour watch. There's something about them that takes them to the next level. When it comes to buying them, there's not better place to look than eBay. So here's a quick selection of those that are available right now.

On eBay UK

Vintage Jump Hour Wind Up 1972 74 Digital Watch    £10.29

vintage RETRO TIME RECORDER JUMP HOUR DIGITAL WATCH NOS    £165.00

vintage 1970s GIGANDET JUMP HOUR DIGITAL WATCH NOS MINT    £125.00

VINTAGE MICKEY MOUSE JUMP HOUR WATCH NOS IN BOX    £22.00

UMF Ruhla Anker vintage jump hour watch retro No Res    £11.50

vintage RETRO MENTOR JUMP HOUR DIGITAL WATCH NOS 1970S    £300.00

On eBay US

Vintage Elgin Jump Hour Watch NICE 1950s Jumping 50s    US $399.00

Vintage Jump Hour Wind Up 1972 74 Digital Watch    US $15.50

RARE VINTAGE TISSOT DIGITAL JUMP HOUR AUTOMATIC WATCH    US $44.00

When it comes to retro watches, the main brands to look out for are Lanco and Damas. Both unbeatable in terms of quality and styling.

Damas jump hour watches are probably the most sought after around. Originally produced in the late 70s and early 80s, these watches have that retro-space-age styling to them. Despite that retro styling, they do not look at all dated, but look timeless (except they do have the time!) and have a very masculine design.

On eBay UK

VINTAGE DAMAS DIGITAL JUMP HOUR WATCH BRACELET 70S NOS    £25.00

On eBay US

The font and colours used do not mark them as specifically 70s (as opposed to a make such as the Lanco jump hour watch). Rather, they use classic, timeless colours such as black and deep, rich red. There are, of course, some more recognisably 70s shades in the palette - their brown watch leaps to mind. The typeface is a forceful, clean sans serif with a stylised 'M' logo. Plenty of straight lines used in both the font and the styling of the watch.

The display is on the left hand side with minute and second digits (both with indents). And a much needed red line to aid time keeping (not that time keeping is the primary function of jump hours).

The mechanism of these watches is a high quality Swiss automatic movement. These mechanisms, so long as they are cared for, will not let you down. It's not for nothing that the Swiss are so associated with time keeping. So even in watches from the 70s, the mechanism will most likely function as well as it does for any watch produced this century.

There are two types of strap arrangement that I have seen. The steel strap variety has a very broad face to the watch with large steel plates at the top and bottom of the display. The other type has a larger, non-metallic strap which leaves only the very narrow display.

Rarer Damas Jump Hour Watches

As well as the design described above, Damas did make a different design. This one came in more lurid colours (dayglo green and orange) and featured an elongated diamond shaped face with the digits displayed underneath the 'Damas' name. It is also less masculine in its form. This design isn't as timeless as the more common Damas design, but it does have a very kitsch, retro appeal.

In my personal opinion, the Damas jump hour watch is the most stylish jump hour, and watch full stop, there is. It's a complete design classic and anyone collection jump hours should have one in their collection.

If you're looking for a retro 70s watch, you can't go wrong with a Lanco jump hour. Everything about them screams 70s: the colours, the curve of the lines, the fonts.

For Sale on eBay UK

For Sale on eBay US

The most common Lanco face is a rounded rectangle design. The digits are displayed centrally with three horizontal lines across the face. To the left of the digits is the Lanco name and logo (a traditional watch face with the hands in the shape of an 'L') and the words 'SWISS MADE'. The most common colours are green, blue and red (all, of course, in the most 70s shades of these colours).

The less common Lanco model has a more oval shape to it. They share a very similar styling to the other design but with a slight realignment of features: there is only one, bold line through the centre, the name and logo are above and the 'SWISS MADE' legend is below. This design does have a slightly more modern feel to it. So, if you're going for the retro look, the more common design is for you.

Like the Damas jump hour watch, the Lanco has a high quality Swiss mechanism. One that you can rely on.

If you're looking for a retro 70s watch, there's no doubt that Lanco is the way to go. The styling of them is incredible and there's no beating their kitsch appeal.

Buy Lanco watches here.

It used to be very difficult to buy a jump hour watch. It was mostly based on luck. But since the dawn of the internet the availability of jump hour watches has been massively increased (no doubt part of the reason behind their increased popularity). In this article, we take a look at the best way to go about buying both vintage and new items.

Vintage Jump Hour Watches

By far the best place to buy vintage jump hour watches is on eBay. Every week there will be a large selection up there to buy. Because of the auction system of buying, there is a very good possibility that you will be able to pick up a bargain.

Things to look for:

- The quality of the photos. Because you won't be able to handle the watch, this will be your best guide to its condition. A good seller will have a number of high quality photos. Make sure there is a photo of the mechanism and that it looks in good condition.

- The seller's feedback score. Each seller will have been given positive or negative feedback from previous buyers. You should look for a quality score in the high 90s. Anything less than 95% and you should be wary of a seller.

- If the seller refers to wear or slight damage in their listing, this is a good sign. If they acknowledge it in this listing, you can have more confidence in all their listings - so you can believe them if they say it is in mint condition.

New Watches

With jump hour watches being a niche product, eBay is again the best place to find new watches. In the case of new watches, you don't have to worry so much about whether they will work. However, you may have to give more thought to the quality of them. If you are just looking for an interesting, eye-catching fun watch, you don't need to worry too much. But if you're looking for a quality time piece, check the reputation of the brand. Also, check to see if the watch mechanism is Swiss made; always a sign of quality.

Buying From the US

Although not as large as the UK market, you can often find an interesting jump hour watch on the US site. Because watches are light, you won't have to worry about prohibitive postage charges. The only concern will be import charges. You may have to pay these along with a handling fee to the deliverer. This can add up to 20% to the cost of the watch. Until recently, the exchange rate meant that buying from the US was very cheap, even with the import tax. But with the recent changes in the economy, the exchange rate is no long quite so favorable. Having said that, there are still some bargains to be had.

Find a jump hour watch on eBay UK

This 007 James Bond Jump hour watch has to be the most ridiculous watch I have ever seen! Understated and tasteful are two words you would not associate with it.

However, being a fan of ridiculous watches, I quite like it. The most unusual aspect of it from our perspective is that it combines both jump hour and a dial. The jump hour takes care of the hours and the hands take care of the minutes and seconds. I would guess that makes it entirely useless as a way of telling the time. But who buys a jump hour watch on the basis of practicality anyway?

It has a number of fantastical and mad additions to it. The watch has a number of time zones dotted around its face. But I'm not sure how you'd use them since the hours are in the jump hour rather than the dial. Even more hilarious are the pull out gun sights at the side of the watch. Quite possibly the best joke there has ever been on a watch.

You will have to have a sense of the ridiculous to wear this watch (as well as no immediate need to tell the time). But if you can get away with it, it is one hell of a watch.

The James Bond jump hour watch is currently for sale here.

It isn't all about the 70s retro look. This week's watch to watch is the Kede M-05.

Kede make a number of unusual looking watches so it's not surprising that they have come up with a number of designs for jump hour watches. As well as the M-05, they have also released the M-07. Both watches have a clean, minimalist look to them and are exceptionally stylish.

Of the two, I prefer the 'sunrise' display of the M-05.

Watch of the Week will be a regular feature on the blog where we take a look at the best jump hour watch (or watches) that you can pick up right now on eBay.

And our inaugural choice is the Arios jump hour watch. The most striking aspect of it is the colour. It has that sort of blue colour that only existed in the 70s (I think they must have banned it some time in 1981).

But the detailing on it is also great. The Arios logo is an absolute classic.

And I'm glad the listing has a shot of the mechanism - other sellers should take note. It's good to see that the workings are in good condition. You can never be 100% sure when you're buying a vintage watch that it will be in full working condition. But seeing that the mechanism is well kept is a very good start and a nice bit of reassurance.