Antiqua Watch Co. was started by a group of friends who were interested in vintage military and dive watches. The fascination began with collecting vintage Japanese military watches used in WW2, then progressed towards vintage Italian dive and navy watches of the same era.
The idea to make and sell watches didn’t come at the start as it was more of a hobby to follow and build vintage watches from a popular watch forum focused on vintage watches using mostly old pocket watches. As the hobby intensified, and the thirst for rarer pieces began to grip the attention of the founders, they started seeing more watches that were considered grails being sold in auctions at astronomical prices.
Such exclusivity made these watches lost to the general public and watch collectors which is why Antiqua Watch Co. was started. The start of the company was not without any hiccups. Some argued that Antiqua Watch Co. was no more than a watch replica company. However their stand has always been to create homages to the original designs and making them more accessible. Most designs have been modified slightly to make them more wearable, or more functional without steering away from their original intentions. For example, the use of titanium on the DSS range to make them lighter to make them more wearable yet retain the original size.
Making the watches more wearable also makes these watches more functional while retaining their original technical specifications. Antiqua Watch Co. hopes that by providing an alternative that is affordable, the design and appreciation of these vintage watches will be enjoyed by more and the interest in them will grow.