We all like good places to get cool stuff. And for many of us, retro watches are very cool things. While undergoing a significant revival as of late, 1970s watches had a very distinct look emphasizing size, geometry, and creative use of contrasting colors. The result of this design ideal yielded many watches that some would argue were “ahead” of their time. That was just the idea however behind these watches as they embraced that period’s idea of futurism.

Rarewatches.net is one of the uncommon places to buy and sell some of these watches. The UK-based web store has a good selection of rare and interesting watches. At the very least you should know that these watches exist. While not all from the 70s, most of the these watches are a product of that era. There you can find a multitude of offerings from such brands as Sorna, Yerma, and 70s styled watches from many popular watch makers such as Jaeger LeCoultre , Bulova, and Seiko. Wonderful designs that you may have never even known about before. The Watchismo Times also regularly discusses watches from this era and have some available in its shop.

Most of these watches can be purchased either well taken care of, or “new old stock,” which means they have never been used and have been sitting in a box somewhere for years. The wonderful part of the designs on these watches is that ergonomics was actually a major influence behind them, though you might not realize it by seeing them. Most can only truly be appreciated by wearing the watches for a while to see how comfortably they function. Certainly worth a look.

Looking above you can see two 70s period piece watches. Each chronographs with typically avant garde 1970s designs. Despite the many lines, colors, angles, and visual clutter, they are quite legible, and attractive in their own right. They feel anything but minimalistic, but at the same time, nothing seems too superfluous. We are seeing many new watches designed today in just this manner of styling.

See Sorna and 70s watches on eBay here.