You can rest easy, folks, Market Watch(ing) has returned. We have a fantastically varied selection this week, although a bit heavy on the chronographs (as per usual). Lace up your boots, break out your wallets, and get ready to drool.
Neil’s Picks
Omega Speedmaster ’57 Co-Axial Chronograph
This was one of my favorite watches from Basleworld this past year. While I enjoyed the previous Speedmaster ’57s, they never really won me over to the point of handing over my cold hard cash. The revised hands and dial are for more reminiscent of the original Speedmaster from 1957, and the pairing of the vintage hand and markers, steel case and bezel, and matte dial is a knockout combination. It’s hard not to love the nostalgia of the broad arrow hands, and the recessed seconds and chronograph subdials give the dial excellent dimension and texture. Additionally, displayed through the sapphire caseback is the lauded cal. 9300 movement ensuring accuracy and longevity. A full warranty with boxes and papers make this a worry free purchase as well. Omega has been putting out solid watches in the last few years and it’s releases like this Speedmaster ’57 that make them one of our favorite modern manufactures.
$6,075
Breitling Chronomat 769
While I personally am not big on modern Breitlings, the brand has a storied past with a great number of excellent vintage pieces. When I think of vintage Breitling, this is the watch that comes to mind. This Chronomat 769 circa 1950 has everything you could want in a mid-century chronograph. It even features a navigational scale for hours and minutes of latitude and longitude, which I wouldn’t even begin to know how to use, but it sure is cool. The dial is vibrant and free from radium burn and I don’t doubt the claimed original condition. The combination of cream dial, red inner scale, and blue hands create the perfect accent of color while still retaining subtle class. At 36mm, it’s the perfect vintage size that will still look great on anyone. Although the price may be a tad high, the 1 year warranty adds peace of mind when purchasing this watch. I also consistently keep my eyes out for these references and this is one of the nicer ones I’ve seen in a long time.
$3,950
Dean’s Picks
Let’s take a little trip in the way back machine this week to a couple watches outside of the usual ’60s and ’70s playbook.
Longines 13ZN Step Case Chronograph
€11,500
Breguet Type 20 Civilian
Inquire for Price
Isaac’s Picks
Vetta Cronografo Valjoux 22
Of the wide range of chronographs produced in the 1940s, currently available in the vintage market today, some of the most elegant watches had the name Vetta on the dial. Today, we can easily see that this Italian extension of another watchmaker made simply gorgeous watches, always in a very succinct and clean way, that would often be given a subtle touch of extra flair. This first piece that I chose to share comes from Japan’s Private Eyes, and although they do have another Vetta for sale at the moment, in a larger steel case, I personally found this 35.5mm piece to be slightly more interesting, and the condition is genuinely unmatchable.
Currently available for ¥498,000JPY (roughly $4,060 at today’s exchange), this Valjoux 22 “Cronografo” equipped Vetta features a pale silver dial with gold hands and accents. The two things I love most about this watch are the typeface used for the twelve and six numerals, in that they have a wonderful, almost cartoonish vibe to them, and the condition of this piece could easily be described as mint. There’s also the added bonus of an included box set, so you really are getting a “full package” deal with this watch. Bottom line is, the condition is nuts and the watch is beautiful. End of story. (Drops mic).
$4,060
Cartier Crash
Many will agree that despite how dark the story of the Cartier Crash came to be, the watches that make up this highly limited collection are still extremely desirable, and represent some of Cartier’s greatest work. As we’ve come to know, the watch was created after a standard tank was deformed in an accident back in the 1960’s, but it then went out of production rather quickly, making the process of finding an original example somewhat of a hard thing to pull off. Luckily, the watch would return a few times over the next several decades.
The next time the watch returned on a noteworthy level, was in 1991 when the brand put out a limited set of 400 men’s Crash watches. Each example’s case was executed in 18K yellow gold, in the revered asymmetrical case. What we have here is exactly what I’ve been describing, and it is #332 of the 400 watches released at the beginning of the 90’s. Box and papers, and supposedly “mint condition”.
Price on Request
Shane’s Picks
Tissot Seastar PR516
There are a number of excellent vintage chronographs utilizing the Lemania 1873 not named Omega Speedmaster. Luckily for value-seeking collectors, Speedies get all the attention and allow for lesser appreciated watches to be had for great deals — like this Tissot Seastar PR516. As I’ve said time and again, I’m a sucker for ’70s watches with interesting cases and splashes of color on the dial, hence why I love this Seastar. For less than $1,500, you get a bonafide handwound movement, a funky 34mm ’70s case, and a panda dial with red and blue accents. Oh, one more thing, it’s in new old stock condition. This ain’t gonna last long.
€1,200
Tudor Submariner ref 7016/0
I’ve noticed this Tudor hanging around the forums for quite some time, and with Veteran’s Day having just passed by, this is the right time to post it. Here we have a reference 7016/0 Tudor Sub that was worn in combat during the Vietnam War. The story goes that an enlisted soldier purchased the watch while on deployment in 1969, and wore it throughout his time there. It comes with a leather cover with which the soldier used to block the reflection off of the watch at night. You’re going to hear all the fancy vintage Tudor/Rolex buzzwords here: ghost bezel, original certificate, superdome crystal, stretch-rivet bracelet, and matching patina. I’ll admit, the patina on the markers and hands is a little ugly, but this is an actual combat watch, not one of those NOS military watches that didn’t see the outside of a supply room. For $6,300 (OBO), this is a solid deal for an all-original “MilSub” with papers, and from a highly reputable seller.
$6,300
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