Tag Archives: Vintage Ads

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — October selection: Dive, dive, dive! Pt. II

Here’s another special watch that I’m offering on consignment and, yup, you guessed it — it’s a rare vintage diver just like the Benthos. Only this one has a more conventional type of stopwatch complication even if it’s just as scarce. It’s a circa 1960s “Skin 666” with Aqua-Lung logo, a highly water resistant diving chronograph featuring a beautiful black dial with gold accents and intricate Tachymeter & Telemeter tracks. The gilt hands compliment the dial beautifully and their original luminous fill has acquired a lovely patina.

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Inside the screwed steel back is a very robust and classic Landeron caliber 248 column wheel chronograph movement. Unlike most chronos, this Landeron starts the timer with the top pusher but stops and resets it with the bottom pusher, a welcome bit of uncommon quirkiness.

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This Aqualung “Skin 666” was constructed by Schild Co. in Switzerland and then imported by California’s US Divers Company to be sold along with their top-of-the line diving equipment. You can check out some of their cool catalog images below — love that vintage ad style and layout!

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In amazing true Near Mint condition and even featuring its original Tropic rubber strap, this Aqualung chrono is 38mm in diameter by 47mm long, just the right size in my opinion. In terms of wrist presence it wears similarly to a Rolex Submariner of the period. But for all its charm, scarcity and functionality, it’ll cost you way less than one of those. I always say you don’t have to break the bank to make a statement with a cool vintage watch. This beautiful Aqualung diver’s chronograph from back in the day is surely proof of that!

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Check out the full ad with many more pictures and complete description over at Watchuseek.com’s Private Sellers sales forum. SOLD

Notable passings — Tony Palladino

In memoriam of a family friend of tomvox’s we post this New York Times obit of self-taught graphic arts legend, one of the true “Mad Men” in 1960s and 70s advertising and a stalwart at the School of Visual Arts for over 50 years, Tony Palladino.

Tony Palladino, Designer of ‘Psycho’ Lettering, Dies at 84

Tony Palladino, an innovative graphic designer and illustrator who created one of the most recognizable typographic titles in publishing and film history, the off-kilter, violently slashed block-letter rendering of “Psycho,” died on May 14 in Manhattan. He was 84.

Mr. Palladino’s conception for “Psycho” originally appeared on the book jacket for Robert Bloch’s 1959 novel of that title, published by Simon & Schuster. For his 1960 film adaptation, Alfred Hitchcock purchased the rights to the lettering for its promotion, which influenced the opening credit sequence created by Saul Bass.

Mr. Palladino said the design — stark white letters torn and seemingly pasted together against a black background to resemble a ransom note — was intended to illustrate typographically the homicidal madness of the novel’s protagonist, Norman Bates.

“How do you do a better image of ‘Psycho’ than the word itself?” he said.

Read the complete NY Times obituary for this highly accomplished man here.

Blog of the day– Jake’s Rolex World Magazine

If you want to get heavy into Rolex ephemera, pop culture and the wonderful personalities who wore Rolex throughout history, Jake’s Rolex World Magazine is a fine place to while away the hours. From the brand’s founder Hans Wilsdorf to the ultra cool ambassadors like James BondJackie Stewart, Steve McQueen and (believe it or not) Martin Luther King, Jr., Jake has a passion for rooting out the many tales in Rolex’s storied history and the pivotal players who wore the watches. We’re not sure where he gets the time or the energy for such a massive amount of well done posts but our hat’s off to him–way to go, Jake, you’ve got a real cool blog!

What we’re reading now–Killer article on the Heuer Autavia “Viceroy”

Here’s a really cool article over at Ben Clymer’s Hodinkee watch site authored by Vintage Heuer guru Jeff Stein on the integral relationship between Heuer’s iconic Autavia and Brown & Williamson’s Viceroy cigarettes:

How the Number Three Cigarette in America Made Heuer a Household Name

Smooth tobacco flavor–I’m timing it!

Smoking is bad, m’kay, but you’ve got to love those retro ads and chunky chronos.  Not to mention that vintage Heuers from this period are some of the hottest collectibles going & Jeff really knows his stuff.  Click over to Hodinkee to check it out–its a fun read even if you’re not a big watch buff.

How the Number Three Cigarette in America Made Heuer a Household Name