Tag Archives: Watch Info

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — Vintage Rolex ref. 6609 Thunderbird Datejust

The beautiful June weather is finally here so now’s a good time to pick out a suitable watch companion for the summer… and all the seasons thereafter, for that matter. My vote would have to go this timelessly elegant yet sporty Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph aka the Thunderbird.

One of Rolex’s most interesting and innovative designs, this classic model features a fine engine-turned elapsed time bezel that rotates just like those on the Submariner or GMT. But being cast in solid white gold this Turn-O-Graph bezel is obviously a more discreet and under-the-cuff option for the well dressed man who also enjoys his fair share of sport.

This example, an early reference 6609, dates from 1958 and has a slightly later 1960s-era Tritium dial that is in absolutely stunning condition with wonderful matching patina to the lume plots and hands. Strap this versatile and distinctive classic Rolex Datejust Thunderbird on and you’ll be ready for office, holiday or motoring to the beach on weekends in equally fine style.

Check out the complete ad with many more pictures and full condition report over at Vintage Rolex Forum’s stalwart Market section — it’s getting hard to find good Datejusts at reasonable prices these days and this one checks both boxes! SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale – Vintage Rolex 18k PG ref. 6284 JOYERIA RIVIERA

There’s rare and there’s truly rare. That word is thrown around a lot these days in the vintage watch world but this sweet vintage Rolex definitely earns the honorific. Just one look at the double-name dial on this beautiful pink gold ref. 6284 will tell you why. Two little words — Joyeria Riviera.

Click images for full size gallery

Back in the day Joyeria Riviera was a top Cuban jewelry retailer, the Tiffany’s of Havana if you will, and they were forced to move their operations to Puerto Rico when Fidel Castro and the communists took power in 1960. Therefore, finding a pre-Castro Rolex signed with their name is a major coup, much less a lovely pink gold semi-Bubbleback Oyster Perpetual in such wonderful condition. Click here for a great Rolex Passion write-up for further reading on the great history of Joyeria Riviera.

Obviously the main event on this stunner is the original factory printed honeycomb guilloche dial with pink gold dial furniture that has aged beautifully and varies in tone from an off-white ivory color to an almost butter yellow depending on the light and angle. The oh-so-rare Joyeria Riviera signature is perfectly intact below Oyster Perpetual and on the wrist this amazingly warm toned double-signed dial in this lovely pink gold watch is an absolute knockout!

As you can find out by doing just a little research online, a Joyeria Riviera-signed Rolex is a real blue-chip purchase with historic significance and the trajectory for these elite double-name watches has only been ever upwards. This is a special chance to add a genuinely rare watch to your collection that instantly commands respect from Rolex and non-Rolex aficionados alike. So don’t miss it, as these Joyeria Riviera Rolexes simply don’t appear that often.

Newly offered at an AMAZING CRISIS REDUCTION — Contact me for more info on this beautiful Joyeria Riviera Rolex SOLD

CLICK HERE FOR MANY MORE PICTURES AND COMPLETE CONDITION REPORT

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — Vintage Certina DS-2 Super PH 1000M Dive Watch

Now on offer for the merry month of May is one of the great cult dive watches of all time — the massive and massively good looking Certina DS-2 Super PH 1000M (say that 3 times fast!). At 45mm in diameter and a whopping 18mm tall this muscular, purpose built diver is what it would be like if a Doxa Sharkhunter and an Omega Ploprof had a baby.

Hailing from the innovative late-1960s/early-‘70s era this early version of DS-2 1000M features the coveted matte black applied index dial with orange accents in Mint condition. The dial’s original Tritium luminous has acquired a lovely patina, as has its original highly legible Tritium handset. And its innovative bi-directional bezel features a very clever spring loaded self-locking design. You simply press down to rotate it in either direction and when you stop applying pressure it pops back up and locks itself into place.

An underrated company for the most part, Certina was a true manufacture at this time and their excellent in-house 27-jewel caliber 25-651 with semi-quickset date is what lies beneath that remarkable robust all-steel exterior. I’ve had it serviced since owning it and it’s ticking away like a champ.

Obviously no safe queen, this stunning Certina DS-2 Super 1000 has instead clearly led an adventurous life and is ready for its next chapter as a robust tool watch companion for an equally adventurous new owner. Strap this bad boy on and see where it takes you!

Check out the complete ad with many more pictures and complete condition report over at the always hopping Omega Forums Watch Sales corner. SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — 1960s Movado Cal. 95M Chrono w/Stunning Inverse Panda Dial

It”s time to kick off April in stunning style — no fooling. To make that happen I have on offer, a beautiful 1960s Movado caliber 95M chronograph with coveted black dial with contrasting white registers, aka an Inverse Panda dial, one of the most sought after chronograph layouts in vintage watches.

The unique 95M in-house chronograph movement was one of Movado’s crowning achievements and it operates in a funky “upside down” manner, with the bottom pusher starting & stopping the timer and the top pusher resetting it, likely due to its innovative modular design. Also unusual is that the minute counter is calibrated for a full 60 minutes as opposed to the more common 30-minute register found on most chronos.

Further adding to this watch’s allure is the all-stainless steel screwed case, which features an inner anti-magnetic dust cover and was manufactured by FB (Francois Borgel/Taubert & Fils) who also manufactured water resistant cases for Patek Phillipe, Vacheron and Mido among others.

But the real star of the show is the beautiful glossy black dial with contrasting white sub-registers and silver print. That super legible layout gives this 35mm Movado loads of class and wrist presence even with its modestly sized proportions. This 1960s stunner is simply a big league addition to any vintage chronograph collection and is probably still undervalued in the grand scheme of things. Once you behold that Inverse Panda dial and strap it on you’re bound to fall in love with it — just like I did!

Check out the complete ad now over at the always hopping Omega Forums’ Watches for Sale section for many more pictures and complete condition report. I doubt it will last so you better pounce! SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — 1968 Vintage Rolex 1600 Datejust Smooth Bezel

It may be a new year but my obsession remains great vintage watches. Which is why I’m very happy to make my first offering of 2019 a classic and uncommon reference 1600 Rolex Datejust with smooth bezel in all-stainless steel.

This 1600 DJ dates from 1968 and features a super clean silver sunburst dial with original Tritium luminous and a minimally polished case. The special thing about the 1600 Datejust is its smooth, Explorer-style bezel. This reference was also made in much fewer numbers than the more ubiquitous fluted white gold bezel 1601 and the castellated steel 1603.

On the wrist all those clean lines translate into an absolute knockout. Even better, the stalwart caliber 1575 Chronometer movement has been recently serviced for maximum future reliability and faithful service for many more years to come.

Supplied with a very attractive and suitable shell cordovan strap this Datejust is a beautiful synthesis of sportiness and elegance. Its timeless design is just as handsome and masculine today as it was when it was manufactured those 50 years ago. So start the year in classic vintage Rolex style and make this great Datejust your own today!

Check out the complete ad with many more pictures and complete condition report over at Vintage Rolex Forum’s Market section. You’ll be glad you did. SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — Vintage 1960s Vacheron & Constantin ref. 6308 in Steel

It’s only fitting that in the month of Thanksgiving I’m offering up a special piece that any true vintage watch aficionado would be grateful to own — a 1960s Vacheron & Constantin reference 6308 dress watch in stainless steel.

Much like their main rivals in haute horology, Patek Phillipe, Vacherons in steel are fairly uncommon, as both manufactures preferred to work in precious metals and still do to this day. This 6308 is also characterized by its full sized 36mm case diameter and an absolutely stunningly symmetrical dial layout.

Inside this peerlessly elegant watch beats the heart of a champion — a JLC-derived manual caliber P454/5b with sweep seconds, 18 jewels, a whopping 8 original adjustments and stamped with two Geneva Seals, an attestation of particular horological achievement somewhat above and beyond the usual Chronometer certification.

Coming with both its rare original USA-made brick link bracelet and a perfectly suitable thin black lizard strap, this Vacheron 6308 ticks all the boxes for the man of style and substance. With the Holiday Season just about to hit full stride I can think of no better wrist companion than this beautiful dress VC to accompany you to all your finer festivities.

Check out the full ad now with many more pictures and complete condition report over at the always busy Dealers & Manufacturers section at Watchuseek. If you’re looking for a timelessly elegant timepiece you’ll be glad you did! SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — Vintage 1970s IWC Yacht Club Blue Dial B&P

As October speeds along and we inevitably face those frantic Holiday-filled final few months of the year it’s time to take a quick pause before the action begins and consider a truly beautiful and special vintage timepiece — this mid-1970s IWC Yacht Club with stunning blue dial on original bracelet.

Now the blue dial alone is reason enough to catch the savvy collector’s attention. But then there’s the fact that it also comes with its original box and a raft of matching paperwork that has survived the years along with this stunning watch. These bits of history include the original guarantee and even the sales receipt from Spandau, Germany dated 1976, among other records. That kind of hard-to-find provenance really puts this piece into solid investment grade “collector’s set” territory.

Of course you can’t wear the box and papers no matter how nice those goodies are to have. Where this Yacht Club really shines is on the wrist, its perfectly balanced 36mm “C-shape” case all flowing lines and making the dial really pop. And underneath the hood is a recently serviced caliber 8541B, the ultimate development of IWC’s wonderful in-house automatic calibers at the time.

On land or at sea, this blue Yacht Club is a watch guaranteed to make a fantastically stylish impression — make it yours before the gift giving season heats up and someone else snaps it up!

Check out the complete ad with many more pictures and full description now over at the Chronocentric’s great Chronotrader marketplace. ON HOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — October selection

Just as the leaves change colors this time of year so too does vintage watch lume over time — one of the things that makes pre-Luminova 20th century timepieces so attractive & collectible. And to start October I’m offering one of the prettiest patinated watches that I’ve ever owned — this wonderful late 1950s Omega Seamaster “Special.”

With its original eggshell dial having acquired a lovely off-white cream tone from the years and the Radium-filled luminous markers and hands aged to a wonderful biscuity tone this classic Omega Seamaster checks all the vintage boxes.

Named the “Special” in Omega’s database perhaps due to an Olympic connection this example is the first of its line, as evidenced by the 2975-1 reference number, and dates to circa 1958 (an Olympic year, by the way). Inside is the excellent caliber 500 full rotor movement originally adjusted to 2 positions, an uncommon upgrade, and recently serviced.

If its perfect flowing lines and that gorgeous dial are not enough for you this beauty also comes on its rare original Beads of Rice bracelet with highly uncommon ratcheting clasp system for size adjustments without need of a tool, a very cool curiosity.

Throw in its desirable big logo caseback and beautifully proportioned all-steel case, this Seamaster truly lives up to its model moniker. For cutting edge vintage style suitable for any special Autumn event, what more could you ask for?

Check out the complete ad now with many more pictures over at the always hopping Omega Forums’ Private Sales section. If you’re a patina love you’ll be glad you did. SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — August selection, Pt. II

August and summer are winding down but there are still hot watches to be had. Case in point — this beautiful vintage Rolex reference 1625 Datejust with engine turned white gold elapsed time bezel, aka the Thunderbird Datejust.

This beautiful T-Bird dates from 1962 and a has slightly later but nonetheless stunning silver dial with Sigma markings flanking the T SWISS T annotation. The Sigma symbols indicate solid gold markers and were only used by Rolex for brief period in the late 1960s and early ’70s. This lovely silver sunburst dial is Near Mint and its original Tritium lume is all intact and has developed a lovely patina.

Under the hood is the somewhat uncommon caliber 1565 Chronometer movement complete with its rare “balance guard,” a cool little vestigial detail. It is ticking away like a champ just like a Rolex should.

Coming on its likely original Swiss made rolled Jubilee bracelet this T-Bird presents beautifully on the wrist. With its handsomely crafted elapsed time bezel in solid gold the Thunderbird Datejust is the perfect blend of tool watch and elegance — a Sports watch for the board room, if you will — and certainly one of Rolex’s most interesting and innovative designs. And IMO, the white gold & steel version is the one to have. So grab it while you can!

Check out the complete ad over at the redoubtable Vintage Rolex Forum’s Market section for many more pictures and complete condition report. You surely be glad you did! SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — July selection, Pt. II

July must be the month for beautiful black dialed watches because here comes another one. This time it’s an even more uncommon mid-1960s reference 666-AD Ingeniuer with incredible glossy black dial. Part of the Big 3 of antimagnetic “scientist” watches from the toolwatch Golden Age along with the Rolex Milgauss and Omega Railmaster, the IWC Ingenieur is a legend in its own right and probably the most versatile of the that illustrious a-mag lot. Putting this rare original black dial over the top is the added signature of the legendary Zurich jewelry retailer, Türler. That’s really a rare touch on an already rare model!

With its well proportioned 36.5mm all-steel 3-piece screwed case and beefy safe-like design to accommodate the anti-magnetic Farraday cage, the classic 666 Ingy is both rugged and elegant, a real mid-century masterpiece. Originally water resistant to 10 ATM and resistant to up to 1000 Gauss of magnetic fields, the enemy of a watch’s balance spring, this version of Ingeniuer features the excellent 21-jewel caliber 8531 with date complication under the hood. With its unique Pellaton winding system it’s part of one of the best mass-produced automatic families in horological history.

To put the ice cream on the pie this classic Ingenieur comes on its original Gay Freres beads-of-rice bracelet with IWC-signed “globe” logo clasp, a serious find in its own right. If you’ve ever searched for one of these you know they just don’t come around very often, especially not with a black dial double-signed by Türler and on an original GF bracelet, so this is a great opportunity for the serious collector to own this iconic timepiece from IWC Schaffhausen. Don’t miss it!

Check out the complete ad for this killer Ingenieur now over at the always hopping Omega Forums’ Private Sales section for many more pictures and complete condition report. The chance to own an example as special as this one may not come again! SOLD

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