Author Archives: tomvox1

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — September selection

On offer this month is this wonderful consignment piece, a beautiful and rare Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Triple Date full calendar automatic. One of the earliest of these model 25807STs produced circa 1996 and still mounted on its original long bracelet with butterfly clasp, this neo-vintage AP ROO is unique not only because of the complications but also due to is size. Whereas nearly all Offshores are 44mm or larger, this Triple Date model measures only around 40mm across to the crown guards and 37mm across the bezel. That means you don’t have to have a wrist like an NBA power forward to pull it off.

Featuring the tank-like construction that you’d expect from an Offshore with those cool visible gaskets, this all steel midsize version has the very highly regarded Jaeger-LeCoultre derived automatic Triple Date caliber 2127/2827 purring away under the hood. It was recently fully overhauled in May of 2014 so the new owner will know it’s good to go for years to come and comes with the documentation to prove it.

No safe queen, this AP ROO is decidedly unpolished, charmingly showing its nearly 20 years of consistent use, and suits the collector who simply wants to strap on his watch and get out amongst it, no babying required. Of course, with all that untouched metal a fresh polish would also look great if that’s what’s desired — it really depends upon personal aesthetics and AP do a killer job of refinishing if that’s the choice you make.

With a minty Tritium dial highlighted by the Royal Oak’s patented “grand tapisserie” (aka “waffle iron”) gullioché finish in stunning triple calendar layout this is a robust, super cool but not gigantic Sports watch you won’t see on many other wrists. And with legendary Audemars Piguet style and quality, you’re guaranteed to make an impact wherever you go while wearing this beautiful timepiece. Priced attractively for such an elite piece, I don’t think it’ll last. Grab it while you can and join the Royal Oak Offshore club!

Check out the full ad with many more pictures and complete description & condition report over at Timezone.com’s TZ Showcase. SOLD

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

Well, August is surely winding down to a close. But there’s still time for one more cool vintage watch to be offered up for your sartorial pleasure. It’s another classic 1960s Omega Semaster De Ville, this time the yin to the black dialed version’s yang with a stunning original silver sunburst dial in top Near Mint condition.

Again unpolished and again all original, this timeless De Ville “unishell” is running strong and is pure class on the wrist. And heck, if you buy both this one and his black sibling you’ll have an instant, Mad Men-style wrist wardrobe just like that! Not too shabby, Alonso.

Check out the full ad with many more pictures and complete description over at the excellent Omega Forums’ Private Sales section. SOLD

Earworm of the day/A little Wednesday comedy

Ever since I flew back from vacation a few weeks ago and killed some time with the obligatory viewing of The Big Lebowski, this song has been rattling around my brain. You know the one — the psychedelic side of Kenny “The Gambler” Rogers? Who knew, right? Works on a few levels — period pop, ironic delight, its permalink with a cult classic movie. And, oh that Coen Brothers “video”!

Are you ready for the sequel?

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

Summer may be gradually winding down but the good oscillations keep on coming with stylish and affordable vintage watches just waiting to make their way on to your wrist. Just in, this drop dead gorgeous Omega Seamaster De Ville from the late 1960s, real Mad Men material if I dare say so. What makes this fine vintage dress Omega a bit better than the rest is the beautiful original Near Mint gloss black dial.

During this period Omega simply didn’t produce many dress models with black dials — they’re almost all silver or white. So finding a survivor with its original black lacquer dial in such great shape is a real coup for Omega aficionados. There’s even a hint of tropical brown peeking through under bright light.

With a classic front loading “unishell” all-steel case in unpolished condition, this De Ville is a versatile and durable stunner. And with the redoubtable in-house Omega automatic caliber 552 under the hood you’ve got accurate timekeeping covered too. So whether you’re headed to pitch a new client or out for cocktails with that special someone, you’re guaranteed to arrive in impressive style.

Check out the complete ad with many more pictures, complete condition report and description over at Omega Forums’ Private Sales Forum.

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

The second of my Swedish “souvenirs” is this wonderful early 1960s Longines caliber 30L in all-stainless steel screw back case and featuring a stunning deco-numeral dial. In fact, I’ve got confirmation through Longines’ excellent heritage department that this watch was originally sold in Sweden in 1961, so it’s a true Scandinavian native.

Vintage Longines are without a doubt grossly undervalued and I really feel there’s nowhere to go but up for them considering their overall quality. So buying good examples at current levels makes good sense in my book. But trumping any potential investment considerations is the sheer style of this watch. At 35mm it wears big with good wrist precense because of the large face, slim bezel and elongated lugs. The deco numerals are really unusual and distinctively classy. And under the hood, the 30L manual mind movement is very highly regarded with an oversized balance for superior accuracy. All in all, an elegant statement on the wrist powered by a wonderful in-house movement from one of the great manufacturers of Switzerland. And at well under $1k, what more could you ask for?

Check out the full ad with many more pictures and complete description over at Timezone’s Sales Corner SOLD

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

As a souvenir from my recent holiday in Sweden I managed to take home this brilliantly well-preserved vintage Omega Constellation from the early 1960s. While its classic gold-capped “dog leg” or “grasshopper”-lugged case in unpolished condition is awfully nice, the real star of the the show is the amazingly flawless and Mint original non-luminous dial.

The dials of this era were prone to spotting or “pimpling” as they aged, which is certainly not the end of the world in vintage watch. But to find an example that has made it through its 50+ years without this defect is pretty remarkable.

Additionally, Omega’s movements by this point in their history are really some of the best mass-produced calibers in horology history. The 24-jewel, Adjusted to 5 Positions & Temperature, Chronometer-rated cal. 551 under the hood of this reference 167.005 Constellation is certainly no exception.

All in all, a special piece for the discerning collector at a fair price befitting its outstanding overall quality. Better jump on it quickly!

You can check out the complete ad with many more pics and full condition report over at the excellent OmegaForums’ Private Sales Corner. SOLD

A little Sunday comedy — Surströmming

Or what I learned on my summer vacation… There is a “delicacy” in Sweden and parts of Scandavavia called Surströmming. The name literally means “sour herring” but that does’t even hint at the, shall we say, pungent qualities of the fish after it has been fermented for no less than 6 months. In fact, a freshly opened can of surströmming has been found to be the most putrid food smell in the world — and that’s saying something! Here are six foolhardy and funny Americans becoming acquainted with this most acquired of tastes (plenty of profanity & retching so definitely NSFW). And unlike these poor souls, if you ever decide to try surströmming never open the can indoors. Or really anywhere near a civilized population. Enjoy!

Accessories we like — Dowling Brothers bracelets

I’m not quite sure when the fashion gods decreed that guys should start wearing six or seven things on each wrist at one time. But if that’s the way the trend is going at least we’ve found a place where you can load up on wrist swag without busting your budget. Namely, Dowling Bros.com.

Based out of Knoxville, Tennessee and proudly made in the USA, Dowling Brothers has a wide selection of cotton, paracord and leather bracelets at ridiculously low prices. So if you can resist the temptation to buy one flashy Hermes or John Hardy bracelet, however admittedly special those pieces might be, you can load up on a veritable smorgasbord of casual, fun accessories to add panache to your wardrobe.

Often featuring nautical-themed sterling silver, brass and gold plated fishhook and anchor hardware, Dowling Bothers bracelets are well crafted without being heavy or fussy. You can layer them or wear them simply solo. And with a variety of colors, finishes and materials you can find a bracelet that will fit your every mood and fashion whim. Heck, with with the rather remarkably reasonable prices they ask, you could pick a different Dowling Brothers bracelet for every shirt in your closet and still have change leftover for a few of their retro knit ties!

Earworm of the day — Do I Wait by Ryan Adams

If you’re into sad songs I’ve got your fix right here. From 2011’s Ashes & Fire comes Ryan Adams‘ masterpiece of the morose, “Do I Wait”. Beginning in quiet with Adams’ lone guitar and pleading voice, “Do I Wait?” crescendoes by the end of its 4 minutes into a veritable zenith of sadness thanks to guest keyboardist Benmont Tench of The Heartbreakers and his hauntingly beautiful, slowly building wave of sound. Its heartbroke hooks will sink deep into your earhole and keep pulling at you until you play it again.

Adams has become something of a master of melancholy in recent years after starting out as a country rock sensation, essentially following the path that Jeff Tweedy and Wilco blazed circa their A.M. period. But much like Wilco, Adams stubbornly resisted being boxed in stylistically and so wound up giving voice to his inner sorrow as well as his outer rowdy in the grand tradition of rock and country singer-songwriters since the dawn of those genres. First with 2004’s EP compilation Love is Hell and its remarkably stark and downbeat reworking of Oasis’ “Wonderwall”, and then on Ashes & Fire, Adams proved himself an artist who can really let his guts spill on the floor. “Do I Wait?” proved to be the shimmering standout track from a very good if slightly monochromatic album overflowing with what ifs and recriminations.

Watch Collector’s Notebook: The Rolex 1680 Submariner — one vintage model, many looks, always desirable

When Rolex introduced the reference 1680 Submariner circa 1969 they did something entirely new for the brand: they created their first-ever dive watch with date function. Now your first reaction might well be: “What took them so long?” Blancpain, Omega and others had long had date divers in their portfolio. But the wheels of change move slowly at Rolex and they are never terribly concerned about following the latest trends. So no doubt the question of whether to make a date version of their iconic Submariner was considered with all due deliberation as the 1960s progressed and then the decision to proceed finally taken at the end of the decade when all the numbers had been crunched and the sales potential gamed out. In the end, it proved to be a very smart if somewhat belated call by the marque of the Coronet.

Using their recently developed caliber 1575 date/chronometer movement, which Rolex had previously reserved for their ubiquitous Datejust and legendary GMT-Master, the first versions of 1680 Submariner had the very interesting quirk of red writing for the model name on the matte dial. There is a great, thorough examination of the different acceptable Red Sub dials and their relative scarcity in the Classics section of the Vintage Rolex Forum for those who are looking for the fine details. But suffice to say what seemed like an eye-catching way to differentiate the date model from its traditional no-date brethren, the all-white refs. 5513 and chronometer-rated 5512, would eventually make the Red 1680 one of the most desirable and collectible vintage Rolex Sports models in the pantheon. And when its big brother the cult classic saturation dive-ready ref. 1665 Sea-Dweller debuted with its signature double lines of red for the initial double model name — “Sea-Dweller/Submariner 2000” — it was only a matter of time for the prime position in the hierarchy for red writing Rolex dials to be cemented in collectors’ psyches. Owning a vintage Red Sub has become the goal of many enthusiasts of the brand and fans of tool watches in general, both novice and expert.

Rolex also had another idea for the 1680 Sub in mind, that of a super exclusive all-gold stunner along the lines of their elite gold GMT-Master, which existed from the very debut of the GMT line back in the mid 1950s. But Rolex had never made a gold Submariner — until they did so in stunning fashion with the debut of a gold 1680 to go along with its more workaday all-steel version. With a list price about five times that of its steel sister when purchased on its heavy 18 karat Oyster Fliplock bracelet with diver’s extension, the Gold Sub was immediately a status symbol of great impact.

With their beautiful “Nipple” markers borrowed from the GMT, the gold 1680 was initially produced in extremely small numbers with a meters-first depth rating just like the initial run of steel models. Continue reading →

Man's Fine Life

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