Author Archives: tomvox1

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — Vintage 1970s Audemars Piguet Royal Oak JUMBO 5402ST B-Series

SOLD

Up for sale, a watch that needs no introduction — Gerald Genta’s all time design classic, the original, legendary all-steel Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo reference 5402ST. This coveted and rare Royal Oak is from the second B-series produced in the mid-1970s and is in Excellent vintage condition overall with a stunning original deep gray Petite Tapisserie dial in absolute Near Mint condition. Featuring all its original case parts as far as I can tell, this Royal Oak 5402 still has its correct second generation signed bracelet clasp, correct unsigned octagonal crown, correct original date wheel and original matching Tritium slim paddle hands. The amazing integrated bracelet has minimal stretch for its age and will fit up to a 7 1/4” wrist comfortably.

This ultimate cult Royal Oak features AP’s revolutionary JLC-derived caliber 2121 ultra-thin automatic-winding calendar movement, a technical marvel with recessed rotor that enables the brilliantly engineered case to remain so thin. This magical caliber was also used in the original Patek Phillipe Nautilus 3700 and the Vacheron Contsantin 222 among others. I had wanted to send this watch to AP for a service but their new policy is to make any 5402 “like new” cosmetically, replacing crown, hands, etc and thereby destroying the vintage originality for us true collectors. So you know going forward unmolested examples like this one are going to become harder and harder to come by. In any event, instead I just had this Royal Oak fully overhauled by my watchmaker, including the installation of a new mainspring, while allowing no other cosmetic work. 

While not a safe queen, the case of this Royal Oak still has sharp chamfers & bevels that appear to me to be unpolished, while the bezel has either softened from years of cuff wear or has been lightly polished at some point in the past (never by me). The watch shows minor wear commensurate with semi-regular use over its nearly 50 years of life, though it’s still in Excellent vintage condition. To my mind, that means you don’t have to worry about babying it and can just strap it on and go when the mood strikes, which is what I’ve done for the eight or so years that I’ve owned this beauty.

The star of the show is the magnificent original Petite Tapesserie dial, which has not gone tropical as so many have and retains its original deep metallic charcoal gray color, with notes of blue in the sun. There are a few very subtle speckles showing in places from the brass beneath under magnification, an effect more noticeable by far in these macro photos than to the naked eye. The original slim hands match the dial perfectly and the appearance is absolutely stunning, looking just about like it came out of the factory yesterday save the pleasingly warm lume patina and the slight “sparkle” effect.

On the wrist, this classic ultra-slim Royal Oak is simply magic. You’ll understand all the hype once you’ve put one on and they don’t come up for sale in this sort of condition too often. Think about making this piece of watchmaking history yours today!

SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — Vintage Heuer Camaro 7220NT Exotic CHOCOLATE Dial

Up for sale is this absolutely stunning vintage Heuer reference 7220NT Camaro chronograph featuring a beautiful Near Mint+ Third Execution Exotic pure Chocolate dial with stunning red Tachy track and orange chrono hands. This example is in overall Excellent original vintage condition for a 50+-year-old watch and, along with its pristine dial, also retains its original brushed sunburst finish on the top of the iconic cushion-shaped Camaro case.

 SOLD

This 7220 Camaro, which Heuer heads more knowledgeable than I have dubbed the 7220NT Third Execution Exotic, has the correct 174,xxx case serial number for this specific iteration of brown dial, which was only made for a very short time.

I have also just had its famed Valjoux 72 column wheel movement fully overhauled for the convenience of the next owner, including replacement of the mainspring, so it’s good to go with all timekeeping and chronograph functions operating as they should.

Everyone seems to rave about the Panda versions of Camaros as the ne plus ultra but having owned both, this stunning and uniformly “tropical” brown dial blows them away, IMO. In fact, the dials on these are not actually “tropical” per se, as the consensus opinion of the experts is that these were born brown… and I’d have to agree!

Personally, I call this one King Camaro and I think when you peruse the pictures in different lighting conditions you’ll see why I do. After all, you find Panda dials on Carreras and Autavias but nothing as unique as this. There is just something so appropriate to the funky Camaro case shape and the late-60s/early-70s ethos that makes a deep brown dial with a red Tachy track and orange chrono hands totally work. And I know the lucky next owner will enjoy the one-of-a-kind style of this cool brown beauty as much as I have. 

 SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — Vintage Mido Multifort “Extra-Flat” Gloss BLACK Radial Dial

SOLD

Newly on offer — and now newly REDUCED — is this handsome and uncommon late-1940s/early-1950s Mido Multifort “Extra-Flat” manual winder with wonderful original gloss black dial in classically sized 34mm all-steel FB/Taubert et Fils case.

This lovely midcentury Mido is powered by their high quality caliber 1200A. This cool Multifort “Extra-Flat” also features an all-stainless steel screwed case manufactured by the famed case makers, FB/Taubert et Fils, which also made cases during this era for Patek Phillipe, Vacheron and Movado.

But the main attraction is the glossy black sub-seconds dial with “copper gilt” print and original radium radially positioned Arabic numerals showing lovely patina. Overall, this great little Mido is in Very Good unpolished vintage condition with a black dial that really pops on the wrist and a wearable size that a lot of vintage Midos don’t possess (it’s the same diameter as a Rolex Date for comparison).

A really nice bit of genuine vintage style & quality for not a lot of money in today’s market. Jump on it now before its gone!

 SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — Vintage 1961 Omega Speedmaster ref. 2998-3 cal. 321

The time has come to let go of a very special part of my collection, as this beauty just doesn’t get the wrist time it so richly deserves anymore.  SOLD

Up for sale is this all-time classic early 1960s ref. 2998-3 Omega pre-professional Speedmaster powered by the famed Lemania-based manual wind caliber 321 chronograph movement. This is the model refereed to as the First Omega in Space, as a 2998 was on the wrist of Mercury astronaut Wally Schirra during his Sigma 7 flight in 1962, a few years prior to the Speedmaster being officially approved by NASA for all manned space missions to follow. According to the official Omega Extract from the Archives, which obviously will be passed along to the new owner, this Speedy left the factory in 1961 and was delivered to Switzerland at that time. 

This is an exceptional example of the classic and historically important Speedmaster reference 2998, with a well worn but unpolished case and a gorgeous original Radium stepped dial in absolutely Near Mint condition. The original luminous has developed a pleasing dark caramel patina, as has the matching lume of the original Alpha handset. This 2998-3 also features the correct & desirable dagger subdial hands, as well as the straight, non-luminous chrono sweep seconds. Another highlight is the original DON Tachy bezel, which shows wear commensurate to the rest of the watch with some ghosting and wonderful wabi-sabi. 

Overall, the watch is in Very Good vintage condition and it comes on a slightly later (1963) 7912 flat-link bracelet with very hard to come by number “6” end links correct for the 19mm lug width of this straight, no-crown guards case. (If for some reason you don’t want the bracelet, I’m sure we can work out an appropriate discount for the head onIy.) I have also just had the movement preemptively overhauled for the enjoyment of the next owner, so it is ready to wear with all timekeeping and chronograph functions operating well.

Continue reading →

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — Steinhart Ocean One Bronze Dive Watch B&P

Up for sale [SOLD] is arguably one of the best everyday beater watches on the market today — the Steinhart Ocean One Bronze with box & papers and extra unused OEM leather strap & buckle.

This example of Ocean One Bronze features the “faded” greenish-brown elapsed time insert with lume pip, a 42mm solid bronze mid case & bezel with heavy stainless steel screw-in back and a sapphire crystal, as well as signed screw-in bronze crown. All that insures this rugged diver has the same depth rating as a modern Rolex Submariner. The thing I like about this Steinhart, though, is that it’s not just direct copy of a Rolex like so many of their other offerings. Instead, it has its own distinctive style, with horizontally brushed dial that changes in the light from “gray metallic” (as Steinhart calls it) to pure chocolate (which is more accurate, IMO), plus military inspired super Luminova “Explorer”-style quarter Arabics & triangle and large gilt sword hands that glow like a torch.

Under the hood is another quality feature — a rock solid ETA 2824-2 automatic movement with hacking seconds, the same ebauche you’ll find in Swiss watches that cost ten times as much as this bad boy. Bought by me in 2017, this watch has never been opened and still keeps excellent time. With its incredible build quality and scratch resistant bronze case, this is a true dive watch and can handle pretty much anything you can dish out. It’s been with me to the beaches of Mexico and the south of France and is basically a perfect watch to wear when you still want to show some style but don’t feel like flashing your high value pieces. It’s certainly also good as a no thought required daily driver up for any activity from yard work to manning the grill to jacuzzi to scuba. A rather remarkable value-to-quality proposition, this Ocean One is pretty much ready for anything you want to do.  

This big 42mm dive & military-inspired watch is in overall Excellent condition with just a few light marks here and there and the bronze case, crown and bezel are developing a very attractive patina (which can easily be reversed with a light polish if one so wishes). This Ocean One Bronze comes complete with the original box & papers and I am throwing in a brand new unworn Steinhart leather strap with extra signed screwed bronze buckle in addition to the original OEM leather-backed canvas strap with its bronze buckle that I usually wore the watch on. Like the case itself, the canvas strap has also developed some attractive wabi from wear and is nicely broken in without being thrashed. Its olive drab color and canvas texture really make the bronze case pop, IMO.

Click here to contact me about this ultimate daily beater Steiner Ocean One — it’s a one helluva lot of watch of the money!  SOLD

What we’re reading — Dispatches by Michael Herr

Positives have been hard to come by during the COVID-19 pandemic. But reading more books is definitely one of them. Without plays, movie theaters or sports for so long, and absent the regular hustle of commuting and socializing, there is plenty of time to give oneself permission to read books again. I’ve always envied those people who say they read like three-four books a month and wondered exactly where they found the time to do so in this modern, high-productivity world where you end up working even when you’re not technically on the clock. Even if I had somehow carved out that time when things were normal it would’ve felt like slacking to take, say, two hours in the middle of the day to read a big chunk of a book. Reading was reserved for evenings before bed, usually balked before long by sleep, and beach vacations with endlessly relaxed hours of leisure between breakfast and lunch with which to consume the literature of one’s choice while lying in the sun. But during these crazy, restricted circumstances the regular rhythms of workaday life have been so disrupted that there are vast swaths of time while “working” from home that are justifiably and easy filled with a bit of reading. And one of the best books that I’ve read during this forced hiatus in any genre or on any subject is Michael Herr’s Vietnam War classic, Dispatches.

Michael Herr in Vietnam – photo by Tim Page

I was honestly surprised that I hadn’t come across Dispatches before now since it is regarded as one of the classics on the subject if not the finest journalst’s account of the Vietnam conflict. Like many young Americans during the 1980s, I went through a major period of fascination with Vietnam during my school years over and above any mandatory history courses. Films like Francis Ford Coppola’s epic Apocalypse Now, which echoed long after its initial 1979 release and continues to do so today, and then Oliver Stone’s Platoon (1986) seemed to ignite a resurgence of interest in that star-crossed war. I consumed a lot of first person accounts like Mark Baker’s grueling oral history, Nam, and Philip Caputo’s personal experiences there as a Marine lieutenant in combat, A Rumor of War. Yet somehow one of the very best of these accounts slipped through the cracks of my reading list those many years ago. So I’m all too happy to have “discovered” Dispatches now, however belatedly and however weird the present circumstances. Fortunately, I was reading an anthology of long reportage called The New Journalism (co-edited and featuring a long essay of principles by the late, legendary Tom Wolfe, the New Journalism’s leading practitioner and proponent), when I came across a brilliant excerpt of Herr’s writing and I knew I had to get the whole book.

“And at night it was beautiful. Even the incoming was beautiful at night, beautiful and deeply dreadful.

I remembered the way a Phantom pilot had talked about how beautiful the surface-to-air missiles looked as they drifted up toward his plane to kill him, and remembered myself how lovely .50-caliber tracers could be, coming at you as you flew at night in a helicopter, how slow and graceful, arching up easily, a dream, so remote from anything that could harm you. It could make you feel a total serenity, an elevation that put you above death, but that never lasted very long. One hit anywhere in the chopper would bring you back, bitten lips, white knuckles and all, and then you knew where you were.” — excerpt from Dispatches

Michael Herr –Photograph by Jane Bown

The late Michael Herr (b. 1940 – d. 2016) was a fairly green reporter with not much more than some rock criticism under his belt when he somehow wangled an assignment from Esquire to cover the war for them on the ground in Vietnam. Continue reading →

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — Vintage Heuer Carrera ref. 1153S Silver Panda Dial

It may be the dog days of August but what I’m offering here is more of a thoroughbred race horse — a handsome early 1970s vintage Heuer reference 1153 Carrera automatic-wind chronograph featuring a beautiful Mint first execution silver Panda dial with original wonderfully patinaed Tritium luminous plots.

This example is in overall Excellent vintage condition for a 50-year-old watch and, along with its pristine dial, also features the desirable canted Tachymeter scale in the correct deep gray with white print, as well as the superior Caliber 12 version of Heuer’s pioneering modular “Chrono-matic” micro-rotor chronograph movement.

This 1153 also features an early serial number for the model of 148,xxx, which matches the era of the dial & inner Tachymeter scale. It does sport a 3rd execution handset and while this combination is seen often enough in the wild on these silver 1153s it’s probably safest to assume that the hands were replaced at some point during a service in the watch’s long life, either for the superior legibility they provide compared to the thinner previous two execution handsets or because those first two tended to suffer prematurely degraded lume filling.

Personally, I prefer the fluorescent orange chrono sweep seconds hand over the earlier red for its pop and pizzaz, as well as the easily read, highly luminous “wide boy”-style hands so I’ve always been fine with the combo. Either way, it’s a super stunning vintage chrono on the wrist, both elegant and sporty, as you can clearly see, and it makes a killer addition to any vintage chronograph collection.

Check out this classic and classy vintage Carrera 1153S in full via the very Heuer-centric ChronoTrader sales forum featuring full condition report and many more large pictures or contact me directly for more information.  SOLD

Earworm of the day — From the Beginning by Emerson Lake & Palmer

I’m not the biggest fan of Emerson Lake & Palmer or Prog Rock in general — the genre’s artistic pretensions and musical self indulgences simply haven’t aged very well — but this song of theirs has been bouncing around my head since it popped up on an oldies Pandora station of mine (and, of course, once you thumb something up in Pandora you’re likely to hear it again a lot).

A highlight of 1972’s Trilogy, “From the Beginning,” like “Still… You turn Me On”from the following year’s Brain Salad Surgery or “Lucky Man” from their eponymous debut, is one of those nicely melodic Greg Lake compositions that gave ELP some radio presence in the ’70s amidst their usual decidedly non-single length, over-the-top synth workouts and artfully deranged takes on classical standards. It’s almost got a bossa nova feel in the way it subtly swings and seduces. And Lake’s vocals feature his usual appealingly masculine timbre and restrained romanticism. I think because ELP were such a instrument-driven band Lake doesn’t really get the credit he deserves as a very solid Rock vocalist. But his pleasantly refined charms as a singer are all on fine display here.

The only thing distinguishing “From the Beginning” from, say, a Classics IV song like “Spooky,” which it kind of resembles if we’re being honest, is Keith Emerson’s well deployed Moog synthesizer solo which floats in during the last minute of the tune. It hovers above Lake’s acoustic guitar and overdubbed bass and Carl Palmer’s loose but anchoring conga beat and is actually a very restrained and effective use of the then-new gadget. Fading out into some seagull-like peals, it supplies the song with an otherworldly and haunting hook that leaves the listener wanting more. The bright synth also brands “From the Beginning” as a definitively Emerson Lake & Palmer song even if the simplicity and straightforwardness of its composition, not to mention its relatively compact 4-minute run time, is not all that characteristic of the normally bombastic Prog Rock outfit’s usual baroquely expansive output. That makes “From the Beginning” something like the exception that proves the rule for ELP and a damned tuneful one at that.

2019 F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi — Results & aftermath

Hamilton dominates in Abu Dhabi to end championship campaign in style; Verstappen P2, Leclerc P3, as Bottas battles from last to fourth

Mercedes’ ace Lewis Hamilton capped off his sixth championship season with a dominant win at Yas Marina Circuit in Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In the final race of the 2019 F1 campaign, a late afternoon affair that goes from day to night conditions, Hamilton and his Silver Arrow were as untouchable as they gave been throughout the year. The newly minted 6-time champ claimed his 11th victory of the year out of twenty-one GPs and finished far ahead of his closest pursuers. Hamilton won from pole and also set the fastest lap of the race for a bonus point, coming home a whopping 16.77 seconds ahead of the second place Red Bull of Max Verstappen. It was a suitably perfect performance in what has been another banner year for the 34-year-old, who was justifiably left wishing that the season could continue after his effortless win. It also gave Hamilton 84 career wins, shockingly close to what seemed to be Michael Schumacher’s record F1 total of 91. No doubt Lewis will be dreaming of overtaking Schumacher for that milestone in 2020, as well as tying the German legend’s even more awesome achievement by racking up a seventh Drivers’ title. But all that is in the future and for now Hamilton can ride off into the winter break knowing that he was unquestionably the supreme Formula 1 ace in 2019 and has put himself in the conversation as one of the best in the sport’s fabled history.

Pics courtesy GrandPrix247.com

For Verstappen it was also a relatively easy day that saw the Dutchman hold off challenges from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and turbo lag issues from his own car to secure a P2 finish and lock down third place in the Drivers’ ahead of the hard-charging Leclerc. The Monegasque Ferrari man, who had  breakout year and seems destined for greatness if given the right equipment, finished P3 in the race and survived an after-race investigation for fuel irregularities that led to a hefty fine for Ferrari but no penalties for Leclerc. Behind the top three, Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas drove a superb race after starting from the rear of the grid due to engine penalties, clawing his way all the way up to a P4 finish just about a second behind Leclerc for the last podium place. One wonders if the Finn’s result might have been even better had a technical glitch not prevented the DRS system from operating until Lap 18. Continue reading →

Omega SM 120 Deep Blue

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — Vintage Omega ref. 166.073 Seamaster 120 “Deep Blue” Dive Watch

Just listed for sale — this cult classic late 1960s/early 1970s reference 166.073 Omega Seamaster 120 with amazing “Deep Blue” dial. This big steel diver was the next iteration in Omega’s increasingly diverse “professional” divers line during that era, following on from the legendary Seamaster 300 and immediately preceding the famed PloProf. And it features the same sort of rugged build quality as those others with a large all-steel “pontoon” lug case measuring 41mm x 46mm and originally boasting superior water resistance for open water diving.

Omega SM 120 Deep Blue

Click for large image gallery

This fantastic Seamaster came to me via trade with a re-done dial and re-lumed hands. So I hunted down a correct period blue Tritium dial in beautiful glossy Near Mint condition. I also sourced a genuine Omega modern Luminova gladiator handset that actually matches quite well, although it will obviously hold its glow for quite a long time unlike the Trit dial and bezel. Additionally, while my watchmaker was swapping out the dial & hands late last year I had him overhaul the very high grade in-house caliber 565 movement.

Omega SM 120 Deep Blue

Overall, the watch itself is in Excellent properly restored vintage condition and this big blue beauty is a real stunner on the wrist. In a world of cookie cutter Submariner wannabe divers, the Seamaster 120 Deep Blue stands out from the crowd with its bold, individualistic design and that , applied markers with heavily luminous background and stunning liquid blue dial. And so will you when you strap it on.

Omega SM 120 Deep Blue

Get it now — click here to contact me for more info on this great vintage Omega SM 120 Deep blue! SOLD

Click here for many more photos and complete condition report