Category Archives: Vintage Watches

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

May is winding down but there’s still time to offer up another great watch before we flip the calendar. And this one’s a pip — a double name Bell & Ross by Sinn military chronograph powered by the redoubtable and complicated Lemania 5100 movement.

This awesome 1990s watch has so many functions that I like to call it the Swiss Army Knife of chronos: engine turned sub dials for constant seconds, elapsed hours & 24-hour indicator; original Tritium luminous Arabic numerals with wonderful patina; apertures for the date and day; black anodized aluminum elapsed time bezel with a pleasing mint of WABI; and of course the iconic Lemania 5100 chronograph layout with neon orange-tipped chrono sweep seconds and “jet” minute counter.

This big fella measure in at a brawny 43mm in diameter and has a classic military pilot’s look. In fact, the Sinn M1 represents the ultimate evolution of the Bund-style aviator’s watch that Heuer-Leonides originally pioneered in the 1960s and there’s little doubt the late Helmut Sinn’s intention was to offer this model for military supply.

This excellent example features an unpolished bead blasted case and uncommon matching B&R-signed blasted bracelet. I’m even throwing in a Sinn aviator’s strap for good measure and maximum versatility. What more could you want if you’re looking for an uncommon double-signed example of a true late 20th century chrono classic?

This handsome and rugged Sinn/B&R is sure to make a great summer addition for some lucky guy. But at its maximum bang for the buck price point I can’t see it sticking around for long.

So check out the full ad now over at the always hopping Omega Forums private sales section for many more pictires and complete condition report — Sinning never looked so good.  ON HOLD

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

The hits keep on coming as we merrily roll along in May. Newly on offer is this ultra-cool late 1960s Movado Datron HS360 Super Sub Sea diver’s chronograph with beautiful black and white inverse Panda dial featuring the more uncommon rotating Tachymeter bezel. It also comes on its original Gay Freres “Ladder”-style bracelet with Rolex-esque fliplock clasp & divers’ extension, a nice added bonus.

Under the hood of this big steel beauty is the legendary Zenith/Movado “El Primero” 3019 PHC automatic movement, the pioneering high-beat automatic chrono caliber that set the watch world on fire in 1969 and continues to be a technological pacesetter to this very day.

With its handsomely brawny all-steel case and uncommon rotating Tachymeter bezel giving it a racier look than standard diver-bezel counterparts this Datron just oozes “man of action,” ready for the track or beach. And with vintage Movado chronographs finally getting their due in long-overdue esteem it also represents great value for money now with good upside potential in future. And hey, who doesn’t like a classic Panda dial layout on their wrist?  This beautiful Movado Super Sub Sea El Primero is definitely ready for its close-up on yours.

Come check it out today on Watchuseek’s Dealers sales corner to see the full ad with many more pictures and complete condition report.  SOLD

 

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — May selection

It may be the first day of May but our late April style trend continues as we finally celebrate real spring weather with another suitably stunning vintage watch. This time it’s an uncommon early 1960s Longines Conquest in beautiful 18k Pink Gold.

This reference 9025 Conquest features a beautiful matching rose gold dial with very cool, highly stylized markers and raised geometrically faceted track for eye-catching elegance on the wrist, as well as the idiosyncratic framed date at “12.”  Absolutely one of the coolest and most unusual dial layouts out there and an innovative design classic by Longines.

Under the hood is a Longines in-house mini-masterpiece, the stalwart caliber 291 with 24-jewels and semi-quickset date. It’s a beautifully utilitarian sight to behold, as any watchmaker will tell you, and still delightfully accurate after all these years.

These handsome solid gold dress models from Longines’ mid-century heyday are really coming into their own as watches well worth collecting. Better yet with its elegant yet robust water resistant case design this is a vintage dress watch you can still wear and enjoy. And oh, man — the look of vintage rose gold in the sun!

Check out the full ad with many more pictures and complete condition report over at Watchuseek. You’ll be glad you did!  ON SALE

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

Making good on my promise that there will be a passel of special watches appearing in the coming  weeks here is another vintage beauty as we get ready to exit April — a stunning Jumbo Tudor Prince Oysterdate from the early 1970s.

With the same 38mm case as Rolex’s iconic 1019 Milgauss this model 9018/4 Oysterdate wears like a delightfully beefed up Datejust. Its silver dial is just as classic and the oversized white gold bezel gives it the same sort of elegant punch, albeit with a bit of a sportier feel due to the overall increased size of the watch

Powered by a robust ETA 2784 movement with quickest date this classic Tudor deserves props in its own right and not just as a junior member of Team Rolex. With the same build quality and design aesthetics — only supersized! — this is definitely another instance where the Shield gives the Coronet a run for its money. Strap it on for yourself and you’ll see just what I mean.

Check out the complete ad with many more pictures and complete condition report over at the newly revamped but still awesome Vintage Rolex Forum’s Market section.  SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — April selection

Keep your eyes on this space in the coming weeks because I’ll be offering a fantastic selection of great watches. And perhaps first among equals is this stunning 1968 GMT-Master. Featuring an absolutely Mint first generation “Long E” matte dial and gorgeously aged magenta/faded denim bezel insert this is the kind of vintage Rolex GMT that serious collectors dream about.

The late ‘60s GMT-Master with Mark I matte dial is one of the hottest vintage watches out there right now, finally getting its due after many years of being overshadowed by Submariners, and this beautiful example is in wonderfully well preserved vintage condition for a 50-year old watch with just the right touch of lived in charm and hard earned character.

The killer Tritium dial and gorgeously aged insert make it a very special Rolex for the discerning collector. It comes on a period correct folded Oyster bracelet and was last serviced late in 2015 and so is running like a top and ready for action on the wrist of its new owner.

Check out this great GMT now over at the newly revamped Vintage Rolex Forum’s Market section. If you’ve been on the hunt for this all-time classic Rolex tool watch you’ll be glad you did!   ON SALE

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

March Madness for great collectible watches continues with this awesome IWC Flieger UTC dual timezone beauty. UTC stands for Universal Time Coordiated (why, its right there in the dial!), the successor to GMT time as the standard for pilots. So it only makes sense that this late 1990s addition to IWCs fabled Flieger line features a mega cool UTC 24-hour readout right there on the dial.

See, you set up the watch so that both the 12-hour hands and 24-hour disc are in sync. Then when you travel this cool timepiece lets you set the hour hand independently either forwards or backwards via the screw down crown. But your hometime stays constant. A pretty darn cool way to design a GMT watch!

Not only that but the beautiful stainless steel case is built like a tank. It’s also sized like a jumbo Mark XI at an ultra-wearable 39mm, perfectly proportioned in my opinion. Plus this early reference 3251 still features its classic black and white  “Mark”-style dial with mixed Tritium along with Luminova luminous for that classic aviator toolwatch look. Better yet all this wristwatch engineering and functionality represents terrific value for money in today’s bananas watch world. So strap it on and set course for distant lands. Day or night, this Flieger UTC could be the only travel watch you need in any hemisphere!

Check it out now while its still available over at the always hopping Omega Forums Private Sales section. SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — March selection

The recent run of remarkable vintage Omegas continues into March with this stunning and ultra-funky 1969 Jumbo Constellation Day-Date. Featuring a large rectangular cushion style case and integrated bracelet that meets the case precisely at its widest point, this Connie is something of a precursor to other famous avant-garde integrated bracelet watches like the Gerald Genta-designed AP Royal Oak and Patek Nautilus. As a major design contributor for many Omega Constellations during the late 1950s and throughout 1960s who knows if there isn’t some Genta DNA in this model, as well?

Under that neo-futurist body beats the excellent caliber 751, arguably the last of Omega’s great in-house movements until the modern era. It was fully serviced in 2015 and features not only day and date complications but also a very cool quickest date function by repeatedly pulling the crown out to its second position. So once you set the day by full 24-hour revolutions of the hands it’s a piece of cake to match up the date, presto chango.

Its beautiful horizontally brushed Near Mint original dial changes tone in different light from pewter to bright silver and the watch as a whole is in Excellent vintage condition, showing little if any polish and displaying sharp chamfers. If you want to talk cheap thrills in the overheated vintage watch world this model of Connie has got be high up on the list. Space age cool combines with a fantastic analog heart to make for a premium piece that you’re not likely to see on anyone else’s wrist. Dig that!

Come and get it right now by checking out the full ad with many more pictures and complete condition report over at the always hopping Omega Forums’ Private Sales section. SOLD

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

February keeps rolling along and we are fast approaching Valentine’s Day — and here’s a watch to make any guy’s heart go pitter patter: a late 1960s Omega Speedmaster Mark II with desirable and amazingly well preserved “Racing” dial.

I don’t throw out Mint very often but this dial is that — beautifully aged Tritium and its high impact gray, orange & burgundy exotic Racing layout still having an intensity to the colors that is seldom seen. Featuring a tonneau case with sweeping lines and a fixed Tachymeter scale integrated into the mineral crystal to prevent the dreaded bezel knock off, the Speedy Mark II was an innovative design that showcased Omega’s modernist commitment to diversify their chronograph line above and beyond the tried and true Moonwatch.

This Speedy Mark II is also powered by the famed Lemania-based manual wind caliber 861, the same robust chrono caliber that is found in the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch from 1969 on. And in fact the movement serial number dates the watch to precisely that year making it one of the earliest Mark IIs around.

Recently serviced and running like a top, with the case exhibiting extremely sharp chamfers and all the original factory finishes, this big chrono makes a pure vintage statement on the wrist while the exceptionally well preserved colors provide uncommon visual punch. Like the Moonwatch, the Speedy Pro Mark II is an iconic chronograph in its own rather daring, avant-garde way. Just strap it on and prepare to fall in love.

Check out the complete ad over at the always hopping Omega Forums’ Private Sales section — you’ll be glad you did.  ON HOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — February selection

And just like that it’s February! Where does the time go? I can’t tell you that but I can tell you how to track it — with this absolutely gorgeous early 1970s Omega Seamaster “TV Case” chronograph featuring the amazing Lemania-derived caliber 1040 and a stunning metallic blue dial.

This fantastic Omega automatic chrono not only tells the time but also has complications for quickest date, constant seconds, 24-hour indicator and full chronograph functions for recording seconds, minutes via the characteristic orange-tipped “jet” center-mounted minute counter and 12-hour totalizer at “6.” This sexy beast also features a sunken dial that has aged to delightful purple-blue surrounded by a fixed Tachymeter scale protected by a mineral crystal, all in a large faceted rectangular case with wonderful sweeping lines that retains its original factory finish.

The TV Case Seamaster chrono is one of the more striking and distinctive designs that Omega came up with in the 1970s following the successes of their tonneau-cased Mark II & Mark III Speedmasters. If you’re looking for retro funk and terrific functionality with a stunning blue dial, you’ve found your watch. And when you look at how the prices of vintage mechanical chronos have skyrocketed in the past few years, the Omega Seamaster TV Case model in steel is a premium piece that still represents excellent value for money. Better pounce before these finally have their day in the sun!

Check out the full ad with many more pictures and complete condition report over at the always hopping Omega Forums’ Private Sales section. You’ll be glad you did. SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — January selection

A new year calls for a new watch, doesn’t it? Or in this case a new watch that looks remarkably like an iconic vintage watch: a beautiful Longines Legend Diver reissue. The great Swiss watch company paid perfect tribute to its 1960s-era ancestor, especially with this more coveted No Date version that I’m offering. It also boasts no depth rating on its dial, thereby making it a virtual doppelgänger to its legendary forebear.

A big steel bruiser at 42mm, this Longines diver has a heavy compressor-style screwed case like the original and a gorgeous glossy black dial with inner rotating elapsed time bezel that in this non-date iteration is pretty much a dead ringer for the vintage Legend.

Making this modern neo-vintage classic even more collectible, this example comes complete with its huge original box set with booklets, guarantee card and even the original hang tag. It also has its original signed strap and buckle. But I’ve personally fitted it with a robust Italian leather strap that I think matches the watch even better, the perfect strap mate if you will.

Any way you want to wear this legendary Longines diver — on land or on sea — you’re sure to make a lasting impression. Simply put, this watch is beautiful, functional and ultra-masculine. So strap it on and make your own legend in 2018!

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