Category Archives: Watches

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale – 1990s Tudor ref. 79170 “Big Block” Inverse Panda Automatic Chronograph

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Contact me here to make this cool Tudor Big Block yours today!

On offer is this super cool circa mid-1990s Tudor ref. 79170 Oysterdate Chrono Time chronograph with gorgeous Near Mint glossy black Inverse Panda dial, massive “Big Block” Oyster case and rotating dual-time bezel. This classic plexi-crystal Tudor chrono, one of the last before the introduction of the sapphire crystal models, is powered by a Tudor-modified Valjoux caliber 7750, and the ref. 79170 with rotating bezel is the most uncommon version of this era. The high gloss dial is very attractive and, having owned both a matte dial version previously and now this one, the wow factor is frankly far superior on these, with not only the attractiveness of the shimmering black gloss dial but also the very nicely delineated engined-turned high gloss white sub-registers. 

In my opinion, these non-exotic, acrylic crystal Tudor Big Blocks are still some of the best values in the vintage watch world. With their screw down Rolex crown & pushers and tank-like Oyster case, they have all the build quality of a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona at a fraction of the price and make a great daily driver if you’ve got the wrist for it. While this example shows previous polish and some wear, this Tudor Chrono Time is still in Excellent overall original vintage condition, featuring an absolutely Near Mint gloss black Inverse Panda dial with all the original tritium lume plots intact.

The key difference with this model and the others in the Chrono Time line of the era is the chunky, Sea-Dweller-like rotating steel bezel. It features a black anodized aluminum dual-time  insert that has aged to a lovely charcoal-blue color and, with this “1-to-12” bezel calibration, more uncommon than the usual fixed Tachymeter versions, one can tell secondary time similar to a GMT-Master, but in 12-hour increments and in relation to the hour hand. Obviously, it can also be used for elapsed time in 5-minute units.

All in all, a great looking Inverse Panda dial and a highly legible chronograph layout on this classic Tudor Big Block that makes a great everyday watch and a true vintage statement on the wrist!

Contact me here to make this cool Tudor Big Block yours today!

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale – Cartier JUMBO Tank MC ref. W5330003 w/B&P

Contact me here to make this cool Cartier yours today SOLD

On offer is this modern, handsome Cartier Tank MC ref. W5330003 in stainless steel with stunning silver guilloché Roman numeral dial and high-grade in-house automatic caliber 1904-PS MC. This model is part of the now discontinued line of watches that featured Cartier’s first true manufacture-developed & produced caliber after years of relying on other suppliers. For whatever reason, Cartier abandoned this concept after about a decade and took an abrupt U-turn back to almost exclusively outsourcing Piguet and ETA movements again. But it makes for a very interesting chapter in Cartier’s history and who knows what the future will bring for these models in terms of collectibility down the road? This Tank MC also comes with red Cartier box and original papers, including International Warranty Card with correctly matching case serial number, mini instruction booklet, as well as paperwork & purchase receipt from Birks Montreal from 2019, confirming original purchase for $9,700 Canadian. 

The Tank MC is by far the most classical and, to my eyes, most handsome of these “Manufacture Cartier” models, with its oversized but still recognizable Tank proportions and design, albeit a bit of a hybrid between the classic Tank Louis and the Tank Americaine. Make no mistake, this is a large rectangular watch at 34mm wide x 44mm long lug tip to lug tip that wears big for sure. But with its ergonomic curved case and the thinness of the movement, it is still only around 9mm tall at its highest point. And with its gorgeous “wave” pattern silver guilloché dial, bold Roman numerals and sunken, engine turned sub-seconds register, not to mention the oversized blue sapphire cabochon-set octagonal crown, it is absolutely stunning on the wrist, as well as being unmistakably Cartier stylistically.

The 27-jewel caliber 1904-PS MC is nicely decorated — if also a bit noisy — and easy to admire through the display back. It comes on its original black Cartier alligator strap with the patented adjustable steel Cartier deployant buckle, which makes proper fitting a breeze for any wrist size just by sliding the strap and then locking it down it via the U-shaped tines.

This classic oversize men’s dress watch has been worn and not stuck in a safe — if you want NOS, look elsewhere — and so, is in overall Very Good+ to Excellent pre-owned condition. It has never been polished and there are some small scratches to both factory-satined sides, especially the non-crown side, and one significant ding to the bottom right lug, which is quite hard to see when on the wrist (please refer to the pictures). The high polish tubular tops of the sides of the watch have numerous superficial swirlies but no major marks. Both sapphire crystals on the face and rear are undamaged and without chips or scratches. The dial and hands are obviously Mint. 

All in all, a fine Swiss watch from the great maison of Cartier with a lot of wrist presence and style that certainly represents in a casually elegant style. Very easy to dress this Cartier up or down if you’ve got the wrist for it!

Contact me here to make this cool Cartier yours today SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale – Vintage Angelus Military-Style Chronograph w/Tropical Gilt Dial

Contact me here to make this special Angelus Chrono yours today

Up for sale is this large and beautiful circa 1940s-50s Angelus chronograph in 38mm all-stainless steel case with stunning dark brown tropical gilt dial, powered by the in-house Angelus cal. 215 movement. A famed maker of movements for others, Angelus came into their own in the middle of the twentieth century, when the demand for chronographs for military and civilian use reached a fever pitch. In addition to their famed Chronodato models, Angelus also produced aviator & military-style chronographs to meet the demand of the WWII and post-War era, like this one, which is exactly the same model as the “L.E.” marked Hungarian Air Force-issued version (for Légi Erő).

This example has no issue marks but is notable not only for the large and sought after 38mm case but the stunning original gilt dial with “big eye” sub-dials and original radium luminous Arabic numerals, the surface of which has also aged to a very beautiful and even deep brown tropical tone. This oversized Angelus military-style chrono represents beautifully on the wrist and the organic, even, warm dark chocolate tone is especially appealing.

Overall, this classic Angelus aviator’s chrono is in Excellent vintage condition with a stunning Excellent+ original gilt dial with complex, finely printed minute and tachymeter outer scales and luminous Arabic numeral layout. The case has some marks from age, as one would expect from a 70/80-year-old tool watch, but it still appears to retain its original brushed & polished finish and facets. The venerable Angelus cal. 215 movement was serviced last year and is operating well, ready for years’ more faithful service for its lucky new owner.

All in all, a very special mid-century aviator’s chronograph with loads of vintage charm and impressive wrist presence. Not the most uncommon vintage chrono out there but this is definitely one of the nicest examples you will see!

Contact me here to make this special Angelus Chrono yours today

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale – Vintage 1960s Omega C-Shape Constellation w/Stunning BLUE VIGNETTE Dial

Contact me here to make this very special C-Shape Connie yours today! SOLD

On offer is this beautiful and uncommon circa 1968 all-stainless steel Omega C-Shape Constellation ref. 168.017 with original & ultra rare blue vignette/dégradé dial. For Omega, these vignette dials are primarily found in the later, small square Constellations of the early ’70s, and it is highly uncommon to find one in a C-Shape Connie.

This type of dial features a high gloss lacquer finish with a color tone beneath that grows darker the further it gets from the center, in this case a stunning blue colorway that transitions from bright cobalt to a deep navy at the edges. This example also features a very subtle, attractive but hard-to-see-without-a-loupe “spidering” or “ice crackle” effect when viewed from certain oblique angles, which is a common occurrence on these dials as the lacquer ages and contracts.

Accompanied by its long brick-link ref. 1040 bracelet, this is a very special steel Constellation for the sophisticated collector. And at a very ergonomic 34.5mm in diameter, it’s really suitable for any wrist size or gender, especially as the fashion trend in watches heads back to more modest dimensions. Overall, the watch is in Excellent vintage condition with a case that appears unpolished and the very special original Near Mint blue vignette dial being the most remarkable aspect. This Connie also features the highly regarded caliber 564 Chronometer movement with quickset date under the hood.

The star of the show on this Constellation is, of course, the quite rare vignette aka dégradé dial, with its hypnotic gradations of blue. It also features hand-riveted white gold bar markers, applied OMEGA and Omega logo, Connie star and faceted date window frame. This is a luminous dial with all the original tritium lume plots still intact and perfectly matching luminous hands, so it is correctly signed “T SWISS MADE T”. Featuring its original white printing, the only “flaw” one can ascribe to this beautiful dial is the aforementioned “crackling” of the glossy lacquer finish, which is only barely visible at certain angles with the naked eye and which a lot of collectors, including me, find quite handsome. Simply put, this is a gorgeous and endlessly appealing Constellation dial and if you are a fan of blue dial watches, as I am, this is about as good as it gets from an aesthetic perspective.

Contact me here to make this very special C-Shape Connie yours today! SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale – Vintage SS Longines ref. 6536-1 w/Breguet Numeral Dial & Bombé Lugs

 

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFO ON THIS GREAT VINTAGE LONGINES  SOLD

On offer is this great looking circa 1950s Longines reference 6536-1 in a very cool all-stainless steel Bombé lug case and featuring a beautiful all-original Breguet numeral dial with wonderful eggshell patina and café au lait aged radium luminous. This great vintage Longines is in overall Excellent original condition and sports the terrific in-house caliber 19AS full rotor sweep seconds movement under the hood.

At 35 mm wide, this beautifully proportioned mens watch with attractive Breguet dial wears wonderfully well on the wrist and is a really fine example of mid-century Longines design. To my eyes, this case is like a hybrid of a Rolex Bombé with its twisted, sweeping lugs and then a Patek 565, with the very distinctive flat, “non-bezel” bezel.

Makes for some very interesting and eye-catching effects on the wrist, to be sure, and just a super pleasing case shape that works in wonderful harmony with that handsome ivory Breguet dial. Fully serviced in the middle of last year, this classic Longines is running well and ready to be enjoyed by the lucky new owner. Make it yours today!

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFO ON THIS GREAT VINTAGE LONGINES  SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale – Vintage Eska Valjoux 22 Spillman Chrono w/Stunning Gilt Sector Dial

NOW ON SALE!

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFO ON THIS KILLER ESKA CHRONO

Click here for the full Ad over at the always awesome Omegaforums.net

On offer this month of March is this rare and beautiful circa 1940s-50s Eska chronograph in Spillman case with amazing gilt sector dial, powered by the famed Valjoux 22 movement. A rather unheralded brand, Eska was founded as S. Kocher in 1918 with “Eska” being a simple phonetic version of those initials for the purposes of branding. Like a lot of mid-century manufacturers, Eska made use of the contract oversize Spillman waterproof cases and Valjoux movements to create aviator & military-style chronographs to meet the demand of the WWII and post-War era.

This example is notable not only for the large and sought after 37mm screw back Spillman case and Valjoux 22 caliber with 45-minute counter under the hood but, of course, the obvious superstar is the stunning black gilt dial with super uncommon and beautiful sector dial layout. This is one of the most sought after chronograph layouts in vintage watches, as made famous by Patek Phillipe in several of their most coveted vintage references. While I wouldn’t call this Eska inexpensive, this special piece will certainly set you back a helluva lot less than a period Patek version would.

Overall, this classic Eska chrono is in Very Good vintage condition with a stunning Very Good+ original gilt dial with complex outer chronograph scales, minute track and interior Arabic numeral sector layout for the timekeeping. The case has some wear and the lugs appear to have been given a matte finish rather than the typical polished finish seen on most Spillman cases. The venerable Valjoux 22 movement was serviced recently and is operating well, ready for years’ more faithful service for its lucky new owner.

The all-original and absolutely stunning glossy black gilt dial features complex outer calibrated Tachymeter & Telemeter chronograph scales, followed concentrically by a minute track and Arabic numeral sector dial interior for the standard timekeeping. Engine-turned sub registers for constant seconds at “9” and the 45-minute recorder at “3”, also with gilt numerals. This Eska sector dial represents beautifully on the wrist, often brightly reflecting the light when you move, and the gilt sector dial layout is absolutely stunning aesthetically, not to mention incredibly hard to find in the wild unless on a modern homage. 

There are not a lot of Spillman cased, Valjoux 22 chronographs out there and even fewer with nice black gilt dials. But a gilt/gloss sector dial Spillman cased Valjoux 22 chronograph has got to be the rarest iteration around. Make this very special vintage Eska chrono yours today.

NOW ON SALE!

Click here for the full Ad over at the always awesome Omegaforums.net

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFO ON THIS KILLER ESKA CHRONO

 

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale – Vintage Favre-Leuba Square Steel BLUE Daymatic “Cioccolatone”

SOLD

Up for sale is this very cool and highly uncommon vintage Favre-Leuba Daymatic with beautiful blue dial and impressive square “Cioccolatone”-style all steel water resistant case. Like most rectangular and square watches, this wonderful late-1960s/early-1970s model wears larger than its 33 x 37mm dimensions might indicate and delivers great wrist presence, as you can see from the photo of it on my 7-inch wrist. The rather heavy and ingeniously engineered steel case features wide, downward sloping beveled edges for a distinctly muscular feel not unlike a smaller version of Heuer’s famous Monaco.

I haven’t seen more than a handful of these “Cioccolatone” Daymatic models and never with this exact case design or a blue dial, making it highly unlikely that you will run into anyone else wearing this watch in the wild. The stunning vertically brushed cobalt blue dial with original luminous also happens to be in Mint condition.

The watch itself appears unpolished and is in Very Good to Excellent overall vintage condition, showing honest wear commensurate with having been worn and enjoyed for most of its long life. The rather over-engineered and quite substantial case design features, I believe, some sort of split-crown method for removing the dial, movement and back from the top case in one piece once the locking ring has been unscrewed and thereby gaining potential access to the movement.

In addition to the signed dial, case and crown, this sporty yet elegant Favre-Leuba also comes with its likely original and period correct signed steel buckle, a nice bonus for the attentive collector. Though increasingly difficult to find, there are still some vintage watches out there where you don’t have to spend crazy money to get a ton of style on your wrist. I’d say this striking Daymatic “Cioccolatone” is proof of that.

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ME ABOUT THIS SUPER COOL FAVRE-LEUBA DAYMATIC

SOLD

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