Tag Archives: Watch Research

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

Watch Collector’s Notebook: Three Special Dial 1960s Omega Seamasters

Arguably more than any other of the great Swiss marques, Omega has always been daring, experimental and graphically innovative in their dial designs. And one could make a very strong case that they were at the peak of their powers in this regard in the 1960s. I first became aware of Omega’s penchant for creativity and purpose built “tool” dials on what would ordinarily have been standard dress models by way of having a Seamaster “Railmaster Official” passed down to me by my father. It, along with his Speedmaster Mark II racing dial, is what got me into vintage Omega, and ultimately vintage watches and watches more generally, in the first place.

Seamaster “Railmaster Official” ref. 165.002, cal. 550, 17 jewels, adjusted 3 positions, circa 1966:

I’m not sure if you’ve ever experienced this with an heirloom-type watch, but I’ve always felt not only grateful to have it but also, I have to admit if I’m being honest, slightly constrained by the aesthetic. While Omega designed this watch (with no small copying of Ball’s famous layout) to sell to the very specific railroad worker market, as well as those who value maximum legibility at a glance (something I do appreciate more as I get older), this dial is not quite my personal style. In other words, if it hadn’t been in the family, I don’t think I would have sought it out and bought it on my own despite its very attractive glossy white “porcelain” finish and bold black enamel numerals.

So, I recently decided to acquire what are essentially the same models of Seamaster but with very different dials that are a bit more in my design wheelhouse. The first is the semi-famous “Speedy Companion”, which might more properly be called the “Soleil Companion”, due to the fact that it not only mimics the legendary Speedmaster Professional’s characteristic luminous plots but also the very uncommon lustrous blue-gray soleil/metallic dial finish very rarely found in certain highly desirable ’60s Speedys.

Seamaster “Speedy Companion” ref. 166.002, cal. 565 (quickset), 24 jewels, circa 1966:

Being a compulsive sort of collector, I was not only thrilled with the Speedy Companion but also left wanting one more from this special era of Seamaster dial designs. The scarce “Albino Technical” really spoke to me, with its hyper-attractive matte white dial, non-luminous black “Speedy” markings and punchy red crosshair and Omega logo. It kind of screams “NASA UNIVAC technician”, at least in my imagination.

Seamaster “Albino Technical” ref. 166.002, cal. 562, 24 jewels, circa 1966:

All three watches have pretty much the exact same, rapidly coming back into fashion 34.5mm cases and yet represent completely differently on the wrist, a delightful tribute to a time when creativity in the Swiss watch industry generally, and Omega in particular, was really at an impressive and perhaps all-time high.

I’ll always be proud and honored to have my father’s “Railmaster Official” and look forward to always keeping it in the family, as it has been for some 58-years and counting. But I’m also really pleased to have now added two other very special and distinct 1960s Seamasters that are truly reflective of my own personal tastes and my pleasure in Mid-century modern design language.

You never know where your collector’s journey will take you in this hobby. But it’s certainly a lot of fun following the various tributaries that spring from the main river of your passion!

The Gilt-Gloss 5512 Submariner– a Review by Beaumont Miller II

Introduction

The 1950s to the mid 1960s was a golden era for Rolex. Watches produced by the company during this time have captivated the hearts and minds of Rolex collectors for many years. The passion that drives many watch collectors is the desire to find not just older watches, but to search for vintage watches whose dials have been well preserved and protected from the elements and at the same time, have aged in a way that each has taken on a unique patina. Thanks to the introduction by Rolex of it’s patented Oyster case with its improved screw down case back and winding crown, many of these dials have survived today giving collectors much to be happy about.

The dials produced for the Rolex Submariner and GMT during this time are known by collectors as gilt-gloss or gilt/gloss dials.  The term gilt, as applied to these early Rolex dials, refers to both the gold tone of the text as well as other features of the dial.  While many collectors may not feel that the term gilt is appropriate when used in this context, it has stood the test of time, and as any collector with a passion for Rolex dials can tell you, it is a far better description than the names given to identify some other dials. The term gloss describes the mirror like black glossy surface of these dials, which is in contrast to the matte finish which was introduced by dial manufacturers for Rolex watches in the mid 1960s.

5512-61,4line-2  5512-61,4line-3

The manner in which these gilt-gloss dials were produced is very interesting. While some dial manufacturers might paint the text on the colored surface of the dial, those making the dials for the Rolex Submariner and the GMT did so in a way that the gold colored text and features are in relief or below the surface instead of on top. These gold aspects of the dial are actually the brass dial plate and lie underneath a coat of black glossy paint. On top of the black layer of paint, a clear coat of lacquer was then applied . In the case of the very early gilt-gloss dials, it was not uncommon to have lines of silver colored text in addition to the gold colored text. The silver colored text was applied on top of the final clear lacquer coat. Finally, the luminous material that allowed the watch to be read in the dark was applied. The more radioactive radium used for the dial and hands in the 1950s to make them glow was swapped for the less radioactive tritium in the early 1960s.

The way these dials have aged is at the heart of why these watches are so favored by vintage Rolex collectors. Just as no two fingerprints are the same, the same can be said of these early Rolex dials. It is not uncommon for the dials produced in the 1950s to have a darker more orange color to the text on the dial, while many others that were produced later tend to have acquired more lighter shades of gold tone. The difference between the two is likely due to the radium versus tritium used for the luminous material and how the brass dial plate reacted with the chemicals used to prevent corrosion during the manufacturing process. Another beautiful feature of these rare watches is the appearance of the glossy dial in different lighting conditions. The richness of the black high gloss finish of many dials can be readily seen in the sunlight, while other dials exhibit different shades of brown.

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Another reason these early Rolex models are sought after by enthusiasts is because of the attractive styling of the watch case. As hobbies evolve and collectors become more knowledgeable, it’s common for the emphasis placed on certain aspects of the objects collected to change over time. Vintage watch collecting is no exception. Within the last five or six years, collectors have moved away from the mantra, “It’s all about the dial” and adopted a more progressive maxim, “A great watch starts with a great dial, but doesn’t end there”. Both the Rolex Submariner reference 5512 and its predecessor, the Submariner 6538, share the large chamfers or beveled edge on the lugs of the watch case that are prized by collectors. In recent years collectors have realized that unmolested examples with their sharp cases nearly intact are rare treasures.

photo   IMG_0109                                                                         

The Rolex Submariner reference 5512 was introduced in 1959 and was likely produced until 1980. Early examples were fitted with the calibre 1530 movement, and the improved chronometer rated 1560 movement was introduced a year or so later. The 5512 shared some of the styling features of the earlier Submariners like the outer rotating black bezel that helps to keep track of elapsed time. However, unlike the earlier Submariners, the watch case produced for the 5512 featured crown guards on either side of the winding crown, a feature that remains on the Submariner to this day. The many different gilt-gloss dials combined with the different shaped crown guards are some of the unique features of the 5512 that make this sporty and elegant reference a favorite of vintage Rolex collectors. Understanding the chronology and significance of these early dials is a passion of mine. From a collector’s perspective it is important to be able to evaluate a vintage watch based on its originality and period correctness. Unfortunately, not many collectors have the ability to locate vintage watches from original owners, and because the provenance of other watches is not always clear, understanding the significant changes in the evolution of this Submariner is critical in making sure that the watch has the correct movement and dial.

The following is a brief overview of the 5512 discussing some of the more common and rare gilt-gloss dials and their characteristics as well as a short summary of the different types of crown guards and movements from 1959 to 1966. There are few hard and concrete rules with Rolex during this period, and as such, this overview should NOT be seen as a conclusive authority to check the correctness of your vintage Rolex, but rather a guide to help collectors appreciate the many subtle nuances of the 5512 from the early to mid 60’s.

A warm thank you to Andrew Shear for allowing the pictures from his dial archive for this 5512 review.  Click on each pic for a higher resolution photo in a new window.  

 

1959-1960

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The earliest dials for the 5512 are often called MK1 dials and can be easily recognized by the shape of the coronet, typically with the last spike on the right extending a bit further down than the other four. The phrase “Old Font” dial, a term often used by Marcello Pisani, was an appropriate description based on the observation that the Mk1 coronet was reminiscent of some of the previous coronets seen on the “Big Crown” Submariners from the 1950s.

During this period there are two different types of dial configurations for the 5512. There is the 2 line version with only the depth rating and “SUBMARINER” printed below it and the 4 line version with

“SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER
“OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED”

aka SCOC text , printed below the depth rating and “SUBMARINER”.

The early 5512 Submariner dials have different combinations of silver and gold text ranging from one line of silver and one line gold to three lines of silver and one line gold. Continue reading →