It’s Friday, folks, and Market Watch(ing) is back. This week we have another wide variety of pieces from across the web. Hell, we even have a quartz watch in here (say what?). Sit back, and enjoy your depleting bank account.
Neil’s Picks
Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse
Bulova 666 Divers Chronograph
Bulova is a brand that often gets overlooked in the vintage market because of their modern watches that are more or less fashion pieces with very little soul. This bodes well for those interested in their vintage pieces because it keeps the demand, and therefore prices, low. This watch is a prime example of that. The Bulova 666 Divers Chronograph is yet another watch that showcases the appeal of the Valjoux 7733 movement. The case is in excellent shape and the matching patina on the hands and markers has aged wonderfully. It is the perfect vintage size of 38mm and the added flair of red on the bezel, the vibrant orange second hand, and white subdials make this a great showcase of ’70s watch design. At under $1,000 you can get yourself a fine and reliable vintage watch that won’t break the bank. To be honest, I also picked this because of the number of the beast on the dial.
$925
Isaac’s Picks
Vacheron & Constantin ref. 6307
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, a special time of the year is upon us. In just a couple of days, some of the main events (Phillips Geneva Watch Auction / Christie’s Important Watches Geneva) of auction season will be taking place, and levels of excitement within both the industry and community couldn’t be higher. Phillips had a tremendously strong sale earlier this year, and after reading over and fully processing their latest catalog, I can confidently say that we’ll see some lots that’ll redefine markets entirely. One market that I believe will see some notable developments after the Phillips sale is ended, is the market for rare and desirable watches from Vacheron Constantin. Though it is still possible to get more relative “bang for your buck” out of certain vintage Vacherons than comparable watches from other brands, I think that collectors are starting to fully notice the wide range of incredible watches that the manufacture put out over the years, some of which I’d be willing to argue are more interesting than a host of Pateks.
While searching through the catalog once more, I came across a time-only piece from Vacheron, featuring a beautiful ivory colored dial – all contained in a 37mm, waterproof, stainless steel case. Dating back to 1960, this watch has a rather contemporary look and feel for its time, plus the way the applied markers contrast with the dial’s surface is just beautiful. Additionally, this example comes complete with its original presentation box, guarantee, and an extract from the archives. There’s a lot of awesomeness to be had in Lot. 127, and I hope those bidding will agree.
Lot 127: 7,000 – 12,000 CHF Estimate
Bovet Mono-Rattrapante
Bovet is a name that has been coming up a lot lately in my never-ending searches for vintage chronographs, and I’ve got no problem with that. They made simply gorgeous watches back in the day, and I’m sure waking up every morning to see that elegant Bovet script on your watch’s dial must really be something. A few weeks back, a 30-minute mono-rattrapante popped up for sale at European Watch Co. in Boston, and for the asking price of $3,200, there’s solid value in this piece.
While the condition of this watch might not be perfect or “mint” by any stretch, the dial is still clean, and the watch maintains its original aesthetic, in an honest way. But with that said, let’s focus on the fact that this is a split seconds chronograph, available for $3,200. The quirky part about this example is the fact that it’s a monopusher. The top pusher handles starting, stopping, and resetting like any other monopusher, but the bottom pusher acts as a “pause button” for recording lap times. After releasing the bottom pusher, the chronograph seconds hand catches up to where the total time is still counting — a very unique way to accomplish the rattrapante complication. I don’t care if you’ve collected watches for decades, or if you’re just getting started with watches, you’ll be able to recognize quickly that this is a lot of watch for your money, that I’d like to think will keep your interest for a good long time. It’s also worth noting that this piece’s mechanics are contained within a 35.2mm case, which is a solid size for an everyday watch. A good buy, by all means.
$3,200
Dean’s Picks
Rolex Day-Date President ref 1803
$7,800
IWC Aquatimer Vintage Collection
$4,975
Shane’s Picks
Titus Calypsomatic 7986
Raise your hand if you would like a no-crown guard Submariner. Okay, now, raise your hand if you have absolutely no chance of being able to afford one. I don’t have to see all of you to know that 99% of those of you who raised their hand for the former, also raised their hands for the latter. No-crown guard Subs are just stupidly expensive these days. Luckily, there are interesting solutions that pop up occasionally. No, I’m not talking about modern homage watches like Steinhart, MkII, and the ilk, but ones that still allow you to get your vintage on. Here we have a Titus Calypsomatic ref 7986 — a truly vintage alternative to a $25K or more vintage Submariner.
I see similar Titus Calypsomatics from time to time, but they don’t usually have patina this clean and creamy. Not only is this one just about as good as it gets, but it’s also the Calypsomatic reference that looks most similar to a Submariner in its dial and hands. The 7986 gets you very close to a Sub, but leaves enough differentiators in the case and bezel that it doesn’t look like an exact copy. At 38mm, this thing is the perfect vintage diver size, and will be wearable in just about any situation. Bonus: the seller just had the movement overhauled. I have a feeling this will be sold before or shortly after this article publishes. Suck it, one-percenters.
€1,500
Bulova 666 Diver
I’m with Neil, there’s a lot to like with vintage Bulova in terms of good looks and good prices. I also went with a vintage Bulova 666 diver, but sans chronograph. I see these simple divers often, but mostly with a black dial, not silver. I love this look, as it reminds me of a dive watch version of the Zenith S58 from last week. This example has great patina, and appears to be in excellent and honest condition. The seller notes that paperwork from a recent service will be provided, which is a big deal when the cost of a service will be roughly 100% of the cost of this watch. In other words, assuming the seller had to pay for service, he’s not making much money at all on the $335 price tag. This is a no-brainer for anyone looking for a quick, guilt-free vintage grab.
$335
by 
