By Market Watch(ing) December 11, 2015

Market Watch(ing): A Veritable Watch Cornucopia

reverse panda heuer camaro

This intro is always written after all the picks are done, with the hopes I can come up with something thematic to say. Well, this week left me at a loss for a theme, because we’re all over the place. We’ve got it all: quartz divers, ’40s pilot watches, Cintree-esque Movados, you name it. I’m not sure where I’m going with this other than we have an awesome and diverse selection. So, get ready for another installation of Market Watch(ing)!

Neil’s Picks

Seiko Golden Tuna

Seiko Golden Tuna 7C46-7009

The Submariner may be the quintessential dive watch but Seiko are the ones that took the professional dive watch to the next level. If the Sub is the Tony Stark of dive watches, looking great and easily fitting in any situation, then the Golden Tuna is Iron Man’s Hulkbuster armor. We’ve spoken of the merits of Seiko divers before and this Golden Tuna, reference 7C46-7009, is no exception. In fact it’s in a league of its own. The 7549-7009 was Seiko’s first professional quartz diver. The next major evolution of that watch was the 7C46-7009. It had a changes like a titanium case and ceramic shroud, but more importantly saw the introduction of a new calibre, 5+ year battery life, and the water resistance increased to 1000 meters. The one featured here is in fantastic condition. Corrosion is nowhere to be seen and the case looks amazing. These ceramic shrouds can often chip or break but this one has no imperfections to be found. This Tuna needs a new battery but that’s easily fixed anywhere. While countless watches are derivations of a Submariner, nothing looks quite like a Seiko Tuna. Scoop this one up!

$1,250

 

Bremont Terra Nova

Bremont Terra Nova

Bremont makes some great watches, both aesthetically and technically, and this is probably my favorite. The Terra Nova took the building blocks of the Supermarine S500 and S2000 and improved on damn near every level. The Terra Nova just is the Goldilocks of the Supermarine line, it’s just right…if Goldilocks was combined with Lara Croft, Ellen Ripley, Furiosa. It features a titanium anti-shock case, anti-magnetic properties, operability down to -45 degrees, water resistance to 500 meters, a helium escape valve, a GMT complication, and just looks bad ass. There were only 300 of these made so they obviously don’t show up on the market very often. It comes with all boxes and papers, a 2-year warranty, two extra straps, and the price is a bargain for what you’re getting and well below retail. You should probably buy this one.

$3,900

 

Isaac’s Pick

Universal Geneve Tri-Compax

universal geneve tri-compax

While Universal Geneve’s Tri-Compax may have gone unnoticed by the masses five years ago, things have changed to say the least, and today they are some of the most desirable vintage watches. For example, just take a look at Lot 140 in this week’s past Bonham’s sale of Important Watches, and how it brought in $16,250 including premiums. This greatly exceeded the projected estimate, and further reinforced the fact that the market for Tri-Compaxes isn’t slowing down any time soon. With that said, certain examples are still available at more accessible price points, though some compromises will have to be made.
This Tri-Compax that’s currently available at Crown & Caliber has a stainless steel case which measures 35mm across (excluding the crown), and has a dial that’s very clean as compared to other similarly priced examples. With that said, the caseback does appear to have some signifiant scratches and a few dents, in addition to being engraved with what appears to be a previous owner’s initials. I think if your budget won’t allow for a truly pristine Tri-Compax, this piece represents a solid value, and I’m honestly surprised that it hasn’t sold already.

$4,500

 

Dean’s Picks

I’ve got a few nice honest vintage watches to cover in this week’s pics. I’m still recovering from last night’s big Redbar event here in the city so bear with me.

Heuer Camaro

reverse panda heuer camaro

First up is a really nice reverse panda, yes its a 7743 model with 2 registers, which is not quite as sought after as the earlier V72 model with the 3 register dial, but this example really works well. The panda dials on these watches are hard to find as are the original bracelets and HLA end links. So you can save yourself a lot of trouble by buying the whole kit and caboodle over on Chronotrader.

Accepting Offers

Movado Polyplan

movado polyplan

This next watch is something that wasn’t really on my radar, but caught my eye as I was browsing the behemoth watch re-seller Crown and Caliber which, like trawl netting really brings in some interesting by-catch. This is a Movado Polyplan. If you’re anything like me, you just said to yourself “WTF?”. The Polyplan was introduced way back in 1912, and was so named because the movement of the watch was designed in 3 planes, so it could fit inside a curved case. Was this the first curved wristwatch? I sure as shit don’t know, but I’m guessing it might be a contender. It’s also very reminiscent of the Cartier Cintree, vintage examples of which are extremely hot commodities. Considering how little I know about these watches, I would advise doing some research before purchasing. All I know is that the watch looks great with it’s semi-exploded Breguet numerals and curved case.

$12,370

 

Shane’s Picks

Benrus Sky Chief

benrus sky chief

With Christmas approaching, I’m looking to keep things affordable for you all. Most of you can probably name a number of watches that carry storied histories, and now carry high price tags to go along with them. Well, the Benrus Sky Chief has the history, but unfortunately doesn’t get the recognition. The silver lining is that the prices are typically pretty affordable. Here we have an early Sky Chief powered by the column wheel Venus 178 movement. At first blush, it looks a little rough around the edges, but I think a new crystal would do wonders for this watch. The auction has two days left at the moment, and is sitting just above $700. My guess is the crystal is scaring some folks away, but the case, lume, and movement all look good. For probably another $50 on top of the auction price, this thing will be a killer pickup.

Bid Now

 

Yema Sous-Marine Dive Chronograph

yema sous marine chronograph

I love me some ’60s style divers. Everyone and their mother was using the same cases, movements, dials, hands, etc. That doesn’t sound appealing at face value, however, if you like the look, it allows for some great bargains on the market. In this case, we have a Yema Sous-Marine dive chronograph powered by the Valjoux 7730. What I like about this one is that Yema separated itself from the dozens of similar looking watches by doing an assymetrical chronograph layout, adding a “racing” track outside the hour markers, and throwing in some red accents on the hands and minute register. The seller has it listed at $950 or best offer, which for a little bit less, would be a really nice sub-$1000 grab.

$950 or Make an Offer

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1 Comment

  • December 12, 2015

    The Watch Blog (Liam)

    Love the look of the 60s divers watch. Sort of thing i’d buy just to add to my collection.