By Market Watch(ing) January 8, 2016

Market Watch(ing): The Holidays are Over

hqmilton tri compax

Alright, folks, we’re getting back into the swing of things after the New Year, and I think we have a great lineup this week. We have modern, we have relatively modern, and then we have some vintage, of course. Pretty soon we’re all going to get blasted by press release after press release, so sit back and enjoy some pieces not concerned with brand MSRPs.

 

Neil’s Picks

Seiko Prospex SRP777, “Turtle” Reissue

Seiko SRP 777

I actually found this one while searching for this watch for myself. Out of the goodness of my heart I’ll share it with the masses. I was very excited when I found out Seiko was producing a reissue of their “Turtle”, the 6309-7040. Seiko divers are some of the most distinctive looking, toughest, and best bargains when it comes to vintage watches. The 6309 was produced following the 6105 and was around for over a decade. It can still be seen of the wrists of divers, sportsman, and all folks in between. It’s one of my favorite Seikos, so I was thrilled when I saw the Prospex SRP777. The exterior dimensions are identical and the dial and hands are very faithful to the original. Water resistance was increased from 150m to 200m. Seiko’s robust 4R36 automatic movement beats inside and unlike the 6309 it is hacking and can be manually wound. This a a great looking new watch from Seiko that, if you can even find it, is flying off the shelves. The price here is a deal at well below retail. After writing this, I may still get it.

$320

 

Halios Laguna

Halios Laguna

I assume you’ve spent all your money on Christmas presents and New Year’s parties, so I’ll try to continue to keep things affordable. We recently wrote about our affinity for vintage super compressor dive watches, and here’s a modern interpretation from Halios, one of favorite newer boutique dive watch brands. Their Laguna is a fantastic cushion case super compressor-esque diver. It’s 43mm, but should wear well thanks to the case design with only moderate thickness. This one features the full kit and only has minimal desk diving marks. By full kit, I mean full kit. You get a classy wooden box, strap changing tool, screwdriver, and the extra strap is a freaking Isofrane. Now this is what should come with a dive watch, especially ones from larger brands costing 10 times as much. All of Jason Lim’s watches are functional, unique, and high quality, all while remaining affordable. You don’t often see a watch that looks this good that is also under $1,000. As long as Halios keeps making great watches, we’ll keep featuring them.

$950

 

Isaac’s Picks

Universal Geneve Tri-Compax ref 222100-1

hqmilton tri compax

I’ve said it a number of times now, so I’ll spare you the full song and dance and get right to the point. The Universal Geneve Tri-Compax is a hot watch. Plain and simple, cut-and-dry, no questions asked. You got it?It’s complicated, in some cases (literally) sporty, and the layout that the Cal. 281 produces on the dial makes for perfect proportions that are rather drool-worthy. The hype surrounding this model is well deserved, so if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. This brings us to a striking example that I came across just the other day.

Currently available from the good people over at San Francisco’s HQ Milton, is a 36mm Tri-Compax in the highly desirable steel, twisted lug case. What catches my eye most on this piece are the lugs and other various lines on the case, in that they are still sharp and highly visible, meaning that this watch hasn’t been overpolished in the past. Additionally, the dial that was once a clean silver tone has since aged to a warm, slightly champagne color that will make for a great look when paired with a nice honey brown strap.

$12,200

Omega Railmaster with Prototype White Dial

omega prototype railmaster

Yesterday while sifting through the depths of Instagram, I spotted quite the rarity on the Menta Watches – a white dial Omega Railmaster. To be honest, I didn’t have much prior knowledge regarding this watch or why exactly it’s such a big deal, but after getting the full pitch, I can surely say that this mustn’t go unnoticed. Essentially, this a prototype Railmaster, featuring both luminous hands and markers. Truly a sight to be seen.
According to Omega authorities, it’s believed that less than 10 of these pieces are known to exist, so don’t expect to see this on too many wrists. This is just an insanely cool piece, that really has the “it factor”, and to refer to this as a rare and monumental watch would be an understatement. Some would even say museum quality. Contact Adam at Menta Watches if interested.

 

Dean’s Picks

Ive got a couple of picks today both coming from old world dealers and both of which are a little, outside of the box, if you will…

Cartier Tortue Monopusher 13 Rue De La Paix

cartier monopusher

Firstly, let’s class up the joint a little bit, okay? Cartier might not be a brand that you would associate with the tool watch aficionados of Wound For Life but they have played and continue to play a major role in the world of horology. Prices on some of the more sought after vintage pieces are through the roof and even finding a good mid century men’s Cartier for sale is a challenge. Now try finding one in white metal. Well, the watch that I’m about to describe isn’t that old but it’s still important. It’s a special boutique edition Tortue Monopusher Chronograph made in 13 pieces in white gold. So yeah, you won’t see another one at your local watch GTG. Things really get interesting when you turn it over and talk about what’s inside, that’d be a column wheel swivel pin movement made by three guys whose names you might have heard: Journe, Halter, and Flageollet. A lot has been written about these guys, and this movement, so I encourage you to fire up your google and look into it further. This particular watch is being offered by Bachmann and Scher for 15,890 EUR and comes with papers.

€15,890

 

Vacheron Constantin 222 34mm

Vacheron Constantin 222

Next up is another interesting and rare piece, also being offered by a dealer out of Europe and also one you won’t come across at the bar, be it Red or otherwise. That’s the Vacheron 222 in steel. Now, let’s get one thing out of the way. This watch was not designed by the legendary Gerald Genta, but rather a gent by the name of Jorg Hysek. What the 222 does share in common with the Genta designed behemoths of the ’70s luxury sport watch world is an integrated bracelet, sharply angled case and JLC cal. 920 automatic movement. Please note that the particular 222 on offer is the midsize model measuring 34mm which is reflected in the asking price of 9,800 EUR.

€9,800

Vacheron Constantin 222 46004

vacheron 222 square

Okay, well, maybe a midsize 222 isn’t weird enough for you. Well, how about a square one? Yeah, you heard me right. A square 222. Frankly, I had never seen this watch before stumbling upon the picture while writing this little piece right here. I love square watches (sorry, Shane), and I love integrated bracelets. You don’t see that very often. AP made a rectangular royal oak, but only with a quartz movement. The ref. 46004 here appears to sport the same cal. 920 as its big brother. I want it. It’s for sale over in Italy for 4500 EUR.

€4,500

 

Shane’s Picks

Dugena Valjoux 7730 Chronograph

dugena chronograph

I’ve been falling in love with vintage dive/yachting chronographs as of late, so here’s another one; this time it’s a Dugena. There’s a lot to like here: the faded bezel, the flashes of red, the asymmetrical subdials, the contrast of the white outer tachy track, the sharp case, and the two sided running seconds hand. I even like this case shape, despite it being used on just about every single ’60s dive watch (sorry, Dean). At any rate, this is a super cool piece that would be a nice buy under a grand, so if you’re interested, take advantage of the “Make Offer” button.

€950 or Make Offer

 

Universal Geneve Compax Cal 285

universal geneve compax

Isaac mentioned above how the UG Tri-Compaxes are hot watches, and their prices reflect that. At this point, “Universal Geneve” and “good deal” rarely go together, but when they do, it’s typically with less complicated pieces. Here we have a triple register Compax from the ’40s. For $2,745, it’s not a steal, but UG chronos with nice patina are constantly rising in price. I love the blued sword hands, and how they contrast with the nicely aged lume. The dial is in decent condition, but it’s hard to expect a 70-something year old watch to be mint. All in all, it’s a well-worn 36mm vintage chrono from a hot brand that is begging for a thin shell cordovan strap (maybe even a cuff strap).

$2,745

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2 Comments

  • January 8, 2016

    Jeff B.

    The chapter ring on the Seiko SRP777 is misaligned. It seems to be a Q.C. issue with some of the early production examples. May such problems being reported. makes me wonder if that’s the reason for the low price.

    • January 8, 2016

      Jeff B.

      Sorry, typo. *Many such problems reported.