The summer is just starting to kick into gear, and that means Flag Day is near! It’s actually on the 14th, and it happens to be a big holiday in about 4 small towns across the country, one of them being Hudson, NY (where Shane is from). Outside of those towns, it gets about as much love as Boxing Day in the US. Anyway, with the nice weather here, let’s take a look at some nice watches.
Neil’s Picks
Omega Seamaster 300 “SPECTRE”
As if the new Seamaster 300 wasn’t awesome enough, Omega outdid themselves with this limited edition “SPECTRE” edition. This is what a Bond watch should look like. It looks at home in the boardroom or under the deep blue sea and is truly a functional dive watch. At 41mm wide and 15mm thick, it is the perfect size for a modern diver and will look great on just about any wrist size. There’s a full set here everything looks like it was well taken care of. There are no chips or scratches on the case or bezel. The bracelet looks unused and the NATO strap looks like it hasn’t even been broken in with no creases in the strap and only a few hairline scratches on the buckle. The bracelet looks sharp but I’d probably have a hard time taking off the NATO. By the way, calling this a NATO is almost an injustice; Omega really raised the bar with their strap. 7,007 is still a relatively large number for a “limited edition”. However, that’s still few enough that, although you’re likely to see several Seamaster 300’s in the wrists of others, you’re in a much more exclusive club with this SPECTRE edition. If it’s good enough for Daniel Craig, it’s good enough for me. He’s dreamy.
$7,500
Oris Divers 65
Oris’ Divers 65 is watch that we are continually impressed with. It tops my list of the best modern watches for the money by a long shot, and that goes for the new blue dialed version as well. I love this watch because even a watch aficionado who may not be familiar with Oris could think this was a 50 year old watch at first glance. The size and proportions are perfect. Thankfully, Oris did not bloat the dimensions on this re-issue like so many other brands are wont to do. Underneath beats the Oris Cal. 733, their version of the Sellita SW 200, which is in turn an ETA 2824 copy. Long story short, it’s a trusted movement that will serve you well. This piece is only a few months old and looks hardly worn and comes with an additional Rally strap. If you’ve been on the fence about buying the Divers 65 — like I have — here’s your opportunity.
$1,200
Isaac’s Picks
Rolex Daytona Ref. 6265 Sigma Dial
Lately, I’ve been on a little bit of a Daytona kick. There’s just something about the earlier references in this legendary line that really hits the spot in all the right ways. Case in point, this 6265. It’s perfectly proportioned (with admittedly disproportionate pushers), it’s fitted with an extremely clean dial, and features tasteful little details like the sigma signature on the dial, indicating that the markers have been produced in white gold. All in all, this Ref. 6265 is quite the smart looking watch, and with its steel bezel I think you’re afforded an extra smidge of versatility.
$34,550
Transitional Omega Speedmaster Ref. 145.022-68
Although some might suggest that Christie’s thematic sale of Speedmaster’s in December has resulted in higher prices being paid for desirable examples of the moon watch, it’s important to point out that it’s also helped direct attention towards these watches in general, allowing for more interesting, fresh to market pieces to become available for purchase. One such piece is this transitional 145.022-68, which sports the dial from a Ref. 145.012-67, while being powered by the newer Cal. 861 movement. My personal favorite aspect of this watch is the Portuguese import mark that can be seen on the upper left lug.
$5,150
Dean’s Picks
So it’s kinda an interesting time in the watch world at the moment. Modern watches (short of the ceramic Daytona) are basically the financial equivalent of junk, and are trading at cents on the retail price. Seriously, if you are in the market for anything modern that’s not a sport Rolex in steel, you should be getting heavyweight discounts in the grey and pre-owned market. The market for great vintage watches seems pretty slow at the moment, maybe due to a bit of a lull after the big auction season. But we are here to talk about what IS available. So, let’s get into it.
Rolex Day-Date Ref. 1802 White Gold Stella Dial
I have a few lottery watches. Well, there are lottery watches, and then there are LOTTERY watches. I think this is probably the former. Regardless, a dream watch of mine is an exotic President in white metal. By exotic I mean a Stella or stone dial. These things are exceedingly difficult to find. To start, only a small fraction went into white metal cases versus colored gold cases. Then, on top of that, many of the stone dials have cracked, rendering them worthless. The Stellas that were set into white or platinum cases often had diamonds on the dial, and that is a bridge too far for me. So, yeah, a white gold Stella without diamonds, big watch, tough to find. Watches in Rome has one. The dial is pink. It’s a sick watch. The capper is that it’s an 1802 with a smooth bezel making it even more rare. The only issue with the watch is the less than complete fullness of some of the lume plots. It’s a minor point…for some people.
Price on Request
Patek Calatrava ref 5196G
$16,600
Shane’s Picks
LeJour Broad Arrow Chronograph
With vintage Speedmasters, there are a number of factors that can really jack up the price. Two of those things are broad arrow hands, and a lollipop seconds hand. Well, this is certainly not a Speedmaster, but it has both of those characteristics, and it looks damn good. Despite the potato quality pictures, I think this LeJour is a little TLC away from being a killer pickup. With less than two days left on the auction, this will be one to keep an eye on.
Bid Now
Zodiac Sea-Chron with B & P
And here we have another cool vintage sport chrono, this time from Zodiac. These don’t come up that often, especially not with box and papers. Aside from knowing he picked it up at an estate sale, that’s about the extent of the sellers knowledge. Not an automatic, the Sea-Chron is actually a Valjoux 72-powered watch. This one appears to have been neglected, which is good and bad. The general condition is quite untouched, however, I spot some rust/oxidation on the bezel and possibly rehaut. I think with a solid ultrasonic cleaning, this Zodiac could clean up really well. Not much time left on the auction, so get ready to bid.
Bid Now
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