The most interesting watch auctions that are ending today.
Diver watches tend to have large and thick cases in order to cope with the water pressure during diving activities. The SKX013 is a very much welcomed exception to that. It is simply one of the best dive watches below 40mm in diameter. It's ideally suited for smaller wrists.
This Seiko model has a 38mm diameter. It's a tough tool watch that can definitely follow in the depths of the ocean. The lug to lug distance of 44mm makes it idea an ideal dive watch for small wrists. The thickness of the watch is 13.1mm, which for a diver is within the expected range. The lug width is 20mm, making it easy to customize the strap of this watch. It is one of the best dive watches for small wrists that you will find.
It's also a very affordable dive watch and is in the same price range as its bigger brother: the SKX007. A perfect daily beater that has its own style.
Following the success of the Orient Mako II, the Orient Mako III (ref RA-AA0001B) is a fantastic diver. It is a great entry-level diving watch that retails at a price of around $250. It has a 42mm diameter and a thickness of 13mm.
This diver has its own identity, meaning it is not an homage and that it has an authentic, timeless and well-executed design. However, some might regret that the Mako III lost the numerals that were present on the dial of the Mako II. The hour markers and hands contrast well with the black dial, they are covered with some LumiBrite to ensure a high level of readability in the dark. The water resistance is 200m and the lug width of this watch is conveniently 22mm.
The Glycine combat sub is a popular watch that offers great value for money and is often mentioned as an affordable alternative to the Rolex Submariner. It's available in different sizes and colors, ranging from 42mm to 48mm. It features an in-house Glycine automatic movement GL 224, which is very reliable and has a 38h power reserve.
The combat sub has a date function with a display at the 3 o'clock position. The glass is made of scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.
The Seiko SARB017 aka Alpinist is a very well made watch. It has gained strong support from watch enthusiasts and is very often mentioned as a legendary watch. The SARB Series was introduced in 2006 and was discontinued in 2018, which made this watch even more desirable, contributing to a rather high price increase (ranging from 20 to 50%) in the last year or so.
The watch features a green dial with gold indices and lumed hands. It is a perfect watch for going outdoors and hiking, but looks very refined too. It even has a solar compass which can prevent you from getting lost - provided you know how to use it.
As you have probably noticed, we like Orient here, this manufacturer offers affordable watches with their own in-house movement. Their sub-brand Orient Star is no exception, and on top of that, their Orient Star Classic model comes with a power reserve complication! The watch sports an Orient 40N52 caliber which you can admire through the transparent case back. The lens is made of mineral crystal and it’s available with a black, blue or white dial.
This timepiece has a very refined look, the model with white dial and blue hands (SAF02003W0) is a stunner. Dials with Roman numerals are present on the Orient Star Elegant Classic models like the SEL09004W0. The Orient Star Classic has no lume, and is designed to be worn at the office: with a diameter of 38.5mm and 13.4mm, it will easily slide under the sleeves of a suit. The water resistance is 50m, meaning it will handle water splashes ... Read full article
The Bulova “Moon watch” is one of those timepieces that have been flying under the radar for decades before being recognized as a true historically relevant watch. It was worn on the Moon by astronaut David Scott during the Apollo 15 mission on his third moonwalk. This is the reason why this particular Bulova chronograph is also often called the “other Moon watch”.
Scott used his personal Bulova Chronograph because the crystal of his Omega Speedmaster got detached and was lost during his previous moonwalks. This chronograph was not explicitly approved by NASA, only the Omega Speedmaster was.
The first automatic chronograph in space is the 6139 from Seiko, which was worn in 1973 by the American astronaut William R. Pogue, the pilot of Skylab 4. Pogue spent 84 days on the Skylab Orbital workshop and returned in February 1974.
While training, Pogue needed a chronograph, but the Omega Speedmasters would be provided only near the date of the launch, so he bought himself a Seiko 6139-6002 in order time his exercises and tests.
As its name suggests, the Hamilton Khaki Field is a field watch. The Khaki field is a well built and rugged watch that will stand the test of time. Its simple yet effective design makes it very easy to read and use.
This watch is full of history: it was introduced in 1910, when Hamilton began to equip the American Army with military watches which were more precise. It became the official watch supplier of the US Army.
This model has seen many battles, and if someone asked us to show them what a field watch is, it would be our pick: it represents courage and honor.
This German-made homage to the Rolex Submariner is particularly well made and is providing amazing value for money in the world of mechanical watches.
The dimensions of the Ocean One are slightly bigger than its luxury counterpart: 42mm diameter, 13mm thick, 22mm lug width.
However, a 39mm version is available on some models, notably the Ocean One 39 black ceramic (103-0981) which is a serious affordable alternative to the Rolex Submariner. Those 39mm models are perfect for smaller wrists, although they have a similar thickness to the 42mm ones, they have a lug width of 20mm.
The Seiko 6138 series are automatic chronographs produced in the early 1970s. In the 1970s, a lot of the chronographs produced were around the theme of motorsports and featured very colorful dials as well as very audacious case designs. Those very funky designs are very much sought after by collectors, and Seiko's vintage chronographs are no exception.
In that era, Seiko released the 6138 and 6139 series, as a set of very cool looking automatic chronographs, including the legendary models “Pogue”, “Bullhead”, “Panda“ and “Kakume”.
The vintage Seiko chronographs offer amazing value and are amazing vintage collection starters. A lot of them can be acquired under $500 on eBay, however, prices have been rising over the last few years, as more people are getting aware of them.
Steinhart is quite famous for its homage models of the modern Rolex Submariner, but it also issued some watches inspired by some vintage Rolex Submariner watches, that have their own identity:
The OCEAN One VINTAGE Red (ref 103-0657)
The dimensions of these vintage-looking models are: 42mm diameter, 13mm thick, 22mm lug width.
It is also worth noting that a limited edition with a 39mm of the OVM was launched by Gnomon watches, limited to 500 pieces. They are sold out but you can find some on the used market, with a little bit of patience and research.
In 1965, Seiko introduced the 62MAS, its first dive watch. The design of the 62MAS has become a point of reference to other dive watches and has influenced the style of Seiko watches and other brands ever since. The stainless steel case has a diameter of 37.5mm and a thickness of 14mm.
There are 2 main versions of this watch:
The early 6217-8000 was produced in 1965 only for a few months and has a small crown and a dolphin engraved in the case back.
The 6217-8001, which has a bigger crown and a more simple case back, was produced from 1966, earlier versions still have a dolphin on the case back whereas later ones have a Seiko signed "Horseshoe".
The Everest (PRS 25) from the Smiths brand by Timefactors is an interesting and affordable watch. The Oyster case design, the black dial, and Mercedes hands remind us a lot of the Rolex Explorer, this watch is very simple yet elegant.
For $350, you get a Miyota 9015 automatic movement in a comfortable 40mm wide and 14.5mm thick case. The water resistance is 100m and the glass is acrylic so it can scratch but you can easily polish it.
The original Strela Sekonda was worn by Soviet/Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov who became the first human to walk in space during the Voskhod 2 mission in 1965. The first Strela chronograph model was introduced around 1959 and at first, it was only available to the Soviet Air Forces and a few higher-ranking officials. Leonov was wearing Strela chronographs during mission preparation, flight training, and missions.
The now famous Russian space watch is housing the hand-wound column-wheel chronograph caliber 3017 - based on the Swiss Venus 150 / 152 calibers. The 3017 movement was later replaced by the 3133 manual wind chronograph movement made by Poljot (formerly First Moscow Watch Factory).
Squale is a family business based in Milano (Italy) since 1946. This company was providing cases and parts to a lot of other brands such as Tag Heuer or Blancpain.
Priced at $570 USD, this watch is about 2-3 times more expensive than a mid-range Orient or SKX divers watch. Looking at it from the other end of the price curve, it is less than half the cost of the Oris Divers Sixty five.
The Squale Atmos 20 provides, however, a lot of value and quality for its price. With a diameter of 40mm, 12.1m in thickness, 20mm of lug width, AR-coated sapphire glass, an ETA 2824-2 caliber, and 200m resistance... one must admit that it is a serious alternative!
The bezel is made of Ceramic, it looks shiny and gives the watch a premium feel. The dial is a glossy black with printed silver branding that looks nice and sharp. The polished indices contribute greatly to the premium look.
This watch also has a “maxi” version, which has a matte dial and printed indices. This latter has also a Ceramic dial, which we feel does not look as good as with the glossy dial and applied indices of the standard version.
The handset is nicely polished and appropriately sized. The inner chapter ring is brushed and simple, it seems rather plain compared to the Submariner's one that has “ROLEX ROLEX ROLEX” engraved all around.
The Baroncelli model from Mido is a very elegant and sophisticated dress watch. The timepiece is less than 10mm thick (7mm for Baroncelli II) and yet has a lot of wrist presence with its 40mm diameter. The calibre 80 automatic movement, offering a generous 80-hour power reserve, can be seen through the glass case back. The sapphire crystal protects the clean looking dial, which feature a date window which located either at 3 or 4 o'clock depending on the model reference.
No lume is present in the hands nor on the dial, which is not surprising since this is a dress watch. The water-resistance of this watch is 30m. The latest versions of this timepiece (like the M027.408.16.058.00) have a silicon balance spring and are COSC certified. The lug width is 20mm and it is available with either leather strap or steel bracelet. For a retail price in the $1000 range, you get a classic design ... Read full article
The Stowa brand has been a game changer since 1927 by producing watches with a timeless design. The Bauhaus design of its Antea collection has inspired many other watch brands ever since STOWA introduced it in 1937. At the time, not many companies realized the dramatic impact and success the Bauhaus design would have later on. Today, the Bauhaus design that Walter Gropius introduced in 1917 has become iconic and well established.
The current Antea design is based on the first Stowa 1937 model, reissued in 2004 by Jörg Schauer. The Antea Classic is produced unchanged and in different watch case sizes since then (36.5mm or 39mm) and with manual wind or automatic movement.
The watch has a polished stainless steel watch case. The silver-plated dial version has gorgeous blued steel-watch-hands, whereas a black dial version is available with silver hands.
Oris is an awesome affordable luxury brand that makes understated products with amazing quality for the price... and keep in mind that in Grey Market sites, a 50%+ discount is not rare for this brand. The Oris Sixty-Five was introduced a couple of years ago and was an instant hit. It is a re-edition of an old model dating from 1965 (hence the name) which was quite important for the brand.
This timepiece is available in 42mm (733 7720 4054), 40mm (733 7707 4354) or 36mm (733 7747 4055) sizes, 36mm and 42mm models have the date display at 3 o'clock whereas the 40mm models have it at 6.
While Tudor used to be known as the poor man’s Rolex, they have long since stepped out from behind Rolex’s shadow. With an impressive and great looking collection, they have created a fantastic catalog of watches over the years. Their best-selling model, the Black Bay, is a great example of a modern tool watch with historic influences. Our preferred model is the 79220B, despite it coming with a standard movement (ETA 2824) like all models produced before 2015. This version resembles the historic model a bit more with its old rose logo and curved writing on the dial.
On new models like the ... Read full article
The Omega Seamaster 300m diver is a legendary watch! This timepiece offers 300m water resistance, older models had an aluminum bezel (ref. 2531.80) whereas new versions have a ceramic one (ref. 212.30.41.20.03.001). The Omega Seamaster Professional 300m diver was first featured in the famous James Bond movie “GoldenEye”, worn by Pierce Brosnan. Interestingly, the model used in this movie was quartz powered (ref. 2541.80) which had a 1438 movement before 1994 and a 1538 movement later on. The 2531.80 has the same look and feel, but houses an automatic ETA 1120 movement.
The watch diameter is in the 41-42mm range, but there are some midsize models at 36.5mm depending on the year of manufacture. Older models have the Omega 1120 or 2500 co-axial movement (212.30.41.20.03.001) whereas the later versions (2018) have the 8800 co-axial movement, which is METAS certified (stricter than COSC, ... Read full article
The Rolex Submariner is a famous dive watch manufactured by Rolex. It is water resistant at 300m. The Submariner can be bought without a date function. If it comes with a date function, then a magnifying glass (also called "Cyclops") will be present on the lens. The case of the Rolex Sub is 40mm wide and 13mm high. Depending on the models, the watch can be made of Rolex's proprietary Oystersteel 904L or other precious metals such as gold. The hour markers are made of 18ct white gold to prevent tarnishing over time.
The Rolex movement 3130, successor of the 3135, powers this timepiece. The Rolex has a comfortable dimension and is a very versatile timepiece that can be worn at all times. The lug width of this watch is 20mm which means it will accommodate a lot of straps. The Rolex Submariner can frequently be seen worn by actors: you probably have seen Roger Moore incarnating James Bond wearing one. In terms of value, you can get one for $7500. This is one of the few timepieces that will retain its retail value and might even increase in price over time. Some people will just buy it as an investment and it might never leave their safe - which we find sad for such a beautiful ... Read full article
Rolex developed the GMT-Master II for airline pilot and released it in 1983. The 24-Hour ceramic bezel insert allows you to track a second time zone anywhere in the world, very handy if you travel a lot. This model has become iconic and a reference for many in the world of horology.
The GMT-Master II is available in different materials and with different bezel colors, the "batman" (black & blue) and "pespi" (blue & red) models are particularly popular.
The Japanese brand Seiko has been around for more than a century and is one of the most influential watch manufacturers in the world. One remarkable aspect of Seiko is that they ...
It is important to wear the right watch for the right occasion. Whether you’re going to the office, to an interview or to a wedding, a dress watch can complement your style and ...
The Roman numerals have been used in watches since the concept of time was invented. You can guess from their name that Roman Numerals originated in ancient Rome. They give a ...
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