Patek Philippe ‘Tasti Tondi’ 1463
This is a mecca in vintage Patek Philippe collecting. The 1463 was Patek’s first water resistant chronograph, succeeding the previous and iconic 130 chronograph. The improvements were characterized by a larger, modern case, rounded pushers, and a screw-down back. Some call this the Patek’s first ‘sports’ watch, though it is a bit of a stretch….
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eBay’s Finest: 1st Generation Lecoultre Polaris Diving Alarm
Once in awhile I am truly blown away by what I find in random places. I remember spotting a 6265 in Bozeman, Montana and a vintage Omega officer’s chronograph in Chile. Where? eBay. Every time I post a round of finds here I usually also post a eBay find in Instagram stories. While a majority…
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The Ultra Rare ‘Grey Racing’ 145.022 Speedmaster
As any niche grows, its more obscure and dark corners begin to illuminate. Since the advent of our church, Hodinkee, Speedmasters have become a genre onto themselves. Collectors used to just refer to any 321 as pre-moon, casually. An original Mitsukoshi wasn’t pretending to be any special until the mid-2000s. Good luck finding one under…
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Eberhard ‘Pre Extra-Fort’ Rattrapante
Not often discussed, Eberhard Split Seconds chronographs were among the very first to attempt the complication. There is, of course, controversy over whether Rolex or Eberhard reached rattrapante first, but consensus seems to be that Eberhard were first to market. Demand was driven by the heyday of the Bentley Boys and Italian playboys on newly…
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The Fully Mechanical Digital: FP Journe’s Vagabondage III
If there’s one thing I’ve taken away from this COVID era in the watch world, it’s that the market comes in waves. I’d waited two years without seeing a single decent 765 AVI. Then, all of sudden, three hit Chrono24 within a month. I waited even longer for an IWC 3705. Then, following last month’s…
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Tropical AP Royal Oak ‘Kasparov’ Chrono 25860ST
The range of Royal Oak variants on offer today is hard to keep up with. There’s the perpetual, offshore, diver, concept series, and various limited editions. However, before the upsized offshore chrono, there was this: the Kasparov. Making any adjustment to the iconic Royal Oak was always going to be controversial. This was one of…
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The Forgotten Pilot: Glycine Airman 1
Glycine were among the first to offer a GMT complication, right on the heels of Rolex and Omega. Their pilot offering quickly gained favor with military and civilian aviators alike. It featured a 24-hour dial and lockable bezel with hacking seconds. The design was tool watch to the core. Perhaps that is what appeals so…
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An honest Tudor 9411/0 Snowflake
The ‘snowflake’ sub is increasingly a classic. It’s like a 5513, but you’d have to actually be into watches to either own or notice one. That obscurity, when tethered to real watchmaking and history, is charm I go weak for. However, lemon-lume 9411s and MN milsubs are growing more expensive by the day, it’s worth…
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Tropical Universal Genève 204610/4 Polerouter Date
The Polerouter is probably the best entry point into our addiction. The model offers incredible breadth, engineering innovation across multiple fronts, and Genta design all at a not-yet-absurd entry point. The Polerouter was released in honor of a first flight over the North Pole, hence the title. More impressive, however, was the introduction of a…
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An Ultra Thin Vacheron Constantin 39005
Dress pieces don’t come much more delicate than this humble but beautiful VC. The oldest running Swiss watch manufacture was just clawing back its territory in the early 90s after the quartz crisis. It did so with the 222/Overseas, a few classic chronographs, and a swathe of extremely elegant dress watches. This 39005 is from…
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