Posts Tagged ‘Tropical Dial’
Tropical 5402 C-Series AP Royal Oak
I swore that despite the Royal Oak’s 50th this week I would not join the party. This not because I have anything against it, quite the contrary. Rather, that I aim to feature whatever is most interesting in the market at any given time. Surely, the odds of an all-time RO surfacing during the week…
Read MoreTropical ‘Swiss Only’ 7928 Tudor Sub
This one is about to get as nuanced as my posts come; which is to say I’m not really that educated on these matters. Nonetheless, we’re going to get down and dirty with Wilsdorf iterations again. The 7928 is one of my highlights in all vintage divers, for its working-class charm, often wild patina, and…
Read MoreTropical Gilt 1675 Rolex GMT-Master
If you can’t tell by this point, I like 1675s quite a lot. I could nod toward the charm, immense history, or the fact that I regret letting one go a few years back in equal measure as cause. The thing is though, I don’t have to justify it. Everyone loves the 1675, everyone past…
Read MoreTropical Gilt 7928 Tudor Submariner
If, as Lord Harold Samuel popularized, the three things that matter in property are location, location, and location, then I’m here to state that the three things that matter in vintage are condition, condition, and condition. This is taking authenticity, originality, and provenance for granted. Auction results, private sales, and enthusiasm confirm this simple fact.…
Read MoreTropical Transitional 6262 Rolex Daytona
Tropical dials have a tendency to polarize watch collectors like few other topics. Godiva 1665 DRSDs, caramel 321 Speedmasters, and latte-brown Cosmographs all have one thing in common: encompassing adoration or outright hatred. I have yet to encounter any middle ground ambivalence in the zeitgeist. Think Patek’s green 5711 caused division? Bring a hazel-tan 3700…
Read MoreTropical Rolex 6538 Big Crown Submariner
Here we have the mackdaddy submariner, and one of the more unique examples I’ve seen for sale this year. Before the 6538 generation, the submariner was a serious tool for those divers who required water resistance. The 6538 took the submariner to the people by way of Sean Connery in the 1962 classic Dr. No.…
Read More1665 DRSD with a Brilliant Tropical Dial
The simple shift of tone from black to brown is enough to do strange things to my soul. This early Sea-Dweller was born of necessity for saturation diving work in collaboration with Comex. The reference see before you dates to the very start of that collaboration (patent pending backs predate it, a fact often confused).…
Read MoreTropical Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Triple Calendar 25807ST
Before Instagram, before Hodinkee, and before the small case trend, there was the Royal Oak Offshore. While often ridiculed, there can be no denying that the Offshore was hugely influential to modern watch design. Although often avoided for its size, this Offshore is no Stallone Panerai. At just 38mm, I think the 25807ST deserves a…
Read MoreTropical Heuer 1163 GMT ‘Red Needle’
The 1163 GMT is one of the Heuer’s diamonds in the rough. Though the myriad vaguely-racing-oriented chronographs they’ve produced can easily be confused, this GMT stand out. It may not have been a commercial success for Heuer, but, like the early Daytonas, that has only made it more desirable to collectors today. Pieces like this…
Read MoreWabi-Sabi Gilt 5512 Submariner
I think what appeals to me so strongly in a tropical watch is that it’s a massive middle finger to the idea of putting a watch in a safe and waiting for appreciation. I like watches to be used as intended—embracing the effects as a consequence of a life well spent (this is also why…
Read More