Fratello Favorites: The Best Vintage Watches Under €5K — Nacho’s Picks From Breitling, Omega, And Doxa
Over the last couple of weeks, you’ve seen some of the guys pick favorites among some of the best vintage watches on the market for less than €5,000. I set them out to complete this task, so it only seems fair that I join in. Today, I’ve scratched the surface of the vast selection of excellent vintage watches available at this price point and selected three. Seeing how different people’s picks have been so far has been very interesting. There has even been some overlap on some of the more classic ones. Going into it, though, I’m confident there won’t be any repeats here.
As I said, now it’s time for me to give it a go. It was a challenge to settle for three picks under €5K since most of my interest lies at this price point. In fact, all the watches I own fall within this slice of the pre-owned market. These include some that I would consider brilliant candidates for this list, like the Seamaster 300M 2254.50.00, the Breitling Aerospace (the pre-EVO models), and even my Speedmaster 3570.50.00. However, these do fall firmly within what I consider neo-vintage and not vintage per se. So, in trying to avoid those more obvious picks and sticking to the “vintage” qualifier in the challenge’s title, I’ve selected a trio of watches from the ’60s and ’70s. I’ll start with one that often haunts my favorites list on the Chrono24 app.
Image: Bulang & Sons
The best vintage watches under €5K — Breitling Navitimer 806
I’m kicking things off with the Breitling Navitimer 806. This Venus 178-powered chronograph has all the mid-century flight-instrument charm you’d expect from a Navitimer, but unlike more modern versions, it comes in a sweet-spot 41mm size. I love the twin-jet logo, the classic panda look, and the overwhelmingly busy layout; it’s a watch that exudes purpose in a classy way. Recently, I had the pleasure of spending some time with Fred Mandelbaum, who dropped by Fratello HQ to record an episode of Fratello Talks. While he was here, we saw some of his collection, including a stunning 806.
From that moment on, I have been keeping a close eye on these brilliant vintage Breitling chronographs. This is the priciest of my picks, at around €4,500–4,900 for a nice clean example like the one above, which was available at Bulang & Sons a while ago. There are plenty of solid options out there, though, as these are not exactly rare. While I’m not in a rush to stoke the flames of the running gag of my status as Fratello’s de facto “Breitling collector” (a title I earned after buying my second of the brand’s watches and which I hardly deserve), the temptation to jump on a Navitimer 806 lingers. And as those paying attention know, this is not the first time an 806 has made my list of vintage favorites.
Image: Bulang & Sons
Omega Speedmaster Mark II
That’s right! I’m including another manually wound three-register chronograph on my list of best vintage watches under €5K. As I mentioned earlier, the neo-vintage status of my Speedmaster ref. 3570.50 disqualifies it from this list. So instead, I’m going for something a little older. Why did I pick the Omega Speedmaster Mark II ref. 145.014? Well, it’s a ’70s Speedy that is unmistakably of its time. It feels like Omega was going through an experimental phase. The brand had cracked the code with the Moonwatch, but clearly, the mission was to create interesting alternatives to the lyre-lug model by playing with different cases and movements.
The radially brushed tonneau case and tachymeter scale printed on the underside of the bezel give this Speedy a lot of character. I’d even go as far as to say that most of the Mark-series Speedies are seriously undervalued. But the Mark II is the one I’d go for. And though the racing-dial variant is tempting, I’m sticking to the classic black-dial version. You can find examples of this watch for as little as €2,500 on Chrono24. That said, it’s worth paying slightly more for one in excellent condition, like the one above, which Bulang also sold for €3,250. Tropical-dial examples will come close to or even exceed €5,000. If you’re unfamiliar with the Mark series of Speedmasters, digging into it is well worth it. You can start with RJ’s article here.
Image: Brent Martin
Doxa Sub 300T Sharkhunter
My final pick breaks the streak of three-register chronographs in favor of a dive watch. But it’s not just any dive watch. It’s a Doxa Sub 300T Sharkhunter from the late ’60s. As some of you will know, “Sharkhunter” refers to the watch’s black dial, while “Professional” refers to the orange dial and “Searambler” to the silver one. Much like the 806, vintage Doxa divers make up the bulk of my watch list. I love a new Doxa, but there’s something magical about vintage examples. This black-dial Sub 300T stopped me in my tracks. For one, the price is just over half today’s restriction, but mostly, it was its looks. As the listing on Watchable states, “This particular Sharkhunter has lived a life, and [it] isn’t shy about it.”
If you’re not a fan of watches with apparent imperfections, this one won’t be for you. I’m not one to shy away from watches that bear the battle scars of a life well lived. And there’s something about a Doxa Sub that wears those scars in a particularly spectacular fashion. For the price, this Sharkhunter is a solid choice. Of my picks, this is the only one currently available (as of writing this article). But if it’s gone by the time you’re reading this, worry not; there are plenty more fish in the sea and many more Doxa Subs available out there. Typically, prices for these range from €2,500 up to €4,500 for some cleaner examples. However, while I previously encouraged paying extra for a cleaner option, I’d almost encourage the opposite in the case of the Sub 300T.
Image: Analog:Shift
Final thoughts on the best vintage watches under €5K
Nothing quite beats an afternoon of spending pretend money on some fantastic vintage watches. Perhaps the only thing that does would be to burn a hole in the bank account by actually swiping the card for them. Now you know the watches I’d come away with if I were to do just that. Looking back, it’s almost certain that I missed more than a handful of solid contenders, but having limited myself to just three, I’m pretty pleased with my picks.
What do you think of this trio of sub-€5K vintage watches? And, more importantly, which ones would you put on your list? Let me know in the comments below.
