Fratello On Air: The Vintage Watches On Our List

What we're looking for and what's happening with the market

October 15, 2024

comments 18

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, your hosts discuss the vintage watches currently tickling their collective fancies. Before that, though, there’s plenty of banter about sneakers and watches. For your convenience, watch content starts after 20 minutes.

Vintage watches are some of our favorites. We’re always looking and thinking about what to buy next. In this episode, you’ll hear about what has us searching auction sites and sale boards. We also discuss the vintage market and the watches that will become popular (again).

Handgelenkskontrolle

Christmas came early in Germany and England. Mike received his Nike Air Tech Challenge 2s via the eBay authentication program, and Balazs received the latest Nike × Travis Scott shoes from StockX. We then discuss a recent watch event in London held by 289 Consulting with 25 brands, including Raymond Weil, Krayon, Doxa, Artya, Favre Leuba, and more. These intimate affairs are refreshing and a nice way to see a lot of watches in one place. For the Handgelenkskontrolle, Balazs is wearing the soon-to-be-released Albishorn Air chronograph. We cannot say much about it, but it’s a different take on a vintage aviator’s chronograph. Mike is wearing a just-received 18K Movado Curviplan with a black dial. The watch came from France and was a buying adventure.

A Rolex Submariner 5513 with a gilt dial from 1966 — Image: Wind Vintage

Vintage watches on our radar

For our main topic, we discuss the vintage watches on our radar. You’ll hear about Movado chronographs, Angelus, and Hungarian military watches from Balazs. From Mike, tanks, a nice early Heuer Carrera 2447, and a later gilt-dial Rolex Submariner or GMT-Master make the list. We then discuss the current vintage market and how simple dress watches have become popular. However, these watches have limitations, such as a lack of popular, commonly known references. We also opine that ’60s chronographs will make a slow return to prominence. Additionally, vintage Rolex sports watches, such as the 5512 Mike just reviewed, are beginning to awaken from a lengthy slumber.

As always, thank you for listening to our latest episode. If you have ideas for future shows, please let us know.

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Fratello On Air: The Vintage Watches On Our List

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MG
maciej-g says:

Oct 15, 2024 at 09:23

There are so many cool vintage options… For me the dream vintage collection would be…
– Oyster Precision, preferably the 6425 with te delicately fluted bezel–for me most probably the prettiest Rolex ever (or a Perpetual with the same aesthetics, from the late 60s;
– rose gold, no date, dog legged, no pattern ones, pie-pan Constellation from the 50s;
– Speedmaster 3594.50…

Reply
TW
Berlin_Tony says:

Oct 15, 2024 at 11:26

No no no

Don’t talk up Heuer 2447s & thus inadvertently hype their prices – I’ll never be able to justify the outlay on one at this rate

The same is true of Movado chronographs

What you really want is a nicely patina’d early 70s 200m diving watch on a sexy period waterproof strap & yes, I do have one for sale on Chrono24 as it happens

Reply
1. MG
  maciej-g says:
  
  Oct 15, 2024 at 11:51
  
  I totally agree… it is gorgeous, one of my top three vintage chronographs… the elegant one.
  
  Reply
SC
Tam O’ Banter says:

Oct 15, 2024 at 11:47

I like the style of the “Golden Era” of The Fifties and Sixties, but I am not confident about buying such an item, or who would be willing and able to service it and/or rejuvenate it for me.

Reply
1. GP
  Skip72 says:
  
  Oct 15, 2024 at 14:21
  
  So long as it is not complicated, or it has many available movements (Lemania, Valjoux, Venus chrono’s), you will be fine. I had a collections of 1940’s and 1950’s Swiss watches years ago, and it was surprisingly easy to get them serviced and cleaned up (I had every one of them polished to look new, and I would do it again, no matter how unfashionable). The gold ones were what I craved. I love the look of old gold, especially old rose gold. Such watches were really cheap when I was a student (1996-2000), and early in my career. I am a big guy, and back then i was muscular, so I did not have the small watch insecurity that is so common now (not that I did not buy massive modern monstrosities like everyone else).
  
  The time-only watches usually only needed a new winding stem and / or a mainspring. Replacement hands can be difficult to source, as can crowns, so pay close attention to those. Often your best bet is to buy two or three watches to make one, but that is more difficult now as prices are so much higher, not to mention the scrapping of gold (gold went from $300 to $2600 per troy ounce). But often the watchmaker only need to do a service. Once you have a watch, you can “upgrade” parts by buying cheap, non-running watches with a better dial and hands, or the actual crown (try to get a watch with an original crown–those are often missing). It is not as bad as you think. As an alternative, just buy a recently serviced watch. The cost is considerably more, but you will know exactly what you are getting.
  
  Reply
  1. SC
    Tam O’ Banter says:
    
    Oct 16, 2024 at 00:19
    
    Thanks very much for your helpful advice. 🍻
    
    Reply
2. CH
  charles hailey says:
  
  Oct 15, 2024 at 18:58
  
  I have kind of given up on gold watches, other than cap gold. Seems like most of the 18kt have been melted down for their gold since gold is now $2,677.10 USD per ounce…
  
  Reply
JH
conor whitworth says:

Oct 15, 2024 at 13:01

Movado. Black and gold. What a perfect match.

Reply
JH
conor whitworth says:

Oct 15, 2024 at 13:04

My tip. Rolex 1018. The Japanese seem to be aware of it but gets little attention elsewhere. Slightly slimmer oyster case than the 1016. Smaller font on the dial and just a very clean elegant design.

Reply
1. MG
  maciej-g says:
  
  Oct 15, 2024 at 13:52
  
  Perfect choice–also my choice (or one of the Precisions)–the prettiest Rolexes ever made.
  
  Reply
  1. JH
    conor whitworth says:
    
    Oct 15, 2024 at 14:41
    
    You couldn’t possibly imagine Rolex making them now. Never see the like again.
    
    Reply
    1. MG
      maciej-g says:
      
      Oct 15, 2024 at 14:48
      
      Exactly… seemingly a basic no-date OP should be the moder equivalent but somehow it doesn’t share the elegance, the restraint and class of these 1960s Oysters… The proportions are not as elegant, the details are not as subtle, the overall image is not as heartwarming–but I understand that this is not what Rolex aimed for.
      
      One reason I prefer the Precision over the Perpetual is reduced amount of literature on the dial…
      
      Reply
    2. MG
      maciej-g says:
      
      Oct 15, 2024 at 16:07
      
      As a result the only pretty and truly elegant one from the Rolex current collection os the 1908–certainly the DJs and DDs aren’t.
      
      Reply
      1. SC
        Tam O’ Banter says:
        
        Oct 16, 2024 at 00:22
        
        I have no idea why they turned the Air King into that abomination. The original, simple design was wonderful. A lot like an updated 1018.
        
        Reply
Richard says:

Oct 15, 2024 at 16:43

Excellent episode, guys. As someone who is scared of jumping into vintage watches, I’m always interested in learning more.

And I agree on the take on wearing “flex” watches. If it makes you happy, wear it. Thats what this hobby is about.

Finally, I agree with the take on journalists versus influencers. The first category is to learn. The second is the popcorn watch world, just not much substance there.

Show idea – best watches of the early 2000s? This is the age of fairly large watches and Panerai, so choices will have to take some real thought.

Reply
Andrew says:

Oct 16, 2024 at 18:25

I’m friends with a retired jeweler that bought out several jewelry stores in the 1990s that were going under. I have always loved watches and got into watch making earlier this year. He gives me watches to clean up and service so he can sell them. The most recent subject is a 1971 Bulova Snorkel 666 Diver with the orange dial. I love this watch! Nearly 3 hours to clean it up but it’s now running at 2+ seconds per day with a beat error of 1 ms. I think these vintage Bulova dive watches are always over overlooked

Reply
EB
EDDI2142 says:

Oct 16, 2024 at 19:57

Great topic, and I thought the time flew by when I listened to the podcast (as it usually does).
Similar to others, I think watch design peaked in the 50s and 60s and maybe one day I will dip my feet into purchasing a vintage watch. I adore the Constellations that RJ posts on IG and I can definitely see myself getting one somewhere down line.

On a different note. I colleague of mine told me that Bucherer gave him a time window (1.3 years) for when he can expect his Date Submariner. I feel like this is the first time I heard something like this, but maybe you or others here have heard of something similar.

Also does anyone know what’s up with Goldenyears? He used to be very active here and I think this podcast’s topic would have been a perfect fit.

Reply
Roy-65 says:

Oct 21, 2024 at 00:08

The show approached perfection.
It had everything: the weather report, shoes, purchase woes, and of course, much more watch content.

And it was long, very long. I enjoyed it for days.
You can feel that Balazs is building up to a new climax of pure annoyance.
I’m eagerly looking forward to it.

Apparently, there has already been a moment of anger towards Mike.
But the gentlemen don’t want to reveal anything about it.

That’s a shame because I’m not a vegetarian. When there is beef…. I want it.

Tip for a new podcast: The Swiss A-brands have gone up too much in price and are still going up.
Eventually, the smaller or less popular Swiss, German, English, and French brands will take a larger share of the market.

Reply