Fratello’s Top 5 Pre-Owned Sleeper Watches: Part 2 — Featuring IWC, Patek Philippe, Omega, And More
Another Friday, another Top 5! This time, we will continue where we left off last week and present even more great pre-owned options. In this mini-series, we want to highlight some less obvious picks from different brands. Some of these are watches you may never have heard of, while others might be good reminders of forgotten greats. Seeing what is out there on the pre-owned market is super interesting, and all these picks offer something special for their going prices. In part two, we have five more great options for you.
As I explained in last week’s list, we love searching the internet for great watch finds and spending our fictitious money on them. Part of the fun is surprising fellow Fratello team members with some amazing finds. It’s also fun to see what your money can buy if you stay off the beaten path. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that certain popular brands are off-limits. It’s all about finding the models from them that wouldn’t be among most watch fans’ first five picks. In this second part, we have another five watches that deserve our full attention. So without further do, let’s jump in!
Image: The Watch Club
IWC Mark XV ref. IW325301
Let’s kick things off with a classic. The IWC Mark series has the history and lineage many watch fans love. Ever since the brand from Schaffhausen introduced the Mark XII as the follow-up to the legendary military Mark 11, we have seen quite a few iterations inspired by the original. So, what is the one to get? You can debate that all night long, depending on your preferences.
Image: The Watch Club
For this list, we picked the brand’s Mark XV, which was produced from 1999 until 2005. First, as the follow-up to the Mark XII, the Mark XV introduced a bigger 38mm case compared to its 36mm predecessor. While the Mark XII respects the original case size of the Mark 11, the updated size was a welcome modernization, making it a great daily wearer. Luckily, though, it kept the characteristic Mark 11-inspired handset, something that its successor, the Mark XVI, did not.
Image: The Watch Club
With the update in size also came an update in design. The case measures 38mm in diameter, 9mm thick without the domed sapphire crystal (11mm with it), and 47mm from lug to lug. The dimensions make this an absolute dream to wear, which is why it is Henry’s GADA watch. IWC equipped the Mark XV with a heavily modified version of the trusted ETA 2892-2 that will always be easy to service.
Image: The Watch Club
You should be able to buy a Mark XV ref. IW325301 starting at roughly €3K and moving up to €4K. The Mark XII is more expensive and starts closer to €4K, making the Mark XV the more affordable neo-vintage option that is still a great daily watch.
Image: The Watch Club
Omega Railmaster 1957 Trilogy ref. 220.10.38.20.01.002
Our next pre-owned pick for this list is a reissue of the original Omega Railmaster from 1957. The watch was part of the 1957 Trilogy that came out in 2017. In my opinion, this one has always been a heavily underestimated watch. Whereas the modern interpretation of the Railmaster that came out around the same time could not win people over, the reissue was perfect proof of the original Railmaster’s brilliance.
Image: The Watch Club
The original design aged very well and looks every bit as attractive as it did back when it came out. The 60th-anniversary reissue of the brand’s engineer’s watch has a 38mm case that is 12.7mm thick with a 48mm length and 19mm lug spacing.
Image: The Watch Club
Inside the case, Omega equipped the watch with its in-house-developed Master Chronometer Co-Axial caliber 8806, as Balazs explained. In good Railmaster fashion, it is antimagnetic but over 15 times more than its historical counterpart (now up to 15,000 gauss). The METAS-certified movement operates at 25,200vph and provides 55 hours of power reserve. While the Speedmaster and the Seamaster from the 1957 Trilogy often change hands for sums above their 2017 retail prices, the same cannot be said for the Railmaster.
Image: The Watch Club
I was surprised that current asking prices start at roughly €4.5K and move up to €6.5K for this 3,557-piece limited edition. But it’s possible to buy one for less than €5K, making it a perfect second pre-owned pick for this list.
Image: Bulang & Sons
Wittnauer Professional Chronograph ref. 7004A
Our next pre-owned pick is the classic Wittnauer Professional Chronograph ref. 7004A. If you remember the Longines Heritage Chronograph 1967 from 2016 or the Longines model it was based on, you will also recognize this classic from the 1960s. As many of you will know, Longines and the American brand Wittnauer had a longstanding partnership, with the latter having served as the sole Longines distributor in the US for over 100 years.
Image: Bulang & Sons
In addition, Longines-Wittnauer controlled the importation and US distribution of Vacheron & Constantin and LeCoultre watches starting in the mid-1940s. Meanwhile, the company also produced and sold watches under the Wittnauer brand name. This Wittnauer Professional Chronograph ref. 7004 was produced in the late 1960s, and it perfectly captures the style of sports chronographs from that era.
Image: Bulang & Sons
The watch has a 40mm stainless steel case that is 14mm thick. It has modern proportions that make this vintage gem still perfectly sized in today’s watch world. Initially, Wittnauer used the hand-wound Landeron 238 movement, which operated at 18,000vph and had a 41-hour power reserve. Later models featured the Valjoux 7733 inside the case. As you can see, the black dial features two sub-dials, with the sub-seconds at 9 o’clock and the minute counter for the chronograph at 3 o’clock.
Image: Bulang & Sons
The minute counter also offers a five-minute countdown timer with a hint of burgundy that corresponds with the burgundy bezel. It’s a color combination that makes the watch stand out immediately. I adore this color combination as it looks super classy and different from what we usually see. Even today, this timepiece looks very nice. You can usually find this beautiful classic for prices between €2.5K and €4K.
Image: Bulang & Sons
Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse ref. 3738
We picked a pre-owned Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse ref. 3738 for something completely different. The Golden Ellipse has always been an acquired taste. It is a style statement in gold and blue that stands out immediately. This is not a watch for everyone, especially when it’s on its brilliant gold bracelet.
Image: Bulang & Sons
We understand that perfectly. However, the Golden Ellipse is the second-oldest model in the current Patek Philippe collection after the Calatrava. The first Golden Ellipse debuted in 1968, and the line has been part of the brand’s catalog ever since. The design is based on the golden ratio that we, as humans, seem to love.
It results in an elegant case for this ref. 3738, measuring 35mm long, 31mm wide, and only 5.5mm thick. Inside it, Patek used its self-winding caliber 240. In its production history from 1978 until 2009, the brand used four iterations of this super-thin movement. The gold case is combined with a gold dial featuring a metallic blue color and a sunray finish. It combines well with a leather strap, a gold buckle, and a full-gold bracelet.
Image: Bulang & Sons
Funnily enough, on the pre-owned market, there’s not a huge price difference between the bracelet- and strap-equipped models. They start at roughly €15K and move up to about €20K, which is affordable in the world of Patek. I would buy it on the bracelet and get the strap as an extra. After ignoring the Golden Ellipse for the longest time, I have slowly warmed up to it, and now I am a fan of the design and the impeccable execution. Additionally, this is a bargain compared to other pre-owned Pateks, which is why it is on this list.
Image: Watchway
Zenith Bolognese El Primero Chronograph ref. 06.0050.400
Our last pick for this week’s top five pre-owned sleeper watches has a remarkable story. If you read my Buying Guide article on the best Zenith watches from the 1980s, you’ll know about the Zenith Bolognese El Primero Chronographs. They were a series of 18K gold El Primero watches produced between the mid-’80s and the early ’90s by a few goldsmiths from Bologna in Italy. As such, these watches did not come from the Zenith production facilities.
Image|: Christie’s
But Zenith officially approved them as they are marked “CTRD BY ZENITH.” The goldsmiths made some of the best-looking Zenith watches from that era, characterized by their handsome looks and gold cases with deep engravings. Their reference numbers all start with “06,” and that’s why people also refer to them as the Italian El Primeros or the “06s.”
Image: Christie’s
I was reminded of them because I saw one on offer during an auction this week. And it was not just one of the many models. It was the rare black-dial version of the Bolognese El Primero Chronograph ref. 06.0050.400. In my book, this is the best-looking reference, and in its white-dial guise, it’s the one you’ll come across most often. With its Daytona-esque look, the watch looks super stylish. It came with a 40mm case that housed the famous El Primero 400 movement. It was available with a white porcelain dial, and a small number was made with a black dial.
Image: Brandizzi
The watches were combined with a leather strap or a full gold Oyster-style bracelet. While the watches are rare and, therefore, hard to come by, they do not go for ridiculous prices. Expect to see prices for the Bolognese El Primero Chronograph ref. 06.0050.400 on a leather strap around €7.5K. If you prefer the gold bracelet, the price will increase to roughly €12K–15K. What you get for that money is special — a rare full-gold El Primero chronograph with a case made by proper Italian craftsmen. That is unbeatable.
Final thoughts on this week’s top five pre-owned sleeper watches
There you have it — our five pre-owned sleeper picks for the second article in the series. They are not the first watches that come to mind when considering their respective brands. Nevertheless, they deserve every bit of attention. But I would like to turn the question over to you. Which of these five watches is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section, and we will see you next week for the third installment in this series!
