Fratello’s Top 5 Pre-Owned Sleeper Watches: Part 4 — Featuring Omega, Vacheron Constantin, Zenith, And More
Another Friday, another Top 5! We’re continuing our series of pre-owned picks that we feel deserve your attention. It’s a mix of vintage pieces and more modern watches. What they all have in common is each can be yours for a good price. In today’s market, looking at pre-owned options is a smart thing. With list prices for new watches continuously increasing, the temptation to buy pre-owned becomes bigger every week. That’s why we have picked five more watches that are not models you might immediately think of.
As I explained, nothing beats searching the internet weekly for your favorite obscure favorites. We love doing this in the Fratello office. It’s all about finding the forgotten gems, the watches that deserve our admiration but have taken a backseat (or no seat at all) in day-to-day conversations. We like to dig up some of the best, so why not share them with you? They are not the first models you think of when discussing these brands. Popular brands are not off-limits, of course, but their most popular and expensive models are. We have some surprising but amazing picks in this fourth installment of the series. Let’s jump into this week’s selection!
Oris Star Diver
Let’s kick this list off with a Fratello favorite. If you are a regular reader of Fratello, you know that we collaborated with Oris on the Divers Sixty-Five Fratello Limited Edition. Featuring a vintage-inspired dial, it was modeled after the classic Oris Star Diver. Fratello’s vintage expert Tomas Rosputinsky compared these watches to see which of the two was his favorite.
The new Oris Divers Sixty-Five Limited Edition and the 1968 Oris Star
Additionally, in an earlier article, Tomas asked whether the Oris Star Diver was the greatest vintage diver ever. While that question deserves a personal answer, there is no denying that the classic Star Diver is an attractive and great vintage watch to chase.
The Oris Star was introduced in 1966 and marked a great transition for Oris. The most important one was the introduction of the 25-jewel 645 automatic caliber in the Oris Star. It used an upgraded Swiss lever escapement, which was the result of a decade-long legal battle and victory for the brand. The movement is protected by a 36mm stainless steel case with gracefully sculpted lugs. As Tomas explained, the dial and bezel design is very straightforward and seemingly ordinary.
But if you look closer, you will see plenty of characteristic details, like the asymmetric date window, the beefy crown, and the vintage Oris logo. As Tomas said, it is no wonder that this watch inspires many modern Oris watches. Finding an original Oris Star can be tough, and finding one in decent condition might be even more challenging. They have also become more expensive, now ranging from €1K to €2K. But for that price, you will get an absolute ’60s classic.
Image: Marks Uhren
Omega Seamaster Professional 300M ref. 2230.50.00
Our next pre-owned pick is a brilliant Omega Seamaster “Non-Americas Cup” that is often overlooked. This early 2000s Omega Seamaster Professional 300M has a lovely, classy presence. Some significant details play into this aesthetic. The first is the 41mm stainless steel case that is 12.3mm thick.
Image: Marks Uhren
Then, the typical scalloped Seamaster 300M bezel features a white gold bezel insert with raised numerals that look majestic. The black dial features an intricate wave pattern graced with white gold indices and an applied Omega logo. Finally, the sword-style hour and minute hands are accompanied by the slim second’s hand with a red tip as the only splash of color.
Image: Marks Uhren
Inside the case, Omega equipped the watch with its caliber 1120. This automatic movement is based on the ETA 2892-A2 and modified by Omega to meet the brand’s criteria. The caliber operates at 28,800vph, has 23 jewels, and offers 44 hours of power reserve. The watch came fitted with a different bracelet from the one we usually find on the Seamaster Bond.
Image: Marks Uhren
It offers a toned-down design that fits the stylish aesthetic perfectly. Overall, this reference 2230.50.00 might be one of the best Seamaster Professional 300M models that Omega has ever created. Expect prices to start slightly under €3K and move up to a little over €4K. That’s not so much to pay for such a classy and well-executed Seamaster.
Image: Bulang & Sons
Vacheron Constantin Overseas ref. 42042
Now we move on to the brilliant first-generation Vacheron Constantin Overseas. Specifically, it’s the second iteration of the first Overseas. Vacheron Constantin introduced the first generation of the Overseas in 1996, almost two decades after the illustrious 222 came out. This luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet introduced a new style that we still see used for the current Overseas collection.
Image: Bulang & Sons
I had to warm up to this first-generation Overseas quite a bit. The look of the “sawblade” bezel, the brand’s signature printed in an arc, and the center end link were details that I wasn’t too sure about. Over time, however, this generation of the Overseas grew on me a lot.
Image: Bulang & Sons
It has a 37mm stainless steel case with an integrated bracelet, so it feels slightly bigger on the wrist. The first reference that Vacheron Constantin produced was the ref. 42040, which was powered by the brand’s caliber 1310 based on a Girard-Perregaux’s caliber 3100. Soon after, VC updated the movement, and with the new caliber 1311, the reference number also changed to 42042.
We picked this version because Vacheron improved the Girard-Perregaux caliber 3100 base movement. The brand found that there was flex in the mainplate. After reinforcing it, the movement became 0.3mm thicker but was still only 3.3mm in total and performed up to the brand’s standards perfectly.
Image: Bulang & Sons
Different dial colors with different prices
Vacheron offered the watch with various dial colors, including white, black, gray, blue, and salmon. The last one is expensive, but the refined white version is not only beautiful but also tends to be relatively affordable. Expect prices for the Overseas ref. 42042 to start at just under €10K and move up to roughly €15K for one in great condition. But you should be able to buy a good one for between €10K and €13K. What you get in return is a great sports watch in the best Vacheron Constantin tradition, featuring plenty of high-horology details and subtle and not-so-subtle brand-related elements that make the Overseas instantly recognizable.
Image: Watch Collectors
Ebel Le Modulor Chronograph ref. 5137241
If you are a regular reader of Fratello, you probably know that Robert-Jan has been preaching the gospel of pre-owned Ebel watches for a while now. He added the stunning El Primero-powered Sport Classic Chronograph to his collection last summer. I must admit that it’s an awesome watch to see, and the fact that it has an El Primero movement in it makes me love it even more.
Image: Watch Collectors
As some of you might know, I love Zenith and its unique position supplying Rolex and Ebel with its much-praised El Primero movements. But my pick for this list is not an El Pimero-powered Ebel chronograph.
Image: Watch Collectors
My pick is the Ebel Le Modulor Chronograph ref. 5137241. Just look at the pictures! The flowing lines, finishes, and colors are stunning. Ebel’s Le Modulor series was in development for four years and debuted in 1995 with watches powered by the then-new automatic caliber 137.
Image: Watch Collectors
Caliber 137 was based on the Lemania 1340. Ebel and Novelle Lemania worked on optimizing the movement, resulting in using 40 proprietary parts. The main upgrades included a larger jewel count and a “magic finger” winding system. The COSC-certified automatic movement operates at 28,800vph and provides 48 hours of power reserve.
Image: Watch Collectors
A masterclass in style, finishing, and details
Ebel’s Le Modulor series consisted of a variety of different models, but this ref. 5137241 is the one that stands out immediately for me. The watch features an 18K pink gold case and a two-tone white and copper dial, and the details are just insane. First off, I love the overall combination of colors. Secondly, the combination of finishes on the 40mm case is spectacular. The mix of satin brushing with the polished bezel and the contrasting screws is absolute bliss.
Image: Watch Collectors
On top of that, the dial adds more style and details. I can describe it all for you, but look at the refined applied pink gold indices, the three perfectly integrated sub-dials executed in two colors, and the tachymeter scale on the white rehaut. And how about the brilliant date window with its sparkling disc and a classy serif font for the numerals?
Image: Watch Collectors
The combination of the case and the dial is just magical to me. It’s hard to find a more stylish pre-owned chronograph from the 1990s. Expect prices for this pink gold Ebel to range between €7K and €8K. The one pictured in this article is available at the time of publishing for €7,800. That buys you an absolute masterclass in style and a reminder of the brilliance of Ebel’s past.
Image: OC Watchguy
Zenith El Primero Rainbow Flyback Chronograph ref. 02.0480.405
Our last pre-owned pick for this week is a watch that we featured here on Fratello before. Lex, Robert-Jan, and I have written multiple times about this favorite of ours. The Zenith El Primero Rainbow Flyback Chronograph ref. 02.0480.405 is a legendary watch among Zenith fans. To my big surprise, prices are at the same level and even a bit lower than they were two years ago when I first wrote about the watch for our Buying Guide series,
Image: OC Watchguy
As I explained in that article, this colorful aviation chronograph was commissioned by the French Air Force in 1995. Zenith started the development of the watch, but by the end of the same year, the French government had changed, and the budget was frozen.
Image: OC Watchguy
From the military to the public
But Zenith continued the development and decided to bring the watch to the public. At Baselworld 1997, the brand presented this new model, which immediately stood out thanks to its unique aesthetic and modified El Primero movement. Let’s start with the former. The watch has a 40mm stainless steel case that is 12.6mm thick. Considering its rugged looks, it has a rather slim profile, ensuring that the watch is easy to wear. Regular pushers replaced screw-down pushers, and the bezel was redesigned with irregular grooves for a better grip.
Image: Watchwalker
Additionally, the colorful presence results from a minute counter with aeronautical sector colors, and the first 20 minutes of the bezel insert were made red. Lastly, the central chronograph hand was also made bright red. Inside the case, Zenith equipped the watch with its El Primero 405 movement, the flyback version of the famous caliber 400. The result is a unique-looking chronograph that Zenith fans love and can be found pre-owned for between roughly €3K and €4.5K.
Image: Long Beach Watch Club
Final thoughts on this week’s top five pre-owned sleeper watches
There you have it — five more picks showing that the world of vintage and pre-owned watches has much to offer. As a result, it is worth checking out what is available at any price level. These five picks are just a small selection of sleeper watches. Again, they are not the first watches that come to mind when considering their respective brands, but that’s precisely why we wanted to give them a place in the spotlight. Let us know in the comments section which of these is your favorite, and we will see you next week for the fifth installment in this series!
