Pre-Owned Picks — 5 Watch Types For Under €3,000
This week in Pre-Owned Picks, I am selecting five watches in five categories under the sum of €3,000. My selecting process was straightforward. I filtered on the price from €0 to €3k, then chose the watch type, whether that be the complication or the purpose. Drilling down the selecting process, I based my choices purely on what caught my eye.
And a lot was vying for my attention. €3k is a great budget to have to spend on a cracking timepiece. Enough to cover a luxury purchase but not so much that the bank deduction is a colossal gut-punch. The categories were harder to choose, however. I did my best steer clear of the typical sports and dress watch types, and find watches with a bit of mechanical splendour. This is easier said than done. At this price range, a perpetual calendar or split-seconds chronograph were hard to come by — not without some heavy caveats. Yet, as you’ll see, the defining features of the watches were enough to catch my attention.
All these watches were selected carefully by me without any influence from Chrono24. I chose the topic and found suitable wristwatches that related to the topic. I only request the high-resolution photos from Chrono24 without the watermark. As these are only my suggestions, it is worth always carrying out your research on the watch details and the seller. Ask as many relevant questions you feel are necessary for the watch, and a good seller should answer with accuracy and honesty.
My heritage pick — Omega Museum Piece 1938 Aviation Ref. 5700.50.07
First up is my choice of a heritage watch. The Museum range is a speciality collection from Omega. With such an eclectic back catalog, Omega is rife with heritage re-edition opportunities. Yet, the Museum collection has been going on for much longer than the seemingly recent trend of reinterpreting old watches for a new audience. Somehow, Omega escapes those who roll their eyes at another watch remake.
The Omega Museum collection escapes the rile of those disinterested in watch remakes.
Part of that could be the name of the collection. By referring to it as the “Museum” range, evokes the notion that these watches are not for replacing the standard offerings. Balázs recently went hands-on with the 1941 Officer’s Chronograph. In the article, Balázs also referred to the earlier 1938 Aviator Reedition, which was in production between 2000 and 2008. For my pick, I have found a 2008 example on Chrono24 for €3,000. The 40.2mm steel case has a familiar black dial for the time-telling but indeed scales up the scales.
The outer-most track connects to the bi-directional bezel, which you can turn to line up the triangle pip to the desired minute. Less genuine is the automatic movement, but I’ll take a little modern convenience for that price. It all seems present and correct on this Chrono24 listing with box, papers and the original thick-padding brown leather strap.
Click here to check out the listing on Chrono24
Price: €3,000
My world-timer pick — Nomos Glashütte Zürich Weltzeit
Next up is my pick for a world-timer watch. Actually, this was a bait-and-switch. The Nomos Weltzeit may have a city disc window, but the watch is technically a GMT. Clicking the button at 2 o’clock advances the central hour hand to the corresponding city without affecting the running time. The disc at 3 o’clock is not the date, but actually, the local time read on a 24-hour scale. A world-timer would be a watch you can read all time-zones simultaneously. Still, the cool display adds depth with a useful function.
New York, New York.
The particular example I have chosen is the New York edition. At the local 24-hour disc is printing of “New York” in red. This is instead of “Heimat” from the earlier editions, and the home symbol in later editions. This edition was available on New York’s Fifth Avenue for a limited time. In the position of US EST on the city disc is “5th Avenue” to reference where you could buy it. Whether you’re from the town or hold it dear in your heart, this is an excellent buy for under €3,000.
Click here to check out the listing on Chrono24
Price: €2,995
My moon-phase pick — Montblanc Star Legacy Moonphase Ref. 118518
Finding a suitable moon-phase watch was harder than I thought. There were plenty to choose from but more often than not, the designs bury the indication in a cluttered calendar dial. I was keen to find a piece where the moon display takes centre stage in an elegant design. Montblanc came to the rescue with the Star Legacy Moonphase. There are not many traditional Montblanc watch designs that catch my attention, but with the black dial and Breguet numerals, this one caught me off guard.
This example is from this year at a good value. Box and papers are included with the corrector pin for advancing the moon cycle with the pusher on the side.
Click here to check out the listing on Chrono24
Price: €2,999
My diver pick — Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300M Ref. 212.30.36.20.01.002
Yes, another Omega, but can you blame me for selecting a 300M under €3,000? It is relatively hard to come by the mid-size Seamaster Pro 300M option these days. Ever since 2018, Omega has replaced the line-up with the wavy dial Master Chronometer 300M. This newer time-only diver only comes in a 42mm case size. In a 36.25mm case (Omega are very precise about that), the Seamaster 300M mid-size is a wholly different wearing experience.
Swap out the bracelet for an exotic strap, and you have a convincing dress watch. With a ceramic bezel and dial, the glossy textures lend a luxury touch without going overboard with the waves. This version on Chrono24 is essentially brand new with all the wares. I would reach out to the seller to clarify some of the details because, at €2,275, it is almost too good to be true.
Click here to check out the listing on Chrono24
Price: €2,275
My chronograph pick — Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph Honda Racing F1 Ref. SLQ023J1
Last up is my chronograph pick. This may not be the most apparent chronograph choice, but the Seiko Sportura certainly has some intrigue. This 2007 version is co-branded with Honda Racing F1. As you may know, Honda has recently pulled out of F1 at the end of 2021. Honda currently supply Red Bull and AlphaTauri (formally Toro Rosso) with 1.6L V6 engines. Its venture into the new turbo era may have yielded few results in the early days with McLaren. But with the manufacturer swap to Red Bull, the wins have been coming in. Which is why it’s a shame Honda is bowing out so soon considering its current trajectory.
Jay Leno sports a Seiko Sportura on his wrist.
The reason I was compelled to include the Sportura was due to viewing on the wrist of Jay Leno. The comedian is well-known for his chat show, but I mostly know him from the brilliant Jay Leno’s Garage YouTube channel. Having a sneak peek into his vast, crazy car collection is pure viewing pleasure. But I always noticed him sporting a Seiko Sportura on his wrist thanks to the unique dial layout. In later episodes, Jay swapped out the Seiko for an Apple watch on a mesh bracelet. But I still make the connection of the watch back to him.
Click here to check out the listing on Chrono24
Price: €3,000
Good hunting!
