Pre-Owned Picks — 7 Professional Watches
Most watch enthusiasts seem to have an interest in tool watches. Watches for professional use, basically. Whether that’s for diving, flying, or racing, doesn’t matter.
These professional watches often don’t see any action other than desk work or the occasional swimming pool. That doesn’t stop us from having a preference for these watches though. For this article, I selected seven of these professional watches, for different purposes. Most Some I consider classics, but that’s what we like most.
7 Professional Watches
Like all Pre-Owned Picks articles, these professional watches are picked from Chrono24. It is the largest market place for wristwatches in the world — watches that we love ourselves, or think they will be interesting to you. So, to be clear, we picked the watches, Chrono24 only send us the images without their watermark and in a proper resolution.
Without further ado, let’s have a look at the 7 professional watches I selected for you.
Seiko Marinemaster 300M — €2,280
The Seiko Marinemaster 300M SBDX001 (here’s our review of 5 years ago — one of our best-read articles ever), and the later SBDX017, was — and perhaps still is — one of the best divers watches out there for the money. Period.
Needless to say, I have one of these. Monobloc case, beautiful finishing on the case and bracelet, reliable caliber 8L35 (based on the Grand Seiko 9S55 movement), and great looks. the crown doesn’t stick in the top of your hand as it is located at 4 o’clock. It comes with a rubber strap but wears awfully well on a leather strap as well. NATO straps also work. In fact, it is a bit of a strap monster.
Ultimately, it is a very versatile watch that won’t break the bank. These Marinemaster watches are made in the Grand Seiko manufacture in Morioka, Japan. The new models aren’t called Marinemaster 300M anymore, but Prospex SLA021J1 and have a retail of €3,200. Admittedly, those do have a few advantages, but it still makes this Marinemaster 300M SBDX001 for €2,280 seem like a real bargain. You can click here for the offer on this Seiko Marinemaster.
Tudor Pelagos 500M 25500TN — €2,695
Tudor is on a roll. While most people seem to love the Black Bay — and especially the Fifty-Eight — I have a weak spot for the Pelagos. For me, the Black Bay is a bit too much of a nod to the vintage Submariner. The Pelagos, on the other hand, seems to have its own style — a more modern style. These can be had in black, blue, and with a left-hand crown. But I think I would just go for the black Pelagos, which is the most timeless version.
I once called it the modern re-interpretation of the Rolex Sea-Dweller 1200m (when the 16600 was phased out). It has a depth rate of 500m, an automatic helium valve, a screw-down crown, and a very readable dial and bezel. This watch also comes with an additional rubber strap. A no-nonsense diver, that’s what it is. This watch dates back to 2012 and is available for €2,695. You can find the offer on this Tudor Pelagos here.
Omega Speedmaster Professional 311.30.42.30.001.005 — €3,385
Well, this watch doesn’t need much explanation here on Fratello. You can read all about the Speedmaster in one of our +400 articles on this model. Aside from the fact that Omega calls this watch a professional watch, it actually is one. It was used during the Apollo era, but it is still the watch being handed out to all astronauts and cosmonauts that leave earth via Russia.
This reference 311.30.42.30.001.005 is the current Moonwatch model. It has a Hesalite crystal and a solid stainless steel case back. It uses the hand-wound Lemania based caliber 1861. This watch is a no-brainer, especially for this kind of money. A new Moonwatch was announced during one of our Speedy Tuesday get-togethers last December, using the new caliber 3861. Since that will have an effect on the price, you can choose to grab one of the current ones from the pre-owned market. Click here for the offer on this Moonwatch.
Breitling Navitimer B01 AB0120 — €5,340
A watch I wanted for a long time — and finally bought it sometime in the early 2000s — the Breitling Navitimer. This one here is a later reference, dating back to 2013. It is a beautiful pre-owned Navitimer with the Breitling B01 movement. According to Breitling, the B01 is the best mechanical chronograph movement in the world. This watch is a complete set — with box and papers — from 2013.
The watch has been designed for and used by pilots, to calculate remaining fuel, flight time, and distance. The slide rule bezel is used to calculate all sorts of things, of course. I am pretty sure that pilots don’t need these types of functions today (but correct me if I am wrong), but it does look cool and I still regard it as a professional watch. This pre-owned Navitimer watch is priced at €5,340, and you can click here for the offer.
Rolex GMT-Master II 116710LN — €9,500
A GMT is super useful, and this is the watch that was initially developed for Pan-Am pilots. I don’t want to start the discussion about availability, high demand, distribution, and so on, but one of the few options available to you is buying one pre-owned. This GMT-Master II 116710LN is on offer for €9,500, which is €300 over the current retail price of a new GMT-Master II. The main difference is, of course, the bracelet.
A new GMT-Master II is only available on a jubilee bracelet. If you don’t care, or actually prefer an Oyster bracelet, a GMT-Master II 116710LN like this could be something for you. The GMT function is super easy to use on this watch, you set the local hour hand to the timezone you’re in. It is an independent hour hand, so the minute and home-time (or GMT) hand will not advance. With the bi-directional bezel, you can read an additional (third) timezone. This GMT-Master II dates back to 2009 and comes with box and papers. Click here for the offer on this GMT-Master II 116710LN.
Sinn EZM13 — €1,800
If there’s one brand focused on professional watches, it is Sinn. The EZM (“Einszats Zeit Messer” or “Mission Timer”) collection is the perfect example of professional watches. They are all meant for specific professions or tasks. Sinn even had an EZM7 for the fire brigade. This EZM13 aims at divers that need a chronograph. Water-resistant to 500 meters, a 60-minute scale bezel and with a bead-blasted finish on case and bracelet. I am not entirely sure why a diver would need a chronograph underwater, but according to Sinn, you can record your “mission time” this way. And, of course, the pushers work underwater as well. This watch dates back to 2017 and comes with box and papers, for a price of €1,800. Click here for the offer on this Sinn EZM13.
Oris Aquis — €1,590
A wonderful green colored no-nonsense diver from the company in Hölstein, Switzerland. The Aquis is one of the brand’s best selling watches and with a good reason. The price-quality ratio is awesome. Here, I have selected a green version of the Aquis for you. A watch dating back only one year and complete with box and papers. The Sellita based movement does its job properly and the watch is resistant up to 300 meters. It has a green ceramic bezel, with a 60-minute diving scale. For just below €1,600, this watch is hard to beat based on specs and looks. The Oris Aquis is available in many different variations, but since green is (still) hot these days, that’s the one I picked. Click here for the offer on this Oris Aquis.
That’s it for this week’s Pre-Owned Picks selection. Happy Hunting!
