Pre-Owned Picks – AP, IWC, Omega, Patek Philippe and Seiko

After all the Rolex violence last two weeks of Pre-Owned Picks, we will go a bit into another direction with watches from Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe in the selection of this week.

Not picking the obvious pre-owned Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo and Patek Philippe Nautilus (Jumbo), but something a bit more under the radar with this 26300ST Royal Oak chronograph and a Calatrava 5096J. But, we also did a few picks that are more wallet-friendly (and yes, this is also relative) for you. In any case, all are watches that I admire. Two of them (actually three) used to be in my collection but had to make room for something else. In close collaboration with the world’s leading watch market place Chrono24, we create a weekly selection of pre-owned watches that we like.

Pre-Owned Picks of Week 52

Besides the aforementioned Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet (I also had an A. Lange & Söhne on my shortlist, but I will move that to next week to keep things sane), there are also a Seiko Marinemaster, IWC Ingenieur and (of course) an Omega Speedmaster in this overview. We go from €2100 to €20.000 this week, and each of them is just as interesting or cool for its specific reason. Without further ado, let’s have a look at these five pre-owned watches.

Seiko Marinemaster SBDX014 (€2100)

During my first trip to Seiko, in 2015, I fell in love with the Marinemaster 1000 or ‘Tuna’. Even though I’d worn it before as one of my friends bought it, the spark wasn’t there before I visited Tokyo when I tried one during the Seiko Media Experience tour. Jason Heaton was also with me on that trip, and he was also wearing the Tuna. I tried to purchase one on the last evening of the trip but failed to do so. But, before I got home in The Netherlands, I managed to find a vintage (Grandfather) Tuna on eBay. You might think a vintage, or original, Tuna is nicer than a modern one, but most of these watches had a rough life as they were actually used for what they’re designed for in the first place. So mine needed some TLC from Seiko. In the end, I sold it to make room for a Grand Seiko, but I do miss the Tuna once in a while. It’s a quirky and cool looking watch, not really suitable for daily wear, but definitely a conversation starter. If I were to purchase another Marinemaster, it would be this SBDX014. A touch of gold, which I happen to love, a fantastic movement (caliber 8L35), which finds its base in one of the older Grand Seiko movements and amazing diving specs. It is a lot of watch for the money. This one is located in Japan, so do keep in mind you might have to pay some of your hard-earned money to your government (again). Click here for the offer on this pre-owned Seiko Marinemaster.

Omega Speedmaster 3594.50 (€2600)

Why is it still even for sale on Chrono24? Buy this. Now. Ok, the downside might be that this one doesn’t have box and papers, but that will set you back a few hundred more. Or just negotiate on this one. Anyway, I’ve written a lengthy article on this Speedmaster with reference 3594.50 that you will find here, but in short: this is one of my most precious Speedmasters, as I received it from my daughter (and wife) on my very first Father’s Day. But besides the emotional attachment, it is simply a great variation on the Speedmaster Professional. It is from a time (1998-2003) where Omega went easy on the limited editions (this isn’t a LE anyway) but also from the time that Omega didn’t really know how to do a proper re-edition. They made this it the Replica ’57, which sounds wrong anyway, and (much) later dubbed it ‘Relaunch ’57’. Influenced by the very first Speedmaster CK2915 with Broad Arrow hands, but in a regular ‘Professional’ case. This watch was also part of the Mission Suitcase from 1997 (50 pieces in total) and (one of) the first to have the then-new caliber 1861 movement. Earlier versions of this watch come with a black box and bracelet without pushers on the clasp, later versions (post-2000) have the later bracelet and the red leather box. This particular watch has the bracelet without pushers, so I guess that it would be an older one. Papers are difficult to replace, but a black leather box is pretty generic and can be found on eBay. An extract of the archives would be a nice to have once you bought it. Aside from all of the above, this is just a very cool watch to have. The shiny broad arrow hands and applied logo, in combination with the steel bezel, make this watch somewhat more dynamic than the regular Moonwatch, which is all black & white. Believe me, this specific reference will not let you down.  Click here for the offer on this pre-owned Speedmaster 3594.50.

IWC Ingenieur 3227-01 (€4099)

I haven’t owned many IWCs, but this Ingenieur 3227 was something I only sold because I needed the funds for a Royal Oak. I bought it in 2008, three years after the introduction of this specific model, when I was still working for an investment bank. I love most of Genta’s designs, including the original SL1832 Ingenieur that Mike covered not too long ago in his Wrist Game or Crying Shame series. This Ingenieur 3227 is totally different, yet it is not and shows a lot of its heritage. IWC killed all of these Genta inspired Ingenieur models in the meantime, which I pity. Today’s Ingenieur is entirely different from the Genta design, and although I can imagine that these weren’t the best sellers, it would have been nice if IWC at least kept a few variations in their collection for the fans. But I guess the CFO of IWC did the talking here. Anyway, this Ingenieur 3227 is the one to have, in my opinion, especially if your budget doesn’t stretch enough for an original reference SL1832. The 3227 has an in-house caliber 80110 movement. Although IWC isn’t particularly known for their reliable movements, this movement didn’t let me down, and I prefer it over the later SW200 they used in the Ingenieur 3239. That was actually quite ridiculous anyway, to put a Sellita SW200 in a +6000 Euro watch.

Nevertheless, this pre-owned Ingenieur 3227-01 (with in-house movement) is priced at 4099 Euros, which is below the original retail price of back in the day but not that far away. So it kept its value quite well, you could say. I can also imagine that these watches will go up in time anyway, given the current collection of non-Genta Ingenieurs. It might be your last chance to own a Genta design for a reasonable price. This particular one comes with box and papers. Click here for the offer on this Ingenieur 3227.

Patek Philippe Calatrava 5096J (€11968)

€20.000, €26.000, €30.000, €45.000, €49.000, €54.000, €65.000, €75.000 and €80.000. That’s the price development of the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A since 2010 for you. Although I love the Nautilus, and especially the 3700 and 5711 references, this price development seems very unhealthy to me (unless you bought one pre-2010s). Furthermore, if you are willing to spend that much money on a steel watch with three hands, you’re a nutjob (and you know it!). Very different is this Calatrava with reference 5096J. It is undoubtedly not for everyone (neither is a Nautilus, of course), but it is a typical Patek Philippe watch. Elegant, precious metal, and beautifully finished. Oh, and it is small. Only 33.5mm, but elegant nevertheless, even if you’re blessed with big wrists, you get away with a small Calatrava in gold for sure. Inside is Patek Philippe caliber 215, a beautiful thin manual wound movement. This watch is very thin (7.5mm), from a time where brands didn’t scream that these were ultra-thin or extra-thin, etc. This yellow gold Patek Philippe comes with box and papers for under €12000 from this dealer in the USA. If you’re located in Europe, for example, there are some for sale ‘locally’ as well, so you don’t have to deal with the double-digit customs percentage premium. This is a fantastic looking dress watch, for an attractive price considering the manufacture it is from. This Patek Philippe doesn’t breath ‘money’, but sophistication. Click here for the offer on this Patek Philippe Calatrava.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26300 (€19500)

I used to have a Royal Oak 15300ST with a silvery-white dial but traded it for a Royal Oak 15202ST with charcoal dial in 2009. Although to me the 15202ST is one of the purest Royal Oak watches, I did miss my silvery-white Royal Oak dial. So in 2010, I started looking for a Royal Oak with a silvery-white dial. At first, the chronograph with reference 25860ST seemed interesting to me, but I quickly learned that this reference is a little less pure as the later introduced 26300. Why? The screws (and bolts) in the 26300 are actually having a proper function. In the 25860, they are just there for aesthetic reasons and do not go through the case entirely, so it is mainly ‘show’. I don’t like that in a watch from this caliber. So instead, I went for the 26300ST and decided for the dial configuration precisely like this one here. The AP Royal Oak Chronograph ‘Panda’ was one of my favourite watches for a long time, but traded it for some other watches in 2013 as I actually found out the only AP I was wearing was my 15202ST. However, the 26300 was an amazing watch and, to me, the most beautiful Royal Oak Chronograph execution to this day. Inside is a movement based on the F. Piguet 1185. It has some quirks, though, like a little ‘jump’ of the minute hand when you push the crown back in. Quite annoying, and it doesn’t happen all the time, but quite silly for a watch with this price tag and ‘prestige’. This particular watch is located in France and comes with box and papers, making me wonder what fool tosses those away of a 5-digit watch. But, for you, the buyer, it means this watch comes at a very attractive price. The box is quite generic and can be bought via eBay, a book and certificate of authentication can be purchased on top of a service overhaul at AP in Le Brassus. No man overboard, I would say. Click here for the offer on this AP Royal Oak Chronograph.

As always, with pre-owned watches, make sure to do your (own) homework. Also, feel free to make an offer on these watches (remember: these are asking prices) and discuss the warranty the seller can provide. Chrono24 offers its Trusted Checkout system, so you have proper buyer protection (more here). That said, always do your homework nevertheless. It can prevent you from a lot of frustration and ‘stuff’ you don’t want to have to deal with.

Happy Hunting!