Pre-Owned Picks: Longines, Grand Seiko, Rolex, Omega, Lange

I enjoy working on this series because it keeps me engaged with all the wonderful watches available on the pre-owned market. As a result, my appetite for new (pre-owned) pieces never dips and my wishlist never stops growing.

And that list makes for interesting reading. There are all kinds of things on it. Not only watches I consider grails but also watches I’d just like to own at some point. You can’t beat having a watch on your wrist and experiencing all the little nuances that only become apparent over long periods of time. And the best thing about the pre-owned market is that gives you a chance to buy models that are no longer available new. So your wishlist doesn’t need to feel like a race. Some models may arrive in your collection tomorrow. Some may not reach you for ten years or more. It doesn’t matter. It’s all part of the fun.

Every week we pick a few pre-owned watches from Chrono24, 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 sent us the images without their watermark and in a proper resolution.

Pre-Owned Picks Of Week 4

In this week’s selection of pre-owned watches, there is one watch that I would definitely like to own at some point. That would be the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1. It has been on my wishlist for so long, and I’ve almost pulled the trigger once. The only thing that stopped me was the slightly greater desire for a Royal Oak Chronograph. Today I would choose differently. We’re also featuring a watch I have in my collection (and enjoy so much, I want you to buy one too), which is the Omega Seamaster PloProf 1200M.

The other three watches are models I like for myself. I could imagine buying them all at some point as well. Perhaps not these exact same references, but something similar at least. A good example is the Day-Date, I would love to have one in the future (but perhaps not the 1803). I need to have a quick-set function and probably a double quick-set for both day and date functions. That said, a pre-owned Day-Date 1803 on a nice leather strap makes a great dress watch and the prices are (still) very fair. Especially when you consider that it is a solid 18K gold watch.

Without further ado, let’s have a look at this week’s 5 Pre-Owned Picks.

Longines Calatrava 6378 1 (€950)

My knowledge of vintage Longines is somewhat limited, and although a 13ZN chronograph would be awesome, the Longines ‘Calatrava’ models are kinda cool too. I can imagine people collect these watches, I mean, look at this one. The shape of the case is awesome and the dial looks rich. Admittedly, the patina is perhaps a bit too much for most of us, but, overall, it is an interesting piece to have. Especially considering the quite remarkable pre-owned price of €950.

This watch has a hand-wound movement (caliber 22A). Longines produced some wonderful in-house movements, until about 1984. Since then, Longines uses movements from the Swatch Group, but are often given modifications exclusive to this brand. Longines offers free access to their archives (an awesome asset for collectors). Apparently, this watch was sent to Egypt on September 1st in 1949. This 34mm little dress watch probably has a few stories to tell as it’s clearly been around the block in its 70 plus years on Planet Earth.

Longines has a wonderful vintage workshop in St-Imier, where they can basically service every watch they’ve ever made. This watch is located in Italy and comes with an original Longines box but without papers. Click here for the offer on this Longines Calatrava.

Grand Seiko 4522-8000 (€1,480)

Seiko had its weird ways in the past. They made two of their factories compete with each other for the most beautiful and accurate watch. The result? The King Seiko and Grand Seiko models. Both collections disappeared from the catalog in the 1970s, but Seiko decided to re-introduce Grand Seiko in 1988. The rest is history, you could say.

Here at Fratello, we are huge fans of Grand Seiko. Although I own a vintage King Seiko myself (as well as a modern Grand Seiko) I wouldn’t mind adding this beautiful vintage Grand Seiko to my modest collection. It has an exquisitely crisp case, which has a shape unlike anything from Switzerland, and a High-Beat GS movement. This pre-owned pick dates back to 1968 and comes without any boxes or paperwork. However, according to the seller, the watch has been completely serviced in November 2019.  Click here for the offer on this Grand Seiko.

Rolex Day-Date 1803 (€5,800)

The number of offers on Day-Dates is amazing, especially in the USA. It shows how popular the “President” was and still is, in that country. This 1803 is not exactly a “President” as it comes fitted to a handsome leather strap instead of the iconic bracelet. We already covered the Day-Date here on Fratello in-depth, so please read this article if you want to know more about its history and the different references.

What makes this watch interesting is the fact you get so much history (and watch) for €5,800. This watch is located in Italy and comes with an Italian day indicator, which is kinda cool as well. The dial of the Day-Date 1803 was the last one to have a pie-pan shape, and that’s a big plus to many collectors of vintage watches. This 36mm gold Rolex comes with a brown leather strap and a Rolex signed buckle. If you want a Day-Date that’s a bit more bullet-proof, seek out the later 18038 (and onwards), as these have a sapphire crystal. Click here for the offer on this Rolex Day-Date.

Omega Seamaster PloProf 1200M 224.30.55.21.01.001 €5,900)

The Omega Seamaster PloProf 1200M was discontinued last year. You’ll only find the titanium models in the catalog today. This model was in production for 10 years (since 2009) and was based on the 1970s PloProf 600M, as you can read here on Fratello. This watch was on my wishlist for many years and when I decided to go for it, I received the message that it was discontinued. With some help, I managed to purchase a new one anyway and it has been on my wrist many times since.

What surprised me most, is how wearable this watch actually is. The size is a bit deceiving, because of the shape it might appear unwieldy, but it is actually quite comfortable. It is (very) heavy though, especially on the beautiful ‘Shark’ mesh bracelet. Inside is Omega’s caliber 8500 movement, their first in-house caliber with the Co-Axial escapement. The bezel isn’t ceramic but sapphire and can be turned in both directions while holding down the orange button. This is a tank-built watch and a lot of bang for the buck, especially when purchased pre-owned. This — and I don’t see this very often — could by my ‘only watch’ if I had to just pick one for the rest of my life. Click here for the offer on this Omega PloProf.

A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 101.022 (€14,350)

As long as I have been into mechanical watches (since the mid-1990s) I have been impressed by and in love with the Lange 1. It is a beautiful dress watch, a serious competitor for a Patek Philippe dress watch, and marks an important era. The A. Lange & Söhne company was resurrected after the wall came down, and they did an amazing job of creating such an iconic watch in a relatively short time (last year they celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Lange 1). The case back is as impressive as the dial side of this watch, as the caliber L901.0 is a feast for the eyes. Using German silver, a hand-engraved balance cock, beautiful bevelling on the bridges, and, of course, the typical 3/4 “Glashütte” plate. This particular model dates back to 1998 and is attractively priced as there’s no box and paperwork. Click here for the offer on this A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1.

As always, with pre-owned watches, make sure to do your (own) research. Also, feel free to make an offer on these watches (remember, these are merely asking prices), and don’t be afraid to discuss the warranty the seller can provide. Chrono24 offers its Trusted Checkout system, so you have proper buyer protection (more here). But it never hurts to be surer than sure. Always do your homework. Spending adequate time on a purchase can help minimize frustrations further down the line.

Happy Hunting!