Pre-Owned Picks — Watches They Remade
For this week in Pre-Owned Picks, I am selecting watches from the Twentieth Century that have seen a revival in the Twenty-First. I do not mean watches that have iteratively had improvements throughout the decades — ala, the Speedmaster or Submariner. Specifically, I refer to watches that were once made, in a time-gone-by, but ceased production. Decades later, the watches are brought back to life as a re-edition with similar or identical styling and modern materials.
“Are we living in a crisis of watchmaking?” — that was the question posed by Tomas in his #TBT article here. Quite possibly, we are. But importantly, it is we who are to blame. We reminisce of when wristwatches had to meet the standards of a profession. And, well, based on trends, we have been more than happy to part with our cash when it comes to a rose-tinted reminder. The problem lies later down the line. Will there be a 60th anniversary, of a 60th anniversary? Or a 120th anniversary?
While Tomas has already covered this extensively, I am interested in the very original timepieces that are the source of inspiration. With that in mind, let’s get into my picks.
All watches are pre-owned and picked from Chrono24. 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 send us the images without their watermark and in a proper resolution.
1965 Oris Divers Sixty-Five
Now, before I get into this particular choice, let me share a recent source of pain. On Chrono24, I use the “Saved searches” function. That way I get alerts as soon a listing matches what I am seeking. I had a search term saved for five years waiting for the day a specific Oris Divers Sixty-Five watch would be listed. I will not say which precise Sixty-Five it was that I was seeking, as I do not want to hurt my future chances. But trust me, it is rare and sought after. A few weekends back, after a long wait, the timepiece finally pinged on my notifications and email. Immediately, I placed my order and anxiously awaited the confirmation from the seller. Only for the seller to decline my offer as the watch already had a reservation. I must have been beaten by mere minutes. I was, and am still, heartbroken. But maybe grateful that my bank balance is unhurt.
The reason for sharing my tale is a reminder to our readers to use the tools that Chrono24 provides. It is more than just a marketplace. Chrono24 evaluates your collection, gives you trends and insights and ensures you can assess the offers between several outlets in a single platform. From this experience, my first pick is the original Oris Divers watch that is the basis for the latest Sixty-Five. Initially, the ’60s diver was 36mm with the date at 3 o’clock rather the 40mm re-edition from 2015 with a 6 o’clock date window. Ther seller claims this example is new-old-stock, but without box and papers. Please take the opportunity while you can to avoid the disappointment I faced.
Price: €3,318
Check out the listing on Chrono24 of the NOS Oris Divers watch here.
1968 Breitling Top Time Chronograph
Next up is the Top Time. Chronograph fans have been screaming for a Top Time re-edition ever since Breitling brought back the vintage cues in the shape of the Premier. Only this year did we see the name revived in the form of the Limited Edition of 2,000 pieces. My selection may not be the bow-tie version, but I am anticipating this will not be the last of the Top Time revivals. This original version from 1968 has been on the market for a while now. I can think of one very good reason. The listing says it is the Breitling “Tip Time”. Mistakes like these are why you have me do the scouring. Useful for those looking for a hidden gem.
Price: €6,493
Check out the listing on Chrono24 of the “Tip Time” here.
1944 Longines Chronograph
Last in my picks has one of the most revered movements in history. The legendary 13ZN flyback chronograph saw its way into many Longines watches from the 1940s. Longines has been one of the strongest advocates reviving old watch designs with their Heritage collection. With differing outcomes. Sometimes, Longines incessant need to place a date window where it never belonged spoiled a classic look. But in recent times, acute attention to the finer details has been producing excellent results. Especially for ageing watches that are closing in on losing all recognition.
My selection is still as sharp as ever and even has the certificate of authentication from Longines. It resembles the Heritage Classic Chronograph 1946 that we saw at the beginning of the year. Although, there have been some doubts that the model it was based on may have had a re-dial. Rather than being a manufacture piece.
Price: €7,900
Check out the listing on Chrono24 of the Longines here.
Happy hunting!
