Pre-Owned Spotlight: Cartier Santos, Omega Seamaster 300, And Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust 17014

Three great watches with timeless appeal

October 17, 2022

comments 11

In our Pre-Owned Spotlight series, we will bring some of the watches that crossed our path during the week to your attention. This is not sponsored in any way but purely based on what our editors come across and find interesting for whatever reason. This week, we shine the Pre-Owned Spotlight on a Cartier Santos, an Omega Seamaster 300, and a Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust.

One watch from my collection that I regret selling is a Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust 17013. It stayed in the family and found a good home, but it’s a watch that truly enjoyed wearing. One of my favorite Oysterquartz models is the ref. 17014 in steel and white gold. It’s the watch I’ve included in this week’s pre-owned selection. Another find is an Omega Seamaster 300, the model that was part of the Trilogy collection in 2017. I think the attention that this watch got was short-lived, but it’s still a very interesting all-rounder. But the one I will start with is a darling for many of you, the Cartier Santos.

Cartier Santos

The Cartier Santos — or, officially, Santos de Cartier — was a commercial version of the Cartier Santos Dumont, which was only available in precious metals. The Cartier Santos in both steel and gold and steel came out in 1978 (we wrote about it here). More specifically, it debuted on October 20th, the same date that the watch above will go up for auction at Bonhams. The NY auction house is offering this 1990s Cartier Santos in gold and steel just three days from today as part of its Fine Watches and Clocks auction.

It’s amazing how little information Bonhams is giving on this watch in comparison to other auction houses. The listing even lacks a reference number for this example, which happens to be 2961. It measures 29mm in width and 41mm from lug to lug. Inside is a Cartier caliber 077, based on ETA’s caliber 2671. Bonhams estimates it to sell for between $3,000 and $5,000, which seems spot-on. Remember that you have to pay a premium to the auction house. You can find this lot (nr.54) via this link.

Omega Seamaster 300

Omega introduced three watches for “professional use” back in 1957 — the Railmaster, Speedmaster, and Seamaster 300. The Seamaster collection debuted in 1948 and was the first “family” within the Omega catalog. The Constellation came next in 1952, and the Speedmaster followed suit in 1957. However, the Seamaster 300 was the first proper dive watch in the then-nine-year-old Seamaster collection. In 2017, Omega released a box set of three re-editions of these watches called the “1957 Trilogy”, limited to 357 pieces worldwide (we reviewed the Seamaster 300 here). In addition, Omega produced 3,557 pieces of each watch separately.

The good thing about those separate watches was that they didn’t have “Trilogy” and the unique number printed on the dial. The same is true of the example above, which is for sale through the German dealer ZeitAuktion. When these watches came out five years ago, I bought the Speedmaster ’57 because I collect them. That said, for many people, the Seamaster 300 is perhaps the perfect daily watch from the bunch. It has a sapphire crystal and a Master Chronometer caliber 8806. This 39mm Seamaster 300 reference 234.10.39.20.01.001 comes with the original box and paperwork and has a €6,850 price tag. You can find the listing here.

Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust 17014

Rolex introduced the Oysterquartz in 1977 as a spin-off of the regular Datejust (16000 series) and a successor of sorts to the Beta-21-powered quartz ref. 5100. There were three flavors — one in all steel (ref. 17000), one in steel and yellow gold (ref. 17013), and the one I’m highlighting here in steel and white gold (ref. 17014). The first models only had one line on the dial stating “Oysterquartz” at 6 o’clock and “Rolex Datejust” at 12 o’clock. The watch above is from 1979. And as you can see, the wording had changed to “Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust” at 12 o’clock, and the famous “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” wording was printed at 6 o’clock.

Oysterquartz caliber 5035 of a 17013

Rolex discontinued the Oysterquartz in 2003, marking the end of the line for the brand’s quartz movements. Unfortunately, it was also the last time that Rolex used this case (it was also used for the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 1530 in the mid-1970s). These watches used to be fairly affordable, but they’ve gone up in recent years (like almost every other Rolex model). It’s still an amazing watch, though, and the quartz movement with its incredibly loud tick is not your average cheap plastic quartz caliber. This particular 1979 Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust 17014 is being offered at Juwelier Burger for €7,750.

Which is your favorite of the bunch, and what pre-owned watches have popped onto your radar recently? Let us know in the comments.

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Pre-Owned Spotlight: Cartier Santos, Omega Seamaster 300, And Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust 17014

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Andrew says:

Oct 17, 2022 at 09:09

I have the Oysterquartz 17000, so of course I’m biased!
Not highlighted in your article is that the thermocompensation electronics were improved after about 4 years on the market, which enabled the watch to pass the criteria for a Quartz chronometer. That’s when the text on the dial changed, so it represents a real change in the watch, not just a label change.
Readers may also not know that the movement of this watch is a reverse engineered Cal 3000 automatic. The lever arm is powered by having a permanent magnet on the end which would normally engage with the balance wheel, and this rocks between two coils, making an electromagnet rocking motor. The other end of the lever arm is jewelled in the normal way, and powers the escape wheel. It’s the Swiss lever movement working in the opposite direction of power transfer. It explains the loud tick, and the fact that the second hand always lands precisely on the seconds marker.
As far as I know the only other manufacturer who used this kind of Quartz arrangement was Roamer in some early models, but the Rolex is largely unique. And the fact it uses the Cal 3000 base which was designed for a high torque automatic makes it massively over-engineered and readily serviceable.
And of course, the integrated case design was unique to this model except for an early prototype which was fitted with the Cal3000 whilst the Quartz was readied. The design was cutting edge at the time, and remains really sharp today. My personal preference is for the 17000 model as there is a greater design purity in the solid bracelet links, but that’s a personal thing.
A fabulous watch and deservedly becoming more collectible

Reply
Andrew says:

Oct 17, 2022 at 09:41

To follow up my other post, in the Rolex movement photo you can see the end of the pallet fork which engages with a rocking magnet rather than a balance wheel.
You can also see the trimmer which allows the rate to be adjusted as the crystal ages. A properly serviced one of these will keep time to within 50 seconds a year. On mine I only adjust the time twice a year w.hen the hour changes. The crystal rate is 2 to the power 15, so the IC makes 15 binary divisions to derive the 1 second pulse.
You can also see that the battery is held under a screwed plate. This is a pain- to change the battery one screw has to be loosened and the other removed so that the plate can be swivelled to one side. That screw is tiny, and extreme care has to be taken not to drop it into the movement!
In common with all early Quartz, there is no end of life battery indicator- the first you know is that the timekeeping suddenly goes off after about 18 months. On mine, I change the battery annually, and the rear case gasket every 3 years,

Reply
Andrew says:

Oct 17, 2022 at 09:50

The final thing to say is that under the battery clamp is an incredibly delicate copper on mylan contact strip. You can just see the red mylan under the clamping screws.
I would never trust one of these to a regular high street jeweller to make a battery change. It needs to go to Rolex or someone who really knows what they are doing, as the change requires movement watchmaking skills, not the back of a high street counter!

Reply
1. Warky says:
  
  Oct 17, 2022 at 10:32
  
  If you have had it serviced by Rolex they replace the battery for you for free whenever needed as I understand it?
  
  Mind you mine was away for months for a service so presumably that would at least take weeks ?
  
  Reply
  1. Andrew says:
    
    Oct 17, 2022 at 12:42
    
    Mine was last officially serviced by Rolex 6 years ago. Being low torque Quartz, it really only needs a strip down service at 10-20 year intervals.
    I am an amateur clock restorer with all the right tools, and will attempt some wristwatch work on my own collection (but no one else’s).
    So, I battery change my own Rolex between manufacturers services. I have the correct case back tool, a set of replacement gaskets, and the right tools for the battery swap. But it is really fiddly and you need to be totally confident what you are doing, otherwise trust it to an expert.
    Definitely I wouldn’t use a high street jeweller who would likely treat it like any normal Quartz, but there really isn’t any need for the full Rolex service any more frequently than once in 10-20 years- just get the battery and case back gasket changed.
    
    Reply
Warky says:

Oct 17, 2022 at 10:26

That’s a fabulous selection RJ! I adore all three and have a “sort of” story with all of them.

Firstly the Santos – I had actually bought one on eBay last year but the seller (understandably!) had second thoughts and cancelled the transaction. I could have made a fuss about it (I had actually paid via PayPal) but I didn’t want to do that to a fellow enthusiast so I just took a refund. I missed my moment as prices then climbed very sharply and I never seemed to get around to buying one?

I also came very close to buying that 300 earlier this year – at 40% discount off list from a local dealer who lost their Omega franchise and was (and still is….) liquidating their stock. I dithered and then of course someone else snapped it up. Very annoying. Lesson learned. It is a REALLY nice watch.

I won’t bang on about the OQ as I have done that ad nauseam on here before. I almost bought a 17014 to go with my 17000 again off eBay in the summer, but the price seemed too good to be true and something just felt “off”. The listing had a lot of errors and I didn’t think someone who owned that watch would get those wrong, so I passed.

At the moment Blancpain Villeret’s are on my radar as the prices look silly on c24. Same with Connie Manhattans of all ages and flavours (although local dealer still has a new current steel 39mm with black dial at a stupid price….?)

Reply
RL
Ronny says:

Oct 17, 2022 at 10:50

The Seamaster 300 has not really taken off yet and remains under the radar. The carbon copy side of the CK2913 or the bracelet a little too massive (although micro-fitted and very comfortable), is surely in question. But it’s an endearing and discreet watch that’s great on a tapered rubber strap. The polished inner flange and semi-boxy glass are delicious to the eye. As for the Oysterquartz, I love the aesthetics of the movement and these golden inscriptions.

Reply
HW
arcadelt. says:

Oct 17, 2022 at 11:42

I’ve never been a fan of modern Seamasters, with the exception of the 60th Anniversary model. It is a fantastic re-edition, but with significant modern practicalities such as a ceramic bezel insert, sapphire crystal and co-axial escapement.

Reply
jh
JamesH says:

Oct 17, 2022 at 20:50

I do like the look of those Seamaster 300s – a little gem of a re-edition. They ooze White Heat cool. Time will sort the wheat from the chaff in the current retro fashion and I suspect these will be an absolute highlight of the period. Along with Breitling’s recent Navitimer… As for the other two… Hmm, sorry to seem Philistine, but I’d take a modern Santos over the original any day and the Oysterquartz demonstrates one of those occasions Rolex really lost design direction and confidence. Which seems to happen when a strong fashion develops and they follow (see also ’00’s Max’ styling and the Yacht Master 2, original DeepSea and the Sky Dweller). They are an iterative, refining brand by nature (oddly Japanese in that way) and they rarely succeed by boldly going.

Reply
1. LC
  Chow says:
  
  Oct 17, 2022 at 22:02
  
  That’s pretty racist James. Why “Japanese”?
  
  Reply
2. Andrew says:
  
  Oct 18, 2022 at 05:11
  
  Those of us who are lucky enough to have and wear an Oysterquartz know the value of what we have.
  And you only have to look at the wild success of the Tissot PRX or the increase in market value of the OQ to know that the design was and remains sharp.
  
  Reply