Bring a Loupe: An Untouched Omega Speedmaster, An Unusual Breitling, And Other Interesting Finds (Including A Vulcain Cricket That Might Have Belonged To President Truman)

This week, you followed all the exciting SIHH novelties live from Geneva; today, Bring A Loupe returns with some really gorgeous vintage watches – or vintage-inspired, in the case of my favorite Grand Seiko. You will notably discover how a Speedmaster looked when it was sold in 1971, and admire a nicely preserved Movado. I have also found an intriguing bullhead watch from Breitling, and a not-so-great medical chronograph from Universal Geneve. This is your Bring A Loupe for January 22, 2016.

An Omega Speedmaster Reference 145.022, NOS From 1971

Finding an untouched example is a recurrent fantasy for watch collectors – probably not as frequent as a time-travel machine to stock up on vintage references, but not far off. Here, this Omega Speedmaster reference 145.022 follows this time-capsule logic: it was purchased in the UK back in 1971 and left in the box since, to the point that the bracelet links are imprinted on the watch holder. As you would expect, the bracelet is tight, the case is intact and the engravings are deep. In short, this condition is exactly what the word "mint" was invented for. While the reference 145.022 is not among the holy grail references that Ben described here, finding a similar set remains pretty rarel, so this watch won’t probably stay around for long.

This untouched Speedmaster can be found full set for 5,995 GPB (or around $8,500) here.

A Grand Seiko SBGW033, A Faithful Limited Edition Of The First Grand Seiko

Here, I have something to confess: I own this reference and I love it. To me, this watch is the quintessential Grand Seiko, the link between its forgotten past and its current ambitions. At the first glance, this GS might look unassuming, but it traces its roots back to the first Grand Seiko, the mythical reference 3180 released in 1960. As an anniversary edition, the reference SBGW033 remained highly faithful to the original, with the same 35.8 mm case – true, the original version was not manufactured in stainless steel, but still. It made a couple of concessions to modernity between the domed sapphire crystal and the increased power reserve of the manual-wind movement. Grand Seiko notably reached a 72-hour power reserve on a single barrel thanks to a proprietary alloy for the mainspring. A glance at the case polishing, at the sharp katana hands, or at the blued second hand suffice: the attention to detail is obvious, everywhere up to the subtle off-white dial.

Only a fraction of the 1,300 examples ever produced made it out of Japan, and this one is being offered for 3,900 GBP (or around $5,500) here.

A Movado Calendograph With Two-Tone Dial And Breguet Numerals

There is so much to love about this Calendograph: the two-tone dial, the Breguet numerals, the sophisticated lugs, the sharp stainless-steel case – this watch is as good as a vintage triple calendar can get. The case might only be 34.5 mm, but on the wrist I can guarantee it would look bigger thanks to the generous lugs and the narrow bezel. To me, it really demonstrates that vintage Movado should not be overlooked. Some are absolutely stunning – especially when they come in this condition.

This Calendograph is offered for 6,200 Euros (or around $6,800) here. While you are on the site you should also have a look at this amazing oversized Longines Calatrava pictured below, but unfortunately it is already spoken for.

A Breitling Bullhead Reference 7101 – The Bold Watch You Need For The Weekend?

William Massena's Breitling "Flying Pizza" is my most vivid memory of his Talking Watches; its crazy 47 mm diameter might play a role. It also opened my eyes to the concept of a fun and bold weekend watch. This 42 mm Breitling would fit the bill nicely with its chocolate theme and the 1970s orange hands. It is extremely rare to find the chronograph pushers positioned on top of the case like the horns of a bull, hence the "bullhead" nickname that this Breitling shares with some other coveted Omega and Seiko. While this arrangement is visually striking, its true purpose was actually to facilitate usage while driving. You might remember the Chrono-Matic branding from very early automatic chronographs from Heuer; Breitling recovered the use of this term when Heuer decided that its marketing impact was not stellar.

You can find this unconventional Breitling for 3,950 Euros (or around $4,300) here, and it was recently serviced.

Bidder Beware: A Universal Geneve Medico-Compax Reference 12445, With A Horrible Dial

This utilitarian chronograph from Universal Geneve is still under $500 on eBay here; sadly, there is a very sound reason for that "bargain": a garbage dial! Straight away, the overall printing appears more than dubious: the color is too strong for a 65-year-old watch, and the thickness of the letters is too fat; in short, it looks too new to be true. As expected, this Medico-Compax displays the pulsation tachymeter relevant for the job, except this one was murdered! Very quickly you can see that the scales are too crude. And this leads us to the worst part of the dial: the sub-registers. The minute counter on the left one is a tragedy, the 3/6/9 minutes markers are not extended long enough. Those used to be crucial to time phone calls at a time where you would pay by increments of three minutes; therefore on vintage chronographs you often see them properly highlighted – a clear miss here. There are also numerous font issue, the most flagrant being the shape and spacing of the word Medico – but at this stage no doubt remains.

If you want to look at a nicer one, the pink-gold piece below was recently sold by Menta Watches for $3,500 here.

A Vulcain Cricket That Used To Belong To President Truman – Maybe?

This is the second time this Vulcain Cricket has made it to Bring A Loupe. It was indeed featured two years ago when it was ultimately passed on. It is offered again at the end of the month, and I feel the provenance is established a bit hastily. It has indeed been proven that this watch was NOT the famous Cricket gifted to Harry Truman by The White House Press Corps; the unmarked case back and the different dial established that easily. This watch came from the estate of Margaret Truman – Harry’s daughter – so it might have been owned by the President or some of his family members, maybe Margaret herself, which could explain the rather feminine look of the bracelet.

This Cricket is offered here, while you can find pictures of the most famous Vulcain owned by Truman below.

Buyer Beware: Why Chrome-Plated Or Gold-Plated Is Not A Good Idea, With An Heuer Reference 7721 As An Example

Nowadays, finding a clean two-register chronograph from Heuer for less $2,500 seems like a great coup, doesn't it? I mean, good looking dial, the right logo – but if you start looking at the case, the opportunity suddenly becomes much less appealing. You can clearly see some darker spots where the chrome is flaking off. This is exactly why I would not recommend to ever go for chrome cases – or gold-plated ones for that matter – both are cheaper to get, but wear off very quickly. Note that here the case back is in stainless steel, and marked accordingly – this mix can sometimes be confusing. You can find more on those "economy models" from Heuer here.

This marbled Heuer is listed for 2,250 Euros (or around $2,450) here.