This week, vintage watches are back in full force. In this Bring A Loupe you will find some heavy hitters, starting with a coveted Rolex "Pre-Daytona" with a black dial. Also expect to see an outstanding Heuer Skipper, an original Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic, and an unusual Type 20 from an unexpected source. Finally, a great Universal Geneve Tri-Compax just came back on eBay, but maybe not for the better. This is your Bring A Loupe for March 25, 2016.
A Rolex 'Pre-Daytona' Reference 6238 With Coveted Black Dial
The reference 6238 is often considered as the starting point of the Daytona line, as it displayed the modern-looking dials that can then be found in the first Daytona, the reference 6239. The 6238, nicknamed the Pre-Daytona, was launched in the early 1960s, only three years before the introduction of the reference 6239 – the first actual Daytona – that Ben described in depth here. The dial layout of these two references is almost identical, and they are powered by the same Valjoux 72; the true difference comes with the introduction of the fixed tachymeter bezel for the Daytona, which is more sporty than the smooth bezel of the 6238. The reference 6238 was only produced until 1967, for a total output believed to be around 1,500 pieces – quite a low number at Rolex's scale of manufacturing. Moreover, the vast majority of those came with silver dial; the rarity of the black dial made it a key piece in a Rolex collection, explaining a 3 to 4x multiple from one dial to the other.
The dealer Eric Ku just listed a good looking black 6238 for $75,000 here.
A Heuer Skipper Reference 7763
The name's a giveaway of course, but this Heuer also exhibits its true purpose clearly: the 15-minute counter at 3 o'clock was built for yachtsmen, as a regatta countdown timer. A true Heuer, it provides this function with great extreme legibility, and style. The Skipper is an interesting piece in Heuer's production as it constantly borrowed its case from other references, the Carrera at first, and here you probably recognize the 40 mm compressor case of the Autavia. The Skippers are extremely rare, especially in this condition. The minute hand might have lost a bit of lume, but the case is exceptional, probably untouched as the bevels on the lugs indicate. The crisp serial number falls nicely within the short production range in 1969; this watch is truly rare to come across, and around two dozen examples have been accounted so far on the dedicated website HeuerChrono.
The German dealer Rare Birds just offered this outstanding Skipper here.
A Mathey-Tissot Chronograph – More Than A Type 20 Wannabe
There is a very good reason why this Mathey-Tissot looks so much like a Breguet Type 20: in the 1950s Mathey-Tissot was actually the manufacturer for the Breguet Type 20 famously used by the French army. Breguet was not alone in supplying the French Air Forces in 1954 – Vixa and Auricoste also developed a similar 38 mm flyback chronograph to Type 20 specifications, although Breguet are the most coveted today. This Mathey-Tissot can be considered a civilian version, but much more than a me-too watch as it was produced alongside the Breguet, with the same parts. It is actually a fairly rare version in itself, as most of the Mathey-Tissot Type 20s adopted the later two-register layout. Note that the top left lug here seems to have a ding on its inside.
Matthew Bain is offering this rare and unusual flyback chrono for $11,000 here.
A Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic Reference E168 – The Original
The Geophysic is another true tool watch from the 1950s, developed with one specific purpose in mind: to protect its chronometer-grade movement from interference by magnetic fields. Therefore, it offered an anti-magnetic cage for its movement, and a water-resistant case for good measure. In short, this was a highly resistant yet highly precise timepiece, with a sober dial and uniquely shaped hands. Only 1,038 stainless examples were ever produced, and this is one of them, in excellent overall condition (many dials have been refinished in the past). A larger re-edition was recently launched – we covered it here – but you know us, we would much rather go for the 35 mm original.
The dealer Analog/Shift is offering this early Geophysic (price on inquiry) here.
An Angelus Chronograph – A Great Looking Reverse Panda
No denying it, (reverse) panda dials always look super good, hence the constant increase in their prices. This appealing look is why I picked this Angelus, despite not knowing much about it. From what I can see from previous listings here and here, and the wrist shot you see above, the case seems to be fairly large, standing at 37.5 mm in diameter. As it could be expected from many three-register chronographs of its time, it sports the workhorse Valjoux 72, consistent with Angelus' departure from their famed in-house movements in the 1960s, prior to its bankruptcy in the 1970s. I don't think the stainless-steel bracelet is original to the watch, but it looks great on it nonetheless.
A collector is offering this atypical Angelus here.
A Universal Geneve Tri-Compax Reference 222100-2 – A Gorgeous Watch With A Problematic Past
We actually covered this watch in BAL one month ago; at the time this Tri-Compax fetched $14,000 on eBay here. Strangely, the exact listing is back, from the same seller, with the exact same content, pictures included. While mishaps happen during a sale, it is strange that the seller does not mention anything in the current listing. As we had previously established, the dial of this Tri-Compax is correct, despite its almost too-big sub registers, and the brushed finishing looks as striking as before. The case is really great with well pronounced lugs; the only minor point is the missing lume on the hour hand. As good as all that looks, I am really suspicious of this re-listing, so I would reach out to the seller to understand his motive, and probably ask for additional pictures, just to be on the safe side.
You can find the newer eBay listing for this UG here; at the time of publishing, bidding had just reached $5,000.
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