This Bring A Loupe offers an eclectic selection of stunning watches, from the legendary Patek Philippe reference 1518 to a gold Rolex Submariner with a tropical dial. You will also find some pieces not frequently seen, such as a Breitling Top Time with a yellow-gold case (not plated!) and a Longines Conquest with an power reserve indicator. This is your Bring A Loupe for May 13, 2016.
A Rolex Submariner 1680/8 With Tropical Dial
Rolex Submariners in yellow gold have a definite Miami Vice feel to them (Don Johnson actually wore a Day-Date in the show, but still). This one offers a catchy bonus: a dial turned tropical, which goes nicely with the shine of the gold. This reference 1680/8 sports a "nipple" dial, after the specific shape of the indexes that you can find in the non-stainless-steel Submariners of this period. The case is thick, the original bracelet is described as tight, and the watch comes with the original purchase receipt – I would be curious to see its price back in the day. And from the engravings on the case back, it seems it was originally purchased by a military officer – Lt. Colonel Robert Sisson, who, a Google search reveals, passed away in 2009, and retired in 1985 after 22 years of service, including a tour of duty in Vietnam.
The dealer Iconic Watch Company is offering this gold Submariner for $36,000 here.
A Patek Philippe Reference 1518, With Perpetual Calendar, Moon Phase And Chronograph
"Perpetual calendar chronographs from Patek Philippe make up a veritable royal legacy in wristwatch collecting that hasn't been matched yet." Those words come from the Reference Points article that Ben wrote about those amazing Pateks here. And this lineage starts with the reference 1518, which is the very first serially produced perpetual calendar with chronograph, in 1941. This reference was offered for slightly over 10 years, for a total of 281 examples. The one you see here is a later variation from the early 1950s, as revealed by its dial. Indeed, it bears a so-called "short signature"; the "& Co" was dropped from the dial by Patek Philippe in 1948. That said, the sheer beauty of the 1518 is what truly matters here – all its functions are perfectly displayed in the elegant 35 mm case, with a moon phase to die for. This watch is my absolute grail, as I see it as the most elegant complicated wristwatch ever produced – especially this version, with the applied Arabic numerals.
This insanely gorgeous Patek is offered by Matthew Bain here.
A Heuer Autavia 'Exotic' Reference 1563
The orange color scheme of this Autavia might make you suspect this reference 1563 is straight from the 1970s, and you'd be absolutely right. You could also have inferred this from the automatic chronograph movement that Heuer introduced in the Autavia at the very end of the 1960s. But the dial of this Autavia sets it completely apart from any other Heuer; this model earned its "Exotic" nickname from its minute track, with the unique staggered hash-marks. Furthermore, the example you see here is in museum-level condition, with a sumptuous patina on the tritium indexes, and a razor-sharp case very difficult to find in Heuers of this era.
The listing for this glorious Heuer can be found here with the seller, a trusted dealer and Heuer scholar, accepting offers above $22,000 until Sunday.
A Longines Conquest With Power Reserve Indicator
The dial of this Longines Conquest is fascinating: its silvered finish is very attractive, but more importantly, it displays two complications in a very smart way. First, there is the date at 12 o'clock, which does not disrupt the balance of the dial, unlike the usual placement at 3 o'clock. Second, there's the power reserve indicator, in a central rotating disc that signals when to wear the watch again to avoid it stopping completely – this Conquest comes with an automatic movement, so no need to ever wind it if you are attentive. In my opinion, the cross-hatched crown is not original, as I would expect a Longines-signed crown, similar to other Conquest references, found on a forum here or on the other reference 9035 I found here.
The dealer Alessandro Ciani is offering this attractive and quirky Longines for $2,600 here.
A Breitling Top Time Reference 2004 With Solid Gold Case
The Breitling Top Time is one of my favorite chronographs, often overlooked despite the James Bond connection (the Geiger counter watch used by Bond in Thunderball was indeed a Top Time, modified by Q). The Top Time line was intended to make Breitling more appealing to a younger audience, thanks to the catchy design, and a look meant to evoke the world of motorsports (including the tachymetric scale) that Rolex and Heuer also brought forward at the same period. If you are curious about the various Top Time models, you can find an interesting guide here; note that some references come with a water-resistant monobloc case, while others offer a more classic case with a removable case back. To me, the attraction of the Top Time comes from its special reverse panda dial, where the sub-registers are silvered rather than plain white, as you see with the Heuer Carreras of this period. That said, most of the Top Time models you will find – reference 2000 and 2003 notably – are gold plated; however, this reference 2004 boasts a case in full 18k gold, proudly displayed on its case back.
You can find this attractive Top Time offered here.
Zenith Chronomètre With Legendary Caliber 135
This Zenith is arguably one of the best manual-wound wristwatches ever produced. Bold statement? Maybe, but its caliber 135 was lauded for its extreme precision, to the point that it won the Neuchâtel chronometer test no less than five consecutive times from 1950 onward. A look at this caliber would probably baffle you; it achieves a stunning simplicity with a definite purpose. Caliber 135 was built for maximum accuracy – it's a large diameter movement (just under 30 mm as specified) with a very large balance, fine regulator, and Breguet overcoil balance; it reflects the same philosophy in movement design as the Omega 30T2RG chronometer calibers. This type of chronometer-grade movement represents the highest evolution of series-produced Observatory competition movements, and in general, they found their way into very sober but very high quality cases, as we see here.
The dial is amazingly balanced, thanks to its oversized sub-second register (the better to evaluate the chronometric performance of the movement) and the sharp indexes, very much in line with the dauphine hands.
This Zenith chronometer will be offered tomorrow by Dr. Crott Auctioneers; as described in the listing here the estimate ranges between 3,300 and 5,000 euros (or around $3,700 to $5,600), and frankly it is a bargain for such an outstanding and qualitatively superior timepiece.
The full catalog can be found there, and it deserves a long look.
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