12 Incredible Vintage Watches — Full Review & Prices

Today we're keeping things very simple because I have 12 new vintage watches on the table, ranging from 1935 all the way to 2001. And instead of trying to squeeze them into some clever theme, I'm just going to show you every single one, tell you what makes it interesting, give you the important details, and also give you a rough idea of what each watch will cost. So let's start with the oldest watch in the drop. And we're starting in 1935 with a watch that I think is much more interesting than its 31mm might suggest. This is an Omega Medicus. And the name actually tells you something about its original purpose. Close. One of the important features of these watches was the central seconds hand, which was still relatively unusual in the 1930s and made it much easier for doctors to time things at a glance. Inside you have the manually wound Omega Calibre 23.4 SC, with SC standing for second au centre or central seconds. But for me, the real attraction is the dial. It's an original, untouched, glossy black dial, with beautiful Arabic numerals and these fantastic Syringe hands. Together with its long lugs, it gives the watch this very pure Art Deco appearance. And despite being only 31mm, those lugs make it wear considerably larger than you would expect. It even comes with its original Omega hang tag, carrying the corresponding case number, which is a pretty cool detail on a watch that's now more than 90 years old. And this one will be listed for around 3600€. Next, we have a 1940s chronograph that gets much more interesting the deeper you look into it. This is the Jäger Reference 12522, with a 36mm case in 18k rose gold, that's already quite a generous size for the period. And with the slim bezel and long lugs, it still feels very wearable today. The original brown-copper dial has developed this beautiful, even patina. And I really like the contrast with the blue steel hands. But the nerdy part is inside. The watch uses the manually wound caliber 287, which comes from the Universal Genève and Mattel chronograph family. So you have a Jäger-signed watch using chronograph engineering associated with Universal Genève and Mattel. And then you look at the dial, because it's also double-signed Eberhard Milan, the retailer through which the watch was originally sold. So there are several different names and histories coming together in one elegant 1940s chronograph. And this one will be around at 6900 Euros. From the chronograph, we go to something completely different. This is a Patek Philippe Reference 1588 from around 1946 to 1947, sometimes referred to as the Pagoda. And I think the proportions of this watch are fantastic. The case is 18-carat rose gold and measures only 32 millimeters across. But it is 38 millimeters long. So on the wrist, it has this very elegant architectural presence. And then you have the combination that collectors sometimes describe as pink on pink. A rose gold case together with an original salmon-colored dial. The dial is, of course, untouched. You have small settings at 6, and the whole thing is just incredibly clean and very art deco. Rectangular Patek Philippe watches from this period also have a completely different personality from the round Calatravas that most people immediately associate with vintage Patek. And this Reference 1588 will be listed for around 12,500 Euros. Next is our first IWC. And this one is really all about the dial. It's a 1948 IWC in 35mm stainless steel case, powered by the manual-wound Caliber 89. And the Caliber 89 is one of those movements that you will encounter again and again when you get into vintage IWC. It's simple, rubberized, manually wound, and in this case, gives you around 44 hours of power reserve. But look at the original cream dial. Over the years, it has developed this warm, caramelized surface that we've nicknamed the Creme Brulee dial. And what I like about it is that the aging isn't trying to hide. You can see the tonal variation and texture across the entire surface. The hands and crown are original as well. And at 35mm, with that very simple steel case, the proportions are exactly what you would expect from a late 1940s IWC watch. This one will be around 3,900 Euros. Okay, this one is special to me. This is the Omega Seamaster Olympic, reference 2850SC from 1956, made in connection with Omega's Olympic timekeeping history around the Melbourne Games. And this particular example is the commercial version in 18k rose gold, with a 34mm case that is still incredibly sharp. But honestly, forget the history for a second and just look at this dial. It's an original creme lacquer dial. It's just wonderful. It's beautiful. And in person, the way it reacts to the light is just fantastic. This one is one of those dials where I could probably spend the entire video showing you macro shots. I mean, just look at those dauphine hands, so coffin-shaped hour markers. It's still fantastic. Inside is the automatic Omega Calibre 471. And the watch has just been professionally serviced. But for me, this is absolutely one of the highlights of the entire drop, together with the Patek Philippe Ellipse that you will see at the end of the video. This is probably the watch I would have the hardest time giving back. And considering how much I like it, the price is actually quite reasonable at around 6.900 euros. Three years later, in 1959, we get another IWC Calibre 89. But visually, it's a completely different watch. This time, the case is 18 karat rose gold, and it's 37 millimeters in diameter, which is a pretty substantial size for a dress watch from this period. But the reason we call this the shark fin is obviously the lugs. They're incredibly thin and sharply sculpted. And they completely change the personality of what otherwise would be a very restrained IWC. The original silver-white dial has only developed a very slight even patina with the classic 12, 3, 6, and 9 layout. And the original hands and crown are still here. Inside is again the manually wound Calibre 89. So it's actually quite interesting to compare this with the 1948 IWC we just saw. Essentially the same movement, 11 years apart. But two completely different designs. And the shark fin will be listed at around 4,400 euros. Now we get to by far the most expensive watch in the drop. And it's not difficult to see where the money went. This is a Rolex Day-Date Reference 1806 from 1964 in 18 karat yellow gold. The dial alone is pretty special. It's an original golden line pipe hand dial with a very fine texture that changes depending on the light. You also have an Italian date wheel, which I always love on vintage Day-Dates. But the bracelet is what really separates this from the Day-Date most people know. Instead of the familiar President bracelet, this one has its original Florentine brick bracelet. Also in 18 karat yellow gold. The bracelet carries a 1964 hallmark, corresponding with the year of the case. And it has only very minor stretch. At 36 mm, the watch itself has classic Day-Date proportions. Inside is the automatic Rolex calibre 1556. And it even comes with original Rolex papers from March 1965. So, dial, bracelet condition, papers, there's a lot going on here. And accordingly, this one will be listed for around 39.000 euros. From a very recognizable 36 mm Rolex, we now go to something that barely looks like a conventional wristwatch. This is the Vacheron Constantin Reference 35204 from the 1970s. The 18 karat yellow gold case is only 20 mm wide, but 38 mm long. And the entire watch is just 5.5 mm thick. And that's really what makes it work. The case isn't simply rectangular, it's elongated and curved, so that it follows the wrist. And because it's so thin, it feels much more like a piece of jewellery. The original silver dial has a vertical brushed finish, which works beautifully with all the strong lines of the case. And inside, you still have a proper, manually wound Vacheron Constantin movement. The calibre K1052, with 20 jewels and around 46 hours of power reserve. It's a very unusual Vacheron, but still incredibly restrained. And this one will be at around 7.900 euros. Now we were probably into the 1980s and things start getting a little more colourful. This Audemars Piguet combines an elliptical 18 karat yellow gold case with an original blue Aventurine dial. And Aventurine is one of those materials that really needs movement in light. From one angle, it can look like a very dark blue dial. And then you move the watch slightly and suddenly you get this subtle sparkle across the surface. The case measures 31 by 35 mm and, more importantly, it's only 6.5 mm thick. That's possible thanks to the automatic AP calibre 2124 inside, an ultra-thin movement from the same calibre family associated with Royal Oak models. Gold, blue Aventurine, unusual proportions and an ultra-thin automatic movement. There's a lot packed into a very small watch. And this Audemars Piguet will list it at around 9.900 euros. Staying in the 1980s, this Jaeger LeCoultre takes almost the opposite approach. You have a tiny 36.5 mm 18 karat yellow gold case, a completely black lacquer dial, simple gold hands and then just one diamond at 12 o'clock. That's it. And the proportions are quite extreme because the watch is only 5 mm thick. Now, the reason GLC could make a watch this thin is also something that some collectors might initially see as negative. This is quartz. Inside is the Jaeger LeCoultre calibre 602. But I actually think quartz makes perfect sense here. It's the 1980s. It gave traditional manufacturers the ability to create extremely thin, precise dress watches. And in this case, the movement basically disappears so that the case and dial and proportions can do all the talking. It's a very small, very simple and unapologetically 1980s. And at around 4,700 euros, it's also one of the more accessible watches in this drop. And if that Jaeger LeCoultre was restrained 1980s elegance, this Piaget definitely isn't. This is the reference 2131 G2, an 18 karat white gold with its original integrated bracelet and an original onyx stone dial with a factory pavé setting. The watch itself is only 23 by 30 millimetres and an absurd 4 millimetres thick. But because of that solid integrated gold bracelet, the complete watch still weights 94 grams. And that's exactly why vintage Piaget did so well during this period. The line between watchmaking and jewellery basically disappears. You have the black onyx, the diamonds, the white gold and this incredibly intricate integrated bracelet. But the watch itself remains extremely thin inside of the manually wound Piaget Calibre 20P with 18 jewels. It's definitely not subtle, but it also doesn't feel like somebody simply added diamonds to a normal watch. The entire object was designed as one piece and this Piaget will be around 17.900 euros. And finally, we jump to 2001 and finish with probably the other watch I would personally struggle to give back. This is a Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse reference 3738. The Golden Ellipse design goes back to 1968 and its proportions were famously inspired by the golden ratio. But what makes this particular example special is the complete package. You have 31 by 35.5 millimetre case in 18 carat yellow gold, an original integrated Patek bracelet and this untouched blue Sigma dial. The entire watch weighs 121 grams. So despite being only 6 millimetre thick, it feels surprisingly substantial when you pick it up. And inside is one of Patek's great ultra-thin automatic movements, the Calibre 240 using a recessed 22 carat gold microrodon. So the movement can remain incredibly thin. This one also comes with its original Patek Philippe certificate showing that it was first purchased in Verona, Italy in 2001. It's blue, gold, incredibly thin, mechanically interesting and just beautifully made. And this one will be listed at around 35.000 euros. So there we have it. 12 watches from 1935 Omega Medicus all the way to a 2001 Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse. And I have to say, doing it this way actually makes choosing a favourite pretty difficult because there is everything here from a 3.600 euro steel Omega to a 39.000 Day-Date Florentine. For me though, I keep coming back to two watches. The Omega Seamaster with that incredibly cream dial and the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse. But I'm curious which one you would choose, especially now that you have known roughly what each one costs. So let me know in the comments. And as always, you can find all of these watches on our website this Thursday. So I hope you enjoyed this little view in our new drop. And yeah, have a great day and hope to see you in our next video.