I have recently been in the market for a vitage watch.  I am not looking to break the bank with the purchase, what would you recommend?

A rare vintage watch is a staple of every stylish man, but finding a unique and storied timepiece can be both time, and bank account consuming.  Sure, we’ve all dreamt about buying a vintage Rolex Daytona, but most of us don’t have the means to spend the price of a mid-sized BMW on a watch.  This list will provide you with five high-grade, rare, and collectable vintage watches, all of which can be found for under $2000.  The only thing left to do is track them down.

Omega Chronostop: The Chronostop was made for a short time in the late 60s and early 70s.  Aimed at professional and recreational racers, this watch features an interesting 60-second timer that was operated by a single button.  It came in two separate calibers, one with a date window and one without, and two separate configurations.  The most valuable and rare version of the Chronostop was designed to be worn under the wrist so that drivers wouldn’t have to take their hand off the steering wheel while checking their lap time.  Also, the clasp was intented to be worn as an ID bracelet.  The idea never caught on like Omega had hoped and the Chronostop remains an underappreciated and rare vintage sport watch. (Photo credit – Antiquorum)

Wittnauer Futurama 1000 – An impressively complicated watch, this early 1970s Wittnauer was one of the few double-retrograde timepiece created in the era.  One hand points to the hour while the other points to the minute as they descend down the face of this retro classic.  Upon reaching the bottom of the registers, each hand flies back to the top to repeat the process.  While stainless steel versions do you exist, you are much more likely to find a gold Futurama.  (photo credit – watchismo.com)

Hamilton Fontainebleau:  While Hamilton may have been the greatest American watch company of the 1960s, the Fontainebleau featured one the greatest Swiss movements of the generation.  Called the Chrono-matic by Breitling and the Caliber 11 by Heuer, this movement was one of the first automatic chronographs ever made.  It featured a distinctive left-handed winding crown and date aperture at 6 o’clock.  Even the famous Heuer Monaco worn by Steve McQueen himself used this movement, and the retro Hamilton is one of its less well known houses.  The Fontainebleau is one of the best values in vintage watches out there, a great retro case with a historically important movement (photo credit – losttimes.com)

Breitling Top Time:  While the Navitimer may get all the attention even to this day, it is the Top Time that represents the best value for your dollar in the world of vintage Breitlings.  This watch has everything you could ask for in a vintage chronograph; classic design, a solid Valjoux-powered movement, a good sized case, and of course that infamous Breitling name on the dial.   Top Times do come in two register and gold plated variations, but they don’t compare to the three register version in steel, which gives the watch the most function and the lasting power.  (photo credit – corrvintagewatches.com)

Rolex OysterQuartz: You may have heard that you should never trust a man whose Rolex ticks, but even the largest watch company in the world made a quartz watch or two.  These OysterQuartz Datejusts from the 1970s were not a cheaper substitute to the traditional Rolex, in fact they were actually priced above their mechanical brothers.  Also, these ticking relics of the quartz revolution feature an impressive integrated bracelet and all the same finish you’d expect from a watch carrying the Rolex coronet.   (Photo credit-antiquorum)

“Ben Clymer is a noted wristwatch expert based in New York City.  He is the Executive Editor and Publisher of Hodinkee.com, as well as a widely regarded journalist in the field of luxury timepieces.”

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When it comes to buying your first “real” watch, many make the predictable turn to a tried and true classic. Sure, the Rolex Submariner is iconic, the Omega Speedmaster is legendary, and most Breitlings will get you some respect around the office. But, there exists a number of alternatives that despite being a little under the radar, offer the same high-grade Swiss mechanics and the chance to differentiate yourself from your peers. After all, a watch says a lot about a man, and do you want it to say you’re like everyone else in town? Didn’t think so.

These five watches come from relatively young brands (the oldest was born in the 90s) and every single one of them is fantastic looking, features a Swiss made automatic movement, and has the potential to be a classic in its own right some day.

This seems redundant to me.  Even though a timepiece is an integral part of a man’s wardrobe, you must remember that the wristwatch was first created to alleviate the hassle of taking a chainwatch out of a pocket.  Carrying and wearing a watch simultaneously seems like too much.  If your three-piece suit is formal enough to call for a pocketwatch, don’t waste time wearing one on your wrist.  The best outfits are the simplest, and two timepieces just complicates things.

Best,

Benjamin Clymer

www.hodinkee.com

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There are some timepieces that are so classic, so well-respected and so legendary that any modern man should have them on his radar.  This goes beyond just being able to identify them when he sees them adorn the wrist of a colleague or boss, but rather he should be able to speak to their provenance, what makes them interesting, and what makes them worth owning.  In this must-read list, we’ll run through ten of the most unmistakable and unforgettable watches on the planet. Study with close cause, because we can guarantee you someone you know owns one of them and our guess is they love to talk about it.  Enjoy.

1.    Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso: This dual-sided watch was designed in the 1930s for professional polo players in colonial India.  The face is hinged and can be hidden away so that it won’t be scuffed during competition.  The Reverso is considered a very aristocratic timepiece.

2.    Patek Philippe Calatrava: Patek Philippe is often referred to as the finest watch company in the world and the Calatrava is their least expensive yet most popular piece.  Originally produced in 1932, the Calatrava is a simple watch that rarely features anything more complicated than a simple date window.  It is the quintessential “dress” watch.

3.    Blancpain 50 Fathoms: The archetype modern diving watch, this was the first timepiece designed to be worn under water for a lengthy period of time.  It was quickly adopted as standard issue for many nautical fighting teams around the world.

4.    Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Steel: A classic watch if there ever was one; worn by everyone from Brad Pitt to Paul Newman.  The Rolex Daytona is the most identifiable chronograph in the world and it has remained an icon since its release in the late 60s, although it did not gain cult status until the late 1980s.

5.    Omega Speedmaster Professional: The first and some say only watch ever worn on the moon.  The Speedmaster Professional beat out 5 other chronographs (including one from Rolex) to become NASA standard issue.  The Speedmaster is still made today just as it was back then.

6.    Tag Heuer Monaco: This Heuer represents a first in watch making.  Until the release of the Monaco in 1969, all chronographs were manually wound.  In addition to being the first automatic chronograph, it became iconic when Steve McQueen wore it during the filming of 1972 racing classic “LeMans”.

7.    Audemars Piguet Royal Oak: The Royal Oak was introduced in 1972 as the only true “luxury sport watch” in the world. Less of a diving watch and more of a yachting accessory, the Royal Oak continues to be one of the most respected timepieces on the planet.

8.    Panerai Radiomir: The Radiomir was Panerai’s first watch and was designed in the late 1930s for use by the Italian Navy.   The original Radiomir featured a Rolex movement and they are now considered some of the most sought after vintage watches in the world, but luckily Panerai makes a modern-day Radiomir that is much easier to obtain.

9.    Cartier Santos-Dumont: When aviator Albert Santos-Dumont complained to his friend Louis Cartier that it was difficult to check his pocket watch during performance flights, little did he know that he was about to change timepieces forever.  It was the Cartier Santos that first popularized wristwatches for men in the early 20th century and the Santos is as much an icon in timepieces today as it was 100 years ago.

10.     IWC Ingenieur: IWC’s most iconic model, the Ingenieur was introduced in 1955 as the first anti-magnetic watch marketed to the public.  Originally popular with engineers and military personnel, the Ingenieur is still made today and it remains one of the best all-purpose watches in the world.

“Ben Clymer is a noted wristwatch expert based in New York City.  He is the Executive Editor and Publisher of Hodinkee.com, as well as a widely regarded journalist in the field of luxury timepieces.”