Omega is one of our favorite brands, having produced the high-quality timepieces that endure the test of time. Oversize Omegas, like this one, are very desirable and we constantly look for great examples for our customers who prefer this more 'modern' size. It was a model made for the South American market and, therefore, is a size rarely seen in North America where 34mm was frequently the largest size worn. This Omega "Jumbo" measures 38mm in diameter (not including the crown) by 44mm lug to lug, by 10mm thick (including the crystal). The thin profile means that while this watch has a great presence on the wrist, it also easily slips under a shirt cuff…
For those looking for a delicate gold ladies' watch with sophisticated personality, look no further! This Longines has subtle details that catch the eye, paired with a high-quality movement for a killer combination. Longines is a Swiss luxury brand with a nearly 200 year long history, and it's no wonder they're so well-loved when you look at this combination of style and watchmaking expertise.
Impressive for a 1950s ladies' watch, this piece features a fully-jeweled movement that could rival men's watches of the time, and a 36 hour power reserve for such a compact package! The Caliber 4LLV manual-wind movement has 17 jewels and beats at 19,800 bph for more accurate timekeeping. It is housed…
Universal Geneve SA is a Swiss luxury watch company that was founded in 1894 as Universal Watch. Since its inception, they have produced complete watches with in-house movements, and during the 20th century, distributed many notable and important timepieces. Along with neighboring Geneva companies Audemars Piguet, Girard-Perregaux, Patek Philippe, and Rolex, Universal is internationally regarded for its style of craftsmanship and quality manufacturing. Universal was also the innovator of the first watch with chronograph functions, circa 1917. Needless to say, it is a wonderful company with a great product…
Another fabulous entry in the pantheon of Bulova Accutron watches -- this is the "Deep Sea." We have only had three of these in our roughly 45 years in business, and its easy to see why collectors love it! Made in 1969, it is the epitome of a manly and progressive wristwatch that contained cutting edge technology of the time.
The story of the Accutron is that in the 1960s the US government wanted to keep this technology out of the hands of the Russians, so they asked Bulova to keep it secret, since we were using this very accurate timekeeper in our space program. The informational pamphlet that Bulova put out to introduce this…
Longines is a well-known Swiss luxury brand, with its watchmaking history dating back all the way to 1832. Founded by Auguste Agassiz in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, they started humbly but grew to establish a factory and mechanized production by 1852 when Ernest Francillon took over operations. Thus began the ability to produce high-precision movements and to ensure the brand's now well-earned reputation for quality.
By the late 1800s, Longines was innovating in order to keep up with their American watchmaking counterparts. They began producing their first in-house chronograph movements, which were adopted as the official time-keepers for competitive sporting events. This notoriety launched the brand into the…
Six nephews joined their uncle Ramon Fernando Cuervo at his watchmaking shop in Havana circa 1882, first establishing the "Cuervo y Sobrinos" brand. It soon became a world standard for watchmakers from New York, to Rome, and Paris. Havana was the place to see and be seen in the 1940s and 50s. It was the lush watering hole and vacation spot for movie stars, artists, intellectuals, and bon vivants from all over the globe. For this well-heeled crowd, Cuervo y Sobrinos made their own "jeweler's contract" watches which housed movements from the most famous watchmaking brands in the world. Luminaries like Hemingway, Clark Gable, Einstein, Caruso, Churchill, Gable, and Neruda are but a few of the visitors Cuervo y Sobrinos boasted over the years. We have seen precious few of these watches coming out of South America and Cuba made by the brand, and this one is a chronograph to boot…
This watch is what Gruen called an "Air Flight". It was originally made for Pan Am pilots to have a quick reference to a 24-hour day for flight time, or military time. We love these "jump hour" Gruens! When the hands reach 1 pm, all the numerals jump to a 24-hour format and then jump back again to a 12-hour format at 1 am -- see the video below to see what we mean! This is accomplished with a rotating disc underneath the main dial. The gold painted Arabic numerals appear in beveled diamond- and circle-shaped windows in the main dial.
And what a dial it is! A beautiful silvered dial in the center is a fabulous backdrop for the dauphine lume hands, with a dark gray painted outer circle that…
This is a ladies watch like no other! Combing both a superb Omega movement with an unusual 18k gold case, this is a beautiful piece of jewelry as well as an excellent timepiece. This was a somewhat rare combination back in 1966! Notice the gracefully curved lugs that extend far past the head of the watch, as well as the lack of a crown, which allows the long lines to be uninterrupted. This is a "backwind" watch, where the crown resides on the beautifully engraved case back, but is still easy to access and wind.
Take careful note of the watch's size -- it measures only 14 mm in diameter, but 44 mm from end to end, measured straight across. The case is 6 mm thick…
Tag Heuer Carrera watches debuted in 1963, and the classic racing style has never gone out of fashion. Here, we have a more modern iteration, but with beautiful features that any watch lover will appreciate. The "Carrera" model was named after the bruising Carrera Panamericana Mexico road race and it became a sought after watch for Tag Heuer and now a core brand offering.
The black dial and bezel combination are in pristine condition and allow the pops of red from the chronograph features to shine. Actuating the upper pusher starts the central red sweep second hand, which you can use to measure racing speed with the tachymetre scale around the bezel, gradated from 400 to…
If you love watches, you likely love the mechanical engineering and thoughtful design details that go into every timepiece. But, in this case, it's something that you can truly admire every day! A skeletonized watch, such as this Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic Skeleton, give you the perfect look at the components that comprise its beating heart to showcase the brand's technical prowess. You'll find skeleton watches in the collections produced by many high-end watch brands, but here you have one in near-mint condition with its original boxes, band, and buckle for a price that won't break the bank!
Hamilton was once the best watchmaker in America that led many technological advances in watchmaking while staying at the forefront of design and style…
For vintage Rolex lovers out there -- this is one for you. Here we have an "Oyster Perpetual" that represents both the history of when the "Oyster" model was introduced in 1926 and the transition to the modern "Perpetual" watches that we still see today. The reference 6108 movement produced in the early 1950s is known as a "Semi-Bubbleback" model. At the time, Rolex was developing their "perpetual" or automatic movements while still maintaining their waterproof cases with the screw-down case back and crown. The stainless steel case measures 34 mm in diameter (not including the crown) by 40 mm lug-to-lug by 14 mm thick.
Benrus is often underestimated as a brand. They made really nice watches (as you can see here), but are often overlooked in favor of more expensive ones. We think this is a tragedy, because Benrus watches are great looking and well-made!
This particular Benrus has a highly engraved "clipped corner case", typical of the Art Deco period. The case is 18k solid white gold while the band is white gold-filled. The case measures 17 mm wide (not including the crown), by 32 mm lug-to-lug, by 8 mm thick (including the crystal). The crown is graced with a blue sapphire cabochon that really compliments the plume shape blued steel hands. The silvered dial is in great shape, with the proper patina we'd expect…