Happy Halloween to everyone, and welcome to another Friday in the world of horology. While major international events dominate global headlines—including protests in France, elections in Serbia, Brazil, and Israel, alongside the upcoming United States elections—the overarching obsession for this particular writer, writing ahead of the World Series outcome, remains firmly rooted in the drama unfolding on the diamond. For hardcore Midwesterners, that singular sporting focus often eclipses everything else, though it is safe to assume that whatever has captured readers’ attention this week is equally riveting.
Reviewing the scoreboard from last week’s featured picks, the Ulysse Nardin ultimately passed at auction. However, interested collectors still have an opportunity to acquire it directly from the auction house for €12,000. Meanwhile, the Certina DS-3 and the Svend Andersen World Time are both slated to head to the auction block tomorrow, while the Eterna Majtek remains available on the market with a slight reduction in its asking price.
Beyond those initial updates, the vintage watch market continues to yield an array of fascinating strays, rare references, and mechanical oddities well worth examining.
Strays and Notable Market Offerings
Collectors who admired the LIP Mach 2000 featured a few weeks ago but prefer a non-chronograph variant will find a compelling alternative in a gray time-only model currently listed via Drouot. For those seeking a classic aesthetic with a chronograph complication, a Zodiac 2547N—often affectionately dubbed the "poor man’s Heuer Carrera"—presents an enticing entry point. Collectors favoring more avant-garde styling from the era can also find an exotic Sea Wolf, reference 722-946, complete with its original bracelet.
Hess Fine Art is bringing a fresh-to-market Paul Newman Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 6239 to its upcoming auction, accompanied by an extremely uncommon Abercrombie and Fitch Rolex Oyster dating back to 1927 or 1928. For those less inclined toward such vintage Rolex pieces, a Rolco (Rolex Company) Oyster serves as an intriguing alternative.
Additionally, an impeccable Movado from the 1970s stands out as an absolute potential steal if it remains within its estimated price range. From that same auction catalog, a Mathey Tissot triple calendar moonphase housed in a 14-karat gold case commands attention, alongside a refined Audemars Piguet in white gold.
While the Svend Andersen World Time was highlighted last week, Meeting Art is currently hosting an ongoing auction series titled "Masterpieces Through The Ages" that features several additional watches living up to that ambitious moniker. Among them is an Audemars Piguet world time model from 1943—a piece recognizable from horological literature and echoing a similarly stunning design posted recently by Peter Speake. Collectors will also find a first-generation Patek Philippe reference 2526 featuring a dial signed by Gübelin and paired with a solid gold bracelet, making both pieces seem equally at home behind glass in a museum or strapped to a wrist. Finally, for those who have patiently awaited a pristine example, a Tudor "Endgame" Submariner complete with its original box and papers has surfaced on the secondary market.
Pinko Vincent Calabrese Baladin
Readers who followed the recent coverage of the M.A.D.Edition M.A.D.3 will likely recall its strong resemblance to an original creation by independent watchmaking pioneer Vincent Calabrese: the Baladin. While the creators of the M.A.D.3 had ample inspiration for their design, another compelling reason to look at the Baladin is its sheer rarity in the wild.
Fortunately, Avocado Vintage Watches has offered a black dial variant of the Pinko Vincent Calabrese Baladin. The timepiece functions as a wandering-hour watch presented in jump-hour clothing, where the hour hand rotates continuously around the dial before shifting to the next numeral upon reaching the 12 o’clock position. It offers a whimsical and playful method of displaying time, further complicated by the inclusion of letters replacing numerals at specific intervals.
As explained by Alessandro of Avocado Vintage Watches, the rationale behind incorporating letters is both practical and aesthetic. Because the Baladin features a rotating hour aperture, conventional numerals such as 6 and 9 can easily be misinterpreted when viewed upside down. Replacing them with letters resolves this legibility issue while infusing the display with an unconventional and playful character. Specifically, the letters correspond to French hour designations: T for trois, S for six, N for neuf, and M for midi/minuit.
Calabrese’s innovative time-display mechanism was utilized across a variety of watches, none of which were ever produced in massive quantities. These included Calabrese-branded iterations, culminating in a 2004 release featuring a date complication, though the underlying design originally debuted in 1988. The specific model under consideration was released around 1990 by the Italian fashion brand Pinko and remains in remarkable condition. Its 39mm case is constructed from silver and plated with yellow gold, though the true focal point remains the glossy black dial contrasted by elegant, aged gold typography. Available for €4,900, the watch offers immense charm even for collectors who may not speak a word of French.
Royce Automatic Professional Marine
Chrome-plated dive watches inherently defy conventional logic, prompting endless deliberation among enthusiasts regarding why manufacturers ever chose to use the material. Cost considerations likely played a primary role, though the durability challenges of nickel alloys versus stainless steel under sustained underwater pressures remain a persistent point of discussion. Equipping a watch designed for demanding marine environments with a finish that risks wearing away seems counterintuitive—akin to wearing a wax-coated hat to a sandy beach.
Yet, the undeniable allure of certain chrome-plated divers frequently overrides logical objections. A prime example is the Royce Automatic Professional Marine. Spanning a substantial 46mm in diameter with a 62mm lug-to-lug distance, this imposing chrome-plated tool watch possesses a suspected military pedigree, having reportedly been designed for French Navy divers during the 1970s, though conclusive documentation remains elusive.
What remains certain, however, is that the watch was engineered for serious underwater deployment. Although its precise depth rating is omitted from the case exterior—rumored to be capable of handling 20 atmospheres—it features a crown positioned unconventionally at 12 o’clock and hinged lugs designed to improve strap integration over a thick diving suit.
Detail variations further compound the mystique of this uncommon model. The Royce was produced with distinct dial configurations—including black with an orange chapter ring or the inverse—alongside differing handset designs, such as a variant featuring a distinctive lollipop hour hand. Furthermore, it shares a near-twin in the LeJour Automatic Professional Marine. Measuring 46mm with a top-mounted crown, it was hardly destined to appeal to casual watch buyers upon its early 1970s debut.
This particular specimen presents in exceptional condition, showing no visible loss of plating alongside a clean dial, handset, and mineral crystal. The unidirectional bezel remains intact, and the caseback retains a clear impression of the Royce insignia. Carrying an auction estimate ranging from €800 to €1,200, the watch heads to the auction block next Saturday, November 7th.
Universal Genève Jump Hour Regulator Reference 225.125
The Huntington Company has cultivated a reputation for introducing collectors to unfamiliar, highly desirable timepieces that quickly induce a strong sense of urgency. Having previously offered several examples of a rectangular Universal Genève jump-hour regulator with a mysterious aesthetic, the inventory has expanded to include yet another striking variant.
This particular piece marks the first two-tone example offered by Huntington, confirming that the design language—characterized by smooth case flanks largely devoid of sharp bevels or mixed finishes—retains its visual appeal across various material combinations. Aside from minor scuffs along the case sides typical of its 1990s origins, this example boasts a flawless dial and handset.
The dial architecture features concentric snailed ridges within circular subsidiary sections, each outlined in gold. Coupled with minute and second tracks enclosed in distinct rectangular frames, serif typography, and balanced negative space, the dial echoes the refined geometry of historical classics such as the legendary Rolex Prince jump-hour "doctor’s watch" from the 1930s.
Priced at $8,900, the watch commands a figure significantly lower than historical jump-hour Rolex Prince models, though it represents a notable climb compared to stainless steel and black variants available in years past. Given its current scarcity on the open market, it remains a singular option for dedicated collectors of retrograde and jump-hour complications.
BWC Chronograph
Concluding this week’s curation is an unconventional chronograph that diverges entirely from the understated elegance of preceding selections. While the Buttes Watch Company (BWC) may not occupy the upper echelon of historic watchmaking powerhouses, they manufactured numerous appealing chronographs, chief among them those driven by the robust Lemania 1340 movement, such as the model heading to auction in Italy next week.
Central-minute counter chronographs occupy a revered space among collectors. While the Lemania 5100 achieved legendary status as a standard-bearer favored by figures like Chuck Maddox, its predecessor—the 1340—shares much of the same structural DNA, differing primarily in the absence of a 24-hour scale at the 12 o’clock position.
Beyond the movement, the charm of this specific BWC chronograph lies in its dial and handset execution. The central hand stack pairs polished steel hour and minute hands with a thin white chronograph seconds hand, while the central minute counter terminates in an open circular pointer designed to track cleanly over a dedicated 60-minute scale printed directly on the dial surface.
Framed by a date aperture at 3 o’clock, running seconds at 9 o’clock, and an hour counter at 6 o’clock, the overall package encapsulates 1970s tool-watch design aesthetic thoroughly. Paired with a seemingly unpolished steel case, a generic bracelet, and well-preserved lume plots across the dial and hands, the watch carries an estimate of €550 to €11,000 ahead of its auction date next Saturday, November 7th.
