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The Return of the Mid-Size?

We know what you’re thinking. “Mid-size? Not for me, thanks”. We urge you to read on. You might be surprised to learn that you can pick up some incredible vintage watches which - as at today - still remain relatively underpriced.

Straddling between the small size and standard size range, the mid case-size watch sits roughly at between 34-37mm in size. Perhaps, it was a sign of masculinity (size matters, to some) that lead modern watches to generally evolve to over 38mm in size. Or, it has always strictly been a matter of perceived comfort. Either way, with this trend of modern watch design, it seems a huge number of people have become solely focused on watches that are 38mm and upwards. Anything less than that leads to a groan, followed by, “Not for me, I’m afraid.”

But, in doing so such folk are neglecting a whole host of watches that look absolutely stunning and can also be picked up for a great bargain still, in particular, when it comes to vintage pieces.

Looking at vintage watches, we know that prices have heated up over the past 10-15 years. But arguably, some of those mid-size watches have – in general – remained a bit more subdued. As an example, look at Tudor’s watches from the 1990s: the 79090 Submariner range has seen a steady increase in price to between £4-5,000, but the 75090 (which is a remarkably similar watch in design sense) is still £1-2,000 behind this (at least today in 2020).

There’s also the Royal Oaks. The popularity of this Audemars Piguet model has exploded in recent years (and yes, we still love them despite what we may of said here - thanks for your messages on the ‘gram by the way). But if you check the 39mm automatic watch and compare it to the same medium size watch, the difference is almost double in price for some models. It’s the same classic design, but in a smaller proportion that still works just as well as the larger 39mm: the layout of the dial, that beautiful boathole designed case. And if you’re willing to give the two tone look a try, you’ll pick up even more of a bargain.

Then there’s vintage watches from the 1950s: the style of the time clearly lent itself to the mid-size range, and there are far more of these size watches than the larger case sizes of 38mm and upwards. And again, there are some absolutely beautiful vintage pieces here too. Rolex bubblebacks which are no where near as popular as their more larger cousins of today. The same can be said for vintage Omega and Longines dress watches from this time as well.

Of course, if you have massive wrists, I get it: an elegantly sized 34mm wristwatch may not quite be the look for you. But, if you’re wrists aren’t quite the size of Dwayne Johnson’s and you’ve not yet tried a mid-size watch on properly, give it a go. You might just be pleasantly surprised.

If you liked the article, or are a fan of the blog, please give us a follow on Instagram here, or check out our YouTube channel here to stay up to date on all things watch related.

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Pomelo's Top 5 Tips for Vintage Watch buying

The team at ABTW published an interesting article at the beginning of the year which we recently stumbled across on what to expect in the watch world in 2020. This included that we can expect more buyers to turn to buying pre-owned watches – including vintage. As this bizarre year of 2020 continues, we thought it would be useful to give you our top 5 tips on buying vintage as this trend shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.

Do your research

We had to start off with this. For the love of the Almighty before you make any serious sort of purchase, please make sure you research, research and (do more) research. Most people start online and will usually stumble across a watch forum or two. The number of people who have told us that they saw a vintage watch they liked and just clicked “Buy now” and entered their credit card details, without doing any other sort of research is alarming. Naturally, forums are a great starting point to collect information, don’t take one post online as gospel. Checking a number of posts across various online sources is always a good idea as well as using reputable online watch resources like Revolution, Fratello, Hodinkee. Published reference watch books are also a good idea too. If someone’s published something in print, their reputation is at stake and you’d hope the publishing house trusts their expertise before giving them a publishing deal.

Buy the seller

There’s a reason that certain sellers say they live and die by their reputation: most spend years working at this to guarantee repeat business. You might end up paying a little more to buy from these sellers, but trustworthy sellers with a stellar reputation have better customer service and - in our experience - it’s usually worth paying this premium for this. Such sellers usually know exactly what they are selling, and are also less likely to want to fleece you to guarantee repeat business.

Low, low prices do not (always) mean great, great watches

An obvious one that applies to nearly everything in life: you pay peanuts and you get monkeys. If you see something that’s a lower price compared to other things out there, there’s usually a reason why a seller has priced it at a lower point. Are you sure it’s a good deal? Sellers want to maximise profit, and online resources like Chrono24 are great in that they make it clear what the market is charging for the same watch. Make sure you go into any transaction with your eyes open, otherwise you might end up regretting a bargain that was too good to be true.

Condition is key

Aside from making sure that the correct manufacturer parts are on the piece you’re looking at (case, dial, bracelet etc.) for that particular model of watch, you also need to ensure that the condition of the watch makes it worthwhile putting your money down for. We’re seeing an increasing divide in the vintage watch market between watches in excellent condition that are snapped up instantly and command higher prices, and those that are in average to a little-worse-for-wear condition which appear to be just sitting on the shelf like a tin of beans that just reached their expiry date. We joke, but the divide seems to be becoming more apparent. Extras like box and papers help with provenance and peace of mind and all that, but you can buy an empty box for a few hundred pounds/dollars on ebay. Put condition above everything and you’ll make the right decision.

Buy what you like, not what others like

Last but not least, and this isn’t really to avoid you getting sharked, but more just a general pointer: buy what the hell you like. Our advice is to not chase trends or buy something that you think everyone else likes. To hell with everyone else. You like two tone instead of stainless steel? Great. You prefer a vintage Doxa to a vintage Rolex? Good for you. In a few months’ time, after potentially spending a lot of money on your watch, you might look down at your wrist and think you never really liked what you see in the first place. And unless you’ve bought something that hold its value well, you might end up selling it on for a loss. Avoid the pain and stick with what you like.

 Did we miss out on any others? If so, drop us a comment below. Be great to hear your own experiences and what else we can learn from one another. Happy hunting! 

And whilst you’re here…

If you liked the article, or are a fan of the blog, please give us a follow on Instagram here, or check out our YouTube channel here to stay up to date on all things watch related.

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Chasing lost time: the Rolex Zenith Daytona

The Rolex Daytona has been that Rolex watch which - at some point in time – has likely been on every watch collector’s wish list. Of all the recent versions, the popularity of the “Zenith” Daytona has skyrocketed. Flying to India last year, I had a chance to get up close and personal with one. Safe to say, it did not disappoint.

Before flying to Mumbai, India, I text a friend of mine who lives there sending him a long text. I told him I was in town, gave him an update on the past few months and said it would be great to catch up if he was in town. His reply was a masterclass in brevity: “Yes”. Well, that was clear. We arranged for a drink at the hotel I was staying in at Nariman Point. Before he left to meet me, I gave him a quick call and cheekily asked: “Any chance you can bring your Daytona?”. He’d sent me a few wrist shots of the watch before, but I hadn’t had a chance to see it in person.

We met at the hotel lobby. I hadn’t seen him in quite a while, and he’d lost a lot of weight. But, I’ll admit that was probably the second thing I notice. As soon as I saw him my eyes did that thing that watch people have a habit of doing. You know what I’m talking about: the eyes straight to the wrist. We headed to the bar at the hotel and ordered a couple of drinks to catch up. We spoke about work and how he’d bought another watch recently. Mid-conversation he took his watch off and handed it to me. “Go on, I know what you really want to take a look at.”

It was a Zenith Daytona. Pretty much brand new, in fact. He told me how he’d bought it when it first came out and it had been sitting in his safe for almost twenty years. I asked him why he was keeping something so beautiful in a safe (he’s not an investment watch kind of guy). He replied that it was so beautiful, he had almost become afraid to wear it.

All that steely goodness

Holding it in my hand, the first thing that struck me about the watch was just how sharp the-stainless steel case was. It was a reminder of how fresh and clean a watch is when you pick up it up as the first owner. The bracelet was still squeaky-steel-clean as I placed it over my wrist. And what a looker it was on the wrist. The 40mm steel case was in that sweet spot for me. And the steel bezel finely polished as it was when it left Rolex without a single scratch, dent or flaw to it.

No inverted “6” here

The fun fact most people remember about the Zenith Daytona lineup is that some of these watches have an inverted 6 on the 6 o’clock subsidiary dial. Reading these on the wrist the number then naturally read “9”. Rolex later corrected this with subsequent versions of their Daytona. The one my friend had here was a later corrected version. If you’re new to the watch game, you might be thinking “Great, he had the corrected version.” Afraid not, my friend. Collectors in the watch game love misprints and brand-made mistakes with dials (within reason); its seen as something unique to collect.

Putting the puzzle together

With watches its sometimes all the little clues that you have to piece together to give you the full picture. The dial here also gave away the fact that my friend’s Rolex was one of the last versions of the Zenith movement 16520 produced by Rolex before they moved to using their own in-house calibre. The ��Swiss Made” print at the bottom of the watch dial indicated the use of super-luminova as the fill on the metal indices instead of tritium (something Rolex used on earlier iterations before this and which were indicated on these Zenith Daytona with “T Swiss Made T” printed on the dial. It’s a similar story with the GMT Master II, which you can watch about here.)

The dial also still had the words ”DAYTONA” printed above it in red. This harks back to the first iteration of the Daytona which also had this printed on it from 1965.

Stay classy

I’m a sucker for a chronograph at the best of times, but this one is pure class. Rolex transformed the previous version of the Daytona from a sporty, racing look to something that could sit on your wrist on the beach sipping a negroni. Is it any wonder that Italian collectors went crazy for these watches in the 90s? Produced from 1988 until 2000, there were five iterations of the dial that produced and these things have rocketed in value over the last few years. My advice is pick one up (if you can), otherwise, think about a two-tone version which can still be picked up for almost half the price of these stainless steels.

As I passed the watch back to my friend, I told him he should wear the Daytona more often. He half nodded his head, before sipping his drink and saying, “If I did, you wouldn’t be drooling over it the way you are right now.”

[pomelowatches]

Street Watch

In a world before lockdown, we hit the streets of London to find out what the good people around town were wearing on their wrists. Check out the results below.

Cayleb, IWC Portofino Chronograph

We caught Cayleb - a tattoo artist visiting London on holiday from Australia – wearing this beautiful IWC Portofino Chronograph. He mentioned he picked it up on his visit to Switzerland before he had stopped off in London. I’ve always liked the IWC Portugieser, but this one is an equal stunner. The depth of blue on the dial was deep enough from afar to make you think it was black, but close up its sultry tones took you to those Italian Mediterranean waters. You might think stainless steel case and gold hands don’t really work together: you’d be wrong. IWC has managed to effortlessly blend the two together here. The watch was on the larger side at 42mm for my svelte (small) wrists and – as you may be able to tell from the photos - came with IWC’s antireflective coating, often found on their watches these days.

Stella, Bulgari Diagono Professional Chronograph

Stella was wearing this Bulgari Diagono Professional Chronograph (Reference CH 40 STA). The watch comes with a 40mm stainless steel case and comes on an equally sturdy stainless steel clasp bracelet that you can see from the top. The dark blue dial looks great against that grey tone of the case and the red accents on the hands found on the chronograph’s smaller subsidiary dials (the three smaller white dials on the watch) lets your eyes know where they should be paying attention to.

Meritan, Rolex Datejust “Wimbledon” dial

You might recognise Meritan Shabani from the football pitch (sorry, soccer, for our American friends). He used to play for Bayern Munich and now plays for the Wolverhampton Wolves. I’ll be honest. We didn’t know any of this as we approached him in the street asking if he’d be kind enough to allow us to take a street photo. He looked like an interesting photo subject and the kind of guy who might be wearing an interesting watch. And we were right.

Meritan was sporting this Rolex Datejust in a 41mm stainless steel case. The watch comes with a 18ct white-gold and stainless steel fluted bezel (what Rolex calls “Rolesor”) and features Rolex’s grey slate "Wimbledon" dial with green Roman numeral indices. The Jubilee bracelet you see the watch on is also stainless steel. The watch is gorgeous up close and personal with the royal green Roman numerals standing out well against that grey dial.

Orange, Casio G-Shock

Walking down Carnaby Street in London you can’t help but notice the brightly coloured Casio G-Shock store. We began speaking with Orange who worked at the shop and who, naturally, mentioned he had a huge passion for G-Shocks and had been collecting these watches for a while. At the time he was wearing this Casio G-SHOCK MTGB1000RB-2A “Rainbow” which was unveiled during Basel 2019.

The rainbow coloured case is a bold look for the G-Shock, who usually stick to darker colours to reflect the watch’s sturdier case and strength. The watch has a sapphire crystal and a non-reflective coating. This baby also features the G Shock’s Bluetooth technology and comes with the G-Shock’s self-adjusting Multi-Band 6 atomic timekeeping (a built in antenna on the watch receives radio waves from transmission stations across the world to ensure the watch automatically shows the correct time). Neat.

With thanks to everyone who agreed to participate in our “Street Watch” series. Stay tuned for more on our Instagram here.

[pomelowatches]

The Raketa Perpetual Calendar

This guest “wrist check” is written by Dennis who runs a website dedicated to vintage watches at Vintage Watch Inc.

If there is one vintage Soviet watch brand that you are familiar with, it is probably Raketa. The history of the Raketa brand of watches dates back to 1721, when the workshop which would become the Raketa watch factory founded by Peter the Great (one of Russia’s former Emperors). The first watches from Raketa were produced more than 200 years later though. Raketa watches became famous for their efficient, long-lasting designs and reliable movements. In this “wrist check” we’ll take a look at the Raketa Perpetual Calendar produced during the 1980s.

Dimensions

If you were to view the Perpetual Calendar in person or see photos of it worn, you would notice right away that it is larger than most Soviet watches from that era. Its diameter is 40mm (excluding the crown) and lug-to-lug measures in at 42mm with a lug width of 18mm.

Dial 

This large watch came with dials in a variety of colours including white, dark blue and green, among others. The version here is the one with the white dial. Most of the other colours had a “metallic” sheen to it, but this one here does not.

In contrast to the matte white watch face are the simple black hands for hour, minute and second. The hours are displayed in Roman numerals, and are easy to read at a glance.

You will notice that this particular watch face says, "Made in USSR” at the bottom in Cyrillic. But that is not the case with every Raketa Perpetual Calendar. Some of these watches instead read, "Made in Russia." Based on which you see, you can figure out whether the Perpetual Calendar you are looking at was manufactured before or after (roughly) 1991.

The calendar feature of this Perpetual Calendar can be seen along the top and bottom hemispheres of the dial in light greenish markings. While a little hard to read in low light (since the contrast with the white is not so good), these numbers and lines at least do not distract you when you are just trying to glance at the time. I’ll circle back to this feature later on. First, let’s talk about the case and movement for this watch.

Case

At first glance, the case of the Raketa Perpetual Calendar may appear to be stainless steel: it’s actually a chrome-plated base metal,. As is the case with all plated watches, some plating may be lost with time because of the wear.

If you check the right side of the case, you’ll find a crown at 3 o’clock, and another at 4 o’clock. You can wind the watch using the top crown, or, by pulling at it, you can quickset set the date. The crown below it is for the calendar.

Movement

The movement which powers the Raketa Perpetual Calendar is the manual-wind 2628.H. This 19 jewels movement is a real workhorse. Beating at 18,000 bph, it features day and date, with a date quickset function (the date can be changed when the main 3 o’clock crown is pulled to its 3rd position). The time is set when this crown is in its 2nd position. While this movement controls the standard functions of the watch, it does not control the “perpetual” calendar.

Perpetual Calendar Feature

Now onto the star of the show: the calendar. At the bottom of the watch, you’ll see the months in the light greenish colour, and at the very bottom, the years. On the top part of the dial, you will see dates (also in light green), and above those, the days of the week.

Using the crown at 4 o’clock, you can set the calendar. Once you have it set, you can read the exact date. How does that work? First, you’ll need to align the current year at the bottom of the dial with the current month. But wait, there’s nothing after 2000… Apparently the Soviet engineers, when they designed this watch, were already fearing the Y2K bug! You’ll need to do some simple calculations in order to determine which year – among the available ones – to use. Here’s what I found online:

There is a very simple pattern for determining "when" calendars repeat with the same day/date combinations. Define any year as one of four things: a "leap year", the "1st year after a leap year", the "2nd year after a leap year", or the "3rd year after a leap year". Add 28 to a "leap year" to get the next year that it will repeat. Add 6 to the "1st year after a leap year" to get the next year that it will repeat; add 11 to the "2nd year after a leap year" to get the next year that it will repeat. Also add 11 to the "3rd year after a leap year" to get the next year that it repeats. Ex: 2010 is the 2nd yr after a leap year and will repeat in 2010 + 11 = 2021. 2011 repeats in 2022; 2012 repeats in 2040; 2013 repeats in 2019; 2014 repeats in 2025; 2015 repeats in 2026; 2016 repeats in 2044; 2017 repeats in 2023; and so on.

Let’s imagine today is the 20th of May, 2020 (Wednesday). 2020 being a leap year, you’ll need to deduct 28 in order to determine which year you can use.  2020 – 28 = 1992. So you need to align 1992 with МАЙ (May in Russian). 

Once you have done that, you can look to the top of the dial to figure out the exact date. You know it’s the 20th, and the day of the week will be displayed above: СРД corresponds to среда, Wednesday in Russian. If you forgot that it’s the 20th and all you know is that it’s Wednesday, you can try and figure out the date the other way around. And if you don’t know the date and the day of the week, unfortunately this watch won’t be able to help you. Voilà!

Food for thought

There are some obvious limitations to the calendar feature. But this is also what makes the Perpetual Calendar so unique. We’ve discussed how its use is not exactly, well, straightforward. And by 2020, this calendar feature is clearly dated.

Nevertheless, the coolness of the feature endures, making this watch a ready conversation piece. It’s one of the most interesting and sought-after designs by Raketa, on par with the World Time or Big Zero. Also, the primary function of the watch i.e. timekeeping, remains unaffected; the 2628.H movement is robust enough to keep working beautifully so long as the watch is kept well-maintained. Thankfully, that is the case with my Raketa Perpetual Calendar. And while it’s not as precise as a quartz watch and gains around 20 seconds per day, on the whole, it is reliable and accurate enough for my needs.

Also, the contrast between the matte white dial and the black hands makes the watch easy to read at a glance. I really like this colour scheme, but there are other variants that are definitely worth looking at out there too, for example this gorgeous cream dial in a gold-plated case.

In the market for a Raketa Perpetual Calendar? You shouldn’t need to pay more than $100 for one of these, even in good condition. I do suggest that you pay close attention to the crystal, as some replacement crystals make it hard to read the calendar. Of course, if you end up with such a specimen, you can always replace the crystal again with one which is more suitable.

With Raketa, fakes and frankens are common, so be extra alert to tell-tale signs and make sure you are getting an authentic watch. Good luck, and if you do collect a Raketa Perpetual Calendar of your own, I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do mine.

[pomelowatches]

Check out our new In Focus series

We’ve launched a new “In Focus” series in which we explore what to look out for when you’re on the search for some of your favourite watches. Our first instalment looks at the classic Rolex watch, the GMT Master II 16710.

We’ve been there. And so have you. You’re on the hunt for a watch but aren’t sure what to look out for. What bracelet should the watch be found with? What are the correct endlinks? Is that the right dial, or a service dial? Hopefully our “In Focus” series solves this problem. In this series, we’ll be exploring some of your favourite watches. Check out our first post with the Rolex GMT Master II 16710 here and make sure you subscribe to our youtube channel to stay up to date with our In Focus video series.

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The Rolex GMT Master II 16710

With our “In Focus” series we explore what to look out for when you’re on the search for some of your favourite watches. In this first instalment, we take a look at the classic Rolex watch, the GMT Master II 16710.

We’ve been there ourselves: you’re looking for a watch, but what should you look out for? Watch forums are littered with sporadic knowledge on watches. Unfortunately, though, there’s no real coherent way to take this all in (without trawling through 1000s of posts - some of which may not be entirely useful). Hopefully this In Focus series might be able to help you out here. Let’s get into it.

The Rolex GMT Master II - 16710

With Rolex’s release of the Pepsi GMT Master II 126710 BLRO (and its corresponding lack of supply), demand for its predecessor – the 16710 - has gone through the roof. Those who can’t find the latest BLRO are turning to the 16710 to quench their thirst. So, what should you look for when you’re buying this?

Understanding the reference

We’re not going to go into the history of the GMT watch, its form and function (the guys at Fratello Watches did a great job in a story which details the entire history of the Rolex GMT Master here). Let’s assume you know all that, and pick up the story during the late 80s when the 16710 came in after a number of iterations of the first GMT Master which was first produced in the 1950s.

The 16710 was produced from 1989 until 2007 but, as you can guess with a watch that was made over an 18-year period, there were quite a few changes to the watch which it’s good to be mindful of when you buy. Dates are approximate as, in reality, only Rolex knows the exact date of when things changed.

Dial – indices and lume plots

The first dials on the 16710 were produced with tritium white gold indices and were in production until 1997/1998. They featured the writing “T<25” at the 6 o’clock position. Given this is tritium, today - some twenty plus years later - in a dark room the tritium should glow for a very short while (or might not glow much at all!) before the glow fades away quickly.

From 1998/99, dials then changed to using luminova lume and were instead marked with the word “Swiss” instead at the 6 o’clock. Today, these luminova dials should emit a stronger green glow (compared to tritium) when you expose it to UV light, and should still be able to hold their charge.

From 2000 onwards, the dial indices used superluminova lume, and were marked with “Swiss Made” instead like below. Superluminova uses the same base compound as luminova and both possess very similar qualities. If you flash a UV light to this dial today, it should also be able to hold its charge with a quite bright greenish hue for a longer while still compared to luminova. Like this.

Saying that, there are variants out there. Luminova has been said to have been found on a T<25 dial (which in theory should read Swiss at the bottom instead). Presumably, as is the case with certain Omega Speedmasters from the 1960s, parts and materials were used towards their transitioning out – if a manufacturer had material left which was good to use, it might well have been used.

Bezel

The Bezel! That beautiful design. The aluminium bezel on the 16710 came in three colours: black (“LN” – Rolex code for “lunette noir”, which in Swiss means “black bezel”), the classic blue and red (the “BLRO” – code for “Bleu Rouge”), and black and red (er, sorry – we’re not sure what the Rolex code for this one is. You’ll often hear this referred to as the “Coke”). Some have reported that the newer plastic service warranty cards (as opposed to the previous paper warranties which used to be issued as proof of service) print “N” for Noir (Black bezel), "A" for Black/Red and "B" for “Blue/Red” on them. I can’t attest to this; when I had my 16710 serviced at the Rolex Service Centre it simply came back to me and had “16710” printed on it.

The bezel should also be bi-directional and have 120 clicks in one full turn.

Collectors in the US will swear that original papers for the 16710 should also have the specific bezel colour model printed on them. Whilst this may be true for American pieces, this isn’t necessarily the case for the rest of the world. Friends on The Rolex Forum (“TRF”), particularly those in Europe, have said that the papers often will not have this printed on. Mine don’t and my papers were originally stamped by a German retailer.

Buyers will also usually want to know whether the bezel on the watch is an original Rolex part. The capacity for aftermarket (read this as a polite way of saying “non-Rolex original”) bezels is huge. Producers know that they cost very little to make and can be sold on for a healthy profit, particularly with the current craze for faded bezels. I bought a genuine 16710 myself which turned out to have an aftermarket pepsi bezel (Rolex politely informed me of this when I took the watch for service). Although it did have an authentic Rolex black and red bezel with it too.

If you are worried about a bezel, your best bet is to visit a Rolex Service Centre to confirm that your bezel is genuine. I wouldn’t bother buying “genuine” bezels often advertised on ebay/gumtree or anywhere else at - the often - extortionate prices you see them listed for. A Rolex Service Centre will happily let you buy a brand new, genuine bezel for about £30 (or £50 if you want to keep any existing genuine bezel whilst buying a new one).

Fonts 

One thing frequently debated is the print of the “II” wording on the GMT Master dial. There are three different variations known out there at present: the stick dial, roman dial, and the rectangular dial. From my own experience, I’ve seen less rectangular dials out there available compared to stick dials, and less stick dials out there compared to roman dials. See the picture below which shows the difference between these dial variations.

Some argue that the so called “stick” dials (once referred to as “error” dials) on the 16710 are worth more given their rarity (and apparent pairing with the 3186 movement - see more below). Others say that the change in font is actually nothing more than just that: a change in font as years of production has gone on, and that, today, stick dials can are increasingly found on replaced service dials. If so, we may see more stick dials in the wild as time goes on. The reality is - no one other than Rolex knows the truth here on this, and, personally, I don’t obsess about this sort of thing. 

Movement 

The 16710 featured the 3185 movement until 2007 when the 3186 movement was introduced. The very last batch of reference 16710 GMT-Master II watches had the updated 3186 movement which included Rolex’s famous Parachrom bleu hairspring (in basic terms, and without overdoing the physics/watchmaking lessons, this is the regulator that controls how precise the watch runs). You’ll see 16710s with the 3186 movement being priced at a premium compared to those with the 3185s.

Crystal

The crystal used on all versions of the 16710 was a sapphire glass crystal. One thing to note is that those 16710s from 2003 should have a laser etched Rolex crown (“LEC”) - the Rolex symbol - etched into the sapphire glass, usually at the 6 o’clock (although some examples have been said to have been found as early as 2001). It’s tiny, but it should be there. It should also be fairly visible without a loupe, but you may need some good lighting to spot it. If the crystal is a service crystal, you will likely be provided a service replacement crystal, and the LEC will have an "S" (service) inside the Rolex crown.

Case lugholes

To lug hole, or not to lug hole: that is the question. On the side of the case you’ll find 16710s from before 2003 (Y series models) which have lug holes on them. What does this mean? This means that you can change the bracelet on your watch easily with a strap of your own choice - using something as simple as a toothpick to remove and reinsert the spring bars. That’s not to say you can’t change straps with a 16710 that is without holes, it’s just a bit fiddly and you’ll probably need a spring bar tool to make life easier. Also: word of warning – you might scratch the lugs if you’re not used to putting spring bars back on, so be a bit careful here.

Bracelet and end links

The GMT Master II 16710 is usually found on an oyster bracelet (models 78360 or 78790A) – the latter featuring an oysterlock (one of Rolex’s previous iterations of its safety clasps to ensure the bracelet safely remains on the wrist). However, during its lifetime of production the 16710 was also available for sale with a jubilee bracelet too (the 62510H). If you prefer one style over the other, speak to the Rolex Service Centre who will be able to sell you the version of the bracelet in question you’re after.

The 16710s can also be found with two different types of end links (the part of the watch that connects the bracelet to the watch head): hollow and solid. The first versions of the 16710 until around 2000 came with hollow end links, and later versions from here onwards came with solid end links (“SEL”). What’s the difference? SELs are meant to be slightly stronger as they are, well, solid – albeit, not entirely solid (I know, a bit confusing right?). Hollow end links have a more vintage feel to them and generally rattle a little more as you wear the watch. The Crown & Calibre guys did a great video on the difference between these sorts of endlinks which you can watch here.

Fruit for thought

The GMT Master 16710 is an iconic watch reference which remains loved by watch enthusiasts over the world. That’s no small coincidence: the watch possesses the style and story of a classic vintage Rolex, and was the last GMT iteration before the move to today’s larger Rolex GMT cases. 

A final word of advice when it comes to buying the GMT Master II 16710: bearing in mind the pointers above, if something feels off - or you don’t trust the seller - my advice would be to stay clear. It’s common sense, I know, but we can often overlook such basic advice when we find - what we think is - a great price. Remember with any Rolex vintage watch purchased, you can always ask a Rolex Service Centre (provided you live close to one) to verify a watch’s legitimacy post sale when you take it in to get a quote for service. And despite all the above variance that exists among the 16710, the usual rules apply: buy what you like, and buy the best condition you can for money available.

Hopefully that was a helpful guide. If you enjoyed the article (or didn’t!) – please let us know below. And as usual, if you have any comments, questions or suggestions on what you might want us to look at next feel free to drop them below.

[pomelowatches]

Where have you been?

Our apologies for the radio silence over the past few months. We had a few things to deal with. But, the good news is: we’re back.

A few of you might have been wondering “What gives? No fabulous watch shots or write ups over the past few months”. You’re right and we’re sorry. To level with you, life got in the way. My father was diagnosed with the Coronavirus and was hospitalised in the intensive care unit (ICU). Naturally, its family first and so Pomelo became less of a priority.

Fast forward to today, and Dad’s been released from ICU this week. My family and I are extremely happy. We realise how massively lucky we got, as a lot of people did not have the same fortune: fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, people who won’t get a chance to see their loves ones again because this virus viciously cut short their lives. It’s horrible to think about.

If you had told me at the start of the year that the world would be turned on its head with air travel (essentially) ceasing, people self-isolating in their homes, businesses being forced to shut and thousands of people dying, I wouldn’t have believed you. No one would have. But life has a way of catching us off guard.

Dad has by no means fully recovered and the road to recovery may well be long and difficult, but we’re grateful he’s alive, breathing and can communicate with us. Which brings me to my next point.

Whilst I wasn’t able to create content during these difficult times, I sure as hell was consuming it. The #watches and all of its watch related content that people have been putting out over the past few weeks offered me a welcome respite from all the difficulties, stress and sleepless nights I faced during this time. So, thank you.

And as much as I love consuming this type of content. I also love creating it too. To distract myself from evenings full of worry and stress, I also worked on a video we’d recorded before the lockdown began (which we’ll be sharing shortly). We’d also collected different pieces of content before the lockdown which we’ll finally have a chance to finish.

Stay safe people. 

Thanks,

Anish

[pomelowatches]

Is this the last chance to get a vintage Tudor submariner before things get really crazy?

The secret’s out. Everyone knows that vintage Tudor watches are great quality, but can you still pick up a vintage Tudor submariner model for a reasonable price.

Compared to years gone by, the vintage watch market has seen a huge increase in prices. In our interview with Watches of Knightsbridge founder Toby Sutton, Toby mentioned that there’s been a strong interest in Tudor over the past few years which he believes is only set to continue (click the link here to learn more on that one). That’s no surprise. The Tudor brand has a legitimate link to its premium sister brand Rolex, and Tudor’s vintage watches even shared parts with Rolex. But, can you still pick up a worthy bargain on a vintage Tudor submariner today?

Vintage Rolex submariners from the 1960s until the early 1990s have seen a massive price increase compared to a few years ago. Tudor’s variations, in contrast, always seemed a little behind the curve. That has now firmly changed. A few years back prices began to shoot up. Perhaps this was due to the fact that the Tudor brand had become resurrected as a formidable modern watch brand in its own right; Tudor entered a heavy marketing programme with brand ambassadors like Lady Gaga and David Beckham. In addition, Rolex’s shortage of stainless steel supply - and Tudor’s outstanding performance with models like the Black Bay - has caused many to look to Tudor’s watch line up (including its vintage offerings) as an alternative.

Define “Reasonable”

But what vintage Tudor submariner models can you pick up out there for a reasonable price still? Firstly, “reasonable” is entirely open to interpretation. If you were buying twenty years ago, the prices referenced below might look entirely unreasonable. However, as we all know, all things in life are relative and it’s the present day vintage watch market prices that we are considering in this conversation.

Tudor’s Submariner range

The very first Tudor submariners (1954 to 1968) have seen some serious price increases, and it’s unlikely you will be able to pick up a good quality one for less than £10,000. Not exactly a bargain. Saying that, you may be able to still find value amongst the second series of Tudor Subs (produced from 1969 to 1999), in particular the 79000 references produced in the late 1980s.

Enter the 79000 series

Models from the 79000 series (the reference 79090 and 79190) were produced from 1989 until 1999 and can still be found today for between £4-5,000 (depending on condition and whether the steel bracelet is included). Let’s take a look at the two different models.

The 79090

The dials on this reference came in either blue or black, with a matching coloured bezel. At 6 o’clock, the watch displayed a reminder of their waterproofness guarantee to 200m, and the Tudor shield logo at the 12 o’clock: no Tudor vintage Rose logo here, I’m afraid. The watch also featured the classic mercedes hands. In addition, whilst the general style of the dial displayed those classic designs found on your other Rolex and Tudor submariners from previous years, the hour markers placed at 6 and 9 o’clock were no longer rectangular but triangular instead.

The watch came in a 39 mm stainless steel case, housed an automatic ETA movement, and came with a fliplock folding clasp with Tudor logo markings. You should still also be able to find the Rolex logo on the crown and Rolex markings on the stainless steel caseback on these watches.

Not only does the beautiful 79090 feature a beautiful matte dials in its line up - something you find on those beautiful transitional 1980s Rolex submariner models - but you can pick some of these Tudor variations up for a far more reasonable price of £4-5,000 compared to some other vintage Rolex and Tudor submariners out there.

The 79190

The reference 79190 arrived on the scene in 1995 and was the last of the Tudor submariners produced until 1999. It appears that Tudor continued producing the same style of watches as the reference 79090 watch (blue bezel and blue dial, and black bezel and black dial), but added a significant update. The update came in the form of a sapphire glass crystal - the 79090 previously came with an acrylic plastic crystal. Looking at photos, it seems this sapphire crystal also required a larger bezel too. Other than this, these watches had many of the same design hallmarks of the previous 79090: a cyclops over the date, a 39 mm stainless steel case and fliplock bracelet with Tudor logo.

In 1997, as part of this reference, Tudor then also introduced another submariner variant. This watch - still called the 79190 - came with an engraved, polished stainless steel insert, white gold applied markers, and came with either a blue or black gloss dial. As you can see from the below, this is very different to the previous iteration of the submariner we just looked at, and appears more like the modern line up of watches that we see being produced today. These versions are usually priced a little higher right now given their rarity. Still, a nice quirk to have and the last Submariner Tudor has so far produced. In general 79190s can be found for between £4,500-£6,000.

Food for thought

All of these watches are a real treat on the wrist. We love the blue bezel and dial versions of the 79090 which remind us of those now highly sought after “Snowflake” models. Whilst the black bezel and black dial iteration bears a clear resemblance to Rolex’s 16800 transitional model - which has also shot up in price the past two or three years.

If you’re looking to pick up a mid-range priced vintage Tudor Submariner, our advice is to buy one of these now. Whilst you still can.

[pomelowatches]

Why we love Matt(e)

We all know a Matt. But we’re not talking your best friend from college here. We’re talking matte dials.

The beauty and value of a watch is often found in its dial. We’re not for one minute saying the rest of the watch is irrelevant. But, when you pick up a watch, the first thing that usually catches your eye is the dial. And dials come in a variety of styles: but today we wanted to focus on the matte variety and why we love them so much.

What exactly is a matte dial? If you think back to your home decorating days, the finish on the paint tin came in a number of styles: gloss, satin or matte. Watch collectors use a similar description when describing watch dials. Matte dials are printed dials that have more of a flat, greyish tone to their surface compared to glossy black dials which are shinier in finish. The lume plots on matte dials are also usually painted onto the dial instead of being applied or having metal surroundings which are filled. Check out the Rolex Submariner 16800 that we’ve shown in the photo above as an example of this. You can clearly see the flat greyish tone on the dial as it reflects the light from the photo on the left hand side of the image. Glossier dials would show up with a much more shiny reflection beneath the crystal.

But why do we love this dial in particular? Matte finished dials are usually found in black, and when this finish is applied to this colour it perfectly suits the rugged "tool" watch aesthetic of the early vintage 70s and 80s watches matte dials are found on – we’re talking early Rolex GMTs, Rolex, Tudor Submariners or Breguet’s here. The painted white lume plots contrast this rough and ready look and often take a creamy or pumpkin patina after a while which looks absolutely beautiful and unique compared to the modern watches of today. We’re not the only ones that love this patina either: collectors will often pay a heavy premium for certain styles of patina, and it definitely is the flavour of the day at the moment.

The printing process behind matte dials watches is also quite simple in contrast to other dials. First a matte finished black background is printed on top of a metal plate. The text, minute, and hour markers are then printed on top in white, and then the lume (usually tritium considering when most of these types dials were produced) is applied on top of the hour markers. Given the simpler printing process behind these, these dials are often much easier (and cheaper) to produce compared to some other dial manufacturing such as gilt dial production, which is a whole other ball game.

Drop us a comment below if you’d like us to go into more detail on gilt dials - but expect a bit more of a longer article and science on that one!

[pomelowatches]

Why would anyone want a watch you can hide in plain sight?

Most people today like the idea of flexing their nice watch, so the idea of having a watch hide in plain sight might seem a bit strange. However, the concept came from an ingenious concept designed to solve a very specific problem that originated on the polo field during the 1930s.

You’ll often hear Jaeger-LeCoultre referred to as the “watchmaker’s watchmaker”. Why? Because Jaeger-LeCoultre has – at one time during its lengthy history – manufactured movements for nearly all other of the major Swiss watch companies out there. The company has a rich heritage in watch making dating back to 1833, older than even Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. The company has also been responsible for some of the most incredible developments in watch making history. One of these being the watch you see here today: the Reverso.

The story of the Reverso has links to a completely different industry: the dental field. A French businessman by the name of Caesar De Trey was an entrepreneur in the dental industry and also happened to be extremely passionate about watches. During a polo match in India he noticed that polo players were damaging their watches through the mallet action striking on the watch. He thought there must be a way to solve this problem and came up with the idea of sliding and reversing the watch being worn to protect the watch’s crystal and dial.

When Caesar De Tray returned to Europe in the 1930s he contacted the Swiss movement company LeCoultre and asked for their help in designing and creating the watch (at that time Jaeger-LeCoultre - as we know them today - didn’t exist). LeCoultre, in turn, approached the French firm Jaeger S.A. to help design and manufacture the reversible case. And so, the Reverso developed from a simple idea to a concept which would be manufactured.

Staying true to the original idea for the watch, the patent filed specified that the watch must be able to slide in its support and be completely turned over. Although this piece of vintage chic might seem quite fashion focused, at the time it was, essentially, being advertised as a tool watch. Adverts for the Reverso at the time it was launched described the watch as a utilitarian one designed for the modern sportsman or woman.

The Reverso remains a popular watch today. Even though the watch has undergone a few changes since the 1930s (and even dropped out of the Jaeger-LeCoultre line up for a few decades at the end of the 1950s), today’s Reversos remains true to the original art deco style of the very first line of Reverso watches.

Cover image on the article courtesy of @watchyouwearin.

[pomelowatches]

How Patek Philippe helped a US Admiral cross Antarctica

Patek Philippe is one of the world’s renowned watchmakers. With a legacy dating back some 180 years it’s no surprise that their watches have heralded ushered in technological advancements and are cited as artworks in their own right. But here’s a lesser known story of how Patek helped a US Naval officer crossing the perils of Antarctica.

Rolex has positioned itself as the watchmaker creating functional watches for a specific purpose: think the Sea Dweller for divers, GMT Master for airline pilots, and the Daytona for car racing. But Rolex weren’t the only watchmaker creating such “tool” watches (which also happens to be a great marketing shout, by the way). Patek did the same.

In 1955 a US mission was announced to establish a research station in Antarctica, which Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd of the U.S. Navy was appointed to lead. The Admiral carried a Patek Philippe from the 1920s on him during an earlier operation to the baron ice mass of Antarctica. When Patek learnt about this it jumped at the chance to offer the Admiral a new Patek as part of his voyage to Antarctica to establish the research station and according to his specifications (wristwatch or pocket watch, they asked him).

Admiral Byrd replied that he would prefer a pocket watch with a radium dial (although he reassured Patek that his older watch was still “functioning perfectly after these many years”). In the mid-1950s Patek were producing approximately 25 watches a day, and to design and create a brand new watch that could survive Antarctic conditions was no small feat. But, Patek were determined to show that they could not only meet the requirements of the Admiral’s mission, but that the Admiral could also leave on time as planed to Antarctica armed with one of their watches.

Patek worked around the clock (pun intended) to create a water-resistant steel pocket chronometer that was capable of withstanding sub-arctic temperatures of -75 degrees centigrade. The soft iron case surrounding the timepiece’s movement also meant that it was able to resist the stronger magnetic fields found in Antarctica. As soon as the pocketwatch was ready, Patek couriered the piece by air from Geneva to New York with a note sending their “sincerest wishes for…success”.

In doing so Patek also developed the technology it needed to launch its own “Amagnetic” line of watches a short while after in 1958. The movement for this watch used non-magnetic materials and – as with the pocketwatch developed for Admiral Byrd – a soft iron casing to protect the watch’s movement from magnetic fields.

[pomelowatches]

Our Top 5 tips for vintage watch hunting

The team at ABTW recently published an interesting article about what to expect in the watch world in 2020. This included that we can expect more buyers to turn to buying pre-owned watches – including vintage. As we kick off the new year, we thought it would be useful to give you our top 5 tips on buying vintage going into this trend.

Do your research

We had to start off with this. For the love of the Almighty before you make any purchase, please make sure you research, research and (do more) research. Most people start online and will usually stumble across a watch forum or two. Whilst forums are a great starting point, don’t take one post online as gospel. Checking a number of posts across various online sources is always a good idea as well as using reputable watch resources like Revolution, Fratello, Hodinkee. Published reference watch books are also a good idea too. If someone’s published something in print, their reputation is at stake and you’d hope the publishing house trusts their expertise before giving them a publishing deal.

Buy the seller

There’s a reason that certain sellers say they live and die by their reputation: most spend years working at this to guarantee repeat business. You might end up paying a little more to buy from these sellers, but trustworthy sellers with a stellar reputation have better customer service and - in our experience - it’s usually worth paying this premium for this. Such sellers usually know exactly what they are selling, and are also less likely to want to fleece you to guarantee repeat business.

Low, low prices do not (always) mean great, great watches

An obvious one that applies to nearly everything in life: pay peanuts and you get monkeys. If you see something that’s a lower price compared to other things out there, there’s usually a reason why a seller has priced it at a lower point. Are you sure it’s a good deal? Sellers want to maximise profit, and online resources like Chrono24 make it clear what the market is charging for the same watch. Make sure you go into any transaction with your eyes open, otherwise you might end up regretting a bargain that was too good to be true.

Condition is king

Aside from making sure that the correct manufacturer parts are on the piece you’re looking at (case, watch, dial, bracelet etc.) for that particular model of watch, you also need to ensure that the condition of the watch makes it worthwhile putting your money down for. We’re seeing an increasing divide in the vintage watch market between watches in excellent condition that are snapped up instantly and command higher prices, and those that are in average to worse condition which appear to be just sitting on the shelf. Extras like box and papers help with provenance and peace of mind, but you can buy an empty box for a few £100s on ebay. Put condition above everything and you’ll make the right decision.

Buy what you like, not what others like

Last but not least, and this isn’t really to avoid you getting sharked, but more just a general pointer: buy what the f*** you like. Our advice is to not chase trends or buy something that you think everyone else likes. To hell with everyone else. In a few months’ time, after potentially spending a lot of money on your watch, you might look down at your wrist and think you never really liked what you see in the first place. And unless you’ve bought something that hold its value well, you might end up selling it on for a loss. Avoid the pain and stick with what you want.

Happy hunting!

[pomelowatches]

What the hell is a “Jean-Claude Killy” Rolex?

Heard of the watch but aren’t sure what it is yet? Read on to learn more about one of the most beautiful watches in Rolex history.

If you’re reading this blog, you may well have heard of the Paul Newman Daytona and the James Bond Submariner. You might also have heard of the “Jean-Claude Killy”. But who is Jean-Claude Killy, and why are some Rolex watches named after him?

Jean-Claude Killy is a French Olympic skiing champion famed for winning three alpine events at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. He also went on to become a movie star, car racing driver, entrepreneur and helicopter pilot, but that’s a while other story.

The Jean-Claude Killy Rolex came in five iterations: the reference 4768, 4767, 5036, 6036 and 6236 (or four references, depending on which auction house you’re talking to: Sotheby’s haven’t included the 4768 in their reference to this watch). These references are all triple calendar Rolex chronographs that were produced in small runs between the late 50s and early 60s. The Rolex Jean-Claude Killy (“JCK”) is also often referred to as the Dato-Compax. “Dato” meaning “date” in Italian, and “compax” indicating that the watch’s movement complications. The thing that also makes JCKs so interesting is that, after producing these for a short period of time, Rolex stopped making triple calendar complication watches altogether. The brand moved towards the steel, professional sporty watch line up that they remain famous for today. That’s not to say that JCKs aren’t sporty: all of them feature a chronograph function, and nearly all of them (except the Reference 4768) feature Rolex’s Oyster waterproof case. However, the small production run together with owning an early part of Rolex history is what makes these watches so desirable – not to mention the fact that they are also incredibly beautiful.

But why the reference to Jean-Claude Killy? You’d most likely expect him to be featured in an advertisement for the watch, or in a Hollywood film wearing it. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Whilst Mr. Killy can be found on official Rolex advertisements for other watches (namely the Datejust, Rolex GMT Master II and Rolex Explorer II), there doesn’t appear to have been any advertisement in which he is seen wearing these Dato Compax line of watches.

Watch collectors have associated his name with the watch because he was said to have owned one in his collection which he enjoyed wearing. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. So, there you have it: the Jean-Claude Killy. A bit of an anti-climax I’m afraid, isn’t it? But it’s not exactly as if the Incredible Hulk has been seen skiing down the Swiss Alps wearing a green Rolex Submariner recently either is it?

[pomelowatches]

Vintage find of the week: a Zenith El Primero

Scouring the internet, we found this nice looking vintage Zenith El Primero for sale. Take a look and let us know what you think.

The Zenith El Primero is one of the most well-known watches out there. Zenith created the El Primero movement in 1969 which was released as the first ever integrated automatic chronograph movement capable of recording time up to one tenth of a second. Zenith went through a bit of a bumpy history during the 70s and after its sale to the American Zenith Radio Company it was decided the company should stop making mechanical watches given – you guessed it – the quartz crisis.

Thank god then for Charles Vermot, a determined Zenith watchmaker who was passionate about the art of watchmaking. So much so that he disobeyed head office instructions from Chicago to sell off all mechanical watch making machinery by secretly logging and hiding the plans, parts and tools required to make the El Primero to save them from destruction. Think about that for a second. Next time your boss tells you to do something, see what would happen if you basically told him to go and do one (US translation: to “go to hell”).

With this in mind, it’s no wonder why we love this watch and are presenting this one here as our vintage find of the week. There were quite a few Zenith El Primero’s made, and this Zenith El Primero is the 01.0210.415 which can be roughly dated to 1973. The 37mm case is made of stainless steel and it has an automatic winding Zenith calibre 3019PHC chronograph movement. The date function here is quick set and the watch comes with a Zenith signed crown. You’ll often see these El Primero’s with either 17 jewels or 31 jewels: don’t be alarmed, both are legitimate.

You can see the brushed finish on the bezel in the photos here which come with a polished ring around the crystal. Whilst the seller is advertising this one on a leather strap, personally we prefer this on a stainless-steel mesh bracelet. And, yes, you can see there is a bit of rub on the rotor from the caseback of the watch, but this appears to have been reflected in the price. This one is in fair condition and seems like a good bargain.

A seller on the Omega Forums has this for sale at £1800. Click here for more details: https://omegaforums.net/threads/fs-zenith-el-primero-01-0210-415.105533/

[pomelowatches]

Can Rolex really stop a couple from California from selling customised vintage watches to the public?

With the news that Rolex has filed legal action against a customisation house in the US, is the end in sight for customisation houses?

News began circulating in mid-November that Rolex filed legal action against a customisation house called LeCalifornienne in the district court of California. LeCalifornienne specialise in offering customised Rolex and Cartier vintage watches for men and women in a playful design which feature colourful pinks, turquoise and yellows. The company was founded by Courtney Ormond and Leszek Garwacki - a couple from California - in 2016. LeCalifornienne reportedly turned over US$1.25 million in their first year and have since gone on to be stocked globally in major department stores in the US, Canada, France and UK, and, on Gwyneth Paltrow’s online website goop.com.

Whilst a lot of comment/anger online focused on Rolex’s claim that these were “counterfeit” products (there were actually three different claims made by Rolex) and that this was the big boy Swiss corporation bullying a smaller company into submission, the real question is whether Rolex will succeed and if so, what this means for other customisation houses out there? Customisation houses

Before we get into this, it’s important to note there are two types of watch customisation houses. The first type will customise a watch that you provide to them for a fee in line with your specifications. The second are those that sell you a product they have purchased and customised; and their price includes the original product (together with associated logo/brand of product being sold – hint, that’s a spoiler alert there) together with their fee for customising this. One thing to note, it is definitely not the case that if Rolex wins this case, they will have the right to shut down every single customisation house out there; this really only focuses on the second types of these houses.

What is Rolex alleging?

Having read the papers that were filed with the court at California, there are a number of allegations being made by Rolex: (i) trademark counterfeiting (not just selling a counterfeit product, as a lot of people have been focusing on) (ii) trademark infringement (selling a trademarked product without a trademark license from the owner of the trademark – here, Rolex); and (iii) false designation of origin, descriptions and representations, and unfair competition.

Whilst people are getting pissed off that Rolex has described these LeCalifornienne products “counterfeit”, this is not what Rolex is saying; Rolex is really focusing on trademark infringement. The court papers describe that Rolex inspected two LeCalifornienne products (one which a Rolex investigator bought, and the other which a customer had sent to them for service), and found that:

“The dial has been refinished by stripping the original dial surface, removing the trademarks and hour marks, painting it aqua blue and reprinting the trademarks ROLEX and OYSTER PERPETUAL and reattaching the CROWN DESIGN trademark”.

That reprinting of Rolex’s trademark “ROLEX” and “OYSTER PERPETUAL” without a proper trademark license is the counterfeiting of the trademark. The papers also mention the crystal is not original on these watches and the bezel is not properly fitted which is likely to lead to water leaking into the second-hand watches being sold. But, that’s neither here nor there. This is all about Rolex’s trademarks being infringed.

Is Rolex legally entitled to take this action?

As a consumer, it’s not illegal to resell an item that you have legitimately purchased. If you’ve bought it, you can do with it as you please. But, once you plan on launching a business that does this, it can get a bit more complicated, namely due to trademarks.

If you’re using a manufacturers' logo to advertise products you’re reselling with their trademarked logo and intellectual property across it, you need their permission to do so. Without it, you risk being accused of trademark infringement and of using the trademark to benefit your own business - especially if your business does well and no longer flies under the radar. Which is exactly what has happened to LeCalifornienne.

It’s worth highlighting that Rolex is legally entitled to take this action against LeCalifornienne. Any business selling a product with someone else’s trademark on it requires a trademark licensing from the owner of the trademark before it can do this. Using the trademark without permission would arguably be a way for you to unfairly profit and benefit by using the manufacturer’s established intellectual property - and advertising efforts - for your own financial gain (which is what Rolex has also alleged).

But if you take this approach, this could extend to all vintage watch sellers who are reselling Rolex’s products? Are they infringing Rolex’s trademark by selling without a license whilst using Rolex’s trademark. Yes, that’s right. Any business that is advertising their service using Rolex’s crown, or other trademarked license logos which have been listed in the LeCalifornienne papers (which include the image of the crown, the terms “ROLEX”, “OYSTER”, “PRESIDENT”, “DAYTONA” to name but a few of the long list in the papers) are, technically, infringing Rolex’s intellectual property. Now, would Rolex do anything about these guys? Probably not. They’re not altering Rolex’s original product, and, if anything, these sellers are probably enhancing Rolex’s reputation by advertising Rolex’s products through glamorous Instagram and website shots for free.

What now?

If we look at the car world, similar things have happened here. But, customisation houses in this sphere take a very careful approach. The car customisation house Singer comes to mind. They openly state that “out of respect for Porsche’s trademark” they simply “reimagine” the Porsche 911 which you have to bring to them to get it customised; they do not buy old Porsches, turn them around and resell them.

The LeCalifornienne case is yet to go to trial, and at the time of writing this the court is in the process of assigning a judge to hear the case. Interestingly, since Rolex filed their case on 15 November, there have been no posting of Rolex watches by LeCalifornienne on their Instagram page: they’re only featuring Cartier watches. Arguably, Rolex is on a winning footing here from a legal point of view. If this goes to trial, my money is on Rolex winning this one. Alternatively, before it reaches that point, the parties may confidentially settle on an arrangement out of court.

[pomelowatches]

The man behind the watches: Toby Sutton - founder of Watches of Knightsbridge

As the last auction of the year from Watches of Knightsbridge comes to a close, we caught up with founder of the house - Toby Sutton - to get an insider’s view of the vintage watch market and find out which watch he’d take with him if he was stuck on a desert island.

Hi Toby, could you tell us a bit more about yourself. How did you first get into watches?

From an early age around 8 years old I remember my father, being a watch dealer, used to show me lots of watches and explain the difference between the movements etc. He often gave me old pocket watches & parts to take to the local flea market to sell with my grand parents on the weekend whilst he was working from our antiques arcade in Portobello Road.

And, what was the first watch you owned?

Boys sized Rolex Oyster for my 13th birthday. I wore it on special occasions and kept it under my bed to look at every now and again. Unfortunately I didn’t keep it and my father let me trade it up to a Tudor Big Block for my 16th birthday, which I then traded into a GMT 1675 for my 17th birthday, and so it continued.

Nice present! How was Watches of Knightsbridge born?

Having always wanted to work in the watch industry, especially after my stint working in the city as a trader, I managed to convince my father & uncle in 2011 to start a specialist watch auction. My grandfather who was an antiques dealer once said we needed a miracle for it to work. Luckily with a bit more work than we anticipated, we managed to make it happen!

What do you think makes Watches of Knightsbridge different compared to other auction houses?

Firstly we are one of the only auction houses worldwide specialising in just watches. If compared to other specialist watch departments at auction houses such as Sothebys and Phillips, then I would say that we share the same passion and construct our auctions in similar ways, however we specialise mainly in the middle range market with the core of what we sell being between £2,000-30,000. We have sold watches up towards £200k but we our aim is to focus on the more accessible mainstream vintage market.

You've been running auctions at Watches of Knightsbridge for 8 years now. What has been the most interesting watch you’ve auctioned and why? Any particular stand out stories that come to mind?

I wouldn’t say that the 6239 Paul Newman Daytona was the most interesting watch we have ever sold, but the way it was consigned from the original owner I will always remember. He submitted the selling form through our website with one image of his watch, description Rolex Daytona with no reference to Paul Newman or exotic dial etc etc. We estimated the watch at the time £40,000-60,000 to his surprise, so he made the trip up to consign the watch with us. The watch was a wedding gift from his parents-in-law in the 1970s and came with and original purchase receipt. What I remember most is that the original owner mentioned his two sons did not want the watch passed down to them because it was manual wind! A watch that anyone into vintage would only dream of inheriting in this way. The watch hammered for £63,000 plus buyers premium in 2014.

Wrist check: what’s on your wrist right now?

White gold Rolex Day Date ref. 1803 from early 1970s with black “confetti” dial. Toned down by wearing it on a grey leather strap instead of the President bracelet.

That’s a lovely watch. On a completely different note: you’re cast away on a desert island and can only take one watch with you. What do you have on your wrist and why?

The sensible answer would be the Breitling Emergency, however I wouldn’t trust that working properly so maybe an Apple Watch with a sim on full charge!

What watches have you seen an increasing interest in over the past year?

In the past 5 years the value of most vintage & pre-owned watches have increased, in some cases by up to 100%! This year we have seen the market overall soften. I would say there is still particularly strong interest in the vintage Royal Oak’s, Nautilus and Polerouters all designed by the most famous watch designer Gerald Genta. We have also noticed some collectors are now focusing on vintage Tudor rather than Rolex and whilst Rolex prices have maintained strength, Tudor prices are still on the rise.

Any predictions on what you think might be a great watch to buy in the future and why?

If you buy what you like to wear then it will end up being a great watch in the future because of sentimental value. At the moment I would recommend buying watches from the 1980/90s and early 2000s as these will be the vintage watches of the near future. These watches will appeal to the younger generation now as they get older and wealthier and these watches will have more relevance as it may be from their birth year or a watch the grew up aspiring to buy etc.

For more on Watches of Knightsbridge and details of their forthcoming auctions, take a look at their website here.