This week, Bring A Loupe starts with a discontinued Seiko diver, the “Samurai” SBDA005. It might not be vintage already, but its stunning orange dial and brushed titanium case make it a coveted piece, especially in such mint condition. You’ll also hear about an unusual Rolex Explorer with a gold-filled case – the Canadian-model 5506. Our favorite chronographs definitely made the cut as well; they are represented by the Zenith A271, the Universal Genève Compax “Nina Rindt,” and the Breitling Sprint “Bow Tie” – this Friday, you’ll hear some of the cool nicknames of some equally cool watches.
Zenith Chronograph Reference A271, With Grey Dial
The grey dial of this Zenith reference A271 might seem familiar as it was one of the inspirations for our recent Limited Edition with Zenith. Obviously, the original chronograph from the 1960s housed a manual wound movement, the caliber 146D built from a Martel ebauche also used by Universal Genève. The sub-registers offered the 3/6/9 and crosshair divides that we loved, while the lack of lume increase the dressy feel of the all-grey dial. As good as the A271 looks, it must be noted that the example here has been polished quite intensively, erasing the angles of the lugs and the serial number on the caseback. Additionally, some flaking can be observed on the dial, around the subdials and the applied star logo.
The Japanese dealer Private Eyes listed this rare Zenith A271 for 498,000 Yen or around $ 4,600.
Seiko ‘Samurai’ Reference SBDA005, With Titanium Case
It is no secret that over the past 50 years, Seiko has managed to produce some of the most impressive diving watches in the world, from the 6217 to the SXK007, one of Jack’s darlings. Initially launched in 2005, the Prospex SBDA measured up to its deep-diving brethren easily, offering a 42mm titanium case, water-resistant to 200M. Three version were offered and they were quickly nicknamed “Samurai” after the specific shape of their hands. The orange reference SBDA005 has the strongest diving identity, as this color is prized for its underwater legibility, although the black SBDA001 and blue SBDA003 have their own merits, especially fitted on their original titanium bracelet that the orange version never got. The automatic caliber 7S25 is not known for its chronometer-grade accuracy, but it does the job well enough (7S25 can give very good results on the wrist, especially with some careful regulation) and offers a quickset date. The watch here is notable for its advertised unworn condition (up to its original rubber strap), and the accompanying box and papers – a set becoming increasingly rare to find given that all “Samurai” were discontinued in 2008.
You can find this mint Seiko Samurai SBDA005 on Ebay; at the time of publishing, bidding was just above $ 750.
Rolex Explorer Reference 5506, With A Gold-Filled Case
In truth, the Rolex reference 5506 is much more an Air-King than an Explorer, despite the latter mention often being found on its dial. These 34mm watches were made for the Canadian market, where a lot of naming experiments were undertaken by Rolex in the 1950s. Furthermore, this reference is actually gold-filled (with a stainless steel caseback), the case enveloped in a fairly thick gold layer of 40 microns as described between the lugs, which is much more resilient than the usual plating on vintage watches. The serial number indicates a production in 1960, which is consistent with the leaf handset and the “Swiss” mention at the bottom of the dial, which indicates radium – in use by Rolex before it was replaced by tritium a couple of years later. The seller indicates a replaced plexiglass crystal, and adds that the automatic caliber 1530 works flawlessly.
With one more day to go, this Rolex Explorer 5506 has just reached $ 385 on Ebay.
Breitling Sprint Reference 2010, With ‘Bow Tie’ Dial
The Sprint reference 2010 shows Breitling’s skill with chronograph dials. This “bow tie” dial goes one step beyond the reverse panda dial that Breitling introduced in the late 1950s, many years before the Heuer Autavia and the Rolex Daytona. The rotating external bezel also means a bigger case size; the Sprint comes in at a rather contemporary 40mm. It is powered by the reliable, workhorse Valjoux 7733, and here the black-striped handset indicate a production in the late 1960s, although the serial number engraved on the caseback is not mentioned in the listing. Lastly, the minute track on the dial appears worn in some pictures, but this is just an optical illusion, due to some glare on the plexiglass crystal.
This Breitling Sprint Reference 2010 is offered on Ebay Germany for €3,950 or around $ 4,300, but the seller seems willing to consider lower offers.
Universal Genève Compax ‘Nina Rindt’ Reference 885103-03
The Formula 1 driver Jochen Rindt was known for wearing a Heuer Autavia 2446, but his wife, the model Nina Rindt, had a pretty serious wrist game too. She was photographed on several occasions sporting a Universal Genève Compax with contrasting sub-registers, very useful for reading the lap-times of her husband. She actually had it fitted on a large leather cuff, and it looked amazing. Yet, on a “simple” strap this UG is is still just as striking, offering a nice 37mm case, and an extremely interesting black and white handset.
For its first watch-dedicated sale, the Swedish auction house Bukowskis presents a good example, with the correct Tachymeter bezel (the dot over ninety is there) and the correct crown adorning the large U logo. The panda dial looks nice and clean, and the hour, minute and chronograph seconds hands are characteristic of the reference 885103-03. The hand-wound chronograph movement is engraved 85, as this was Universal Genève denomination for the ubiquitous Valjoux 72.
The estimate for this great Universal Geneve Compax “Nina Rindt” is 110,000 SEK (approximately $ 12,000 at time of publishing).
Wristwatch News, Reviews, & Original Stories — HODINKEE
Visit here for more on fashion watches.
Find more on couple watches.
from Best Watches For Men http://ift.tt/2fDB7Yz