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Bring a Loupe A Pair Of Rolex Watches From NFL Players, A Mint Tissot, And An Unusual IWC

Your weekly round-up of the hottest vintage watches on the web.

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Let's be honest, not all weeks are created equally, with certain roundups undeniably duller than others. This is not one of those weeks, and this is not a drill! It’s an honor and a pleasure to share with you what might be one of the best collection of finds to date, including two Rolex watches with NFL provenance, a Cartier-signed Omega, and a rare IWC that pioneered the Portugieser collection. For the chronograph heads out there, we've also got a gilt dial fitted piece from Tissot, and a simply elegant Ref. 765 from Breitling. Hopefully this is an indication of what else will surface in the year ahead. 


IWC Portugieser Ref. 325

Bespoke watches have risen in popularity over the last few decades, as new customization-dedicated outfits have emerged to serve the more particular watch buyer. If you ask me, there's nothing wrong with tricking out a timepiece to your liking, but going the custom route straight from the manufacture will always be the bigger flex, and a flex likely to better hold value, at that. In modern times, doing so is indeed possible but not exactly as easy as it once was, with certain brands requiring that you order a number of pieces in different metals to realize the request. Now that we're on the topic, why don't we briefly explore a noteworthy story of ye olde big flex. 

Back in the late 1930s, two businessmen hailing from Portugal weren’t satisfied with the sizing of watches offered during the era. As a result, they decided to approach IWC with their custom request for a larger watch, which is and always will be a decidedly baller move. After a bit of back and forth, the example you see before you was realized in its 42 mm form, and dubbed the Portugeiser for the two individuals who gave rise to the large timepiece. As the seller notes, a 42 mm watch is considered rather large even by today's standards, making one wonder what sort of reactions it would've yielded from the masses way back when. 

While it would’ve definitely started a few conversations, it wouldn't have started many, seeing as the Ref. 325 was produced in very limited numbers. Over the course of four decades, IWC produced just 690 examples of the reference, using three different pocket watch movements (Cal. 74, 98. and 982). This example is attractive in that it's powered by the Cal. 98, unpolished, and still has its original "Louis XV" style hands fitted, which are often missing on the infrequent occasion that a Ref. 325 surfaces. As one might expect, this is a rare opportunity to own a massively important watch. I can only imagine the sort of collection this will end up in.

Menta Watches of Miami has this IWC listed for $30K The full listing and additional photos can be found on their site. 


Tissot Gilt Chronograph

Some watches you’ve really gotta handle in person to fully appreciate in all their glory. This is especially true of any piece with a gilt dial, as the way in which light reflects off their glossy black surfaces and highlights contrasting details is quite the sight to see. Just under a couple weeks back, I met up with Roy Davidoff of Davidoff Brothers, who was quick to put a Tissot that met this very description in my hands. Employing exaggeration to describe a fancy trinket for your wrist is never a good look, but believe me when I say this piece floored me. Let’s see if it has the same effect on you. 

Tissot manufactured this chronograph back in the 1940s, and pulled out all the stops in the design process. This is clearly evidenced by the both oversized and waterproof case, which houses the multi-coloured gilt dial, complete with both rose gold and yellow applications. Having two different tones really makes a difference here, as it adds an extra degree of warmth to the dial. I’ve personally found this makes it easier for such pieces to be dressed down and worn in more casual situations, which the stainless steel step case certainly helps with, as well. Speaking of the case, the pushers which boldly protrude from it are also interesting, and further intensify the oversized feel of the piece. 

Before you jump to conclusions, no, this isn't one of those watches that’s just a pretty face, as it's got the mechanical brains to back up the aesthetic brawn, too. Beneath the screw down caseback of the watch, you’ll find a Lemania 15TL, which was also fitted inside Omegas as the Cal. 33.3. This is by all means a top tier column wheel caliber, and one that I'd be proud to wear on my wrist. Between the condition of the watch, the rarity of the configuration, and the high grade of all its components, there's a bunch to get excited about. 

Davidoff Brothers has this outstanding Tissot listed with an asking price of $48K Get in touch here. 


Omega Seamaster Deville Retailed by Cartier

Since last week's feature of an Audemars Piguet with enameled indexes, I’ve gone on a bit of a kick, looking into other watches with that distinguishing detail. It might not be a bold application of color or a wild typeface, but it adds quite a bit of character to otherwise discreet designs, which I'm all about and then some. After AP, the next stop on the hunt was Omega, who notably incorporated such indices into a handful of models in the 1970s, including the automatic Seamaster Deville. While we could break down your run-of-the-mill example, I thought a little extra something something was in order, which I'd now like to share with you. 

As you might’ve already noticed, this is no ordinary Seamaster Deville that your eyes would normally scan right past. Thanks to a little extra line of printing below the text which reads "AUTOMATIC," and an additional set of numbers on the caseback, we can tell that this example was originally retailed by Cartier. Naturally, this elevates the watch to that next level of cool. While I’ve always been able to respect them, double signed watches have never really been of extreme interest to me, but those signed by Cartier are a different story. A retailer is a retailer, but a retailer that’s also a watch manufacturer putting their name on another watchmaker’s product has this formidable air of borderline hubris that I can’t help but respecting while also cracking up at. It's definitely a power move if there ever was one. 

Moreover, this piece also has another ace up its sleeve, or more accurately on the surface of its caseback. After reading the hand-engraved text, you'll learn that this piece was originally awarded to a man by the name of Winfield J. Wagner back in 1971 upon his 25th anniversary at the accounting firm Arthur Young & Company. Just under two decades later, the firm would merge with Ernst & Whinney to form Ernst & Young. Though accounting provenance might not exactly be riveting stuff, it's always interesting to know who wore a watch before you, and dive down a research rabbit hole to learn more of their life. 

Rob Cooper is offering this Cartier-signed Omega for $6,750. Find the full listing on Instagram, and slide into his DMs if interested. 


Rolex Bombe Ref. 6593, And Oyster Perpetual Date Ref. 1500, With NFL Provenance

Keeping things moving, we've now got not one, but two pieces that follow the aforementioned Omega's provenance-driven lead. Interestingly enough, I came across the pair of watches while taking what I thought was a bit of down time from the hunt while researching for another project with no relation to watches in any way, but much to my delight, this epic duo reared its head. This just goes to show that it's not all searching for hen's teeth needles in haystacks, and sometimes you get lucky with a quick and easy find. All you NFL fans ought to get a kick out of this one. 

In addition to both having been manufactured by Rolex, these two watches were both owned by football players of the mid 20th century. The first in question is a Ref. 6593 Bombe, which was originally awarded to the wide receiver Raymond Berry of the Baltimore Colts upon winning the 1959 NFL Championship game in the pre-Super Bowl era. The second is a Ref. 1500 Oyster Perpetual Date, which was purchased by the ferocious Philadelphia Eagles linebacker and centre Chuck Bednarik, presumably after his days in the game. Today, Berry and Bednarik are both held in extremely high regard by historians of the sport, making ownership of their timepieces an attractive proposition. 

The watches themselves are in terrific shape, and have been preserved with care over the years. Concrete Charlie's Ref. 1500 is unpolished with a flawless dial, and the same seemingly goes for Berry’s Bombe. Of the two, the Ref. 6593 is arguably the more special watch, with a custom Baltimore Colts dial and personalized engraving on its caseback, though Chuck Bednarik’s reputation ought to attract some serious interest. Comparisons aside, we're talking about the personal watches of some of the NFL’s greatest players going up for grabs, which is far from an everyday occurrence. 

You’ll find the pair of Rolex watches here and here being offered at auction on February 1st, when Hunt Auctions will hold their Super Bowl LIV sale in Miami. Their estimates have been set at $5,000 — $7,500 and $2,000 — $3,000. 


Breitling Ref. 765 Chronograph

Collecting is fun and all, but I genuinely get more enjoyment out of helping someone finding a great watch than adding one to my own stable. That's because when it's literally your job to hunt down watches, you tend to come across the next best thing on a daily basis, which often equates to a slippery slope into continually trading up. With that said, I'm truly wowed by a watch every now and then, which induces a hefty helping of head scratching and consideration. That's exactly what happened the other day upon discovering this piece. Given its timeless and versatile nature, it's the sort of watch I could see myself enjoying for years to come. 

What attracted me to this piece was its dial, which is unlike any other I've seen on a Ref. 765. It's got a silver sunburst surface that's finished with applied indices, and no signs of contrast aside from thin black printing, affording the watch a subtle and sophisticated aesthetic. While exciting color schemes can be fun, there's no denying that a piece configured like this is guaranteed to age more gracefully. There's just no competing with a white metal watch with a monochrome dial. 

Condition wise, there's a lot to love about this one, though most notably, its flawless dial. Don't be fooled by what would appear to be a scratch on the register at nine o'clock — that’s only a mark on crystal. Like I've said before, always make sure to inspect whether a mark is in the same place in photographs shot at different angles, as dial scuffs don’t travel, but the shadows cast by marks in the crystal most definitely do. The only major downside to note is a curious bit of wear surrounding the reset pusher, which I'm guessing was caused by a watchmaker's haphazard attempt at removal during service. Despite these marks, the case hasn’t been polished, and maintains its original lines. 

A seller based out of Madison, Connecticut has this piece listed in an auction on eBay that’ll come to a close on Sunday morning. At the time of publishing, the high bid stands at $410.