Bring a Loupe: An Affordable Bulova Diver, A Special Rolex Submariner, And A Classic Cartier Santos

August 10, 2018

This week, the name of the game is rarity. A wide range of pieces that you just dont see everyday popped up on the market this week, including a Universal Geneve Film Compax, an Abercrombie & Fitch Heuer in stunning shape, and an early, gilt dial Submariner with a twist of sorts. To keep things interesting, theres also a desk clock of note. Weve got a little something for everyone today, at price points both accessible and ... otherwise. Universal Genve Film Compax After the Universal Geneve market first took off, everyone and their brother went digging through old watches in search of anything signed UG, which resulted in an influx of watches coming up for sale. A large majority of collectors chose to focus their attention primarily on the sport-cased Nina Rindt chronographs and Clapton dial Tri-Compaxes, as prices continued to climb at an unprecedented rate. But some were inspired to set their sights a little higher, and dug deeper into the back catalogs of the brand.?Doing so would have resulted in the discovery of the Film Compax C a purpose-built chronograph of note, designed to track the amount of 35mm and 16mm film being run through a camera during an elapsed period. Given how niche a task these additional chronograph scales aided with, the watch was produced in extremely small numbers, with only a handful of examples known to the market.? You can now add one to that handful, as while scrolling through eBay I encountered an unpolished example of the oversized cinematic chronograph. With one of the scales now faded away, the dial does indeed show its age, though given just how rare a watch were talking about, dont be surprised to see some fierce bidding go down on this example. The last time one came up for sale it was at Phillips, and sold for nearly $70,000. If youre looking for something almost no one else has, this one fits the bill.This ultra-rare UG is available on eBay from a Miami-based seller, and the bidding is up to $5,238 as we publish this (with a little more than three days left to go). Click here for the full listing. Cartier Santos Despite the watch industry's focus on men, wristwatches effectively began as a womens accessory and were originally seen by many as feminine. With that said, there were some in the early days that disregarded this notion, in search of functionality. The Braizilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont was one of those individuals, who began wearing a wrist-mounted timepiece from his friend Louis Cartier in 1904, allowing him to track the time while in the air, all without giving up control of his aircraft.Fast forward roughly six decades, and examples of the Santos like this had become a mainstay of the Cartier collection. This manually wound example dates back to the 1970s and has held up quite well, with most of its case lines remaining decently sharp. Historians might technically classify this as a mens watch, though given its size, Id say it would make a terrific ladies piece. Whats so special about this piece, and much of the Cartier lineup in general, is the resemblance it bears to the original Santos from the early 1910s. Its a design so pure and iconic that even after the passing of five decades, and now a century, the overall aesthetic remains largely unchanged. Thats the power of great design.Just down the coast in Los Angeles, Wanna Buy A Watch is offering this example of the Santos for $4,500. Click here to see the full listing. Rolex Ref. 5512 'Eagle Beak' Submariner With Chapter Ring Dial The strength of the Daytona market has firmly established the model as the ultimate vintage sports Rolex to have, though over the past few months, the Submariner market has flexed a few milestones of its own. Back in June, we saw the first Submariner to cross the million dollar mark at Christies, with the sale of a beyond honest Explorer dial Ref. 6538, but unlike the Daytona market, this benchmark sale wasnt followed by a bevy of other examples hitting the market. This can be attributed to the fact that great Subs are arguably much rarer.While browsing through the inventories of the usual gamut of reputable dealers, I came across a pretty special 5512. This is an early example of the reference, complete with a chapter ring gilt dial and an unconventionally shaped case. Its whats referred to by collectors as an "Eagle Beak" cased Submariner, as its pointed crown guards resemble the maxillary and mandibular rostrum of an eagles beak. I bet you didnt expect a lesson in bird anatomy in this weeks article, but I'm here to serve.? Though there is a bit of hand drag towards the center of the dial, its an otherwise clean piece thats in honest shape. For those in search of a not-so-oridinary Submariner, you might want to check this one out.San Franciscos H.Q. Milton is currently offering this Submariner for just under $68,550. Click here for the full listing. Bulova Snorkel Diver A great watch doesnt have to cost a fortune. This shouldnt come as any surprise to you, but in a world of recording breaking auction prices, and hens teeth rarities, its certainly easy to get perspectives skewed. At the end of the day its all about finding something unique that speaks to you, all while performing its chief task reliably and accurately.? Back in the day, Bulova made some attractive divers and chronographs, that can still be acquired without entirely breaking the bank. This includes the Snorkel, a 666-foot rated diver housed in a decently sized 35 mm case, with an ample amount of luminous material on its dial for those deep plunges. I came across this example on the site of a dealer based out of Milwaukee, and its a rather uncommon one, in that the rotating bezel came painted from the factory, and the word Snorkel appears on the silver dial. This places this example quite early on in the production of this specific model, and in unpolished condition you cant deny its charm.?Justin Vrakas of Watch Steez has this Bulova listed at $890. Click here to see the full listing. Spanish Rolex Desk Clock While the watches of yesteryear are ultimately the main attraction in this game, Ive always been particularly interested in the marketing materials and dealer installations used to help promote and sell. When it comes to branding, few are capable of rivaling what Rolex has achieved in their 113 year history, as clearly evidenced by all the different advertisements of note, whimsical window displays, and dealer clocks they produced over the years. All of this contributed to the way the brand is now perceived, which is why such pieces of history are now so sought after.? What weve got here is a desk clock, that likely would have been displayed inside a Spanish speaking authorized dealers showroom back in the 1950s. Although the Rolex green brass case C with gilt lettering reading LA HORA AL SEGUNDO, or "the time to the second" C does show some patina, the dial and hands of the clock have been preserved effectively and remain in pristine condition. The Rolex branded wooden case is a nice addition, as well, and ought to impress any completist scholar of all things Rolex.This clock is available on eBay for just under $20,000. Click here to see the full listing. Abercrombie & Fitch Heuer Seafarer If youve dipped your toes into the waters of vintage Heuer, chances are youre aware of the watches they produced for Abercrombie & Fitch. Among the most coveted is the Ref. 2444 Seafarer, which featured a subdial that would indicate high and low tides, when used in conjunction with the chronograph. As the original advertisements would indicate, this was a watch developed by, and especially for yachtsmen."? An old Abercrombie & Fitch catalog, featuring a selection of Heuer-made watches. (Image: courtesy of OnTheDash) Seafarers surface from time to time, but this particular example stands out from the rest that have popped up over the past little while thanks to the present condition, which is clean as can be. You see all too many of these A&F Seafarers with heavily aged and often water-damaged dials, and they do indeed command less, but as is the case with any vintage watch purchase, its always advisable to hold out for the best example possible. This one surely does not suck.This Seafarer is available on eBay from a Michigan-based seller, and is being offered with a Buy It Now price of $18,000. You can also always make an offer, too. Click here to see the full listing.