Bring a Loupe: A Patek Philippe Ref. 3939H Minute Repeater Tourbillon, A Breitling Top Time Ref. 2002, And A Rolex Ref. 6518 Rite Time

December 21, 2018

The year is yet again coming to a close, and watch-wise its undoubtedly been a fruitful one. Weve seen a literal treasure trove of exciting vintage pieces come to market, and command equally exciting numbers, helping paint a broader picture of just exactly what was available back in the golden era of watchmaking, and what now remains. Whats in store for 2019 is anyones guess, but if the last few days of 2018 are any indication of whats ahead, were in for a good one.? Patek Philippe Ref. 3939H Minute Repeater Tourbillon In the automotive world, youll often hear the term sleeper used to describe a wolf in sheeps clothing of sorts on the road. LS swaps, debadging, tuning a station wagon you know how it goes. Youve probably heard it used to describe watches, as well, and this is arguably the one piece most deserving of such a title. Without further ado, the ultimate sleeper watch C Pateks awe-inspiring Ref. 3939H.? First introduced by the legendary manufacturer in 1993, this discrete tourbillon and minute repeater equipped timepiece (yes, both) was produced in all three variants of gold, and one year later in platinum. Having said that, 3939H production is estimated to have been under 300 total pieces, making rarity a major factor in its already considerable desirability.?(As a side note, this particular example was sold recently via Sotheby's C you can see the listing here.) It only measures 34mm across, which is admittedly small for modern tastes, but thats part of the appeal, in my opinion. The smaller footprint effectively makes this immensely complicated work of art go unnoticed on the wrist, which cant be said of many minute repeating tourbillons from a top tier manufacture. If youve got nothing to prove to the masses, dont necessarily need to show all your cards, and have the capital to back it up, Id indulge in whats perhaps one of the ultimate references to leave the Patek Philippe factory. Stephen Hallock of TickTocking has this piece currently listed for $305,000. Find more photos and insight here.? Breitling Top Time Ref. 2002 Heres a watch I frankly dont understand. Dont misunderstand me: Im a fan, and a big one at that, with a few of these having gone through my own collection over the years. So what is it I dont get, you ask? It's this: how haven't these become far more expensive? Allow me to explain.? Certain pieces from Breitling have grown to become awfully collectible in the past couple of years, though curiously, the more subdued, classic chronograph designs are still accessible. Theyve got the same never-going-out-of-style aesthetics weve come to adore in watches like Heuers Carrera and earlier examples of the famed Rolex Daytona, and no slouch of a caliber on the inside, but still the market seemingly isnt hooked.? Whats more, is its technically even a Bond watch, in that Sean Connery himself wore a version featuring a modified stainless steel case while filming Thunderball. With all this in mind, Id advise getting in on the ground floor while you still can. If theres a watch due for more focused scholarship and interest, Id argue the Top Time is more than deserving.? Miamis Menta Watches has this example of the Ref. 2002 currently listed for $3,500. Find more photos on their site.? Rolex Ref. 6518 Rite Time The sports offerings from Rolex are at this point beyond ubiquitous in both the world of watches and pop culture as a whole. Taking a stroll through Instagram will confirm this,; you'll bombarded by the seemingly endless stream of Subs and Daytonas posted on the regular. While I myself love such watches, and am wearing one at this very moment, I thought wed end the year on a more unique note, with something you truly dont see everyday. At first glance, its nothing more than your run of the mill Oysterdate, but break out the loupe and youll open up a world of awesome. This is whats known as a Rite Time, which was produced with the coveted honeycomb dial in small numbers during the 1950s, and given the resurgence of interest in 34 mm Oysters, we thought wed shed some light on this obscure model from the Wilsdorf back catalogue.? Ive always been particularly attracted to the unique case architecture this reference has, with its straighter lugs and more defined edges, and the unconventionally shaped indices only intensity the attraction. For the collector that doesnt want whats on the next guys wrist, this is your watch.? Matt Forehand of Rusty Crowns is selling this example of this rare Rolex model for $14,500. Click here for more details.? Mido Multichrono For those deeply immersed in the world of vintage watch collecting, the name Mido should bring to mind a range of exciting and perhaps slightly quirky timepieces to mind. Ive always been somewhat obsessed with the bright and colorful decompression scale dial that was briefly fitted onto the Powerwind Diver 1000, though its the chronographs from Mido that really hit the spot. My introduction to their chronograph production came by way of the Multi-Center Chronographs that were rather popular just a couple of years ago, but lately my center of focus has been the more conventional, two-register Multichrono, after spotting a rather nice example on Ebay this past week.? While the dial is admittedly a tad rough around the edges, all the original scales and details are more than visible, and certainly more than compelling. Its Borgel case complete with those ornate pushers we oh so love is beyond sharp (literally), and looks almost as if you could cut yourself on its edges. If youre still not convinced of its beauty, pop the caseback and feast your eyes on the Minerva cal. 13-20. Its certainly easy on the eyes, and also stands in horological history as one of the earliest wristwatch chronograph calibers produced.? An Ebay seller based out of Sydney, Australia has this Mido up for auction, with the current bid at Approximately $1,230 at the time of publishing. Find the full listing here.