Bring a Loupe: A 1962 Tudor Submariner Ref. 7928 'PCG,' A Universal GenVe Polarouter De Luxe SAS, And An Omega Seamaster Ref. 135.007 With 'Speedmaster Dial'

March 15, 2019

Like it or not, the hunt never stops. Shortly after last weeks installment of Bring A Loupe went live, I was back at it. Luckily, in that first burst of treasure hunting, I found several of this weeks picks which Im sure youll get a kick out of, and then some. At the sporty end of the spectrum, weve got a couple of divers, including the seldom-seen Triton Spirotechnique. Following it is an accessibly priced Omega Seamaster with a bit of more going on in the cool department in comparison to most other examples of the reference. Should interesting provenance be up your alley, theres a world class Tudor Submariner along with a Universal Genve Polarouter De Luxe worth checking out. Onwards and upwards we go! Triton Spirotechnique Ref. 143.100 Were kicking things off this week with a favorite of mine, a watch that I like to think is the one of the most comfortable sports watches of all time. It also just so happens to be one of the most unique looking watches of the 1960s, with a design thats every bit as functional as it is striking. The watch I speak of is the Triton Spirotechnique, which emerged on the scene in 1963 after having been developed by a former French Air Force colonel by the name of Jean Ren Parmentier. As its name would suggest, these watches were originally sold through Jacques Cousteaus dive outfitter La Spirotechnique, which was later renamed Aqua Lung after that name achieved some level of acclaim in North American markets. Fun fact, these were more expensive than dive watches from Rolex, Tudor, and Omega at the time of their release.? At first glance, the watch is immediately set apart from the pack with its 12 oclock crown placement. This design was implemented so as to avoid damage below the surface that couldve potentially allowed water inside the watch. This placement also makes the watch noticeably more comfortable than more conventional dive watches. Upon closer inspection, the real stand-out of the Spirotechniques design are the articulating lugs up top that also double as a crown guard. Nifty, huh? Like the crown placement, they too increase comfort levels by allowing the watch to really hug your wrist, as opposed to just sitting atop it like a piece of architectural jewelry. ? During the production of the Spirotechnique, examples even made their way onto the wrists of individuals enlisted in the Marine Nationale, alongside the more commonly known issued Tudors. On such examples, youll often find that the original crown has been replaced with one from a Rolex, as the Marine Nationale is believed to have modified the watches after recognizing the superiority of Rolexs crown design.? Todays example is a stunning one, which would have left the factory later on in the references production. Its being offered in unpolished condition, with an untouched dial, handset, and perfect bakelite bezel. When Spirotechniques pop up for sale, which is by no means often, the bezel has usually been replaced or is in a state that Id describe as "less than ideal," which is why this one caught my attention. The original roulette date wheel is an added touch Ive always appreciated as well.? Roy and Sacha Davidoff are offering this example of the obscure French dive watch for CHF 7,950. Find more details on their site. Omega Seamaster Ref. 135.007 With 'Speedmaster Dial' At the more accessible end of the spectrum, weve got our next feature for the week, proving that it doesnt take boatloads of unmarked non-sequential bills to acquire a tasteful vintage watch of note. While they are solid watches for the money, 34mm Omega Seamasters of the 1960s typically inspire little in the way of excitement, though Im not sure this applies to the piece were about to take a look at. Youve probably already figured out what makes this one special, but should you be wondering where Im going with all this, allow me to clue you in. ? Towards the center of the dial youll notice a set of crosshairs, and while these are an interesting trait you dont see everyday, theyre not exactly the main event in this case. Pun absolutely intended. If the indices and minute markings seem familiar, thats because they were inspired by another offering Omega had at the time: The Speedmaster.? This piece brought my eBay speed-scrolling to a Road Runner-esque abrupt halt after I saw that it was in fact a degree more exciting than the other already compelling Speedy-style Seamasters I had encountered in the past. What makes this particular example special is the fact that its dial has a sunburst grey finish to it, much like whats seen on the early, rare, and extremely desirable blue dial Speedmasters of the 1960s. At this price point, I really cant think of a more interesting watch.? An eBay seller based out of Boston, Massachusetts, has this watch listed for $999, though you have the option to make an offer as well. I have a feeling this one will move fast.?See the full listing here. Universal Genve Polarouter De Luxe SAS With everyone and their brother having written up the Universal Genve Polarouter / Polerouter (no, that first spelling isn't a mistake) at some point in the frenzy that is the world of watch media, youre probably already familiar with its roots. If not, here's a brief refresher: Essentially, the watchs origins lie in Scandinavian air travel, after SAS (Scandinavian Airlines Systems) began flying direct routes from New York and Los Angeles to Europe over the North Pole. Wishing to outfit their pilots appropriately, the airline contracted Universal Genve to produce a watch (designed by a 23-year-old Gerald Genta) in commemoration of the new trans-Atlantic routes, and as a result of their work in the field of antimagnetic watchmaking. Carlsberg also produced a commemorative Polar Beer for the inaugural flight, so theres that too. In 1954, pilots and certain crew members who flew these first flights were justly awarded with ref. 20217-6 Polarouters with the airlines logo on its dial. Heads of state responsible for the formation of SAS were believed to have been presented with the more upscale Polarouter De Luxe ref. 10234-1. While I personally prefer the former, theres no denying the head-turning nature of the latter. It also seemed to fit the bill for the occasion, seeing as the same reference had been presented to other heads of state and royal figures, including King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, who received an example engraved with his likeness.? This isnt the first SAS Polarouter Ive come across, but its undoubtedly the most complete one Ive seen, as included with the watch is its original SAS branded presentation case and a beautifully crafted matching bracelet. It does look like someone applied paint to the tips of the hands and the 12 oclock marker at some point to increase legibility, though I imagine this could be washed off easily. I could see this making a great addition to any collector of Universal Genve, or vestiges of the early days of air travel. Polarouter / Polerouter enthusiasts might also enjoy this website, which documents the history, variants, and marketing of the model in extreme detail.? The Stockholm auction house Dalarnas Auktionsbyr? will offer this piece in a sale on March 17. Theres no estimate to be found, so Id advise getting in touch with the auction house should you require further details. More information on the sale can be found here.? 1956 Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph Ref. 6609 The Turn-O-Graph is one of the more curious offerings of the Rolex back catalog, in that it took many different forms over its lifetime (very different forms, at that). Things kicked off with the ref. 6202 in 1953, which is seen by most as the watch that laid the framework for the Submariner that started it all, 1954s ref. 6204. This first Turn-O-Graphs waterproof properties were obviously important, but the rotating bezel was the main attraction. Funnily enough, it was marketed as a convenient tool which could be used to keep track of long-distance calls, cakes in the oven, the doneness of boiled eggs, and record-breaking instances of spirited motoring alike. After the success of the Submariner, the Turn-O-Graph name was transferred over to the Datejust line. Datejust Turn-O-Graphs originally came in the form of the ref. 6309, which was followed by the slightly later ref. 6609. The watch in question is a ref. 6609 dating to 1956, and as the photos would indicate, its a top notch Oyster. Im admittedly not the biggest fan of more modern Turn-O-Graphs, but when it comes to early executions with black honeycomb dials, Im not one to complain.? This watch has been polished (unfortunately), but things didnt get too out of hand and the case lines still remain visible. Condition wise, thats probably the one and only gripe I have, seeing as the rest of the watch is nothing short of outstanding. The years have been kind to the dial, which remains more or less spotless, with all of its evenly aged luminous plots intact. Tracing the dial are a set of luminous dauphine hands, which I believe to be original. Lastly, Id like to point out that the white gold bezel on this watch really shines. Theres magic in that bezel, I tell ya.? Veilinghuis de Ruiter will offer this watch on March 21 with an estimate of 7,500 to 15,000. Bids can already be already be placed online, if youre feeling antsy.? 1962 Tudor Submariner Ref. 7928 'PCG' A couple weeks back we took a look at a gilt dial Submariner that I recommended you avoid. As someone who loves a good gilt dial sports watch as much as the next guy, I thought Id include one this week that is worthy of your hard earned dollars. This Submariners dial features a rose in place of a coronet, and also shows signs of aging that are both honest and clean. This a particularly nice ref. 7928 and if its not already on your radar, lets change that.? If the bells and whistles of vintage Rolex/Tudor collecting are your thing, this one has a few tricks up its sleeve. This includes the so-called Pointed Crow Guards," and the exclamation point marker found at the six oclock position. If that wasnt enough, its also got a bezel insert thats faded to a pleasing tone of grey, which some collectors refer to as a ghost insert. The affectionate nicknames associated with vintage Rolex truly never fail to amaze, much like the condition in which this Submariner is being offered. Whats more, is this is effectively a single owner watch, coming directly from a descendent of the original owner. In an age when theres more monkey business going on with vintage watches than ever, a single owner watch is almost always worth the premium it commands. That sole owner is also said to have been presented with the watch after retiring from his position as a Navy Chief in the U.S. Navy. Whether the owner was a CPO or a higher ranking CNO is unclear, though Im sure the seller would be willing to share more details.? The Elmira, New York, based nephew of the original owner is offering this watch for sale on eBay. At the time of publishing, the bidding stands at $17,000. Click here to get in on the action.? Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to this watch as having "Eagle Beak" crown guards. We have fixed the mistake. Buyer Beware: Heuer Autavia 'Ref. 3646' To wrap things up this week, weve got a watch to which Id hate to see someone fall prey. Nothing about this Heuer adds up, including the price, which is far more than this chop shop job is really worth. Whoever put this together was presumably trying for a ref. 3646 vibe, but clearly didnt know their stuff all that well and made some questionable decisions in the process.? Its dial is a dead giveaway, with improperly indented sub-dials, along with a line of text near the six oclock position that reads 17 JEWELS INCABLOC, much like what youd see on cheaper chronographs of the same vintage. Also worth pointing out are its indices, which in no way remotely resemble anything Ive seen on a 3646 dial to date. The indices found on authentic dials are stick markers with edges angled towards the dials center.? Next up, weve got the bezel, and yes C you guessed it C its fake too! I'm not sure where it came from, but it surely wasnt the Heuer factory. With all this said, the real nail in the coffin on this piece can be found inside the case. On a ref. 3646 Autavia, unscrewing the caseback should reveal a Valjoux 92 movement, but on this curious specimen weve got a Valjoux 7733 that the seller has even proudly made note of in the listings title. The long and short of it is that this piece isnt worth anything close to $6,900, so dont buy it.