Bring a Loupe: A Special Rolex Submariner Ref. 5508, A Heuer Carrera Dato 45, And A Vacheron Constantin Ref. 4308 'Cornes De Vache'

November 16, 2018

Auction week has come to an end, and as expected, the vintage Rolex market continues to amaze and advance with confidence. With highlights like the sale of the Pulsometer dial ref. 6239 Daytona for over $820,000 at Sothebys, the tropical dial ref. 6238 chronograph for nearly $500,000 at Phillips, and a host of both conventional and Paul Newman Daytonas performing strongly at Christies, theres no sign of vintage Rolex slowing down any time soon. With that said, my personal highlights of the weekend were the 2499 sales, including the Serpico y Laino retailed first series example that fetched north of $3.2 million at Christies and the unique Asprey-dialed example that set a new world record at Sotheby's. But with all of that in the rear view mirror, it's important to remember that there are still a ton of great watches out there, ripe for the picking. So without further ado, here's your post-auction edition of Bring A Loupe. Heuer Carrera Dato 45 Ref. 3147N Despite the fact that the Heuer market arguably isnt what it once, briefly was, theres no disputing the fact that the legendary brand has been behind some of the most important sports chronograph designs of all time, including the Autavia, Monaco, and Carrera. Of the many variants of each model, Ive always been particularly taken with the earliest references of the Carrera, namely the various ref. 2447 and two-register ref. 3647 models, as their styling was seemingly distilled down to the absolute essentials, so as to maximize legibility. This has also resulted in a truly lasting design thats not about to go out of style any time soon.?While browsing through the catalogs of a few lesser-known auction houses, this piece immediately caught my attention, given the rarity of the reference and the condition in which its being offered. As the date aperture at the nine oclock (or 45 minute) position would indicate, this is the Dato 45 variant of the famed Carrera, also known as the ref. 3147N.? Based upon the fact that its currently mounted on a bit of an oddball, vintage-looking bracelet, and the location where its being offered (rural England), Im going to guess that this piece is likely fresh to market. It also happens to be in quite nice shape, as well, with all lume plots present, a sharp and perhaps unpolished case, and a clean and unmarked minute track.?This is a super cool watch and one that you won't want to sleep on if you're looking for a Heuer that you won't see on other wrists every day.Hannams Auctioneers in the English town of Alton will be offering this piece on November 21, though advance bids have already brought it up to 2,600 at the time of publishing. Click here for more details. Vacheron Constantin Ref. 4308 'Cornes De Vache' Ive said it before and Ill say it again, too many modern watches designed for ladies are rather uninspired. Its as if most watchmakers have conspired to follow a simple formula of dainty profiles, added diamonds, and delicate looks, which has ultimately resulted in more women choosing men's designs instead. This is why I often recommend looking into back catalogs of ladies offerings, or even at older men's pieces, when female friends express their interest in a new watch.? Here weve got a piece that, although likely originally intended for men, would look terrific on a ladys wrist. Its an iconic Vacheron Constantin, featuring the watchmakers now celebrated Cornes De Vache style lugs, which the brand has payed homage to in recent collections. In essence, the piece is direct and to the point, with just three hands and a simple dial, but details like the aforementioned ornate lugs and tasteful applied markers and numerals make it really pop, and likely stand out despite only measuring 31mm across.Bostons European Watch Company has this outstanding Vacheron listed at $4,250. Find the full scoop here.? Universal Genve Tropical Calatrava We all know the score. Big watches are fading in popularity and in collector circles regarded as a trend that has now come to an end. Yes, there are still a number of watchmakers producing pieces that exceed the 44mm mark, but the mainstream is now seemingly aware that watches with desk clockCesque proportions are a tad less than functional in daily life.?With all this in mind, our next watch is another that falls on the smaller end of the spectrum, at just 34mm across. Though many are comfortable with wearing vintage pieces at the 36mm mark, many are often hesitant to go smaller. With a thin bezel on a piece like the one here, youll find it to wear larger than expected, so I highly encourage you to give it a second look. Its also a stunning Universal Genve, so theres that working in its favor, too. Although several of the luminous plots appear to have succumbed to the effects of several decades past, this can be somewhat overlooked given that the dial has clearly aged to a consistent caramel tone, most certainly worthy of the title tropical. Also worth noting is the resemblance this time-only piece has to the ref. 570 from Patek Philippe, making this a solid option for those who lust after the legendary Calatrava but lack the bankroll to make it happen in their collection.?Those Watch Guys currently have this piece listed at $2,190. Theres a lot of value up for grabs here as well as an awfully attractive timepiece. Click here for the full listing. 1962 Rolex Submariner Ref. 5508 SCOC As previously mentioned, one of the main takeaways from the past week of auctions was that early Submariners are once again on the up-and-up, suggesting that there just might be more to vintage Rolex collecting than the Daytona! While early Subs havent exactly been accessible to most for a good while, theyre continuing to reach new heights that are arguably long overdue, given the performance of other Rolex models on the market.?With this in mind, many are looking to jump on the bandwagon while the getting is good, and I dont blame them. Despite their prevalence in all forms of watch related media, these early Submariners are rarer than one might expect, partially as a result of the way in which many examples were used at the time of the Submariners release. This makes for a lot of potential upside moving forward into the future of vintage watch collecting.? Though the bezel insert might be a replacement, this is nothing short of a stunning piece, as evidenced by the seemingly spotless gilt dial, that just so happens to feature four lines of text. This particular variant is referred to as "SCOC," meaning the text is in the order ?"Superlative / Chronometer / Officially / Certified on its dial. Whats more, is it has the coveted exclamation point at the six oclock position.?Michael Morgan of Iconic Watch Company currently has this example of the small crown ref. 5508 listed for $79,200. Find the full listing here. A Note About That Skipperera At Christie's Now, to touch upon a matter that inspired a bit of a ruckus last week, lets discuss the Skipperera that sold at Christies. The long and short of it is that the catalog photos didnt accurately represent the watch, which is not at all what youd expect from an auction house like Christie's. Its undoubtedly a let down to see something misrepresented, especially at auction, however its worth noting that Christies did supply live photos reflecting the true condition to those interested. Whats more surprising is the fact that it realized a handsome sum C CHF 53,750 in the end C which in my opinion is rather strong, knowing what other, better examples have fetched privately in the past. Maybe the Heuer market isnt as soft as we thought, after all??Here's an image of the actual watch, as seen in OnTheDash's report: I think the lesson here is to do your homework as a buyer, especially when bidding at auction. This means physically going in to preview watches in the metal, and maybe even bringing a loupe (hey, where could I have gotten that idea!?), which is also a terrific way to learn more about the finer details of vintage watches and collecting.