My Favorite Vintage Watches at The Original Miami Beach Antique Show 2023

By Charlie Dunne

Each year, I look forward to The Original Miami Beach Antique Show (OMBAS). For those who may not be aware the “Beach Show” is one of the only venues in the Americas where attendees can publicly admire and purchase some of the best vintage timepieces. Come January, collectors travel across the world to OMBAS to connect and shop. This annual event is not only a horological pilgrimage, but also a 600+ vendor event which features vintage and antique jewelry, furniture, handbags, art, and home accessories.

In comparison to the prior year, there seemed to be a much larger turnout of American dealers and collectors than 2020 and 2022. Below are some of my favorite vintage timepieces I encountered at the show.

Right out the gate, I will concede that the above eight-day Jaeger barometer clock does not align with my title. However, no one searches for “timepieces” and I couldn exclude such a fantastic addition to the list. This example belongs to Mantiques Modern, who were nice enough to let me photograph it.

One of the standouts of the show was an awesome Movado reference R8483 worn by a young man named Antonio (@charmcityjeweler). As soon as I saw it on his wrist, I was excited to point out it was featured in the book ‘The Movado History’ by Fritz von Osterhausen. Without missing a beat, Antonio would finish my sentence on the publication’s title. He took the watch off and let me admire the unpolished case and fantastic dial. Best part, I’m informed it can be wrangled off his wrist for $2,500!

Soon after, he would mention a more subtle timepiece. He would start taking off his belt, which may have thrown me off if I had not connected the dots immediately. He presented a CYMA chronometer golf/belt watch. I was elated by the unusual sighting. It was clear Antonio had a great eye for eclectic timepieces and bright future ahead of him. Soon after, the CYMA would make a cameo on the watch influencer Nico Leonard van der Horst’s Instagram.

Walking throughout then venue, I was pleasantly surprised by a beautiful sign featuring a variety of timepieces and the name “Sotheby’s”. I strolled over and noticed the auction house brought out the All-Star team. Sporting the only “young” watch in this list was Senior Specialist, and Head of Online Sales, Richard Lopez (@thetimekeeper247). Lopez gets the “modern watch pass” because he is an aficionado on every watch, regardless of its age. Plus, I witnessed him score a few of the vintage watches within the Sotheby’s booth while wearing his trusty F.P.Journe Élégante!

Also representing Sotheby’s was Vice President and Senior Watches Specialist Jonathon Burford (@jonbinla). Burford shared some of his favorite timepieces on view, including a cool vintage chronograph they were offering for private sale. However, it was the watch on his wrist which I found to be the most charming.

“I had been considering a 116520 for quite a while. I have always liked the simple efficiency of the 4130 movement and dial layout with running seconds at 6. What made me finally pull the trigger on my first Daytona? I found this one mid last year, complete, unworn and with its papers dated to the exact day of my wedding.”

When I caught a Rolex coin watch on view within the Sotheby’s booth, I got pretty excited. The coin was a Liberty Head designed by James B. Longacre who served as fourth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1844 until his passing in 1869. It was in very nice condition not showing signs of wear. While it did feature a bow, I must admit was one of the coolest Rolex watches at the show.

Showing up in style was George Nelson (@heygeorge) wearing a very cool vintage Tudor Prince Oyster-Date that went well with his denim button down.

“The Tudor 9050/0 is a reference synonymous with the Tudor Ranger but this one having a silver dial with non-luminous hands. It was my first Tudor and I also consider it an incognito piece. People have asked me if it's a Rolex and I simply reply, "nah, it's a Tudor" - I get so much joy in that.”

He also brought along a vintage Seiko Seahorse which he acquired from Wind Vintage in 2022. Upon breaking it out, I was reminded on how I loved the applied hour markers at 12 o’clock and distinct dauphine hands.

Also on the scene was friend of the program Tony Traina of Rescapement/HODINKEE. Traina wore his Tudor Ranger which would be the inspiration to his ‘For Your Reference’ article. George and I would borrow the reference 7965 and its MK 1 minute hand while snapping a few flicks.

“The Tudor Ranger was the first vintage watch that truly fascinated me. All you’d hear is that fakes are everywhere, but I knew that couldn’t be true. I did a lot of research and cataloged dozens of examples to understand the model. Then, a few years ago, gentleman dealer Eric Wind was kind enough to sell me a no-date Ranger - it’s actually the earliest serial number I’ve seen, dating to 1963.”

Throughout the weekend, Traina would also rock his tropical Universal Genève Polerouter Date, and Movado M95 chronograph with “reverse panda” dial.

When Chris Albee (@landspeednyc) reached out before the event to inform me he would be stopping through, I was thrilled. He would not upset either, as he wore his super cool Elgin reference 4156 dive watch.

“I wanted a simple, classic diver, and this Elgin 4156 checked a lot of boxes for me: a reasonable 37mm, no date, stick and block indices, and overall subtlety (despite the pop of the bright orange in the bezel!). When I saw a variant of this model with day/date, Arabic numerals at 6-9-12, and a red seconds hand, I came to appreciate the simplicity and symmetry of this one even more.”

While working the booth, a gentleman approached the case and began looking over the chronographs. I couldn’t quite determine whether I’d seen him before, or if he was simply a stranger who appeared familiar. I began to make small talk, and quickly realized I didn’t recognize his voice. So when I asked him if he was a fan of vintage watches, he replied “Yeah, you could say that”. I would inquire a bit further asking whether he worked in the vintage watch trade, at which point he smiled and casually handed me a business card. I looked down and read “Wanna Buy A Watch? Ken Jacobs, PHD. Owner & Founder.” I couldn’t help smiling, and as I looked up, Ken greeted me with an equally big smile. We each had a good laugh as I tried to play it cool and not geek out.

On his wrist was an OMEGA Seamaster, yet somehow we began talking about vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre. He mentioned he had a number of JLC Memovox models including the “Cranberry” Polaris II and the GT Memovox which I recalled from his 2021 Rescapement interview. I would then show him a catalog I recently scanned hoping to gain some cool points.

Working the Wind Vintage booth was friend and collector Max Shillman (@maxshillman). Just last year, I was present when he purchased a wonderful and rare Dunhill Memovox by Jaeger-LeCoultre. The watch is essentially the same model as the JLC Memovox reference E 855, but infinitely cooler because of Max’s personal connection with this example.

“The Dunhill Momovox by Jaeger-Lecoultre is a piece that is truly special to me and will be my first watch that I will hold onto forever. It was my first foray into collecting a non-modern watch and happens to be the watch that Eric Wind was wearing the first time we met. It was at a black tie event that I introduced myself to Wind and asked what was on his wrist. He pulled up the sleeve of his tux and with a quick wristroll, revealed to me the most charismatic watch I have ever seen. My eyes were drawn to the matte indigo blue color of the dial, then to the infinitely elegant and swanky styling of the white breguet numerals. It was the first time I had genuinely fallen in love with a watch without marketing or public opinion whispering into my ear.

It was months later when I had the opportunity to handle the watch in person that I was able to feel the watch and bracelet together on my wrist as one single unit. The Gay Freres bracelet was supple, just as elegant as the watch itself; but what really completed the aesthetic were the stylised center links that resemble the vertical grooves on the rollers of 50's and 60's Dunhill lighters. In my mind, I was instantly as cool in my t-shirt, shorts and beat up Nikes as a black tie clad Sean Connery in Dr. No. lighting his cigarette with his own Dunhill lighter. After experiencing the watch on the wrist, I knew I had to have it. To me, the watch embodies an era of unmistakable gentlemanly class and style that you would be hard pressed to find today in modern timepieces. 

The alarm function is pretty neat too I guess.”

Also holding it down in the Wind Vintage booth was Nicole Andrade, who wore her first vintage watch - an 18K yellow gold Certina New Art. While I would love to add her quote to the article on this fantastic timepiece, we are expecting her debut article on it over at Wind Vintage soon!

Another addition to WV’s team was Max Braun (@mrbwatches). Braun wore his insanely nice GMT-Master reference 1675 which had an interesting origin story tied to the show.

“I bought this 16750 exactly one year ago at OMBAS, so it felt appropriate to bring and wear it throughout the weekend this year. I love the watch as its condition is exceptional and it wears very cleanly on my wrist. I also appreciate that it came with its original jubilee bracelet. But most importantly, I love this watch as it marks a number of significant firsts for me: my first Miami Beach Antique Show and my first steel sports model from Rolex. This watch will be in my collection for the rest of my life.”

Braun would also bring his LeCoultre Chronograph Reference 224115 to the show (a watch that is out of this world and I continuously dream about). Each time a JLC lover came to the booth, I asked him to pull the watch back out to share. Very unexpected was a LeCoultre which showed up a friend Seth’s wrist. I had met Seth at last year’s show, and having been quite enthusiastically wearing independents, I was blown away when he told me he wanted to show me his LeCoultre Polaris Reference E 859. “Where in the world did you get this?!?!” I replied.

While sneaking around the floor in search of timepieces to shoot (and buy for the right price), I noticed Mike Nouveau of Craft & Tailored. It was only a three months back that I caught a photo of him rocking his vintage Cartier Tank at the Rowing Blazers x Seiko launch party. His obsession this past weekend seems to be with its larger cousin, the Cristallor. However, this one has a tad bit of “extra sauce” as he puts.

“I had been looking for a Cartier Cristallor for about a year before I found one for a great price in Tokyo. Then about a month later, a dealer in Dubai sent me a photo of another Cristallor, this time with the Bahraini emblem on it and the Cartier logo moved to 6 o'clock. Naturally I couldn't stand there being another Cristallor out there even cooler than mine, so I sold the original and quickly bought this one! Typical collector nonsense!”

Casually walking through the aisles was an Italian dealer, Fabrizio Caso (@casowatches), wearing khaki shorts and a long sleeve shirt which concealed timepieces on both wrists. Throughout the day, he would frequently change the watches he was wearing (a trend I might copy at the next watch fair). Each time we would cross paths, I stopped Caso demanding to know what his latest timepiece was. A standout was the mammoth-sized Piaget with stepped case and a fascinating bracelet. “I just picked this up” he replied as he rolled up his sleeve for a photo.

However, one watch that got a lot of action over the weekend was his 18K yellow gold Rolex Datejust reference 6104. Not only had the dial developed beautifully over the decades, it featured incredible diamond hour markers. “I love alternative diamonds. For me, it is the best configuration ever!” I agreed with him on the fantastic watch, and he then offered it to me for a cool €80k.

Later at the show I was introduced to a local collector, Kevin, with a shared passion for vintage JLC. He wore a fantastic Geophysic reference E 168 in yellow gold which I couldn’t take my eyes off of. It was the first time I had seen this reference and I informed the him that I was quite thrilled by it. Hopefully, we will reconnect and I’ll get a closer look at this one!

Typically seen in his “Marathon” Aquanaut reference 5064A-001, John Reardon of Collectability was wearing something a bit more rare. I convinced him to let me get a photo of before he added it to the website.

“I found this white gold and lapis lazuli bracelet watch Ref. 3578/1G at the show - and love it. This so called 'skater' reference started production in 1969. This early example is from the first series featuring a caliber 175. (this reference switched to the caliber 177 in 1977). Check out the lapis details on the sides with the matching lapis hour markers... and lapis hands. This is 1970s Patek at its best!”

While I’m not sure I should share the other epic timepiece Reardon found, I will say that it made me extremely jealous of his 20/20 vision.

Being obsessed with presentation boxes and other ephemera, another eye-catching Rolex in the Menta booth was a Submariner 16613. I looked over at Adam Golden and asked if I could see his Rolex. Sitting comfortably on the couch, he reminded me I was sharing the booth with him and I was welcome to take the watch out myself. Having a good laugh at this, he elaborated on the double-signed Tiffany Sub.

“While the reference 16613 is nothing new or particularly special, this one goes above a typical example being co-signed by the retailer Tiffany & Co. BUT, that’s not why I love it…I love it because it still has its original Tiffany box and Tiffany-stamped Rolex papers, adding instant provenance and credibility to the watch. I adore finding things that are impossible to find - and a full-set Tiffany & Co. stamped Rolex certainly fits that bill!”

Staying on the Tiffany train, Eric Wind wore his latest offering throughout most of the show (perhaps to get a bit of enjoyment out of it before stomaching its inevitable departure to a new home). The watch - a Rolex Explorer reference 1016 retailed by Tiffany & Co. While Wind’s Tiffany Rolex didn’t come with a box, it did come with a case back engraving.

“I have always loved the Bunny Mellon 1016s since they first were announced for auction at Sotheby’s and to own one now, after helping sell a couple others, is a dream .”

Perhaps the antithesis of sports Rolex is Piaget. Of the three examples in Wind’s booth, one example owned by Saul Hollif (Johnny Cash’s manager) caught a lot of attention throughout the weekend.

“The Piaget from Johnny Cash’s manager is one of the coolest vintage gold watches I have ever seen. It is a dream on the wrist!”

As he placed a vintage Movado chronograph amongst a variety of vintage Rolex Daytonas, Kevin O’Dell (@theydid) said one of several memorable quotes from the weekend which was along the lines of “this belongs amongst these Daytonas, but it’s infinitely cooler”. Not a stranger of contrarian and controversial takes, I asked O’Dell to expand upon this statement.

“It’s cooler in the sense that to own and wear one gives a sense of unconformity compared to say a Rolex Daytona from the same era. You really can’t beat a Francois Borgel case and comparatively it’s much rarer especially when you take into consideration the in-house caliber 95m setting it apart from the countless Valjoux based chronos of the same era. The panda dial, exceptional condition and period bracelet don’t hurt either…it’s really no surprise that it’s off to a new home.”

Perhaps the king of stylish shirts at the show was Wes Wynne of Collector’s Corner NY. On his wrist was his cherished Rolex “P Serial” Daytona reference 16520. He shared it was one he had eager to score for quite some time, and while admiring it in person I can see why. It is a very nice and unpolished example, which Daytona lovers could notice upon first glance. Yet the minutia of this early example was what developed Wynne’s personal fascination in this model instead of alternative neo-vintage Daytonas.

Back in July, Wynne allowed me to write on his site about a timepiece he had available, ‘An Enicar Super Jet GMT With Unique Provenance’. Since then, it’s been a joy seeing his offerings each time I check into the website. There is always a wide array of timepieces, whether that be the mass-appeal sports model, or something a bit more unique. It’s clear Wynne has a penchant for curating eclectic models, as at any point in time you can find vintage-alarm models, funky and colorful chronographs, as well as undervalued military issued watches in his listings.

Running into Wynne we caught up to discuss our favorite timepieces on view, and his recent article ‘Wedding Watches - Marking Special Moments in Time’. The following morning, I read the article while heading into Miami on the Brightline and appreciated how Wes’ thoughtfulness came through - a stark contrast to most watch content which can be more spec-focused and emotionless. Ironically, I would cross paths with Wes and his wife, Amelia, on their way back home. While we were all in a bit of a rush, the brief encounter was quite a special coincidence.

After the show, I reached out to hear about his experience at OMBAS 2023.

“The Original Miami Beach Antique Show has to be the most exciting event for vintage watch enthusiasts, collectors and dealers alike. There are plenty of hidden gems to uncover, as well as prominently displayed treasures for clients to enjoy. But above all, seeing old friends and making new ones with equally passionate folks is well worth the trip alone!”

Strolling towards the coffee vendor up at the front of the show, I caught up with Managing Partner at Monaco Legend Group USA Adam Victor (@abv33). When I inquired what he was wearing these days, he rolled up his sleeve presenting the coolest Rolex chronograph I caught at the show. The dial was marvelous and I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. Despite being diminutive in size, the “Piccolino” is a heavy hitter in vintage Rolex.

“There is something about small watches, and complicated small watches in particular, that I’m drawn to…..I particularly like the look and feel of a 30mm case, give or take a few mm, partly because it doesn’t overwhelm the wrist, and it feels more like I’m wearing the watch as opposed to the other way around.

Generally, Rolex reference 3055 is the right combination of elements for me, but this particular watch in steel and with a multi-tone silvered sector dial is really magical. The case is robust for its size and at the same time quite elegant with long sweeping lugs and a concave bezel.

Also, a Rolex reference 3055 was often seen on the wrist of Enzo Ferrari and I must admit and that’s not lost on me.”

At the early hours before starting the final show, I held a vintage Vulcain Cricket reference 303001. It had just come back from a lucky collector who snagged it before I had the opportunity to in 2021. The watch could be easily confused with the “King Cricket” based on its 38mm case, but if you pay attention to the lugs, you’ll notice the difference. These models are quite uncommon, and hard to find in awesome condition.

I glanced over at Wind, who had just tagged the watch for sale. I asked “No pressure, but any chance you might be interested in trading this for my reference 304001 Cricket… plus whatever you think is a fair amount of cash?”. Eric smiled and replied “We’ll work something out. Just put this thing on your wrist for the now”. He then repeated our favorite quote from the 2023 Original Miami Beach Antique Show which had came from Kevin the afternoon prior: “The best ones always stay in the fam!”