Newsletter 12.30.22
By Charlie Dunne
Welcome back to the Strictly Vintage Newsletter. Right out the gate I am would like to share that I will be attending the The Original Miami Beach Antique Show from Thursday, January 19th - Monday, January 23rd. Wind Vintage will be a vendor and I hope to see some of you in the building. For those who have not attended in the past, below are a few articles with some watch spotting highlights earlier this year.
Wind Vintage at The Original Miami Beach Antique Show 2022
The Original Miami Beach Antique Show (OMBAS) is a horological pilgrimage for those interested in vintage watches and other antiques including jewelry, furniture, handbags, art, and home décor. OMBAS hosts 600+ vendors from over 30 countries with a wide variety of expertise. American and international collectors and dealers attend the annual event, which generally takes place in January or February each year. Eric Wind stated that it is the best show open to the public for looking at and purchasing important vintage and pre-owned watches in North or South America.
See the photo report with Wind Vintage at the 2022 Beach Show below:
https://www.windvintage.com/blog/2022-photo-report-the-original-miami-beach-antique-show-part-
Collectability at The Original Miami Antique Beach Show 2022
Check out the ‘Photo Report: Collectability at The Original Miami Antique Beach Show’ below:
Menta Watches at The Original Miami Antique Beach Show 2022
You can find the Photo Report with Menta Watches at The Original Miami Antique Beach Show 2022 below:
Learn more about the show:
https://originalmiamibeachantiqueshow.com
Undervalued: Oversized Vulcain Crickets
It’s not uncommon that Eric Wind and I find vintage Vulcain Crickets with the calibre 120 (or the evolution of it in the MSR S2) which have spent decades unaltered, sometimes not having been opened since leaving the factory originally, and continue to keep excellent time with the alarm still operating correctly. In contrast, we have seen far too many “high-end” timepieces that have the unfortunate reputation for needing to be returned to their factory of origin many times within a short span for servicing. Thankfully, not all vintage watches are “highly sensitive” and many, such as vintage Vulcain Crickets, were built with more durability than watches today.
Much of the attention surrounding the Vulcain Cricket surrounds the early models. Whether the “OG” Crickets or subsequent 2nd series cases (such as the reference 304001), the classic dimensions and groundbreaking calibre 120 helped define a special period in alarm watches. Like many watches from the 1970s, the designs would evolve into a more broad and aggressive appearance. Even with my affinity for the Cricket, I’ll admit it took me some time to appreciate the later models.
While the early iterations used cases made by Manufacture Favre & Perret SA, Vulcain would evolve their product line in the 1950s and 1960s as consumer standards were at this point to have a relatively water-resistant watch. The brand would usher in “Waterprotected” models through the renowned case manufacturer Ervin Piquerez (EPSA). EPSA’s reputation, albeit later earned than the Rolex Oyster, is closely associated with their impermeable bayonet case designs. A renaissance man of his era, Piquerez would file 200 patents and register 8,000 designs over the course of his career. Just about every manufacturer would commission EPSA throughout 50s-70s to compete with the offerings from The Crown. Incredibly, one of the greatest case manufacturer would achieve this with a staff of only 160 employees by the early 1970s. Whether Breitling Cosmonautes, the Vulcain Nautical Cricket, Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris, Heuer’s Carrera and Monaco, or Enicar’s Sherpa Graph and Ultradive, Piquerez be integrally involved in some of the most highly-coveted sports watches.
What I’m Reading: The Top 10 Vintage Watches Featured In 2022
Tomas Rosputinsky of Fratello Watches put together a fun list featuring ‘The Top 10 Vintage Watches Featured In 2022’. Certainly recommend checking these interesting timepieces out in the link below:
https://www.fratellowatches.com/tbt-top-10-vintage-watches-featured-in-2022/
