Winding Down The Weekend
A weekly update on what to check out in the world of watches.
by Charlie Dunne
Time Travel - An Introduction to Audemars Piguet’s Vintage Watches
For those unaware, Josh Rankin is not only a passionate collector/dealer of vintage Audemars Piguet, but he is also a fantastic writer in the world of vintage watches. Quoted as saying “We’re not mainstream and we’re proud of it”, Rankin expands upon this by thinking outside the octagon in his debut article for Wristcheck. I am quite happy to admit that one of the timepieces covered - Emperor Francis Joseph's pocket watch - had totally been off my radar up until this point. Check out part 1 of hopefully many more to come below. To explore Rankin’s watch offerings, visit his website over at stetzcowatches.com.
Austro-Hungarian Emperor Francis Joseph’s Audemars Piguet pocket watch equipped with a barometer and compass. Image credit: Wristcheck
The Most Prized Watch Brands You’ve Never Heard Of
Significant Watches Podcast: Condition, Condition, Condition!
In the latest episode of Significant Watches, we jump into the conversation surrounding, you guessed it, condition. We also explore the topic of value when it is based strictly on condition and how there may be a discrepancy for areas such as provenance, or factors such as rare cloisonné dials. Conversations around condition can often have a lot of grey areas depending upon what the individual finds attractive. There are different schools of thought on what is accepted and what practices are off-limits. Restoration, optimization, reprinted dials, polishing cases, the conversation can go on forever. Yet, one major word that everyone should always be able to get behind is transparency. Asking questions, listening, and being eager to learn is the first step to finding what you’re comfortable with when it comes to the C-word. Whether you’re on the road to work or on the couch for the weekend, tune in and enjoy.
What I’m Watching
A JLC Travalarm at Antiquorum
Coming up at Antiquorum Hong Kong’s online auction scheduled for March 9, 2022 is a fun gold-plated Jaeger-LeCoulte “Travalarm”. The opening bid is at $300, which would be a good score for those looking to have a budget-friendly Memovox. I’d imagine the watch will likely hammer under $1,000. Sorry to those who checked in last week, but if you’re eager to learn a bit of background on the timepiece, I wrote about my stainless steel reference 3157 a few weeks back.
A Well-Preserved Rolex Prince Reference 1343
Eric Wind aka Windiana Jones seems to have raided a lost arc containing one of the few Rolex Princes that hasn’t been subject to cruel and unusual punishment. While you’re more often to find him explaining the nuances of sports models in HODINKEE Reference Points or his recent obsession with Rolex Domino’s, this unexpected Art-Deco find takes the crown in my book. Check out the Prince here.
A Vintage Vacheron Constantin Reference 6440 “Cioccolatone”
Earlier in the week, a very nice VC popped up on Instagram courtesy of Menta Watches. More interestingly the watch was originally sold to Senior General Alfonso Gurza of Mexico. After briefly chatting with Adam Golden, it turns out the watch sold instantly, so sorry to disappoint anyone who got excited. Nevertheless, it warrants a rewind for those who didn’t catch it the first time. To catch a few flicks of what Adam and Jordan brought along to The Original Miami Beach Antique Show last month, take a gander at the photo report here.
Each of The Known Cartier Eight Day Wristwatches
Wrapping things up, I recently released an exhausting project on Eight Day Cartier wristwatches. While I am happy to have it in my rearview mirror, I imagine the saga will continue.