eBay Finds: A Beautiful Vintage Zodiac, a Pair of Affordable Seikos, and an Uncommon Seth Thomas Stingray Chronograph

eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at [email protected] for potential inclusion!

Vintage 1970s Zodiac Automatic Day-Date w/ Mesh Zodiac Band 

Zodiac is most well known to vintage watch collectors for their incredible Sea Wolf divers, but they also made a plethora of other models, including this early 1970’s sporty dress watch which has loads of vintage style. The silver dial has applied block steel markers, stick hands and a day date window at 3 o’clock that is opposite of the Zodiac script which gives the dial a nice balance. The steel case is unpolished with sharp edges and original finish, and the watch has the original signed crown to boot. A nice touch is that this gem comes on the original Zodiac signed mesh bracelet made by JB Champion. Really nice looking and subtly blingy piece. 

View auction here

Seiko 5 Vintage 5126-8110 

Next up is a great looking vintage Seiko 5 from 1968. This model 5126-8110 has a little bit of everything. The steel case is unpolished with sharp edges and you can tell it is a distant relative of the Grammar of Design school of aesthetics from the King and Grand Seiko lines. The charcoal dial is super clean, with lume filled, applied steel markers and the usual day/date window at 3 o’clock. To me, the best part of this one is the original bracelet. It has a unique link style which I don’t think I’ve seen on any other Seiko model. And the buckle is signed “Seiko 5” as it should be as well. This is a great Seiko that shouldn’t end up straining your wallet.

View auction here

1971 Men’s Seiko 5606-8019

What’s better than a vintage Seiko? Two! Here’s another nice vintage Seiko, this one is a 5606-8019 from 1971. It has a larger blocky steel case with an unusual horizontal brushed finish that you don’t see often. The dial is slate blue with applied steel markers and of course the standard day/date window at 3 o’clock. It has the original Seiko bracelet as it should. Nothing spectacular, but a solid vintage piece with unique style with its blue dial and horizontal brushed finish. 

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Chronographe Suisse Ref 215 Military Pilots Chronograph

Here we have a classic vintage 1950’s Chronographe Suisse chronograph. The stainless steel case measures a healthy 38mm and is in good shape. The dial is a beauty, a nice glossy black with two subdials that have a concentric texture as you’d expect. The printed numbers are gold color, with the outer tachymeter scale. The hands are smooth steel arrow style, which gives it that classic vintage look. The movement is a 17 jewel Landeron caliber 48 manual wind, which is clean and running well per the seller. Vintage chronographs are always in demand, and this black dial is a beautiful one that would look amazing on the wrist. 

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Caravelle Devil Diver “Tuxedo”

Diver time! Here’s a nice vintage Caravalle 666ft diver. Caravelle was of course the lower cost sister company of Bulova, but they still made solid, high quality watches. This 1973 example has a nice black dial with stylized white outer chapter ring that gives it a great look. Broad steel hour and minute hands and an orange second hand complete the look. The rectangular cushion style case has some honest wear, but nothing bad and looks to be unpolished with sharp edges. The crown is original and signed with the Caravelle “C” logo, which is correct. Great way to get a 666ft “Devil Diver” without the premium Bulova price.

View auction here

Seth Thomas Stingray 

Finishing this week strong with a really cool vintage Seth Thomas Stingray chronograph. This watch was made by Roamer, and the crown and caseback are signed with the Roamer “r” logo. The 37mm oval-ish steel case is excellent and unpolished with sharp edges. The chocolate brown dial with three white subdials is a beauty. I have to be honest, I don’t know if the dial was originally brown or if it was black that has now faded to a ‘tropical’ brown. Either way, it looks fantastic. The manual wind chronograph movement is signed Roamer and is a Valjoux caliber 726. It is clean and works well per the seller. The bracelet is signed with a logo I don’t recognize but it does have a T in it, so maybe it’s original? Either way, a really cool, chunky 1970’s chronograph.

View auction here