eBay Finds: A Bulova For Every Occasion, A Grey Seiko 6139, & A LeJour To Die For

A full fledged 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. If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at [email protected] for potential inclusion!

1970’s Micronta

I’m a sucker for vintage LCD watches, especially the OG ones that are chunky and funky. And this vintage Micronta fits the bill for sure. The 38mm (!!) steel cushion case is huge and… chunky! Looks to be unpolished with some scratches and patina you’d expect on a watch this age. The simple hour and minute only time display is clean with no missing segments, and the watch sets and runs per the seller. The bracelet may be original, but is unsigned so I’m not sure. Nevertheless, it looks period-correct and fits the overall look. I suspect this one won’t cost an arm and a leg, so it could be a fun one to grab.

View auction here.

Vintage Bulova Accutron 

Here we have a gorgeous vintage Accutron 214. I love the simple symmetry of the silver no-date dial here. Really an understated masterpiece. The circular brushed finish on the dial compliments the look, and the applied still markers and outer minute track finish it nicely. The dial and steel dauphine hands appear to be free of any patina or corrosion. However, the acrylic crystal looks scratched and appears to have a crack near 2 o’clock. The stainless steel case looks unpolished with nice sharp edges though, so I think this one is worth it if you can live with the crystal or simply have it replaced. The seller states the caliber 214 tuning fork movement works well, so you should be good to go!

View auction here.

LeJour Chronograph

Vintage chronographs are becoming so popular that it is harder and harder to find “reasonably” priced ones these days. This vintage LeJour should end on the reasonable side of the pay scale I would think. First off, LeJour is sort of an “off brand”, but their watches are still well made. Secondly the movement on this example looks to be a Landeron. The Landeron movements are perfectly good, they just aren’t as sought after as some of their contemporary brethren like Valjoux and Venus. Still, it’s a good looking, manual wind two register vintage chronograph so really how can one go wrong? The steel case looks unpolished and in good condition, as well as the panda style black and white dial. The seller stated the watch runs, but the reset doesn’t reset to zero, so it will likely need a service, which should keep the final price down. That said, the Landeron movements work differently than the Valjoux in that the top button starts the chrono and the 4 o’clock button stops and resets, so perhaps the seller doesn’t know this?

View auction here.

Vintage Gold Bulova

Bulova has been killing it since the 1920’s, but the 1950’s were arguably the pinnacle of overall design for the company. This 1954 Bulova dress watch is a prime example of that period. The 26mm rolled gold case is both simple and ornate at the same time, with the classic tank style shape with the fancy lugs. It is in beautiful condition with no brassing. The butler silver dial is gorgeous and looks original to me. The gold numbers and arrows dial is classic Bulova, and in superb condition. The manual wind caliber 10BT movement looks clean and the seller states it runs well. Great ‘Mad Men’ watch to pair with a suit for your next meeting!

View auction here.

Seiko 6139

Seiko is so underrated in the world of chronographs it’s almost criminal. That said, those that know, know. This single register Seiko 6139-7002 is a great starter chronograph in that it has the venerable 6139 movement, but it’s not in the classic and more popular “Pogue” case. This example has a nice chunky cushion-ish style case that looks to be unpolished and comes in at a hefty 41mm. The gray dial with black hands is a great look, and unusual to boot. The 6139 is a fantastic and robust movement that works great and lasts forever. This beast comes on its original steel bracelet which is always a plus. The Hardlex (Seiko’s proprietary mineral crystal glass) crystal has some scratches, but Seiko crystals aren’t hard to come by if you want to replace it. Any way you cut it, you simply cannot go wrong with vintage Seiko, especially their chronographs.

View auction here.

Bulova 666 Diver

Yeah, it’s another Bulova, but this vintage Devil Diver is too good to pass on. Bulova has made a bevy of divers over the years, and in my humble opinion, this model is one of their finest designs. The unpolished 35mm steel case isn’t huge, but it isn’t tiny either, and this example is in excellent condition. This model for some reason is usually beat to a pulp, but this one is really nice. The bezel on this one is also super nice, which is hard to find. This model came in both black and silver dial options, and I’ve found the silver dial to be slightly less common. This dial is super clean with nice bright lume. I have to admit that the lume might possibly be redone as it looks quite bright, but honestly I can’t be 100% sure either way. However, it does match the hands and they don’t look redone to me. The oversized crown is signed and is correct for this model. No picture of the movement but the seller states it runs well.

View auction here.