eBay Finds: A Historic El Primero, a Vintage Cyma Chronograph in Great Condition, and a Beautiful and Unusual Ladies Seiko

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 Movado Zentih El Primero

Going to start this week off strong with a super cool, big ol’ vintage Movado El Primero chronograph. This bad boy has it all, big chunky 44mm steel case, El Primero automatic movement, and beautiful acrylic 12 hour bezel insert. The black dial with three subdials is superb, with nice lume filled white hands, and a blue chrono seconds hand. The case looks unpolished and has a great blocky style. The El Primero is a classic chronograph movement with a long history, and was the first high frequency automatic chrono. Seller states this gem was recently serviced and runs perfectly, so you should be good to go. You don’t see these for sale in auction format often!

View auction here

Vintage Seiko Turtle 6309-7040

Following up one classic with another! The vintage May 1977 Seiko 6309-7040 diver is the real deal. The Seiko 6309 is still one of the most under-rated vintage divers, despite its amazing quality and history. This example looks to be all original and in really nice shape. The large steel case still exhibits the original brushed finish, but does have some marks. The original bezel insert is also excellent, with only some small nicks here and there. The Suwa dial is original, and there is no black funk on the hands or dial. Per the seller, the watch was overhauled in 2022 including a new stem and gaskets and passed a pressure test. If you’ve wanted one of these, take a good look at this auction!

View auction here

Cyma Vintage Chronograph 

Here we have a brilliant vintage Cyma Tavanes two-register chronograph. The silver dial has a beautiful Art Deco look with super stylized printed numerals. The large sub-dials along with the broad sword hands give it a classic look. The dial shows some patina, but it just adds to the overall vintage vibe. The case is in good shape for its age, and is a good size at 37mm. The seller states the watch runs and the chronograph works, with a slight issue when the chronograph has run for over 15 minutes. If this watch strikes your fancy, read the description well and take into account that it will likely need a full service to be issue-free. Otherwise, this is a great looking vintage chronograph that with a little tlc will be a real winner.

View auction here

Vintage Wittnauer Chronograph 

Next up is this wild vintage Wittnauer chronograph. This one screams 1970’s to me, with its sideways oval steel case and chunky hands. The steel case is 40mm wide and looks unpolished. It definitely has a little wear, but overall looks good. The black dial with white sub-dials is clean and looks sharp with the broad steel baton hands that have red/orange tips and lume in them. The chronograph seconds hand is a bold red/orange arrow hand that really stands out. The manual wind Valjoux 726 movement looks clean and per the seller it runs well and was serviced a few years ago. Put this one on a funky 1970’s strap and you’re ready to rock!

View auction here

Vintage Waltham Diver with JB Champion Bracelet

Here’s another Wittnauer, this time a fantastic vintage diver. The 36mm wide steel case looks sharp and unpolished with nice angled lugs. The black dial features some textured design elements and has applied faceted steel markers and broad steel hands. The aluminum elapsed time bezel is nearly perfect, and the crown is original and signed with the Wittnauer “W” logo. The 17 jewel manual wind movement is clean and runs well per the seller. And the icing on the cake is that the watch comes on a really sweet vintage JB Champion bracelet.

View auction here

Vintage Seiko L221 Digital Watch

Last up is a cool vintage LCD for the ladies. This 1979 L221-5059 quartz LCD has a really neat textured finish to the steel case and integrated bracelet. Other than a scratch on the Hardlex crystal, the watch is in excellent condition and even comes with the original Seiko hang-tag. It runs well and there are no missing elements on the LCD screen. Nice little vintage ladies LCD from Seiko that you don’t see often.

View auction here