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!
Starting off this week strong with a killer vintage Ollech & Wajs Navichron Regatta chronograph. The watch itself looks to be original and vintage, but the box and ‘papers’ that are with it are not, and neither is the bracelet. That said, the watch is really nice. The large steel skin diver case looks unpolished and the black dial looks to be in good shape. The black acrylic 12 hour bezel insert looks to be in good shape too, which is not always the case. Seller states the watch is powered by the classic workhorse Valjoux 7733 and that it’s running well and keeping time. The bracelet may not be original, but it’s the same beads of rice style as the original. Not sure what’s up with the modern/made up box/papers, but the watch head looks legit to me.
Here is a neat vintage Tissot Visodate Seastar that has a unique look. The square steel case is sharp and unpolished, and has a personal engraving dated 2/19/66. The silver dial is clean, with a vertical brushed finish and has applied steel hour markers and slim steel dauphine hands. There is a date window at 6 o’clock, preserving the symmetry of the dial. The watch comes on a Kestenmade steel mesh bracelet that is likely not original, but nevertheless looks quite good on it. The seller states the automatic movement runs and currently keeps time.
Another week, another super cool vintage LED! Sorry, but I just can’t get enough of these retro baddies! This one is a vintage Timex SSQ. The octagonal steel case looks to be in great condition, and is mostly a polished finish with cool textured sections above and below the readout window. The printing on the window is nice and clear, and the LED has no missing segments. Seller states the watch is running well. A nice touch is that the original paper sticker is still mostly intact on the caseback, leading me to believe this beauty didn’t get a lot of wrist time. To top it all off, the watch comes with the original bracelet, signed “Timex” on the deployant buckle. What a find!
Speaking of finds, here’s a great time capsule find, a vintage Swatch Wave Rebel complete in the original box! The original Swatch watches were the coolest thing back in the 80’s when they came out, and honestly they’re still pretty cool. This one has great colors and a nuclear/atomic graphic on the dial that really stands out. Complete with original band, box and papers! Seller states the battery is dead, so there is a bit of a risk with this one, but with the whole package I just had to share it with our readers anyways!
Here is a gorgeous vintage Omega dress watch that is a real stunner. The understated square case is in solid 14k white gold, and has nice sharp edges and great lugs. The seller doesn’t state the case size, but clearly it’s a smaller watch. That said, what it lacks in size, it makes up in style. The silver/white dial has a vertical lined texture and is in excellent shape, and looks original to me. It has slim applied arrow hour markers that are most likely 14k gold as well. No date and a sub-second dial at 6 o’clock keep the dial pleasingly symmetrical. The original crown is signed with the Omega logo as it should be. The manual wind Omega caliber 302 movement is clean and running well per the seller. The serial number dates this gem to 1956, which is why it looks straight out of Mad Men!
Another strong finish with this amazing and scarce vintage Benrus Type II military diver. This model has been imitated many times by modern homage micro-brands, but this is the OG. The case is unpolished and still has its original matte finish. The acrylic 12 hour bezel insert is superb, and often these are pretty beat up. The classic 12/24 hour black military dial is super clean, with nicely aged lume on the dial and also the white hands. The seller states the crown is likely a service replacement, but if so it certainly looks correct, and it screws down properly as it should. The case back has the correct military inscriptions, and the watch is dated to November 1979. Overall this is a beautiful example of a highly desired vintage military diver.
Latest Review
