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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 Waltham B-383 Rally Diver
Here’s a wild one to start off this week, a vintage Waltham diver with a bold rally dial. The large squarish chunky steel case looks unpolished with sharp edges. The diver’s bezel has a cool half yellow, half black acrylic insert that is in really nice shape. The dial is what really sets this diver apart though, with its intricate black, yellow and blue alternating “rally” style design. Broad steel hands and the ubiquitous 1970s day/date window complete the look. No movement picture, but the seller states it runs well. This one has all the vintage swag you could want in a diver!
Vintage Seiko 5 Sportsmatic
Next up is this simple yet stylish vintage Seiko 5 Sportsmatic. These are really versatile, large and robust enough to be sporty, but you can dress it up with a nice leather strap and it would be right at home with a suit! This 1967 model is in excellent, unpolished shape, with a large 38mm case. The classic Seiko silver dial with steel markers and hands is also excellent. Of note, the hour and minute hands are the exact same hands used on the iconic Seiko 6105 divers, although the lume color is different. Nice clean automatic movement that runs well per the seller. This is a great watch that is good looking and very well made, and for a price that should be wallet-friendly.
Vintage Octo Wristwatch
Octo may not be a household watch brand, but they still made some cool models over the decades, including the coolest model ever, the “Misslemaster”! This example here is no Misslemaster, but it does have a really sweet 1940’s military style to it. The small 31mm steel case is nice and sharp, but it’s the dial that is the selling point here. It features a black and gray bullseye style with large lumed Arabic numeral hour markers, and nice gilt writing and outer minute track. The lume filled hands are in good shape, as is the red sweep second hand. No movement picture but it runs well per the seller.
Vintage Omega Constellation
Here’s a beauty that you don’t see every day, a vintage Omega Constellation in 18k gold with box and papers! The 18k yellow gold classic Constellation style case is gorgeous, with sharp edges and super clear and defined observatory medallion on the back. The gold dial with gold stick markers looks pretty clean in the pictures, although the seller states there are some marks and discoloration. That said, the dial does look original to me, which is a huge win. The crown looks to be the correct ten sided style as it should be. The Omega caliber 505 automatic Chronometer grade movement looks clean and runs well per the seller. This rare gem comes with the box (with some damage), and the original warranty paperwork filled out. Great, super scarce 18k gold Constellation, it won’t be cheap, but to the right Omega collector it’ll be a great addition!
Bulova Chronograph
Here we have a sweet vintage 1970 Bulova chronograph. The large 37mm chunky cushion shaped steel case is unpolished with sharp edges and original brushed finish. The dark blue dial is excellent, with dual white chrono subdials giving it a reverse panda look. This beast is powered by the workhorse Valjoux 7733 manual wind movement, which runs per the seller but there is no movement picture. The crown isn’t signed, and is likely not original, but Bulova crowns aren’t too hard to source. The beads-of-rice bracelet isn’t a Bulova, but the style is period correct and looks good on the watch. Vintage Bulova chronographs are always a great value, and this example is no exception.
Vintage IWC Calatrava in Platinum
Finishing up this week with a spectacular piece that is too good not to share. This vintage 1960 IWC Calatrava in solid platinum is simply stunning. To be honest, I don’t know much about this model, other than it is simply stunning. The 35mm classic Calatrava style case is perfect, with sharp edges and, as mentioned, is solid platinum, which is rare. The silver dial is simple elegance personified, with the classic vintage IWC script, complemented by the classic dauphine hands. The dial looks perfect and original to me. The IWC automatic caliber 853 movement is clean and beautiful, a true work of art. Seller states the watch runs smoothly and keeps time. This is a rare opportunity to score an incredible vintage platinum cased IWC masterpiece.
