eBay Finds: Squale, Universal Geneve, and More Vintage LED Discoveries

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 Universal Geneve Polerouter

With eBay, some weeks are slim pickin’s and some weeks the bounty is plentiful. This week it’s the latter. Starting off this week with a bang, with this amazing vintage Universal Geneve Polerouter with Microtor movement. This example is the classic black dialed, no date version and it is stunning. Gerald Genta’s Polerouter design is an absolute masterclass on aesthetic design. From those sexy bombe lungs to the crosshair black dial with the signature fluted outer dial ring down to the Universal Geneve signed crown and Polerouter logo caseback, it’s just pure beauty. This example looks to be all original and in very good condition with the only issue I see being there is some corrosion on the hands. The watch needs an external cleaning to be sure, but I love finding vintage watches with all the funk on them, it just means it was worn and loved and hasn’t been messed with! If you’ve been wanting one of these, take a close look at this gem!

View auction here.

Vintage Seiko Chronograph 6139

How do you follow a vintage Polerouter? With arguably one of the most famous and popular Seiko chronographs, that’s how! This vintage Seiko 6139-6005 “Pogue” chronograph is the real deal, from December 1971 with the yellow “Water 70m Resist” dial. Famously worn by Col. Pogue during his SkyLab space mission, the Seiko Pogue is highly sought after and getting harder and harder to find in good, unmolested condition. This example looks to be all original and is in excellent condition, with nice bright lume, a clean dial and unpolished case with sharp edges and the original brushed finish. As it should, it comes on the correct narrow H-link bracelet. If I didn’t already have one, I’d be bidding on this one myself!

View auction here.

Girard-Perregaux Vintage Alarm

Here’s a beautiful and elegant vintage Girard-Perregaux alarm watch. This a beauty, and one I haven’t seen before! The unpolished steel case is simple, with nice slim angled lugs that have large chamfers, giving the watch a sleek look. The silver dial is also simple, with thin steel stick hour markers and thin steel hands. What makes this one unusual is the way the alarm feature is set up. Instead of a ring that turns (like a Seiko Bell-Matic) or an extra hand that points to the alarm time, this one has a wheel under the dial that is turned with the second crown to move the hours through a window. Really a cool and clean look. The crowns look to be original to me. Usually Girard-Perregaux crowns are signed with the “GP” logo, but in this case it’s different. The top crown for setting the time is blank, while the lower crown for setting the alarm has an “A” on it. Great looking vintage alarm watch that is stylish and functional!

View auction here.

Vintage Squale Diver

Next up is a killer vintage Squale diver. Vintage Squales are very much sought after by the dive watch collectors, and you can see why. Like vintage Super Compressors and their EPSA cases, Squale made the cases for their divers and a multitude of brands put their dials and movements in them. This example is a D’ior brand, and like you, I’ve never heard of them. This one is the Medium style, which as the name suggests is a smaller size, 34mm to be precise. These may not be as big or as popular as their larger counterparts like the 100 Atmos Masters or the 25 Atmos skindiver style, but the Medium still has the juice. The asymmetric case has a crown guard bulge on the right side to protect the screw down crown. The blue dial looks good with nice broad lume filled hands which is a Squale staple. Another staple is the gorgeous acrylic bezel insert, this one in blue and white. If you like smaller divers, this one is a winner.

View auction here.

Vintage Bulova Wrist Alarm

What’s better than one vintage alarm watch? Two of course! Here we have a big bad Bulova Wrist Alarm from 1972. This is a Bulova model I’ve never seen before, and it is super funky and super cool. The 36mm steel case is chunky and has thick stubby lugs. It is unpolished with sharp edges and a nice brushed finish. The dark blue dial has bold steel hour markers and light blue hashes for the alarm hours. This more traditional alarm style has the extra hand that points to the alarm hour, and it has a large blue arrow tip. The dual crowns are signed “Bulova” as they should be, and the thick acrylic crystal looks to be original. Really cool piece that will stand out.

View auction here.

Vintage Timebrand Red LED

And what’s an eBay Finds without a vintage LED? I don’t know why, but these are finding their way out of the old desk drawers and into eBay in droves! This example is by Timebrand, and has a simple chrome plated base metal case that is in good shape. Push the little button and that cool red LED screen lights up to tell the time, just like when I was a kid. Seller states it works well, and I can’t imagine this will go for too much dough. Great fun piece that won’t stress the wallet and is sure to garner comments!

View auction here.