eBay Finds: Two Classic Seiko Dive Watches, a Stunning Vintage Movado, and the Strangest Timex We’ve Ever Seen
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 Seiko 6309-7049
Got some great stuff for you this week, starting off with this classic and iconic vintage Seiko 6309-7049. Small rant here, the seller calls it a “turtle”, and I know lots of others do too, but damn I hate that nickname. Anyway, horrible nickname notwithstanding, the 6309 is a brilliant diver that really shouldn’t need any introduction. This example is really nice, and looks all original with a touch of honest wear. The steel case looks unpolished with the original brushed and polished finishes and sharp edges. The black dial looks great with nicely aged lume. The bezel insert is original with some light wear and a little fading that gives it a touch of that lovely ghost bezel look. Movement is clean and runs well per the seller. Great original example of a highly desirable vintage Seiko diver.
Vintage 1950s Girard-Perregaux
Next up is a sweet vintage Girard-Perregaux sport/dress watch. The 31mm steel case is excellent, unpolished with crisp edges and nice polished finish. It features fancy horned style lugs that really pop. The original cream dial is a beauty, with a quite pleasant, even patina to it. It has applied steel markers and classic steel sword hands. This watch is right out of Mad Men, with its 1950’s styling. The automatic movement runs well per the seller, but sadly no movement picture. This is a great piece from a well respected higher end manufacture that really should end up being affordable for the quality of the watch.
Vintage Seiko 62MAS 6217-8001
As if the Seiko 6309 wasn’t good enough, I found another vintage Seiko diver that’s another level up on the “got to have it!” scale! This vintage 1966 6217-8002 “62MAS” diver is peak Seiko. The 62MAS is as iconic as it gets, Seiko’s first professional dive watch, and very sought after by Seiko and dive watch enthusiasts alike. This is the large crown version (there’s a small crown variant), and it looks fabulous. The 37mm steel case is as good as I’ve seen, unpolished with sharp edges and the caseback engraving is super clean. The dial and hands are original and are in amazing condition, with no “black funk” on the lume that I can see. The aluminum bezel insert is original and frankly looks perfect. These rarely come up for sale in a true auction, and even more rarely in this condition. Absolute banger of a watch. Now, this one will indeed stress the wallet as I expect it to go for a pretty penny. However, if you’ve been after a 62MAS, now’s your chance!
Vintage Bulova Dress Watch
Bringing it back down to earth for a minute here with this simple yet beautiful vintage Bulova dress watch. This little yellow rolled gold gem is 32mm wide, and super thin, about the thinnest Bulova I think I’ve seen. Really nice looks with an unpolished case and thin lugs to go with the thin profile. The white dial is simple, with thin stick markers and sword hands, no date and a nice sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock. The small crown is signed with the Bulova logo, always a nice touch. The steel snap on caseback covers up a brilliant manual wind Bulova caliber 11AL movement that is clean as a whistle and runs well per the seller. Really a stand out piece from Bulova here.
Vintage 1970s Timex 761719 “Auto Desk Wrist” Electronic Watch
Next up is a wild one, and one I have never seen before. This vintage Timex Auto Desk Wrist electronic watch is really freaking cool, and to top it off it comes complete with the full kit of box and papers. So, the idea here is a seemingly normal wristwatch, but there is an added plastic mounting bracket that you can stick the watch head in that can be used on your desk as a clock, or mounted in your car as well! Honestly it’s a pretty cool idea. The watch itself has a nice large cushion case, with a black dial that has a rally-style outer track. It is powered by the Timex electronic movement, a pre-quartz electronic style that didn’t last long. The original bracelet is included which you seldom see on a Timex. The large box is square, and when you lift the lid off there is a plastic base that holds the watch. It also comes with the original price tag and what looks like a spare battery compartment lid and some clips to hold the watch in the display case. Seller states the watch runs well and was serviced 6-7 years ago. Amazing and unique find!
Movado M95 Super Sub Sea Diver Chronograph
Some weeks are slim pickins, and some weeks are chock full of goodies…like this week. Finishing off with a bang with this insane vintage Movado M95 Super Sub Sea chronograph diver…wow. This beauty has it all. The large 40mm steel case is unpolished, although it does exhibit some wear from age. I would much rather have the dings and scuffs on the case than it be polished and ruin the original lines and also the patina. The caseback has an awesome atom symbol medallion engraving that is wicked cool. The black dial has three white chronograph sub-dials, and it is in superb condition, with beautifully aged lume hour markers. The arrow hour hand and minute hand are lume filled, and the color matches the dial perfectly. Beautiful design and stunning condition. The elapsed time diver’s bezel is in good shape, with some marks from use. You can tell that this piece was actually worn and enjoyed but not abused or restored. It has a story to tell, which is what you want in a vintage watch. The large crown is signed with the Movado logo as it should be. The watch is powered by the stunning, robust and innovative Movado M95 manual wind chronograph movement. It is a beauty to behold, and this example is clean and runs well per the seller. Really a special watch, and I expect the final price to reflect that.
