Double Take....better than one!

What's better than one TR?....of course 2 of the rarest Military watches in the world!

FOUND: A Blancpain treasure with Military Provenance

I've recently had the pleasure of obtaining a great 12/3/6/9 Aqua Lung from the original owner who was a Master Sargent in the US Air Force and helped explore the idea of pararescue on their squad!! Like one of my close friend's piece and interestingly enough, this also has a Microbille case versus the much more commonly seen polished case. But compared to his, this has a rather different and unique crown: being the larger crown seen on later No Radiation Fifty Fathom models but is microbille like the rest of the case. Importantly, it also has a 55xx case making me speculate that these all contained microbille cases within the very limited serial range. In addition to the piece, Richard Pambrun, the original owner and an accomplished MSgt of the military, included a narrative of his time in the military and how the Blancpain came into his life....very cool story!! He even states how that crack in the bezel at the 12 o'clock came about in the narrative so just wanted to share with you all Richard's life story. So I'll leave it to the words of the hero himself to tell you the story. 

The BEAUTY of BLANCPAIN MILSPECS

(Early Gilt MilSpec 1, Tornek-Rayville TR900, & Civilian Milspec)

Blancpains first produced its most iconic model ever, the Fifty Fathoms, in 1953. Along with Rolex and recognized for designing the very first diver's timepiece, Blancpain eventually led to a much different fate than Rolex as the company ended in bankruptcy during the fad of the quartz movements in the early 70's. Fortunately, the company was later revived in the 1983 and it's popularity has continued to rise. 

Although Blancpain produced many special watches, some of their most unique and limited timepieces were the Milspec variations, all with the moisture indicator located right above the 6 o'clock marker. Amazingly, there was functionality to this design as the indicators changed color with the moisture in the air. These were designed mainly for military use but a number of them also were sold as "civilian" models sold to the general public. Few have survived the time and these are considered extremely collectible today.

A number of different dial variations have been produced for the the Milspec but all consist of a microbille casing. Some had a hacking movement but then some did not. Also noticeable details have been the different crowns seen upon different models and some even have lug holes and others have fixed bars. Some even have TR hands on their Blancpain models!! Similar to Rolex, you never know what you'll discover on your Blancpain making these that much more desirable and collectible!! 

WRUW FRIDAY....a true American military piece

Wearing this uber rare TR900 this week ;)

The MOST ELUSIVE Zenith Daytona of them all.

To many the Rolex Daytona SS 116520 is the most sought after and difficult to source piece in the current lineup but the truth is, they are no longer as in demand as in the past due to the economic crisis. The collectivity factor for SS Daytonas essentially stemmed from the Zenith Daytonas. Before the Zeniths were the Val Joux movement plexi Daytonas and today command a high valuation among them. But at that time, they were a flop for Rolex; they had lots of trouble selling them and appealing to the public. Thus, when the release of the Zenith Daytona came along, Rolex produced a very low number of them especially in the beginning to prevent excess inventory and the same error they made on the prior models. At times, many AD's had trouble obtaining them and in some cases, waiting lists were as long as 7 years. As we all understand the theories of supply vs. demand, there was of course and excess shortage of supply and high demand. And as demand grew, so did the value and reputation of the SS Daytona in the watch world.

But as the newest models became more easily accessible to customers, the demand for them has also declined. Today, many collectors prefer the Zenith Daytona's over the in-house movement. In addition, I believe the dials both black and white represent a much more aesthetically pleasing dial. The color contrast between the dial and sub dials are just gorgeous and simple. I have personally gone through a number of Zenith Daytonas myself and are still one of my most favorite Daytonas ever made. 

The Zenith Daytonas were produced for a little over a decade and during this time there are a range of dials variations that made them very collectible with the mid-90's and later versions on the lower end of the spectrum. The very early models such as the Floating Cosmo, 4-liners, Patrizzis, and Arabic dials are considered the most collectible and valuable of the bunch. But within the bunch, the most elusive and valuable of them all would be the Porcelain 16520 Daytona. These were only produced for a very short period of time and extremely rare.

The R-series being the first of the Zenith's, the porcelains were only produced only at the very beginning of the R-series. Estimates have been estimated about 50-100 pieces ever produced. Of course these are only estimates as Rolex never releases production numbers. But several well known international collectors have stated these numbers. The dial was actually layered with a coating that made the dial look "porcelain" and letters were printed on top of the coating. This made the font and print almost looking floating in mid air when examined closely. In addition, the black font almost looks darker and more vibrant than the regular production dials. The intention of Rolex producing the porcelain was because it made the watch look more appealing when photographing. But after a very short period of production, the process proved to costly to produce and they switched back to the traditional dials without the porcelain layer. 

Over time, the Porcelain 16520 is considered to many as the "Holy Grail" of Zenith Daytonas and there is good reason to that claim. Values of these have remained extremely high and I see it continuing to hold their values for the future. 

MIDDLE OF THE MONTH WEAR...5.15.2012

My latest addition to my recent Vintage Blancpain addiction!! It's the class No Radiation Aqua Lung produced in the mid '60s.

Sapphire Crystal Rolex Vintage??

When people speak of the word "collectible" and "valuable" in the watch world, most automatically think of vintage. Meaning most anything that is discontinued for a distant time, matte dials, and more importantly plastic crystal instead of the current sapphire versions. To many they just consider sapphire crystal watches not vintage. It seems as though we are reaching an era where sapphire crystals have been around for several decades now and can possibly start becoming considered vintage? 

Above we see a pair of the very first 16520 Zenith Daytonas produced both with the rare Mk1 Floating "Cosmo" dials, where the word "Cosmograph" sort of floats in the middle of the dial compared to the rest of the words. Both are considered very collectible pieces these days and is difficult to find a prime example these days. 

Below we see a prime early Mk1 example of the 16660 Seadweller Matte dial. These were considered and used as true tool watches of their days. It represented the true transitional period where Rolex encased the "vintage" matte dials with the new use of sapphire crystals. In my opinion it is the best of both worlds. You get that real vintage feel of the matte but also the practicality of the sapphire. What's unique about this piece is it also has the Mk1 "single coronet" caseback which are only found in the very early examples of the 16660 and few have survived in excellent condition.

After examining both of the specimens, we are now left with the decision of whether these are considered vintage. These are all true transitional pieces and do indeed fill the gap between vintage and modern. Some have even classified them as "neo-vintage" but whether that is a category, you be the judge. Nonetheless, these are very collectible for sure and I foresee prices will continue to climb as these become even more desirable.

Understated True Original Divers: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

Recently, the attention of Blancpains have really caught my eye. It signifies the beginning of the true diving era. During the 1950's Blancpain was the supplier of diving watches for many countries including the German Army, US Navy, and France. These were true tool watches in all aspects. At that time, they were only supplied to these elite class of divers and army as well as to major diving stores including Aqua Lung, classifying them as "civilian" models. Thus, many had the name printed onto the dial as well just like this early example with the 3-6-9-12 dial. Unfortunately, not many ever survived and these days are very collectible. Given you can find one, these command a high value. 

MID-WEEK WEAR...4.30.2012

On with the 16520 A-series Zenith Daytona. Perfect beautiful condition!!

The Perfect Watch Case

I'm sure many of us when we first step foot in watch collecting, one of our thoughts are where do we store our watches or what's the perfect watch case. I have long about pondered this decision and throughout time several boxes of mine have come and gone. Watch cases come in all shapes and sizes and with different functions. Depending on what types of watches you have in your collection dictates the size of the box. I have found that it was really difficult to source a box in the US that not only aesthetically looks beautiful but also have large enough pockets to fit these larger pieces such as Panerai's, which is one consideration for many. 

A while back, I noticed a box from Bernhard over at VRF who had, what I felt, was the perfect watch case. It had 10 large pockets, able to fit up to 52mm watches, and very clean and classy design. I have asked around where I would be able to source that case and it seemed nobody knew. Fortunately, after months of sourcing, I was able to source it from a store in Europe. It is the perfect case and able to fit all of your larger size timepieces. I do have one additional box so if anyone is interested in it, please contact me. Price is $150.00 + shipping. Here are some pictures of it.

If you are looking for a much more rugged case, check out Time Tote. They produce some wicked boxes. Here are some unique features: 

     - Lockable with molded-in hasps

     - Rubberized Grips

     - Press and Pull Grips

Now for those who wants a "tough as steel" case here is why this would be it: 

     - Watertight & Airtight

     - Temperature Resistant

     - Impact & Dent Resistant

     - Dust Resistant

     - Shatter & Shock Resistant

What else do you need more? Any place safer would be placing it in a tank!!

For those who want the cheapest and safest place to store their watches this will be it....your bank's safety deposit box! You only pay an annual fee and virtually nothing can break into it, or at least it will take quite a while. Any box in your house you will still expose it to danger from break-ins no matter how strong your security system is. Although placing all your timepieces at the bank may be a hassle when you want to retrieve them to wear, but as I always say....safety first!

Now for those who want more luxury protection, take a look at the Louis Vuitton 8 watch case mini-trunk. It holds up to 8 watches but one of it's drawbacks are that the pockets are not very deep so for bigger pieces, the watch may rub against the lining of the case. And the price does not come cheap. Last time I checked, the price is currently around $6,500 USD. During my last visit to HK, the LV store had one that was about 77,500 HKD!! But people interested can only purchase them through stores, no online sales for this product. You can follow the link below for more information.

Louis Vuitton 8 Watch Case

For Extreme Weather - Omega Alaska Project

In 2008, Omega released a limited edition piece named the Alaska Project. It was part of a prototype project led by Pierre Chopard from 1971 to 1973 to improve the design of the Speedmaster allowing it to sustain extreme temperatures in space. They designed an outer case shell to for the watch protecting it from the extreme temperature fluctuations. Whether this actually will do so on the 2008 model is a mystery as I have never been subjected to or ever will survive such intense weather. In the original design, the watch's dial was coated with Zinc Oxide, providing the highest resistance to solar radiation but unfortunately, NASA didn't believe the Speedmaster needed any improvements and the project was dropped. 

Then in 2008 Omega, being the main sponsor of the Beijing Olympics, decided to unveil the Alaska Project at Basel. It was the most unique Limited Edition piece they released that year and stood out apart from all the Olympic variations they had created...this was something different. It was the first and only all white dial with white subdial Speedmaster they have ever released, giving it an almost albino look. They decided to release 1970 pieces of the Alaska Project and each came with it's special boxing with two white Alaska Project embroidered straps and a bracelet. Each piece also included a red outer casing that goes over the watch itself to replicate the original design. On the back of the case, it states it is temperature resistant from -148 C to +260 C!! With the gauge on it simply makes it look kind of outrageous. Nevertheless it's a very special piece. This piece is currently for sale. Interested parties may contact me.

 

Here's the infamous wrist shot with the capsule on. It makes it look like the Egiziano of the Omega world!!