Five Vintage Watches To Gift the Watch Nerd On Your List
The only fandom more nostalgic than car lovers are horology lovers. And fortunately for us watch nerds, a vintage timepiece doesn’t come with as many safety hazards as a vintage car does. Besides, we wear watches for two main reasons: Style and stories. From a style perspective, a classic model never looks out of date. When it comes to stories, the history and lore that come with an older timepiece make it quite the conversation piece. Each mark and patination is a chapter in that watch’s biography.
So, if you have a watch enthusiast in your life who needs a gift this season, consider one of these five vintage watches. Regardless of his style, each checks a box on every collector’s list. I certainly wouldn’t mind receiving any of these. I’m also the type of guy who says things like, “the older ways were better” though.
Rolex GMT-Master Ref. 1675
Ref. 1675 of the Rolex GMT-Master is highly sought after because no two are alike. They’re like pieces of art. Its iconically long production history means you get a range of dials, construction materials, and movements. Then there’s the patination factor for both the dial and the acrylic crystal.
Truly, several moving parts allow the 1675 to age like fine whiskey. Of course, there’s the quintessential Pepsi bezel, an aesthetic reminder of the jetset age when men wore suits to airports. In the 1970s, Rolex introduced an all-black bezel that makes the GMT-Master look like the Submariner’s sophisticated cousin.
Seiko 6105-8110 Diver
Undeniably, the 6105-8110 Diver is a Seiko Founding Father. Think about all of the design cues we consider brand-specific to Seiko divers. There’s the four o’clock crown, the integrated crown guards, and the cushion case that perfectly balances out the blocky indices.
The 6105-8110 ran so the Seiko Turtle could fly. In fact, I’d consider this watch to be one of the most important asymmetrical divers, perhaps ever. And as with any true icon, the 6105-8110 boasts both real-life historicness and pop culture cache. Soldiers during the Vietnam War chose this rugged model because of how strong and reliable it is. It also gets the nickname “Captain Willard” after the Martin Sheen character who wore it in the highly significant film Apocalypse Now.
Rolex Explorer II Ref. 1655
Though the Explorer II is one of Rolex’s tentpole sublines, the one that started it all wasn’t immediately popular. Today, likely because of this, ask any enthusiastic owner of a more modern Explorer II (me, for example), and they’ll (I’ll) tell you how much of a grail that Ref. 1655 is to them. It’s as if the sequel gave context to the original, which was way ahead of its time.
The Explorer II was specifically designed for spelunkers, hence the GMT hand combined with a static bezel—you have to be able to tell whether it’s AM or PM even when you’re deep in a cave. I’ve actually found that the homage market for the 1655 seems stronger than current Explorer II heroes, including the emblematic Polar dial variant. It’s a fantastic watch that’ll last forever and beyond, and there’s a lot one can say about it. And since watch enthusiasts love talking about their watches, the 1655 is like a gift that keeps on giving.
Certina Argonaut 280
The Certina Argonaut 280 is one of those underrated but well-loved models that makes anyone wearing it look highly discerning. The lady or gent you gift this to will also be impressed with your ability to choose a present. The design is a wonder. Its tonneau-style case, general geometry, and color options places the watch firmly in the ‘70s. However, as all of these features are timelessly practical, the watch’s overall style is forever-relevant. Even the dial’s quadrant-making cross-hair ups the legibility.
The Argonaut 280 is decievingly simple and has the correct amount of funkiness, similar to properly-placed large lapels and less like dramatic bell-bottoms.
Bulova Chronograph “D”
Bulova might be one of my favorite brands when it comes to their vintage offerings. Call me patriotic, but the thing I treasure most about Citizen keeping Bulova alive is that it allows the brand to keep American designs alive. The Bulova Chronograph D is bold, colorful (but not gauche), and just eccentric enough.
Like so many old Bulova designs, it represents the joy in watches that sometimes gets lost in the today’s culture of high-stakes, record-breaking-auctions, and waitlists. And yet, it’s just as serious and functional as any Swiss timepiece from the same era. I believe the Chronograph D is a huge reason why the vintage Bulova community, of which I’m proudly part of, is thriving today.
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