My top five picks from the Ineichen Vintage Wristwatch auction

Ricardo Sime

Running until October 1, the Ineichen Auctioneers Vintage watch auction consists of 72 lots of old-school goodness. It features everything from Patek Philippe to Audemars Piguet and beautiful dress watches to classic sport references. With so much up for grabs, I decided to pick five lots that spoke to me. Five watches, that if I woke up with some extra money in the bank, would definitely be mine by the time the auction ended.

Lot 25 – Breguet 4684 Jumping Hour

One of my favorite mechanisms on a watch, the Jumping Hour provides a little bit of bliss every 60 minutes. Here, we get it in its digital form at 12 o’clock, all packaged up in a yellow gold, 36mm case. It has a thin bezel, something I appreciates on a smaller piece as it delivers better presence on my 7.5inch wrist. I also love the dial, with its engine-turned pattern and singular, blued Breguet minute hand.

These automatic Breguet Jumping Hour watches date back to the ’80s and ’90s, which means they are relatively “new” vintage and should pose less risk than older references (easier to find parts and get serviced). Which will be the case here as the low amplitude (250) and +20 seconds a day rate, would mean a quick trip to a trusted watchmaker soon after purchase.

Lot 27 – Vacheron Constantin Malte Jubilee

The tourneau case shape has such a classic appeal. Especially on this circa ’90s Vacheron Constantin Malte Jubilee. It comes with a 33mm x 33mm case, which is perfectly sized for my wrist. I’m also happy that it’s in white gold. Great for those times when I want to be a bit less flashy. The dial is another point of jubilation for me, as it’s engine turned with an asymmetric layout. Some would say it’s too quirky but I like that. And finally, the calibre 1127 beating inside seems to be in great working order with a 320° amplitude and +1 seconds a day rate. I’d still let my watchmaker give it a once over seeing as the watch is at least 25 years old.

With Vacheron reminding everyone why it’s in the holy trinity recently, it would be nice to add one of their vintage pieces to the collection.

Lot 31 – Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso

Shhh. Don’t tell anyone this. I’ve always wanted a Reverso. It’s one of those classic references that are hard to justify not owning.

In this instance we have a fairly recent (2006) yellow gold Reverso that has some beauty marks. I appreciate that, as it’s a reminder that this historically was made to be a sports watch. And seeing as this is a quartz watch, servicing an old mechanical movement is no longer an issue.

The only thing that has me on the fence about this watch is it’s size.  At 23mm x 32mm, it’s testing the lower limit of my comfort zone. But alas, it would be perfect for my wife. A great peace offering after buying the other four watches on this list. To which she’d happily respond that those other watches are sized perfectly for her, too.

Lot 33 – Audemars Piguet Huitieme

Couldn’t walk out without an AP. And this Audemars Piguet Huitieme had me the moment I laid eyes on it. At 40mm, it’s a perfectly sized automatic chronograph for my wrist. It’s also a late ’80s reference, with a JLC-based movement that was developed in 1986 (my birth year). The movement, which has a Dubois Depraz chronograph module, is my type of quirky as well. Because the date wheel is so recessed in the movement, a lens was added to the dial to magnify it.

Yet my favourite specification on this watch is that it uses the rare and hard-to-work-with material tantalum. The beautiful blueish grey hue of the material looks great in a two-tone match up with gold, as seen with this reference. Add to that the weighty presence of both materials on the wrist and this lot is a no-brainer choice for me.

Lot 64 – Heuer Titanium Chronograph

My final choice, and a continuation of the interesting metal theme, is this Heuer Titanium Chronograph. It’s listed as being 36mm (though I’ve found sources quoting 38mm) and is in pretty good condition for a watch that is almost 40 years old. It has an asphalt dial which adds to the already sporty aesthetic of titanium, with gold-plated inlays on its bracelet, which completes the overall look. Inside, we have a 2892 movement ticking away. It has the same quirk when it comes to the date wheel as it’s also using a Dubois Depraz chronograph module – hence the lens.

But the main reason why I love this watch is the fact that it screams 1980s Formula 1. It’s a piece I could definitely see some of the greats from that era wearing, as they raced their turbocharged V6 beasts around the track.