Fratello’s Top 5 Pre-Owned Sleeper Watches: Part 7 — Featuring Breguet, Omega, IWC, And More
Another Friday, another Top 5! We continue our search for some of the best pre-owned watches currently available. With list prices for new watches soaring, we have dedicated this series of articles to finding pre-owned watches worth your attention. There are so many great watches available for great prices. In this seventh installment, we have picked five more watches that we feel are great buys.
It’s been another great week at the Fratello office. Once again, we discussed some amazing pre-owned options available on the internet. As we like to dig up some of our favorite picks, why not share them with you? These consist of both forgotten gems and popular watches that have come down in price quite remarkably. Another thing they share is that they are never the most obvious picks for that brand. No brands are off limits here, but the most popular and particularly expensive models are. This week, we tried to mix things up again with watches at different price levels. Let’s jump into this week’s selection!
Image: Bulang & Sons
Rolex Datejust ref. 16018
The first gold Rolex model that people think of when asked is often the Day-Date. But what about a full-gold Datejust? The reference we picked is the Datejust ref. 16018. It was available with a plethora of exotic dials, but they go for a lot of money. However, you can find the versions with simpler dials on offer for really nice prices.
Image: Bulang & Sons
The ref. 16xxx models came out in 1977 and were the first Datejust models without the characteristic pie-pan dials. But who can refuse the combination of a full-gold Datejust with a deep black dial like the one in the pictures? It’s an absolute beauty!
Image: Bulang & Sons
Inside the 36mm case, Rolex equipped the Datejust ref. 16018 with the then-new caliber 3035 with a quickset date feature. It was a nice upgrade compared to the brand’s caliber 1575 that came before. All the Datejust 16xxx references are worth checking out, but, if you ask us, the full-gold versions are the best. You can find one on a leather strap for less than €10K. With that, you’ll have a classy dress watch that will suit a variety of situations.
Image: Bulang & Sons
But when it comes to gold, it’s “go big or go home.” You can find a full-gold Datejust 16018 under €15K, but one in great condition will be around €15K–17K. What you get in return is one of the most stylish gold Rolexes ever produced. On top of that, the Datejust debuted in yellow gold in 1945, so you could say that this is the watch in its original form. It makes this stunner even more relevant at this great price.
Image: The Watch Club
IWC Portugieser ref. 3714
The IWC Portugieser is the brand’s popular pick, so, in that sense, it’s not a watch for this list. But hear me out because we were surprised about the prices this watch goes for on the pre-owned market. The Portugieser ref. 3714 was introduced in 1998, but it wasn’t the first of the “new” Portugieser models from IWC.
Image: The Watch Club
Three years before, the brilliant Portugieser Chronograph Rattrapante ref. 3712 came out. It was met with a lot of praise and kickstarted the legacy of the modern Portugieser. With the simpler ref. 3714, the brand struck gold. The watch removed the rattrapante function, and IWC replaced it with a regular automatic chronograph movement.
Image: The Watch Club
The watch has a gracious round-shaped 40.9mm stainless steel case measuring 12.6mm thick and 47mm from lug to lug. IWC paired it with a beautiful dial with Arabic numerals and two vertically aligned sub-dials. The brand produced several dial variations, including an all-black one with rhodium hands and numerals, a reverse panda dial, a silver dial with blue hands and numerals, and a silver dial with gold hands and numerals. That last one has always been my favorite because it looks incredibly stylish.
Image: The Watch Club
IWC equipped the Portugieser Chronograph ref. 3714 with its Valjoux 7750-based caliber 79240. The brand modified the base movement and upgraded various parts, including the escapement, balance, and hairspring. It turned out to be the perfect movement for this highly successful chronograph. But here is the kicker: you can get one for between roughly €3.5K and €4.5K. Additionally, a rose gold version goes for well under €10K. Those are some amazing prices for this classic.
Image: The Watch Club
Breguet Type XX Transatlantique ref. 3820
On to another classic chronograph for our next pre-owned pick. We all know the Breguet Type XX as one of the most iconic pilot’s chronograph ever produced. Breguet reintroduced the civilian version of the military-commissioned Type 20 in 1995 with the ref. 3800. That reference was in production for three years before the brand introduced the ref. 3820 that we picked.
Image: The Watch Club
Compared to the Type XX ref. 3800, Breguet added a date window in the sub-dial at 6 o’clock and chose a brushed bezel instead of a polished one. The watch has a 39.5mm stainless steel case that is 14.5mm thick and 45.5mm long. It also offers a convenient 20mm lug spacing and a 100m water resistance rating.
Image: The Watch Club
The movement that Breguet used was its caliber 582Q, based on the Lemania 1372. It operates at 28,800vph and has 48 hours of power reserve. The Type XX Transatlantique ref. 3820 was available with a leather strap or a stainless steel bracelet. Both options look good, but there is something special about the classic look of a leather strap that is hard to beat.
Image: The Watch Club
The case, with its Breguet-typical coin-edge sides and sloping bezel, has a classic design signature that works well with the black dial with Arabic numerals and three sub-dials. A leather strap complements those classic looks perfectly. In terms of prices, you can get both starting at roughly €4.5K and moving up to €7K. But on the lower end of that range, you can get a nice pre-owned version of this legendary Breguet Type XX.
Image: Shuck The Oyster
Omega Seamaster 60 “Big Crown”
Our next pre-owned pick is the Omega Seamaster 60 “Big Crown.” I wrote about this watch before, but it’s hard to keep it off this week’s list after seeing it and checking the prices. This will be perfect if you want a modestly sized and affordable vintage diver from a big name. The Seamaster 60 “Big Crown” was produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Image: Shuck The Oyster
When this watch debuted, it was a step away from the oversized professional divers typical of Omega. This smaller Seamaster featured a slim 37mm case with a lug-to-lug of just under 42mm. As it was a less serious dive watch, Omega tested it for use underwater to 60 meters. That made it a perfect watch for snorkeling, a popular water sport at the time.
Image: Shuck The Oyster
The large screw-down crown contrasted the design of the modest case, hence its nickname. Inside the case, Omega equipped the watch with its caliber 565. The automatic movement features a date at 3 o’clock that you can adjust by using the crown. The movement operates at 19,800vph and offers 50 hours of power reserve.
Image: Shuck The Oyster
Omega produced three versions of the watch that all came with Bakelite bezels and a stainless steel bracelet (ref. 1069). The first came with a black dial, the second featured a burgundy dial, and the third, pictured above, had a dark blue dial. The last is the one I prefer as it looks super cool. You can buy a Seamaster 60 “Big Crown” for between €2K and €4.5K. That will get you a watch with plenty of character that still wears like a charm.
Image: The Watch Club
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 ref. 101.039
Our last pre-owned pick for this week is the stunning Lange 1. The model was introduced in 1994 when the newly refounded A. Lange & Söhne presented its inaugural collection. Over the first couple of years, the brand introduced various models. The Lange 1 originally had an all-metal case back, but the watch fairly quickly became available with a display case back. That only makes sense as the beauty and craftsmanship of the movements are practically unmatched in the industry.
Image: The Watch Club
The Lange 1 ref. 101.039 was introduced in 1999, combining a white gold case with a silver dial. Additionally, the luminous hands and markers were also rather new. The brand had used them for a white gold version with a black dial, but none of the other models featured lume.
Image: The Watch Club
On top of that, the monochromatic color scheme of the case and dial is super nice. This white gold case measures 38.5mm in diameter and 9.8mm thick. The dial features an outsize date, a large sub-dial for the hours and minutes, a small seconds sub-dial, and a power reserve indicator. The dial design is flawless and uses the rule of thirds to create the perfect balance.
Image: The Watch Club
If you turn the watch around, you will see the L901.0 movement. This manual-winding caliber operates at 21,600vph, has 53 jewels, and boasts a 72-hour power reserve thanks to its doppelfederhaus (double barrel). Finding one of these Lange 1 ref. 101.039 models is relatively easy. Asking prices start at roughly €22,500 and move up to €35,000. It’s a lot of money, but that will buy you an emblematic watch from one of the best watchmakers in the game.
Image: The Watch Club
Final thoughts on this week’s top five pre-owned sleeper watches
There you have it — five pre-owned watches from five reputable brands. The IWC, Breguet, and A. Lange & Söhne were all introduced in the late 1990s. It is proof that there is plenty of horological goodness from that decade. While some of these watches might have been popular or are still popular in different configurations, these five watches are great pre-owned options for a decent price. That’s precisely why we wanted to give them a place in the spotlight. Let us know in the comments section which of these is your favorite, and we will see you next week for another installment in this series!
Featured image: The Watch Club
