Bruce's Vintage Watches
Fine timepieces at reasonable prices from a name you trust.
Well worn ygf case measures 34mm long, lug to lug, by 27mm wide, not including crown. Back has the proper factory engraving, including "invented by Commander PVH Weems." Back also has one particularly noticeable wear spot that may have been filled in. Rotating bezel with thumbcrew to lock the bezel in place once time has been "marked" against a master timing device, such as the signal from a radio beacon as was its original design intended. Caliber 10L movement with serial number 6872714 traces to year 1944. This is an example of the third "Weems" model by Longines. The original, from the 1920s, was a large watch at 41mm diameter, and had oversized crown and thumbscrew so that pilots would wind/set the watch wearing gloves. It is an extremely rare watch; one sold for about $146,000 in 1991 at an Antiquorum auction. The second Weems was scaled down to 34mm diameter and was produced I'm guessing late 1930s into the early '40s. One sold recently on eBay for nearly $6,800, so it's rare but not super-rare. The third Weems (the one offered here) was made in the 1940s and made in contacted military versions, and civilian models, which this one is. It is the most often seen of the three Weems models, though I wouldn't call it a common watch. This one has seen lots of use, and was likely worn as an everyday watch by its original owner. The lug holes are stretched, and there's lot of...
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$195.00
Excellent white base metal (chrome plated) hinged case measures 39mm long lug to lug, by 23mm wide, not including crown. This case has solid wire lugs. Good original dial, crystal, and crown. Unfinished (unpolished brass) ebauche movement, probably a 7-jeweler. Sets and winds fine, keeps time to within 2 min/day or better; not known when last serviced. Another in a long line of misc. brands to come out after WWII. Not to be confused with OLYMPIC, which is another watch company entirely. Pritchard's guide says Olympia was a brand of the Nitella Watch Co., listed in various Swiss manufacturer registries as early as 1951 if that helps anyone. Used but good condition 16mm Hirsch black leather foldover style band.
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Excellent ygf bezel, SS back case measures 41mm long lug to lug, by 22mm wide, not including crown. Case is 9mm thick at the top, dropping to 4mm at the bottom. Case is is signed "ID Watch Case Co." Average to good original dial, darkened with age. Crown is brassy. Good crystal. 17 jewel baguette-shaped movement sets and winds fine, runs to within 2 min/day but not known when last serviced. Good condition 15mm black leather band. One of dozens and perhaps a hundred or more companies that came pouring out of the woodwork post-WWII to cash in on consumer demand after the war. I can find nothing on the company, but examples pop up on the usual Internet sales venues.
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Price reduced from $595 to $535. Excellent solid 14kt gold case measures 39mm long lug to lug, by 25mm wide, not including crown. Case has hinging (articulated) lugs. Back is engraved: "To Irv Yours Forever Mar 20, 1956 Love, Shelley." Serial number 9,426,634 suggests the movement was made circa 1954. Beautiful heavy case; I'm sure it cost a pretty penny in its day. Wish I could find a model name, but it doesn't appear in any of my available catalogs. Beautiful original quadrant dial which unfortunately has some scratches, the most noticeable of which are between 10 and 11 o'clock. 17J caliber 10L movement sets and winds perfectly, keeps time to within 2 min/day. Finished with a dark brown 18mm leather band.
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Excellent all stainless steel screwback case measures 45mm long lug to lug, by 35mm wide, not including crown. Excellent original dial. Original signed crown. Excellent original dial. 17J caliber 611 movement with serial number 21,682,648 dates to 1964 year of production. Movement shows some corrosion, but runs to within 2 min/day, so I am leaving this alone. If you want the movement cleaned for cosmetic purposes, I will leave this to the new owner. 18mm black leather strap. It's priced accordingly.
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Was $295; now reduced to $250. To the best of my knowledge, this is the model 146, equipped with the first Curvex caliber, the 311. The style number inside the case is 238, which dates the watch to year 1936, according to Mike Barnett's Online Style Number Date Calculator. The case is 46mm lug to lug by 20mm wide, not including crown. Case looks good from the top, but all four lugs have splits on the back, which is very typical for this model. Back is monogrammed "NWR". Average condition older refinished dial (no SWITZERLAND at bottom). 17 jewel caliber 311 Curvex movement winds and sets perfectly, keeps to within 2 min/day but not known when last serviced. Good condition 14mm black leather band. These early Curvexes are getting harder and harder to find. Gruen only made the Caliber 311 for two years (1935-1937) before introducing the next model in the Curvex...
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Was $695; now reduced to $650. Excellent to near-mint all stainless steel screwback case measures 40mm long lug to, by 33mm wide, not including winding crown. Pierced lugs. Excellent original dial with radium burn at about 5:00. Signed replacement crown. Good crystal. 17 jewel caliber 351 movement has just been serviced (clean/oil/adjust) winds perfectly and keeps good time. New 18mm black leather band. These vintage Omegas just keep going up, up, and up. Very clean example here.
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Was $700; now reduced to $650. Here we have another solid gold electric, this one a little later model, introduced in 1960 with the newer version caliber 505. The Polaris was first introduced in 1960 in yellow gold, and a white gold version was released in '62. This is obviously the yellow version. This is one of the few electrics to have a "sister watch" with mechanical movement, that being the "Lord Lancaster E." Notice, too, how the crystal is also asymmetrical, forming a teardrop that narrows at the 6:00 position. I put a new battery in this one, and it takes off with a gentle "shake" of the case and runs continuously and keeps time to within 2 min/day or better. Again, this beautiful example is offered at a very reasonable price, I see them on the 'net at double what I'm asking.
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Was $700; now reduced to $650. Excellent 14kt solid gold assymetrical case with screw back. One tool mark on back as seen on image. Excellent original pearl white dial. Replacement unsigned crown. Just cleaned, oiled, and adjusted by a qualified watch technician, with fresh battery installed. Just push to the crown in, and she starts and keeps time to within 2 min/day or better. Used but serviceable 18mm black leather band. The Spectra was introduced in 1957, and was the third watch in the Electric series, following the Ventura and Van Horn. It features a heavy solid gold case with a screwback. While not specifically one of Richard Arbib's designs, its off-center saucer design is reminiscent of Arbib's tendencies toward the asymmetrical. This is really quite a bargain price for a solid gold asymmetrical Hamilton electric which has been SERVICED. I have seen examples on the 'net of this watch at twice the price.
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Price reduced from $1,895 to $1,695. Excellent to near mint solid 18kt gold case measures 38.5mm long lug to lug, by 34mm wide, not including crown. Clean back with no personalized engraving. Has the Rolex crown logo lightly engraved on the back per factory original. Good original gold-tone dial, freckles evident, especially at bottom. 17 Jewel movement stamped "963", to which I can find no reference to movement caliber. 18mm black leather band, used but serviceable condition. These Rolex Precision (manual wind, non-Oyster cases) were often given as award and presentation watches. This one looks to be from the 1960s. Crown has been replaced with an incorrect crown that's a bit too small, but it is genuine Rolex signed. Several of these are showing on the Internet priced $2,200 to $,3500. This was already a bargain at its former price of $1,895; now it's $1,695.
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Good condition YGF/SS case measures 37mm long lug to lug by 22mm wide, not including crown. Good condition custom refinished dial with center seconds track. Good crown and domed crystal. 15 jewel Elgin rectangular movement sets and winds perfectly, keeps time to within 2 min/day but not known when last serviced. Like new 14mm brown calf leather band. I have a feeling this watch was custom made for someone back in the '40s (war era) when American watches were scarce and being repurposed. The case is generic, and the dial refinish appears custom.
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Price reduced from $349 to $315. Smaller size solid 14kt gold case measures 32mm long, lug to lug, by 24mm wide, not including crown. Back has a personalized engraving: "To Charley 5*20*69 4Q LOVE IRENE" Excellent original gold-tone dial with stick markers. Faceted crystal. Original signed crown. 17J signed movement, and stamped "42." Near new condition 16mm brown ostrich calf band. A good watch for the smaller wrist.
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May 23, 2019
Five new watches added to the website today! They include an Elgin duo-dial doctors watch; an Omega "broad arrow" British military; a Fontaine "right angle" driver's style watch; an Olympia duo-dial doctor's watch; and a Longines "Weems" navigation watch. To get right to the newly listed watches, click here or click on the "store" icon located at the top of this page
Prices reduced on the watches remaining from the April 29 update. They include the following: Universal Geneve solid 14kt dress watch reduced from $349 to $315; Rolex Precision 18kt manual wind reduced from $1,895 to $1,695; a Gruen Curvex 46mm with Cal. 311 movement reduced from $295 to $249; and a beautiful 14kt solid gold Longines with articulating lugs, reduced from $595 to $535.
Also, check out my latest blog…
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The Golden Age of the Swiss Wristwatch. 360 pages of gorgeous ads not seen in 60 years!
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Elgin Wristwatches: A Collector's Guide. First reference devoted exclusively to Elgin, with nearly 900 models from 1932 to 1962 identified.
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