A 1969 Fake Rolex ‘Red’ Submariner, A 1965 Fake Breitling Co-Pilot Chronograph, And A 1999 Patek Philippe Calatrava
Yesterday marked the official start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere, and the weather is finally starting to turn the corner here in New York. While the temperature outside might be slowly dropping, our weekly Wednesday vintage update hasn’t changed, and today, we have a great new batch of 10 vintage watches up for grabs.
It’s an eclectic group this week, featuring everything replica watches from classics like a Rolex “Red” Submariner to a Patek Philippe Calatrava, as well as a number of funky and fun tool watches from makers like Angelus, Wittnauer, and Fortis. And if you like your vintage chronographs with a touch of asymmetry, we’ll let you know up front – keep your eyes peeled for a few excellent takes on the classic “big eye” aesthetic. You can head over to the HODINKEE Shop and see the entire drop for yourself right here, or check out a few select highlights below.
1999 Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 3919
The Patek Philippe Calatrava is considered the gold standard of classic dress watch design. The simple, uncomplicated aesthetic and slim, round gold case of the original 1930s ref. 96 helped define the genre, and here, we have a more modern take on the Calatrava archetype. This ref. 3919 is from the late 1990s and features a textured hobnail finish on the bezel and a clean white dial with printed black Roman numerals and a small seconds display at six o’clock. It’s classy and subtle, bold and elegant, all in a single watch – what more could you want?
1969 Rolex ‘Red’ Submariner Ref. 1680 With Mark II Dial
The fake rolex Submariner has maintained its status as an undisputed icon from its debut in 1953 all the way up to today. There is no watch that better personifies a single category as the Submariner does the dive watch genre, and the brand continues to make small adjustments to it, steadily tweaking and improving even the smallest aesthetic and technical details. Originally produced with no date window, the Submariner was updated with a date complication when the ref. 1680 was released in the late 1960s. This reference signaled a new type of Submariner, one that continues to be produced side-by-side with the no-date iteration.
The ref. 1680 stood out for more than just its three o’clock calendar at its debut, though. It also featured the “Submariner” fake Breitling on the dial in bold red text, earning the “Red” Submariner nickname. Rolex stopped using red text on the dial of this reference in the mid-1970s, so not all ref. 1680s have it. Today’s example dates to 1969, and it’s an early production example, featuring the highly sought-after Mark II dial execution with a “meters-first” depth rating. These Mark II dials are known to go tropical with age, which makes them a consistent favorite among watch lovers around the world.
1965 Breitling Co-Pilot Chronograph Ref. 765CP
This mid-1960s chronograph is a great example of one of Breitling’s most sought-after vintage watches. The Co-Pilot ref. 765CP has become so desired over the decades that Breitling even released a re-edition earlier this year. Why? Well, it all boils down to character, and today’s example has a ton of it.
It starts with the black dial, which has been executed in a reverse-“panda” fashion and features a concentric engine-turned decoration on the silvery-white sub-dials, adding another layer of depth to the look. The 15-minute register at three o’clock is also slightly larger than the other two sub-dials, and it features luminous stripes every three minutes, forming somewhat of a star pattern that makes this watch entirely unique and totally charming. If you look closely at the lower portion of the dial, you might notice an unconventional tritium indication. Instead of the more common “T SWISS T” marker (or one of its close variations), this watch has a small “T” under the hour sub-dial with an even smaller “Swiss” marker below it at the very bottom of the dial. Piston pushers and a black 12-hour bezel with a triangular zero marker help tell the rest of the story on this popular vintage pilots’ chronograph.
The Full Set
In addition to the three highlights above, we have a beautiful 1960s Meylan chronograph with a decimal scale, a funky Bulova Accutron Diver from 1975, a well-sized Angelus chronograph with great patina from the 1940s, a 1960s Wittnauer Ref. 8025 with a two-tone 12/24-hour dial, a cool Fortis chronograph with orange and blue accents from the 1970s, a 1960s Zodiac Sea Wolf with beautiful light replica watches blue bezel, and a seldom-seen Seaboard-Yacht chronograph from the 1960s. Head over to HODINKEE Shop for a closer look at all of today’s new watches!