Bring a Loupe A Neo-Vintage Parmigiani, A Prototype Hamilton, And A Universal Genéve eBay Gem

Recapping last week, I was glad to hear that our tropical Tudor with original owner provenance found a new home. As for auction results, the Longines roulette pocket watch hammered for CHF 4,200 at Ineichen, the minty 1950s Rolex OP sold for $2,100, and the vintage Carrera on eBay was mysteriously removed due to "an error in the listing." I smell a deal agreed to outside the bounds of eBay!

Did you miss the previous edition due to the busyness of Geneva Watch Days? Don't fret. This week's picks are even better. Let's get into it.

Ask and you shall receive. I was just complaining (last week!) about the lack of quality UG on the vintage market and it looks like eBay delivered. Hidden in possibly the worst set of photos to ever grace the illustrious pages of Hodinkee is a seemingly mint reference 22297/3 Tri-Compax. I've said it before – when I scroll eBay these are the kind of photos I am actively looking for. They say "untouched watch, seller who isn't some extreme nerd trying to charge double for a 'rare prototype transitional' handset." And I say nerd in the kindest way possible – many would describe me as such.

Speaking of transitional, the ref. 22297 is just that within the Tri-Compax history. When I think of the Tri-Compax I typically envision either the earlier ref. 22279 a la Pete Fullerton's or the later water-resistant, twisted lug cases with typically "linen" dials like this ref. 222100/1. As you can guess by now, the reference we have here sits in between these two more obvious and commonly seen generations. The ref. 22297 features a water-resistant case, but with more typically shaped, simple and turned-down lugs, and has come to be known for its undersized pushers, which are nicknamed "spillino" pushers by Italian collectors.

From the photos, it doesn't look like the Italians or any other group of collectors have intervened in the natural aging of this Universal. The case is very strong and the lume is full with a nice patina. The extra "/3" on the reference number is a dial code that this dial type is thought to match, so it is all checking out there. The seller's price at the starting point of the auction is fair. From a reputable dealer, an example of this reference will trade a touch higher. Although, based on the photos, the condition of this watch could be even better.

An eBay seller and amateur photographer out of California has put this Tri-Compax up for auction, ending Sunday, September 8, at 4:14 PM ET. At the time of publishing, there are no bids at the starting price of $8,998.

The first few years of Parmigiani Fleurier will always hold a special place in my heart. These were some of the best watches made right at the turn of the 21st century. Rather than going on and on here, check out this article from last March. If this particular Parmigiani looks familiar, you're not going crazy; famously, King Charles III is known to own and frequently wear one. Due to the King Charles III connection, these early Chronographs have a bit of a cult following in the watch world.

In an online sale over at Phillips, I stumbled across what looks to be a perfect example. If you ever wanted to be just like the King of the United Kingdom, this is a good first step. You can start riding horses and wearing Barbour jackets after acquiring the watch, of course.

In all seriousness, it is ultimately so difficult to describe what makes this generation of Parmigiani watches so great. In that article I linked to, I landed on "overbuilt" as a descriptor, and I think that does a decent enough job. If you ever hold one in your hand, you will immediately understand – the build quality and finishing are just insane. Especially at this price point.

This Parmigiani Fleurier is lot 13 of Phillips Watches Online: The Geneva Sessions, Fall 2024. The estimate is CHF 6,000-12,000, which is, in my opinion, a "sucker" estimate – I would expect to pay above high estimate.

In the world of car collecting, prototypes and concept cars presented at auto shows are a thing. While certainly a niche within the larger car world, for some people, the strange oddity of a prototype is peak collecting. Following and learning about this niche from Morton Street Partners here in NYC has been eye-opening for me. Rather than '60s Ferraris or air-cooled Porsches, Morton Street highlights cars like the 1959 Citroën Squal and the 1984 Lotus Etna – this is quite the rabbit hole. There is no Morton Street for the watch world. If there was, they would curate and highlight the unique traits of this 1969 Hamilton prototype – the Citroën Squal of watches, if you will.

This is as close to a concept watch as we're going to get. Shown at Basel in 1969 (yes, this exact watch), the Hamilton Chrono-Matic Fontainebleau was one of the products resulting from the Chronomatic or Project 99 Consortium – a four-brand and four-year effort in the arms race for the first self-winding chronograph movement. It is a long story but undoubtedly a pivotal moment in the history of watches and this exact watch had a unique role in all of it, as one of five Chrono-Matic watches presented by Hamilton at Basel.

The seller, Arthur at Shuck The Oyster in Germany is offering this one of five prototype Hamilton for €10,900. Check it out right here.

Now for a couple of quick hits before I exit stage left to make way for a special message from TanTan Wang (teaser!). This little Movado Ermeto hit one of my auction searches this week and I immediately thought of one of the best things I saw last year – the Cartier clocks auctioned by Phillips. Malaika Crawford covered the sale right here and I had the chance to see the clocks during previews in both Geneva and New York; they are simply incredible objects. Anyway, on a much smaller scale, this Ermeto dates to the same period and is giving me similar vibes with the enameling and lacquering to the case. Finding an Ermeto retailed by Cartier is possible, finding one with this case finish and still intact is a whole other thing. The lacquer and enamel are very thin, I can't tell you how many Ermetos I have found with this finish flaked off.

The Ermeto is a marvel in and of itself. Uniquely winding via opening and closing the case, Movado sold a whole lot of these over decades. Maybe this is a whole article, stay tuned.

This Movado Ermeto retailed by Cariter is for sale at Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. It is lot 2461 of the Jewellery, Watches & Silver sale set to start at 9:30 BST on September 14, 2024. The estimate is £300 to £400.

If you can stomach wearing a simple, round, time-only watch that is under 35mm in diameter, I urge you to look at vintage Mido. This one is the perfect example. It has a case made by François Borgel measuring 34mm (just 1mm smaller than the Patek ref. 565 by FB) and an elegant yet simple dial design, yet the final bid price might be $200. I know it's a Mido but the fact that Patek Calatravas from this period are getting more expensive while you can find these for a few hundred dollars is a shame!

One note, most of the FB-cased Midos are smaller than this. If you're looking for other examples, check the case measurements and look for this model, the Multifort Extra Super Automatic. That's Mido speak for "a little bit bigger than the rest of our watches."

An eBay user is offering this Mido Multifort at a starting bid of $95. The auction ends Tuesday September 10, 2024, at 9:00 PM ET and the time of publication, there are no bids!

If you're at all into the niche sub-interest that is the collecting of Grand Seiko 9F-movement quartz watches, you'll know that the SBGV245, nicknamed the "Grey Beast," is the king in this category. Not only was the completely grey colorway a great exercise in monochromatic design, but to me, that specific and now-discontinued case was also and forever will be one of Grand Seiko's best. There's something about all of the facets, in alternating brushed and Zaratsu-polished finishes, that feels like the best implementation of Taro Tanaka's original "Grammar of Design" in the modern Grand Seiko lineup.

Often overlooked is the black and yellow colorway of the SBGV243, which was released simultaneously. It's not as sleek as the "Grey Beast," but there's something so interesting about the bright yellow accents against the black dial. I've always had search alerts on for this model, as I've dreamed about adding this to accompany my SBGV245, and I think this listing from Japan has by far the lowest asking price I've seen. From the images and the seller's listing, it looks like the case is mostly in excellent condition, with the facets appearing sharp.

The "catch," if you will, is that this listing is for watch only – no box and papers, and no OEM strap with Grand Seiko deployant clasp. But for me, this would be a worthy tradeoff for a watch that I would immediately put onto one of my existing straps and just wear the hell out of. Check it out right here.