Vintage Watches A 1968 Omega Speedmaster Professional, A 1960s Universal Genève 'Disco Volante' Dress Watch, And A 1970s Heuer Carrera In PVD

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Watches come to mind a lot around a holiday like Father's Day. In the HODINKEE office, many employees point to their fathers as the reason they are interested in watches at all. These objects are made to tell time and maybe offer a function or two yet come to mean so much more to the people around them. Our own Jeff Hilliard writes in his essay, Finding My Father In His Watch, "The watch isn’t just a mechanical object to me and my family. It’s a representation of my father, a person we all sorely miss." For Jeff, that watch – a 1988 Rolex Day-Date ref. 18038 – is unique. But similar transformations of these mechanical objects are frankly ordinary.

Context is key in the world of vintage watches. There is always something more to a piece than what comes through in a single studio photo taken from the front (a soldier shot, as we call it). A Movado chronograph offering in this week's selection reads "Janet to Ellis, Christmas 1945" on its 14k yellow gold caseback. There is just more than the dial, hands, movement, case, etc. Vintage watches are regularly much more than the sum of their parts. Another watch in this selection is an Omega Constellation with an engraving on its back reading, "In gratitude for our wonderful cooperation, your friend Fritz Häusermann sen." With these two watches, Janet and Fritz started off the product's life with appreciation for someone special in their lives. Holding the watches, given the context their engravings provide, becomes all the more remarkable.

Scroll on for the full breakdown on the vintage team's picks of the week, or hop to the Shop for the full drop. For dad, for yourself, or for anyone in your life, a vintage watch is sure to make an impression and, hopefully, reach that "more than just a thing" status.

Surprisingly, the Speedmaster Professional was a watch I was not overly familiar with before 2015. At the time I knew my grandpa always wore one and would say things like "this watch went to the Moon," but I honestly didn't look into it that much. In 2015 I was working at Christie's when we had a thematic auction where we were going to auction 50 different Speedmasters. After we put the sale together, a few of us would travel around the United States with the watches to preview them. I had the pleasure of taking the watches to Miami, Dallas, and Los Angeles, so before the trip I asked my father if I could borrow the Speedmaster to wear (my grandpa had passed away by this time). I wanted to represent the sale, plus all the previews were in Omega boutiques, so I wanted to represent my own connection to the brand. That was my first time really wearing a Speedmaster for an extended period of time, and ever since, I've been bit by the Speedy bug.

Well that being said, when a nice Speedy comes in, I get the same feeling I had when I first realized how great a watch these are. The Speedmaster we are offering today is of the caliber 321 variety and checks all the boxes. It has the applied logo, the stepped dial, the teardrop central seconds hand, and last but not least, the dot over 90 (DON) bezel. All those things are great, but what makes this example even more enticing is how nicely it has aged and how well-taken care of it was. One thing I love about the Speedmaster is that it's one of those watches you can recognize across a room, but you won't necessarily know which reference it is and what details it has. With the re-introduction of the 321 caliber Speedmaster last year, I noticed the increased interest in the original 321s, and here's a chance to get a great one. Check out all the details here.

While the nickname "Disco Volante" came years later, after its initial popularity, the presence of a wide-set bezel on a case became a trend in the mid-1950s to the 1960s. This design was also featured by Audemars Piguet's ref. 5093, with an engined-turned bezel, and Patek Philippe's ref. 2552, with a stepped bezel, to name a few. Perhaps it was influence from the Space Age era. Perhaps Swiss watchmakers took a cue from that excitement for the future and incorporated it into their designs. Or perhaps I'm overthinking and being nostalgic just because, but either way, a wide-set bezel sure does add character to a watch.

What I love about this Universal Genève is that it is both conventional and non-conventional at the same time. On one hand, when you look at the dial design, it's as straightforward as it gets. A silvered dial with applied hour markers and fancy but unobtrusive dart markers at the poles. The hands are svelte batons, just large enough to maintain clear legibility when telling time. The company signature is tightly fitted in two lines right under 12 o'clock. But the wide-set bezel on it changes the entire mood of the watch. The bezel adds extra texture with satin-finished vertical striation throughout, and the considerate touch of the slim yet noticeably polished edges brings extra dimension to the overall look. Let's also not forget the recessed crown, which provides a seamless appearance to the circularness of the entire bezel. The light patina on the case and dial brings the whole thing together.

I'm all about details and proportions; they indicate there was a keen thoughtfulness behind a watch's creation. We all know it's easy to overdo, especially when you add an exaggerated detail to an otherwise simple watch. But when they all work together cohesively, a simple watch can become truly magical. Click through to the Shop to check this UG out now.

We're loving PVD cases lately. It seems like every other week we are offering a vintage chronograph in a black PVD-coated case. Personally, I had never owned or really spent a lot of time with one of these before starting here at HODINKEE. I was always intrigued when seeing examples by Orfina, or those branded by Porsche Design, around the internet, but I never felt the need to own one. Now, after seeing a good number in the office, I am on the hunt. A PVD chronograph fits into nearly every collection; there is really no comparison or another watch that is too close in style and feel.

Porsche Design examples seem to be the most common. I am not saying they are easy to find, but they look to have sold the best back in the day. It is not common, however, to find a PVD-coated Heuer Carrera like we have today. Heuer was actually one of the first brands to experiment with the PVD medium on its ref. 74033N "Dark Lord" Monaco, a rare execution of the model that is extremely coveted by contemporary collectors. The Carrera we have here dates to a few years after the "Dark Lord," when Heuer had figured out how to make PVD a bit more durable. In this late 70s barrel-shaped case, the result is stunning on the wrist.

With an extremely creamy yellow and even lume patina, a matte black dial, and white details on the hands, the look of this Carrera is surprisingly Speedmaster-esque. Omega found some magical combination with the colors on the Speedy that has vaulted the Moonwatch to legendary status. Heuer is tapping into that very same magic with this ref. 110.571 Carrera, adding in a black PVD case to further the look. The creamy patina and white accents just pop off the dial in a completely different way than any other watch I have seen recently – even on the Speedmaster featured, above. Hit the Shop for all the photos and details of this uncommon, late 70s Heuer Carrera.