THE BEST VINTAGE WATCHES
FROM THE MID-20TH CENTURY

Almost since its inception, Patek Philippe has been considered the pinnacle of watchmaking, and the Calatrava is the most significant watch model in the company’s history for three principal reasons: Firstly, from its launch in 1932, the Calatrava quickly became a cornerstone for Patek and has remained so to this current day.

Secondly, the design has become ‘the blueprint’ for today’s modern ‘time only’ dress watch. Thirdly, it helped re-establish and re-position the brand during a time when it was transitioning from a one-off or very small number manufacturing company to the serial production of wristwatches.

Upon its launch, the Patek Philippe Calatrava was considered so exceptional it was given a name rather than simply a model number. This was a significant first for Patek, and further, it was named after the Calatrava Cross, which has been the company’s brand and trademark since 1887.

The Patek Philippe Calatrava design was created during the early 1930s when gentlemen’s wristwatches were still a relatively new phenomenon. However, wristwatches were gaining popularity following their use by Officers during World War I.

Inspired by the Bauhaus principle of form follows function, the minimalist design created by David Penney distilled timekeeping down to its purest essence. The Calatrava was launched in 1932 with the model reference 96, with the look we have all become so familiar with.

You may feel it is somewhat unremarkable today, but this is because the Calatrava Reference 96 is the design standard today. In 1932, there was nothing else like it, characterised by its pure lines, round case, supreme elegance and timeless, understated perfection. Its significance to design and watchmaking cannot be understated.

3 examples of the Patek Philippe Calatrava…

• Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref.96 1945 – Stainless Steel
• Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref.2589 18ct 1966
• Patek Philippe Ref.2501 Calatrava Disco Volante 18ct 1951

The third watch on our list are the early Omega Seamaster models. Introduced in 1948, The Seamaster and other models produced through to the mid-1960s make wonderful collectable watches.

The Seamaster was at the forefront of Omega’s technological advancements and featured anti-magnetism, waterproofing, and shock proofing capabilities, making it, still to this day, an outstanding and robust watch.

The first Seamaster introduced the o-ring gasket, a small rubber ring that tightly sealed the case back, to the commercial market. Rubber replaced lead to offer exceptional water resistance at a broader range of temperatures. All these features made it ideal for diving. However, it took until 1957 for the Seamaster 300 to be released and for the diving legend to be born, featuring a unidirectional rotating bezel and a black dial with luminous markers.

The Seamaster has decades of milestone achievements, world firsts and genuine World War ancestry. When the Seamaster was released, Omega had already provided over 100,000 watches to the Ministry of Defence, meaning the technology had been thoroughly war-tested. With multiple model variations released each year, we can find vintage Seamasters in a wide range of forms and dial arrangements, ensuring there’s a model to suit every individual’s unique style.

But it’s the early 1948 – 1958 watches that stand out as the most rare and captivating. These watches were primarily crafted in steel, although some were also made in solid gold, boasting numerous subtly differing dial variations. Today, they are available at various price points. Wearing a vintage Omega Seamaster offers excellent value for money and represents a solid investment opportunity.

• Omega Seamaster Automatic Cal.501 18ct Pink Gold 1956
• Omega Seamaster Bumper Automatic Ref.14351 SC 18ct Pink Gold 1952
• Omega Seamaster Calendar Ref.2849 SC 18ct 1957

We feel it’s important to include a high-quality chronograph from Omega or Jaeger-LeCoultre in this list. But choosing just one just didn’t seem fair as all the premium chronographs from Omega and Jaeger-LeCoultre produced in the mid-20th century are excellent watches.

Many manufacturers have made chronographs, but Omega and Jaeger-LeCoultre have produced some of the best. In terms of quality, these fall just short of those in the top tier from Patek and Vacheron, but their movements are of equal quality but much more affordable. For this reason, it is important to include this specific category.

Within this group of fine mid-20th century chronographs, there are many watches to highlight. Instead of listing them all, we offer a few examples that showcase the mid-20th century design and engineering prowess coupled with the chronograph feature.

For Omega, this includes the Centenary (1949), Cosmic (1951) and Automatic (1953), not forgetting the legendary Seamaster, Seamaster De Ville (1964) and the Speedmaster. To name a few. One example that we see above is an unrestored and untouched Omega Chronograph from 1948. Every aspect of this was in superb condition, from the 18ct yellow gold case, original silver-white, triple register dial and the freshly serviced calibre 321 chronograph movement, which is sparkling. Many consider the Cal.321 to be one of the best chronograph movements ever produced.

From Jaeger-LeCoultre, examples such as the one below showcase the minimalistic and elegant design of JLC from the mid-20th century. This particular watch is exceptional, not only for its quality, size and condition but also due to the fact that this is an Edmond Jaeger signed 18ct pink gold chronograph, which makes this a very rare watch indeed.

Other examples of notable mid-20th century JLC and Omega chronographs include…

• Jaeger-LeCoultre Cal.285 Chronograph 18ct Pink Gold 1952 38mm
  
• Omega Chronograph Cal.321 18ct 1948
  
• Jaeger-LeCoultre Chronograph 18ct Pink Gold 1945