We kicked off our first auction of the year last week with a thoughtfully curated collection of vintage Omega and Rolex watches straight from the families of the original owners. With their immense provenance and character, these fresh-to-market timepieces generated tremendous interest among our watch-collecting community. The vintage luxury watch auction commenced, and the bids immediately started rolling in. Interested in how much these highly coveted watches sold for? We have all the details below.
Vintage Omega Speedmaster Ref. 145.022
Reference 145.022 never went to the Moon like other popular Omega Speedmaster watches. However, it has been to space and still embodies the adventurous spirit of the beloved Omega Moon Watch. The Omega featured in our Spring 2024 Fresh Finds vintage watch auction
was produced during the beginning of the ref. 145.022’s impressive, decades-long production run. It features an earlier-production stepped dial with engine turned chronograph registers, a white printed Omega logo, and the famous “Dot Over 90” bezel. The dial has since aged from black to a gorgeous chocolate brown color, and the bezel, which was also originally black, is now dark gray. Otherwise, this Omega is still in overall great vintage condition and will no doubt hold pride of place in its new owner’s watch box.
Ultimately, this striking iteration of the legendary Omega Moon Watch went to a user in Australia with a winning bid of $10,600.
Vintage Rolex Explorer 1016
The vintage Rolex 1016 Explorer was one of the longest-produced iterations of the famous go-anywhere, do-anything Explorer, coming to market circa 1960 and finally bowing out in 1989. During that era, several variations of the watch hit the market, making ref. 1016 a fascinating watch to hunt for and collect. Initially, the watch was produced with glossy gilt dials before switching to matte in the late 1960s. The example that hit the auction block last week, circa 1972, features a Mark I matte dial, also known as the “Frog Foot” because of the unique shape of the Rolex coronet. The original owner took great care in preserving all the original artifacts that came with the watch over fifty years ago, which we are thrilled to pass on to its new owner, including the double punched papers, Rolex hangtag, “Your Rolex Oyster” booklet, and Christmas card.
There was a lot of interest in this charming full-set Frog Foot Explorer. A user in Georgia (USA) secured the watch with a winning bid of $17,500.
Vintage Rolex Submariner 5513 Maxi Dial
The vintage Rolex 5513 Submariner enjoyed an incredibly successful production run starting in the 1960s and leading well into the 1980s. Like the Frog Foot Explorer, this Submariner was initially produced with glossy dials before switching to the matte maxi dial featured on the ‘Fresh Finds’ ref. 5513. The Mark IV dial on the circa 1981 Submariner is distinguished from other dial types by a ‘zig-zag S” and a Submariner logo that is shorter than the depth rating. However, what makes this Submariner particularly collectible is its back story. The original owner was a diver and was gifted the watch by his wife as a wedding gift. It even has special engravings to commemorate the occasion, reading, “To Lee Love Always Ruth 1-30-82.”
Many bids were placed on the Mark IV Rolex Submariner, with the winning bid of $13,700 going to a user in Texas.
Vintage Rolex GMT Master 1675 “Root Beer”
The vintage Rolex GMT Master 1675 isn’t your typical Rolex Root Beer. It has a two-tone bezel and nipple dial that many associate with the beloved pilot’s watch. However, the brown dial has since aged to a fascinating purple color with reddish discoloration around the hour markers. Additionally, the top half of the bezel has since faded out completely, leaving behind a bluish tint, and the bottom half has turned into a nice butterscotch color. Between the full set of box and papers and the unusual purple dial that our Director of Vintage, Brandon Frazin has nicknamed “Grape Soda,” this ref. 1675 is a truly remarkable edition of the beloved Rolex Root Beer timepiece.
A user in New York secured the “Grape Soda” GMT watch for $15,400.
That’s a wrap on the latest Bob’s Watches Fresh Finds Auction. Stay connected with us to receive the latest updates on future auctions featuring more hand-picked timepieces like the ones in our Spring 2024 lineup.
