abarth1202
3
Watch obsessed
I’ve always been enamored by watches, especially chronographs. My father was a pilot having received his license at 16 in 1931, entered the military during WW2 and was a flight instructor at Long Beach. He had a thing about time probably because it helped him to navigate. For my 16th birthday he gave me a new Wakmann triple date chronograph with a Valjoux movement. It was James Bond who introduced me to Rolex but it wasn’t until much later that I started looking at Rolex chronographs. By 1966 I was stationed in Germany and I’d go to the PX and check out the watches. They had a Submariner for $125.00. Unfortunately I only had $100.00 in my checking account, but the Omega Speedmaster was $94.00 and I bought it instead.
By 1997 I was spending a lot of free time on the internet looking at watch sites. In my travels I’d found a couple of Rolex dealers who had the chronograph in their case but refused to sell it at MSRP, around $5,000.00. It was around that period that I read an article titled “Why I didn’t buy a Rolex Daytona.” The author was attending the Basil Watch Fair and he’d stopped at a local Rolex dealer who also wouldn’t sell him a Daytona. The article mentioned that Rolex was using a Zenith El Primero movement in their chronographs. I searched the internet for Zenith El Primero and found an ad for a Zenith Deluca (which looked very much like the Rolex) at a watch seller in London. It was $1,600.00 and I bought it. From reading the forums on the Deluca I know now that its the 4th version with screw down crown and knurled screw down pushers. It appears as though the DeLuca is appreciating as it ages gracefully.
I never did get the Daytona and I’ve really lost interest in ever owning on. I did buy a Tudor “Big Block” chronograph when they came in a Rolex case and crown. Over the years I’ve been lucky to have purchased a couple of Rolex- one a GMT in 1977 for $325.00. I. Think my watch buying days are over for now b I always have my eyes open.
Deluca
Heuer
Pre moon 321 Speedmaster
More posts:
My thoughts on the Zenith De Luca
After reading Magnus' post I had to go to the bank vault and pick one It made me think ... Is this the most undervalued watch in the vintage chronograph market ? Not so long ago I came across a Vintage Heuer Autavia that sold for an unbelievable 100.000 U...
Indeed the Deluca is very undervalued but perhaps that is due to the fact that very few people care about Zenith and even know about it so better for us
I have the Deluca predecessor that I bought 2 years ago for 4400€ along with 2 other el primero from the mid 70's that have been skyrocketting in value . Now my sub sea costs between 5000-6500€. The other two model are between the 2900-3500€ price range t...
I purchased my 4th edition Deluca fifteen years ago ....
... NOS at a 50% discount of its already outdated price. Only three years later, I sold it (with some profit, I might add), because - as with most reverse Panda dial designs - it was really difficult to read the time whenever one of the hands was above a ...
Why I bought a Zenith deluca and not a Rolex
I’ve always been enamored by watches, especially chronographs. My father was a pilot having received his license at 16 in 1931, entered the military during WW2 and was a flight instructor at Long Beach. He had a thing about time probably because it helped...
Watch obsessed
I’ve always been enamored by watches, especially chronographs. My father was a pilot having received his license at 16 in 1931, entered the military during WW2 and was a flight instructor at Long Beach. He had a thing about time probably because it helped...
2nd series Deluca
I have been after an El Primero for a while, but never considered the Deluca until I saw the blue face on Chrono24. The only issue I have with it, is trying to find extra links for the bracelet (had to add an extender to the clasp which is not ideal). Des...
I knew this watch but never seen one in the wild I think, as it is a pretty rare bird.
Vintage world nowadays is quite crazy and is very difficult to predict which model in the future will reach the glory among collectors, from the moment that there are many historical and gorgeous models that are widely underrated, while others (such as th...
...
I don't think it's that difficult to predict what's going to be hot. The past few years anything that's old, looks good/cool/.... has a decent movement, classic looks, ... is and will be popular and should be picked up. People nowadays buy anything. The s...
...
Even old VW's from the 80s and 90s are going for crazy prices. The vintage/classic hype is crazy.
Thanks for this great post, Björn!
Been looking at these for a while and I suppose I might look closer still, now
They are still affordable. Last one I have seen on chrono 24 a year ago from a reputable dealer I know with box and papers sold for 3990€. A lot of watch for the money
But you have also to check if the watch has not a replacement or service dial therefore before buying, I would advise to post the watch in question. Good luck in your quest because once they are sold, they are gone permanently
I guess at the end everything goes up ?
7000 and more for a black first series .. and this is only 1 year after this post
