A collection of rare luxury watch models that will impress even watch enthusiasts!

A collection of rare luxury watch models that will impress even watch enthusiasts!A collection of rare luxury watch models that will impress even watch enthusiasts!

Grand Seiko 's 60th anniversary model "Elegance Collection Mechanical" explores its origins

Rare and Luxury Grand Seiko Watches
Product name: Elegance Collection Mechanical 60th SBGW258
Reference budget: 2 million yen range
Popular generations: 30s/40s/50s/60s

This is a reissue model of the original Grand Seiko, released in 2020, the 60th anniversary of Grand Seiko. It is a valuable piece that embodies the history and tradition of Grand Seiko. Unfortunately, the origins of Japanese luxury watches that have been revived in modern times do not seem to come up very often on Used market. If you are interested, we recommend that you be prepared to make a quick decision if you come across one.

Tradition and innovation, the essence of Vacheron Constantin watchmaking lives in the Patrimony Manual Winding

Rare Luxury Watches from Vacheron Constantin
  • Rare Luxury Watches from Vacheron Constantin
  • Vacheron Constantin Patrimony
  • Patrimony worn
Product name: Patrimony manual winding 81180/000P-9539
Reference budget: 2 to 3 million yen
Popular generations: 30s/40s/50s/60s

Vacheron Constantin is one of the world's three major watch brands. The classic watch that represents the brand, "Patrimony," is a supreme model that is known only to those in the know, boasting beautiful design and manufacturing techniques backed by tradition. Vacheron Constantin is one of Geneva's most prestigious watchmakers, having been devoted to watchmaking without interruption for over 250 years since its founding in 1755. Throughout its long history, Vacheron currently offers nine diverse collections. Among them, the Patrimony is the brand's representative collection, inspired by the pure style created in the 1950s.

In the 1950s, when wristwatches first began to take off in earnest, there was a movement to make watches thinner in order to achieve a more comfortable fit and sophisticated style. The Patrimony's minimalist and harmonious style, which combines a case shape that appears slimmer by narrowing the case sides, baton-shaped hour and minute hands and bar indexes that accentuate the delicate design, and a minute track made of three-dimensionally formed dots, was inspired by pieces from that era. Add to this the modern size and nuanced dial, and you have an urban elegance in person. This is a gem we would recommend to anyone looking for a high-end watch that's a cut above the rest.

A Legendary Trail, a New Dawn "Speedmaster Moonwatch"

Rare and Luxury Omega Watches
  • Rare and Luxury Omega Watches
  • Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch
  • Speedmaster Moonwatch wearing image
Product name: Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Co-Axial Master Chronometer 310.30.42.50.01.002
Reference budget: 900,000 yen range
Popular generations: 20s/30s/40s/50s/60s

Omega's most iconic watch is the Speedmaster Professional. Since its introduction in 1957 with the tagline "The next generation wrist computer," the Speedmaster has continued to evolve through various trial and error, and finally took on its current style in 1963.

Soon after, NASA discovered the Speedmaster's excellent potential and adopted it as the official watch for space development. After many great adventures, including the first manned moon landing in 1969, it earned the immortal title of Moonwatch. Since then, Omega has continued to make the Speedmaster Professional as a monumental watch with almost no changes. However, more than half a century later, in the watch industry, where technological innovation and diversification have accelerated, the time for change has come for the Speedmaster. In 2019, Omega developed the Cal.3861, which has a very compact design for a chronograph movement, by squeezing in a coaxial escapement and a larger free-sprung balance wheel than before, and replacing many parts with non-magnetic materials, and won the Master Chronometer certification for the 50th anniversary model of Apollo 11 equipped with this movement.

In 2021, Omega announced a new Speedmaster Professional equipped with Cal.3861. The exterior of the watch casually revives many details based on the fourth-generation Speedmaster that was actually worn by astronauts during the moon landing over 50 years ago, and while it seems that nothing has changed, it has delighted long-time fans. On the other hand, the non-ferrous inner case has been discontinued from the steel-back model of the Speedmaster Professional because the movement itself has antimagnetic properties. Until then, the Speedmaster had a special structure in which the movement sandwiched between the dial and inner case is held in place by screwing the back cover, that is, the movement is held in a floating state inside the case, and it has been said that the excellent shock resistance that this brought about was the reason why it was able to pass NASA's tests. Although Cal.3861 is equipped with a free-sprung balance and silicon hairspring that are said to be shock-resistant, and a new seismic device called NivaShock, will this new generation Speedmaster Professional be able to pass NASA's tests again? This is probably a very interesting question for old fans.

This article was supervised by: Manabu Ishimura (WATCHNIAN /Internet Business Department)

Editor of this article

Manabu Ishimura (WATCHNIAN /Internet Business Department)

He entered the Used watch industry in 1996. Since then, he has been involved in the entire distribution process from retail to wholesale for a wide variety of brand watches, from Antique to the latest models, including Hong Kong Watch, Casio, Orient, Omega, Rolex, and Patek Philippe. With his thorough knowledge of handling watches and the expertise he has cultivated in the distribution business, he is involved in the production of wristwatch-related books, catalogs, product manuals, cautionary notes, and design drawings.