Month: December 2019

2019 review

2020 has just come. 2019 was a fruitful year for me as I had the chances to acquire several lovely timepieces.

Here are some of the best watches I got in 2019:

1. JLC Reverso Ultra thin in rose gold. I got this actually in 2018 but sold it in early 2019. It is a beauty to behold and I was lucky enough to get it from my boss at a very very good price.

2. Breguet 7027 in white gold. Got this in late 2018 and sold it in early 2019. Lovely piece for close-up photography of its movement. It is a watch you will never get tired of.

3.IWC Portuguese Perpetual Calendar in white gold. Another piece acquired in late 2018 but sold in early 2019. My first perpetual calendar which was sold to a nice gentleman who knows how to appreciate good things.

4. Rolex 16618 Onyx dial. My great pleasure to have worn this watch as it is a very rare piece produced for only a few years. Sold to an American billionaire in March.

5. Rolex 16520 A series. An almost unpolished example of the 16520 A series. Sold to a Pinoy who has become also a good friend of mine. We had some good adventures in Hong Kong.

6. Rolex 16528. Acquired it in May and it is definitely one of the best 16528 I have seen. The case is perfect and the dial is in superb condition. Sold to a good watch friend who is a vintage expert.

7. Rolex 116528 Paul Newman. My favourite Daytona. I was lucky enough to also get a 116508 Paul Newman to pair with it. The 116508 was sold while the 116528 is still in my collection.

8. Rolex 1680/8. A superb find in October. One of the most expensive watches I have ever acquired and I loved it soooooo damn much. Sold to a Singaporean property developer. He bought from me two watches consecutively.

9. Rolex 16808 nipple dial. Similar style to the 1680/8 but with a modern touch. It is unpolished and still is in my collection.

10. Rolex 5513 Meters First. Comes with a ghost insert and another fat font insert. It is in very good shape as the case is very fat and the dial is in good condition. It even has a 7206 rivet bracelet.

11. Two interesting Seikos. One is the SBDX016 and the other one is the Predator reissue. Very lovely pieces to wear when you want to get away from expensive pieces for a while.

Rolex 5513 “Meters First”

In the world of vintage Rolex, the 5513 is quite an essential piece for any collector. Given its timeless design and different variants, the 5513 is one of the most favored reference for collectors worldwide.

The 5513 is different from the 1680 as the latter has a date window at 3 o’ clock. Without the date function, the 5513 features a clean dial that is one of the most classic in the world of dive watches. The 5513 was produced from around 1962-1989 and it had a very long production run. Throughout those years, the 5513 had different dial variants.

The matte dial 5513s were produced from around 1966, when the glossy gilt era ended, to 1984, when the lacquered glossy dial with white gold surroundings came. The Meters First dials were produced from s/n 1.6 in 1966 to around s/n 2.2 in 1970. The main feature is that the depth rating on the dial writes “200m=660ft” instead of “660ft=200m” in later variants. Other features include :

  • starting from the top of the dial, the “L” in “ROLEX” should have very little if any serif on top and should be centered under the coronet.
  • the “6’s” in the depth rating are semi-open
  • the “SWISS – T < 25” marking at the bottom of the dial is across a total of five minute hash marks at the bottom of the dial. (info from www.5513mattedial.com)

A 5513 Meters First is collectible because it was produced only from around 1966 to 1970. It is relatively rare and the distinct “meters first” feature was not to be seen in any later dial variants. A nice 5513 Meters First should have a clean dial without any broken minute markers or dirty lume. Also, the case should be fat and not overpolished, retaining as much the original shape as it can. It is best to be paired with a Swiss 7206 rivet bracelet which is relatively rare nowadays. The insert has to be a fat font MK3 insert instead of later thin font insert.

In the photos here is my 5513 Meters First 2.0mil s/n on a 7206 rivet bracelet from the same year the watch was manufactured. It features a mesmerizing ghost insert and it comes with an extra slightly faded MK3 fat font insert. The case is super fat and the dial is clean.

A 7206 rivet bracelet can cost up to 20k hkd while a MK3 insert can cost around 15-18k hkd. An average 5513 Meters First’s market price is around 135,000hkd while those in better condition or on rivet bracelets is around 150,000-160,000 hkd.

Rolex 116528 vs 116508 Paul Newman dial

The Rolex Daytona has long been the brand’s hit item. For the 18k gold version, the “Paul Newman” dial, a black dial with champagne gold sub dials, is the most popular version. The newest 116508 with PN dial has some slightly different details that are not easy to spot.

First of all, the dial of the 116508 is around 1mm larger than that on the 116528. Secondly, the bezel slope is slightly steeper so that the bezel appears to be less think than the 116528. Also, the numbers on the sub dials are thinner than those on the 116528. While the movement remains the same, the new standard of accuracy is not +2/-2 per day. The central chronograph hand is orange red which is lighter than the sharp red on the 116508. Last but not least, the most obvious difference is the change of the markers on the bezel. The bezel now has thicker markers on the tachymeter, just like its counterparts in white gold and rose gold.

Some may prefer the newer version of the gold Daytona. It does definitely has its own advantages and one of them is that the dial looks a bit larger while the bezel looks a bit less thick. It makes the watch look a bit bigger. Also, the new tachymeter style on the bezel is much sharper. However, these two aesthetics changes may well be why you should actually consider a 116528 instead. Why?

The thick bezel has long been the Daytona’s classic signature. The thick fonts of the new tachymeter on the bezel may look sharp but it also somehow looks too busy. To me,, the 116528 is a more classic choice. Also, the new 116508 PN’s central chronograph hand is not as sharp as the  one on the 116528.

While some may consider buying a 116528 of later years with random serials, these may not be as collectible as those from 2000-2003. In these three years, the 116528 was produced with skinny hands and a shorter buckle. The short buckle is definitely a signature of the Daytona 11652x as it was produced just for the Daytona. The skinny hands were replaced by thicker hands in around 2004. Price wise, these earlier 116528 are cheaper than the later version.

The 116528 here is a P series one from Year 2001 with skinny hands and old buckle. The old buckle is more elegant-looking than the new buckle while the new buckle is more practical to some. The watch here comes with guarantee paper, tags and service paper.