One of my favorite watch pundits, David Vaucher of The Real Time Show, recently stated that “Vintage Watches are Bull$&#@.“ On the one hand I can appreciate his thesis that modern watches are better built, vintage watches are overpriced, and buying vintage is buying into a story that is kind of sort of just made up and silly. My head knows that this is correct. My heart, however, is going kicking and screaming before I surrender to Mr. Vaucher.
I could go on and on about how old stuff warms the cockles of our collective hearts in ways that modern creations or recreations just don’t. For those of us who feel that spending the night at Paris Paris in Las Vegas is fundamentally different than visiting the Eiffel Tower in actual Paris, know that modern watches can feel hollow in a way that even a crummy vintage piece doesn’t. Vintage charm is a thing.
My thesis is that, for better or worse, we are imperfect and hard wired to enjoy and appreciate old stuff in a different way than we do new stuff. Old gas stations, records, baseball cards, comic books, film cameras, old pez dispensers – all of it feeds into the same yearning for nostalgia. I accept are what we are because I am either too shallow or busy to try to unpack the reasons why we are fold of old stuff.
Whether you are as shallow and accepting of our flawed human condition as I am, or you can go full Ulysses and have the Vauchet superpower of being able to ignore the siren song of vintage, we can all agree that neo-vintage watches are a sweet spot in the vintage world where quality is almost as good as modern watches, you can wear neo-vintage watches without fear of damaging a relic, and prices are not yet insane. For this discussion, let’s define neo-vintage as watches made between the years around 1983 which marked the inception of the Swatch group and beginning of the end of the quartz crisis to the day the twin towers fell on 9/11/2001.
My recollection of the neo-vintage years isn’t quite as rosy as they are talked about today. I remember an outsized amount of painful culture including Z-Cavaricci pants, Hanson, Beastmaster (the movie), and Eddie Murphy partying all the time. Fortunately as time went on, there was a fair amount of cultural zit popping which left us in a good spot with A Tribe Called Quest and Pulp Fiction. It wasn’t all bad but it certainly wasn’t an embarrassment of riches as some remember.
Watch culture went through it’s own convulsions during the era which makes identifying neovintage icons that are both defined by the era AND transcend the era difficult. We are not looking for the horological equivalent of the Spin Doctors. Little Miss was horribly wrong and we all know it. We are not looking to cosplay 1984, 1989, or 1993 with our watches. Given that a Tag Heuer Link was the pinnacle of watch culture for many during those years, myself included, this is a challenge.
Steroids complicate the situation. The phrase, “toxic masculinity” had been coined in the 90’s but was not spoken outside of academic circles. Ignorant of what would happen a few decades later, we were doing 3 sets of 10 on a double split routine hammering Joe Weider’s voodoo powder frantically trying to grow our forearms in hopes of wearing what we understand today to be comically large watches. Arnold, Stallone, Vandamme, Lundgren, and the entire Planet Hollywood Crew had an outsized influence on watch culture. There is a direct line from Stallone to Panerai to 44mm watches we tried to make work. The trend cannot be ignored without rewriting history. Nonetheless, I am confident in eliminating most watches that wear better on people taking performance enhancing drugs than those who just got the protein powder. Panerai is an exception but, excluding Panerai, we have to draw a line in the sand. That line is 43mm because 43mm is difficult to pull off on a date in 2024 unless you live on Long Island and roll with the Bev Francis posse.
The final selection criteria is:
- $7000 maximum price tag in 2024. We are looking for tool watches that are meant to be worn with abandon and without worry. Inflation hurts but we need to be able to wear them like we would have in 1989.
- A watch that can be worn unironically and without explanation on a first date. The Armitron calculator watch worn in Back to the Future is iconic but not unironic. A Seiko Arnie is iconic but would require explanation given that you are not hunting predators nor own anabolic sized wrists.
- 43mm size limit.
- These watches must be of the time but not defined by the time. Unequivocally excellent watches like the IWC flieger chronograph, anything by Sinn, and most Omega Speedmaster references released in the 1990’s don’t define the era. Those references don’t fit our criteria because they were conceived in a prior era and are defined by another time.
- Neovintage icons should whisper I am a watch geek but not smack you over the head with 80’s or 90’s cosplay.
Rolex Explorer II 16570 polar: There is no universe, not even a hypothetical one, in which the The 5 digit explorer II doesn’t sit atop the neovintage icon tool watch list. This is the Rolex that allows tool watch nerds to love Rolex without leaving them looking like they went all in, mid-pandemic, right before the bottom fell out. What you can’t appreciate in all of those pictures of the Explorer II’s on instagram (it is impossible to own an Explorer II and not photograph it every…single…day) is how the size and thickness are the part of the magic as much as the white dial, stainless bezel, bezel font, or even the red pop of the GMT hand. Wearing a 5 digit explorer II on anything other than a bracelet or NATO (preferably grey) is considered a transgression in some tool watch nerd circles. I don’t disagree. Tool watch style is paramount. Don’t think you can get an Explorer II for $7K? Think again. It isn’t 2021 anymore.
image taken with a Leica Q2 and used with permission by Michael (@m.adcock81)
Omega Sword Hands 2254.50 and relatives: The 2254.50 is the second pillar in the holy trinity. It is a slow burn that some would say is too boring to be iconic. The neovintage years, however, are littered with slow burn icons that take time to get under your skin. The 2254.50 is Tom Cochrane’s “Love is a Highway” of tool watches. Everybody knows the words but few, if any, probably loves that song or were blown away by it at first listen. With the 2254.50 family, Omega created a timeless generation of slow burn icon’s that will infect you if you give them the chance. It is worth mentioning that I did not include the James Bond, Goldeneye, 2531.80.00, which would have been an obvious pick. Personally, I find it hard to believe that if James Bond were an actual secret agent, he would wear a Greg Brady Blue colored watch. Greg Brady Blue is the color of kids bedrooms, dad bods, and Golden Retriever energy. James Bond doesn’t do Golden Retriever energy. Greg Brady blue is no more likely to attract a mate in 2024 than it was in 1997 and, therefore, neither is the 2531.80.00. More on primary colors in a minute.
image taken with a Leica Q2 and used with permission by Michael (@m.adcock81)
Heuer/ Tag Heuer Professional 1000: The neovintage years were dominated by Tag Heuer. No young man left the mall without stinking like Abercrombie and Fitch, activated by Victoria’s secret, or not lusting after a Tag Heuer. Time, however, has not been kind to the neovintage years of Tag Heuer. I am sure if Ed Sheehan or Tom Brady rocked a two tone Tag Heuer Link, the word take notice but right now, most Tag Heuer references fail our selection criteria #2 and #5. Wearing a Tag Heuer of the era, with maybe the exception of the Tag Heuer 3000, would require explanation to anyone except a fellow watch nerd. The 1000 series divers do not suffer this affliction. They are robust, the monin case is iconic, and I accept the criticism that the design predates the neovintage years. We should, however, remember that James Bond wore a 980.013 in Living Daylights which makes this pair the most forgettable Bond watch and Bond movie yet this list would be incomplete without discussing Tag Heuer. Depending on how much iconic irony is acceptable to you, you can go with the olive, pewter, orange, full lume, jumbo or 38mm, and if you want to spend even more, get the O.G. Heuer without Tag branding. Whatever option you choose, please do not worry that these are quartz watches that might die an untimely electronic death. Justin at Tag1000diver is able to swap out an old quartz for a new quartz, do a bezel swap, upgrade degrading hands, and depending on the reference, even upgrade to a mechanical movement. With fun, relatively inexpensive watches like the 1000 series, I am ok with a Frankenstein. Please. however, do keep the original parts for future use.
image used with permission by @Windingcrowns
Breitling Aerospace: The Breitling Aerospace It is the iconic neovintage watch that I can appreciate but will never own. It is one notch too military for my tastes but I know that if the words Benchmade, Spyderco, or Giant Mouse, are part of your vocabulary you will almost certainly disagree. If you empty your EDC into a velvet or leather tray at the end of the day, I am also certain you will enjoy neovintage Breitling aerospace. This watch and the idea of an analog + digital display are the power ballad of this list. I appreciate these watches and those who wear them as much as I appreciate those who listen to Whitesnake (perhaps driving or dancing in or on a Jaguar on a misty morning in the big city) unapologetically. A more under the radar pick would be the Chronosport UDT (underwater demolition team) which was made by Breitling for the military. Given that I am unable to demolish anything (except maybe my reputation for stepping on the toes of the EDC crowd) I can’t get there with these analog + digital watches. I really want a Giant Mouse ACE knife and a neovintage Breitling Aerospace but I have no idea what I would actually do with either of them.
image used with permission by Ian (@justlikeswatches)
Panerai Luminor: There is no Panerai history without mention of Sylvester Stallone. This is the watch that Stallone wore in the movie Daybreak. To be honest, I remember Stallone chasing chickens, arm wrestling, and getting electrocuted, but I cant remember anything about Daybreak. Does anyone actually remember Daybreak other than the watch press? Probably not but that might be because the Stallone canon is an endless milieu of sweaty nipples and a slouchy smile that all run together. As such, Sly and Panerai have more in common than a 90’s origin story. For all but the most committed Paneristi, lots of Panerai references are indistinguishable from one another. Panerai and the Panerai design are unequivocally iconic but I am not smart enough to know if this particular reference, or the one in the image below, is more iconic than any other. Maybe I would if I could actually rock a Panerai but, like so many others, we are not worthy.
Tudor Submariner 790190: Given the dip in Rolex prices over the last year, watch nerds are currently doing mental gymnastics that goes something like, “I need a black dive watch in my collection. I want a Rolex sub but I don’t want to look like ‘just another guy with a Rolex’ Flying under the radar with a Tudor sub would be neato but will I regret getting the Rolex? Should I just wait for prices on a 5 digit sub to keep dropping and just get the Rolex?” I don’t have all of those answers but the Tudor Submariner is iconic in it’s own right among the tool watch crowd. Ill let you fight amongst yourselves about snowflake hands, Mercedes hands, blue, black, and patina but please don’t call it an homage and keep the bezel parked at 8.
image taken by Ben Carpenter with the Panasonic S5 IIx in his Article on the Tudor 79190
Orfina Porche Design Chronograph 1: When I was growing up, a friend of mine had a “Poverty Sucks” poster in his room. It was a picture of a dude with a martini standing next to an expensive car. I remember it being a Porche but apparently it was a Rolls Royce. Look, we were like 11 mostly concentrating on our Intellivision!! Things were different in the neovintage years. We didn’t yet understand that putting a “Poverty Sucks” poster on the wall in a kids room wasn’t the best parenting and we didn’t know Intellivision sucked. We did, however, know that Porche was important. Those Porche sunglasses and the watch in the Top Gun movie were important. When I came to watch collecting decades later, the first real watch I purchased was a LeJour 7750 version of this watch. I wasn’t in poverty but it still sucked that I could not afford the original. This watch is iconic but be careful. The bracelets are all in pretty crummy condition and the cases are generally beat up. Black PVD is cool but it isn’t forever. You might even consider a version other than the Lemania 5100 version from Top Gun. Porche still makes these today and a Valjoux 7750 version might be more serviceable than the original Lemania 5100 anyway.
image taken with the Leica SL2 from CW Watch Shop
Seiko SKX007/SKX009: The Seiko SKX007 is the third pillar in the holy trinity of neo vintage tool watches. Everyone has heard the origin story about how the SKX “started it all.” I am sure that is true for some but I kind of sort of feel others might just be saying that when they really just wanted a Tag but could only afford a Seiko. Nothing says low-key watch nerd more than an SKX with a Pepsi bezel and a jangly jubilee bracelet but the SKX is iconic for another reason. This is the watch that birthed 10,000 modders. The SKX is lives on as platform as much as it is a watch. As a result, original, unmolested, and unmodded examples of the SKX are getting harder and more expensive to find these days.
Casio Surfing time DW-402 (and relatives): The east math is to say that the Casio square watch is god tier iconic, recommend it, and move on. The problem is that I don’t remember it that way. Growing up in the early days of the G-shock, none of us cared about the fact that you could hit a G-shock with a hockey stick and it would keep working. That wasn’t a factor. We didn’t even find the square form factor interesting. What was magical was the LCD screen and the backlight. Casio was all about sitting in your bunk or bedroom, possibly thinking about your D & D characters, and pressing the backlight when you were supposed to be sleeping. The Casio square is also too played out at this point and, like the Seiko Calculator, is just too hipster, watch nerdy, and 2018, pre-pandemic Brooklyn. It might require explanation if you are on a date and fail our selection criteria #2. The resin bracelet is also unwearable. My recommendation is to go deep on the LCD. Check out the Surfing Timer with it’s kissing cousins the Yachting Timer and Skywalker. A few years back, I picked up the pair for $400. NOTE: In the watch world, when people tell you what they paid it means it was an incredible deal you will never get because the person selling it didn’t know what they were selling or the prices have skyrocketed since that time. See what I just did there?
Zenith Rainbow Flyback Chronograph: Rainbows dominated the neovintage years. Skittles asked us to taste them, My Little Ponies left a trail of rainbow flautus behind them, and that troll doll with the spiked up rainbow hair was at every convenience store checkout counter. Only Zenith was able to turn the primary color zeitgeist into an icon. Omega tried with the 40K and rally 300 tried but went a little too far. I could wax poetic about the tech inside, how this is actually a military watch, and why the rainbow name has nothing to do with the colors but let’s be honest – none of that matters. With this Zenith you come for the rainbow or you leave for the rainbow. No technical spec will sway you one way or the other. I tried to buy Blake Beuttner’s Rainbow from him and he wouldn’t sell it. This one was featured on the Fratello wrist game or crying shame. Time wont look favorably on those who voted crying shame. For those who did, I also get it. This watch may be the Captain Beefheart – Trout Mask Replica of this list. Critics tent do lionize things that most people hate.
image used with permission by Blake Beuttner of The Deep Track
Bonus: MKII: Many dismiss MKII watches as simple homages to military references. The MKII cult following suggests otherwise. 22 years in business and growing would also suggest there is more here than meets the eye. For those of us coming from the modding side of things, MKII is as iconic as its founder because this brand is the living embodiment of the hope that internet offered before hope died on 9/11. As naive as it sounds now, we genuinely thought that the internet would democratize the world, bring world peace, and sell toothbrushes to every last person in China. What we got instead was Instagram stories and anxiety disorders.
The fact remains that the internet was transformative and defined the late neovintage years. Importantly, the internet allowed MKII to build a direct to consumer business selling highly finished watches with little more than some watchmaking tools and a computer as a one man show.
MKII found it’s stride a few years after 9/11 but the seeds were planted firmly in 1998. 9/11 closed the book on the neovintage years but MKII keeps alive the hope of the early internet and started the microbrand revolution that would follow a few years later. If microbrand watches were rock and roll, MKII is Chuck Berry or Bo Didley. There would be no Windup Watch Fair without MKII. Full stop.
The late neo-vintage years and early years of the internet were a time when so many of us rushed out to create and change the world. Many entrepreneurs, including myself, found ourself out in front of our skis. I am loathe to pick at old scabs but it bears mentioning that best intentions, oftentimes, resulted in controversy in the neovintage years. Neither myself nor MKII were immune.
Controversy aside, it difficult to pick a single early MKII reference as being iconic. The idea of MKII is as important as any single reference so I’ll leave the reference picking to you. Pictured below is my MKII Sea Fighter. It is a chubby pickle with fixed spring bars.
