If variety is the spice of life, consider this week's vintage selection a mean curry, a bowl of chili, or jerk chicken. Honestly, that analogy is confusing. Would it be many different spices or just generally spicy food? The idiom is believed to have been created by William Cowper in his 1785 poem The Task, which is less a poem and more a book; one of those "poems."
The lines read: "Variety's the very spice of life / That gives it all its flavour."
So, in variety, we're talking flavor. Spanning 11 brands and five decades, this week's vintage selection is firmly in Flavortown.
1970s Heuer 'Pre-Viceroy' Autavia Ref. 1163
1940s Heuer Single-Button Chronograph Pocket fake watch Retailed By Beyer
1945 Vacheron Constantin Ref. 4009 With Hooded Lugs
1945 Breitling Chronomat Ref. 769
1960s Aquastar Regate Ref. 4000N For Heuer
1970s Zenith El Primero Ref. A385
1980s Audemars Piguet Dress fake watch In 18k Yellow Gold
1970s Breitling Soccer Timer Ref. 2734 'Slow Chronograph'
1969 Omega Constellation Ref. 168.029 Day-Date 'Gold Capped'
1969 Hamilton Chrono-Matic Ref. 11002-3
1971 Replica Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date Ref. 1500 'Full Set'
The most memorable of the group, at least in nickname, would have to be the Omega Speedmaster "Holy Grail" ref. 376.0822, a mythically uncommon variant of the Moonwatch and the first example ever offered in the HODINKEE Shop. With this Speedmaster as well as an Audemars Piguet dress watch, the curation continues to trend towards a tinge of '80s vintage, something we're fully embracing. Remember that Vacheron Constantin with Maltese Cross style lugs from last week? Well, this week's "hooded lugs" Vacheron just might have it beat.
Our team will each highlight a favorite here, but for the entire drop, click through to the HODINKEE Shop now.
1978 Replica Rolex Submariner Ref. 5513 'Pre-COMEX' By Saori OmuraDate or no date ?it's always a conundrum and somewhat of a controversy as to which team you're on. I'm partial to a Replica Rolex Submariner ref. 5513 since it was my first "proper" vintage fake watch so to speak. Of course, the other solid contender was the ref. 1680, but I ultimately went with the ref. 5513 because of the symmetrical dial configuration without the date window. To me, it has a purer aesthetic, closer to its predecessors, before it transitioned over to the design as we all know today. There's no doubt that Submariners have long reigned supreme in the vintage Replica Rolex collecting world, and wearing one on my wrist everyday was a joy! I've given in to the fact that the greatness of a Submariner was not just a myth or hype, and I had to experience it myself firsthand to know replica Rolex Sky-Dweller was true. It's really an awesome fake watch for someone starting a Replica Rolex sport model collection or even for seasoned collectors.
Today, we have my favorite ref. 5513 from 1978 in our selection du jour. Not only is it a compelling example, but it also has a cool and desirable "pre-COMEX" dial configuration. It shares similarities with some of the ever-collectible COMEX Submariner Ref. 5514 dials, like the thicker and smudgier coronet style, as well as other subtle details that make this variation of the ref. 5513 special. These are the little characteristics collectors look for, and we go into a bit more depth in our listing.
I'm also into the fact that the bezel has faded to a nice graphite grey. Patina is, of course, an important part of any vintage watch, and this Submariner has a light custard color to its lume, which feels fresh and matches very well with the unexpected light grey suede strap we paired as an alternative to wearing it on a classic Oyster rivet bracelet. One awesome watch, two strap/bracelet options, you can't go wrong with this piece ?check it out here.
1980s Omega Speedmaster Automatic 'Holy Grail' Ref. 376.0822 By Brandon FrazinThe words "Holy Grail" make me think of three things: Indiana Jones, Jay-Z, and the Speedmaster ref. 376.0822. The former pop-culture heroes may not need an introduction, but the Speedy ref. 376.0822 is a fake watch that doesn't come up too often, and one man's quest for finding one ended up with it being dubbed the "Holy Grail." Legendary fake watch collector Chuck Maddox (of ChronoMaddox) was determined to add one of these to his collection in the late 1990s. This example has remained in overall excellent condition and developed a beautiful patina on the lume, giving it a great vintage aesthetic.
The things I love most about replica watches are all the little details and how two replica watches that look pretty similar can be very different. From afar, the ref. 376.0822, like we have here today, can be mistaken for any other Speedmaster Professional. However, upon further inspection, you would notice that it's clearly a different beast, something you don't see very often. When looking at the watch, I immediately notice the day and date window, and the sub-register configuration is at six, nine, and 12, not three, six, nine, like the typical Speedy Pro. This one has such a good look, and all the additional functions are quite useful, like the automatic movement, 24-hour indicator at 12 o'clock, and the day and date functions.
As you might know by now, the Speedmaster Professional is one of my favorite watches. So this variant with an automatic movement and its additional functionality really gets me going. I love how Omega stayed true to the original Professional design with the similar bezel and lyre-lug case shape. Omega did beef up the case a little to make it slightly thicker, and it just feels so good on the wrist, especially with the ref. 1450 "Presidential" style bracelet that's very comfortable. The Speedmaster is a fake watch that can start and even finish off a collection, and the reference we have here is something that'd be a great addition to anyone's stable of watches. Head over to the HODINKEE Shop ?we'll save you the search ?the "Holy Grail" is right here.
1960s Favre-Leuba Bivouac Ref. 53213 On Bracelet By Rich FordonTwo of the world's best and most experienced mountaineers of their era were set to attempt an ascent up the North face of Grandes Jorasses, a mountain in the Alps, and on their wrists sat a barometer wristwatch with a mouthful of a name. It was 1964, and the route that Walter Bonatti and Michel Vaucher were on, ending at the Whymper Peak, had never been completed before. Looking at photos on Google from the comfort of my living room, I have a hard time imagining the trip up what looks to be a sheer rock face. The four days on the mountain and the many uses of the Favre-Leuba Bivouac were detailed in a 1965 Europa Star article entitled "4 days with death in the Mt. Blanc massif." The period article combines a recounting of this major accomplishment in climbing with high praise for the Bivouac on the mountain; the replica watches were used most notably on day two.
M. Vaucher consults his 'Bivouac' and sees that a storm is not far off. They climb another 300 feet…and at midday decide to pitch camp once more. During the afternoon, the snow starts to fall.
?Europa StarPausing the ascent and pitching camp early was only made possible by the barometer on Vaucher's wrist and may have not only ensured the success of the climb but also prevented injury or worse. I can't imagine the men wanted to be stuck out on an icy rock face during an active snowstorm.
That's a long way of saying all that strikes me when I hold this Favre-Leuba Bivouac. This is so much more than the object itself; the fake watch completely embodies an era where mechanical wristwatches were put to use by the people at the top of their professions in order to ensure success. After hearing about its reputation in the Alps, Japanese climber Masanobu Tabei gifted his life partner Junko Tabei a Bivouac in 1969. Six years later in 1975, Junko Tabei became the first woman to summit Mount Everest. Peeking out from under the cuff of her crimson-red coat is the Bivouac.
The example we're offering this week comes on its Favre-Leuba-signed bracelet. Very rarely do Bivouacs come up for sale with this bracelet, and it completes the look in such a special way. When you do a deep dive on the model, nearly all of the vintage advertising materials show this bracelet. Bonatti and Vaucher chose not only the Bivouac but this same bracelet for their Whymper ascent. Check out all the details of this uncommon Favre-Leuba over in the Shop now.
To view the entire current selection of vintage replica watches available in the HODINKEE Shop, click here.
Questions? Send us a note, or let us know in the comments. Want to sell your fake watch through the HODINKEE Shop? Click here.
Audemars-piguet Vacheron-constantin Hamilton Vintage Heuer-autavia Speedmaster Vintage-rolex Vintage-audemars Omega-speedmaster Vintage-omega Vintage-zenith Vintage-heuer Favre-leuba Vintage-breitling