abarth1202
3
Watch obsessed
Mar 24, 2024,00:03 AM
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
Comments:
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My thoughts on the Zenith De Luca
By: Bruno.M1 : September 3rd, 2017-04:43
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...
I purchased my 4th edition Deluca fifteen years ago ....
By: Marcus Hanke : September 4th, 2017-12:10
... 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
By: abarth1202 : March 24th, 2024-00:02
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
By: abarth1202 : March 24th, 2024-00:03
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
By: Wojo : November 27th, 2017-16:02
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...
...
By: PalmSprings : September 4th, 2017-13:22
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...
...
By: PalmSprings : September 7th, 2017-03:03
Even old VW's from the 80s and 90s are going for crazy prices. The vintage/classic hype is crazy.