It has been some time since I revealed a Pre-Owned Highlight, so I figured I ought to return in model with watches I can solely dream of proudly owning and sporting. At present, I’ll go on a faux procuring spree for a pre-owned, high-end chronograph. Do I want a pre-owned, high-end chronograph? Sure, I do, thanks very a lot. Hear me out: I’ve a deep ardour for pizza, and I can’t see the oven’s timer from the place I sit on the sofa. I actually don’t have a clue how I might resolve this horrible conundrum with out a Haute Horlogerie chronograph.
So, with that justification out of the way in which — my spouse doesn’t purchase it… — let’s discover three implausible chronographs that may absolutely get the job executed.
Excessive-end chronograph #1: Patek Philippe ref. 5170G-001
Once I consider a high-end chronograph, the phrases “Patek” and “Philippe” at all times spontaneously pop into my head. And that’s for good cause, too, as the corporate has made some superb chronographs all through its wealthy historical past. My decide for immediately is a comparatively younger one from 2014. Why? Nicely, I believe Haute Horlogerie chronograph calibers are the prettiest round, so I wish to have a show case again on mine, which pushes me into youthful references.
I picked a 5170G-001 that’s currently on sale in the States for US$52,500 (roughly €49,225). To me, this reference represents the perfect of Patek chronographs. For starters, it was the primary males’s watch to function the brand new totally in-house caliber CH 29-535 PS, in 2010, after a interval of utilizing Lemania-based calibers. The spec sheet reveals a 65-hour energy reserve and, in fact, a column-wheel mechanism. The white gold case measures 39.4mm throughout, which is okay for a contemporary chronograph.
Picture: European Watch Firm
I’m not ashamed to confess I fall for appears to be like first when purchasing for watches. That is the place this 5170 hits all the appropriate spots with me. It’s rudimentary and Spartan in a manner that jogs my memory of pre-WWII Patek chronos. I’m not often a fan of Breguet numerals, however right here, they’re the one barely groovy ingredient in an in any other case stark design. They only work. My one gripe is the typography. Each the serif and sans-serif fonts don’t fairly do it for me. The truth that there are three numeral types doesn’t assist. In any other case, that is fairly near perfection in my ebook.
Picture: Amsterdam Watch Firm
Excessive-end chronograph #2: A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph ref. 414.032
My second decide for a pre-owned high-end chronograph is similar to the Patek in some ways. The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 shares nearly the identical diameter and an in-house hand-wound caliber. It, too, options sub-dials under the middle line. Nonetheless, I don’t suppose you’ll confuse these two anytime quickly as a result of every is so aesthetically attribute of its maker.
Picture: Amsterdam Watch Firm
The 1815 contains a a lot busier dial that’s, on the identical time, extra cohesive. The phrase that springs to thoughts is “stern.” There’s a seriousness to this dial that feels very deliberate and assertive to me. Frankly, I’m clumsily searching for phrases to say I discover it completely stunning.
Picture: Amsterdam Watch Firm
This is applicable probably much more to the view by means of the case again. Hand-wound high-end chronograph calibers are typically fairly, however that is on one other stage. The German silver, the ending, the depth, and the swirly bridges are awe-inspiring. Macro pictures of the caliber appear like a steampunk cityscape. My outdated associates at Amsterdam Watch Firm are providing this 2021 full set in mint condition for €62,500.
Picture: Tokant
Excessive-end chronograph #3: Breguet Classique ref. 3237
On to my last candidate for my high-end chronograph pizza timer. That is probably the most classical and oldest on my record, though it’s nonetheless nowhere close to classic. This can be a Breguet Classique Chronograph ref. 3237 from 1995. This candidate prices a bit much less at €25,990 for a full set from a French seller.
Picture: Tokant
The 18K yellow gold case measures 36mm throughout by 10.9mm thick. Please learn the earlier sentence once more, each fashionable watch model. Inside ticks the Lemania-based, Breguet-finished caliber 2320.
Picture: Tokant
This Breguet’s dial isn’t any much less attribute or immediately recognizable than the Lange 1815’s. You get all of the classical Breguet components, from the heat-blued handset to the guilloché dial and the black Roman numerals. What strikes me most is the attractive symmetry paired with the plush textures of the guilloché surfaces. In contrast to the Patek and Lange, the Breguet options in-line sub-dials, with the Breguet signature and serial quantity serving as optical vertical counterweights.
Picture: Amsterdam Watch Firm
Selecting a winner
Okay, so how will I spend my cash if I’m going to unravel my pizza-timing difficulties as soon as and for all? Frankly, though I’d be proud of any of those, I’ve a transparent winner. My decide for the final word pre-owned high-end chronograph can be the A. Lange & Söhne 1815. That watch simply sings to me. It attracts me on a visceral stage. It’s considered one of my all-time grail watches.
Picture: Amsterdam Watch Firm
I’m, admittedly, nonetheless struggling budget-wise. I could have a intelligent resolution, although. What if I simply take the cash from my pizza finances? What if I simply eat no matter I discover mendacity within the fridge till I’ve saved up for the 1815? Let me shortly do the maths. I often have — and I’m not pleased with this — two pizzas per week. They price me, say, €10 every. So, at a mean €20 per week, I’d solely must skip my pizzas for…eh…60 years. Argh. There could also be holes in my plan.
Which might be your select of those pre-owned, high-end chronograph choices? Tell us within the feedback under!
Featured picture: European Watch Firm
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