Our vintage watches

Wrist Impression - MB&F LM101

History - F.P. Journe Chronometre a Resonance

"First wrist impression" articles

Founded in 1775 by Abraham-Louis Breguet, often referred to as the “father of modern watchmaking”, the brand has always been a benchmark for innovation...

Breguet Classique Regulateur

De Bethune was founded in 2002 by David Zanetta, an Italian collector, and Denis Flageollet, a fourth-generation watchmaker, who started from scratch to write their own history...

Early De Bethune DB8 & DB10

Our Complete Collection

Audemars Piguet

Folding Clasp

Introduced in 1972, the first Royal Oak ref. 5402 was designed by one of our most prolific watchmakers, Gerald Genta. Inspired by a scuba diving helmet and designed in one night, this model had no precedent at the time: a 39 mm steel case that earned it the nickname “Jumbo” and its impressive price tag of CHF 3,750 - more than ten times the price of a Rolex Submariner.

Parallel to the production of the iconic Royal Oak, a smaller version of this watch was launched around 1976/1977, ref. 4100, with a 36mm case and automatic movement. Quartz movements were extremely popular at the time, and Audemars Piguet naturally followed suit, creating new lines such as the 6001 and 6005.

It wasn't until 1980 that a “real” Royal Oak was equipped with a quartz movement, and the collection grew with at least 59 models created, reaching a peak in 1986 when quartz movements accounted for half the watches produced by Audemars Piguet.

The model we have here, reference 56175BA, has a 33mm yellow gold case, just 5.7mm thick. Its champagne-colored “Small Tapestry” dial displays the date in an aperture at 3 o'clock. The octagonal case shape and integrated bracelet make the watch larger than its dimensions would suggest, while retaining the proportions of its iconic original design. 

This model is equipped with the ultra-thin quartz caliber 2612.

The watch comes with an extract from the Audemars Piguet archives (on order).

Champagne

Hours

Minutes

Date

Discover this Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 56175BA Champagne available at our showroom in Geneva.

Royal Oak

Quartz

Extract of the archives

Yellow gold

Yellow Gold

Rolex

The first Rolex with a second time zone was launched in 1954 under the reference Rolex GMT-Master 6542. This watch was developed in collaboration with the American airline Pan Am to meet the needs of pilots who crossed several time zones in a single trip.

Introduced in 1980, ref. 16758 is the gold version of ref. 16750, marking the end of the long reign of ref. 1675 and the addition of a quick-set date function and sapphire crystal. Initially brown, the dial has evolved into an orange color we've named “Volcano”; probably due to moisture that has penetrated the case, creating a superb, unique effect contrasting with the brown bezel and gold case.

The caliber 3075, used exclusively in the Rolex GMT-Master 1675x series, has been improved on its cal. 1575 predecessor. The balance wheel speed has been increased from 19,800 to 28,800 vph, and is equipped with a quick-set date function. Its power reserve is 48 hours.

A subtle difference between the cal. 3075 and its cal. 1575 predecessor is the order of the hands on the dial. The GMT hand used to be positioned below the hour hand, but is now above it.

The steel version being considered a “toolwatch” par excellence, this luxury version with 18-carat yellow gold case and Jubilee bracelet represents the quintessential luxury watch of the 1980s.

Brown

Seconds

Discover our Rolex GMT-Master 16758 “Volcano” available at our showroom in Geneva.

GMT Master

Automatic

The Datejust was the first self-winding watch to show the date in a window on the dial that jumps out instantly at midnight to ensure that the date is “right” at all times. With its timeless design, perfect time legibility, date window and self-winding movement, this model has remained one of the most popular Rolex watches since its launch in 1945.

Natural stone dials, including Tiger's eye, began to be manufactured by Stern Frères in the early 1970s, thanks to the development of the ultrasonic drilling technique. Rolex, a loyal customer of dial-maker Stern, was one of the first to use these dials in its watches, notably in the Datejust model, which features a 4-digit reference like the 1601. 

This **1980** model, reference **16018**, features a superb **first-generation** Tiger's Eye dial, whose colors change according to inclination and luminosity. This stone is one of the most “alive”, unlike onyx or lapis lazuli, whose appearance does not vary according to the angle from which it is viewed. 

Beneath the dial is the caliber 3035, with stop seconds for precise setting, and a power reserve of approximately 48 hours.

Discover this rare and superb Rolex Datejust 16018 Tiger Eye dial available at our showroom in Geneva.

Datejust

The Rolex Explorer II was designed to meet the needs of cave explorers, speleologists and people working in environments where the 24-hour hand was useful for distinguishing day from night. The first model reference 1655 launched in 1971 and remained in production until 1985, recognizable by its orange 24-hour hand.

The model we have here, reference 16570, was introduced in 1989 until 2011. Over the course of its production, this model has had 3 different types of dial, corresponding to the type of luminescent material used. The first generation featured tritium with the words “SWISS - T < 25” under the index at 6 o'clock until 1998. Rolex then adopted LumiNova, which is color-stable, non-fading and non-radioactive, and the wording under the 6 o'clock index became “Swiss”. Only one year later, in 1999, the latest generation, the one presented here, bears the words “Swiss Made” and indicates the presence of Super-LumiNova in place of LumiNova.

This model is the only one in the professional range with a white dial, hence the nickname “Polar”. It is equipped with the Rolex caliber 3185, an automatic GMT movement with quick-date function and a power reserve of around 50 hours.

The watch is delivered full set with box, outer-box, certificate of origin, manuals, tags and bezel protector.

White

Discover this superb Rolex Explorer 116570 Polar Full Set available at our showroom in Geneva.

Explorer II

Outer box

Certificate of origin

Manual

Stainless steel

Steel

The **rarity of this model** lies in the fact that it was specially made for the famous pizza brand **"Domino's Pizza ”**, with the logo on the case back and bracelet.
Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza, began giving away watches in 1977 if the manager of a restaurant managed to exceed sales of $20,000 in one week! Monaghan set up the **Domino's Pizza Rolex Challenge** to motivate his teams. The Air-King ref. 5500 was the most widely distributed model, and one of the most famous, with the colored logo directly on the dial. As this model is no longer in production, it has been replaced by similar models up to the Oyster Perpetual ref. 126000, as seen here, since 2020.

The Oyster Perpetual collection is Rolex's most affordable line, renowned for its water-resistant “Oyster” case and automatic “Perpetual” movement, guaranteeing exceptional precision and reliability. Introduced in 1926, the first water-resistant “Oyster” case gained notoriety in 1927 when English swimmer Mercedes Gleitze crossed the English Channel with a Rolex equipped with this revolutionary case. In 1931, Rolex launched its first automatic “Perpetual” movement.

The model we present has a diameter of 36 mm, a silvered dial with champagne indexes with its 3-link “Oyster” bracelet.

This model is equipped with caliber 3230, offering chronometric precision of -2/+2 seconds per day and a power reserve of around 70 hours.

The watch is delivered complete with box, outer-box, warranty card, manuals and tag.

Silver

Discover this Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 Domino's Pizza RARE available at our showroom in Geneva.

Oyster Perpetual

Original papers

Launched in 1956, the Day-Date was the first watch to simultaneously display the day and date through an opening in the dial. Rolex has never shied away from its association with influential personalities, including a number of presidents, which has earned this model its nickname.

With a diameter of 36mm, reference 1803 was produced from the early 1960s to 1977. It was the first generation of Day-Date to be produced for more than 15 years. The main feature of this model is its domed “Pie-pan” dial and domed Plexiglas crystal. On this precise model, the dial features a graduated minute track and a particularly attractive grey/cream matte finish. 

The Rolex caliber 1555 has a power reserve of approximately 42 hours and is not equipped with the crown-operated quick-date system, a feature that appears with the following reference 18038 and caliber 3055.

The “President” bracelet fitted to this watch was introduced when the model was launched in 1956. This model also features a folding clasp with invisible buckle, an option available at the time, but more expensive than the classic version with cap.

As soon as this model was released, Rolex offered a choice of 25 different languages for the day display, English being the most commonly used worldwide.

Découvrez cette superbe Rolex Day-Date 1803/8 disponible à notre showroom à Genève.

All models

Our Complete Collection

Breguet Classique Regulateur

Early De Bethune DB8 & DB10

Our Complete Collection

Breguet Classique Regulateur

Early De Bethune DB8 & DB10

Our Complete Collection

Recent additions

Audemars Piguet

Rolex

Rolex

Rolex

Rolex

Rolex

Latest news

Our vintage watches

Wrist Impression - MB&F LM101

History - F.P. Journe Chronometre a Resonance

"First wrist impression" articles