Which is the rarest watch you’ve ever owned?

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This Omega Disco Volante a few years back....
Hi

Nice watch, which movement ? a few were made with a "30" mm ....

bill
 
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Given the very nature of vintage watches each is pretty much every one of a kind, attrition, modification, wear, the environment, everything thing assures that each of our older pieces is the only one like it. American pocket watches are even better in this respect because so many were sold as movements only to be cased by the jeweler in the customer's choice of metal and style, so many of these were one offs from the day they were sold.

So here's some of my rarities

Waltham model 92 CPR, this railroad grade watch was sold through Eaton's stores in Canada.

Illinois model 6 Bunn Special, 24j, if more is better lets throw more jewels at it.... part of a "horsepower" marketing war these things topped out at 26 jewels before sanity took over

1893 Waltham 14K pendant watch, this thing was basically NOS when I bought it... how the hell does something last over 100 years with barely a scratch? And yes, it gets worn.


Elgin combat diver's watch, only about 1200 of these were issued during the war with maybe another 2000 issued in the early fifties.

The survival rate is low at best, this is from 1944

 
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Hi

Nice watch, which movement ? a few were made with a "30" mm ....

bill
In my research earlier this week, I saw the listing for that watch and the seller described it as a 26,5.
 
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Elgin combat diver's watch, only about 1200 of these were issued during the war with maybe another 2000 issued in the early fifties.

The survival rate is low at best, this is from 1944


Is this the same as the BUSHIP Bureau of Shipping diver's watch?
Has the same appearance near as I can tell, but perhaps made to a different specification?
 
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Masterpiece! And that strap... never seen before, love it! 🥰
Thanks. The strap is a sanded ray strap made for me by Sandra Visser who operates through facebook.
 
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In my research earlier this week, I saw the listing for that watch and the seller described it as a 26,5.
Hi

they were first produced with the 26.5 , the last part of the run Omega changed it out to an original "30" thought not from the first run of 600.....

but a killer at watch at 39 mm , i had one and traded it on in the 1990s.....


Good Hunting

bill
 
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Hi

they were first produced with the 26.5 , the last part of the run Omega changed it out to an original "30" thought not from the first run of 600.....

but a killer at watch at 39 mm , i had one and traded it on in the 1990s.....


Good Hunting

bill
I bought one earlier in the week ... a speculative buy considering the dial but looking forward to seeing it running again.
 
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Hi

Nice watch, which movement ? a few were made with a "30" mm ....

bill
Hi Bill,
It had a 26.5 cal movement.
Cheers Russell.
 
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Do we vote at the end on what’s truly rare?
 
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Do we vote at the end on what’s truly rare?
No, we simply never end .... The quest to find rarer and more obscure watches continue ad infinitum!
 
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Is this the same as the BUSHIP Bureau of Shipping diver's watch?
Has the same appearance near as I can tell, but perhaps made to a different specification?

One and the same. I didn't see the BuShips marking on the dial (black on black) until a week after I got the watch. I happened to check the time about noon when the sun was at its meanest and noticed some writing on the dial. As I didn't have my specs on I handed it over to my son and told him to play the sunlight off the dial and see if he could read it. It was a bit of a surprise when he read the Bureau of Ships marking off to me.
 
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The lug is nuique and very beautiful

A Seamaster in a SS case not seen often ( very rare in this condition )

 
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The lug is nuique and very beautiful

Thanks, a couple of more shots for your nice words..

 
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This is the only example of this particular 18k Heuer (Valjoux 22) that I’ve ever seen. Rare condition too.

 
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Here's my Indy, had to settle for my hel end links those hl are impossible to source.
 
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@ConElPueblo heard the same in France, one of the persons I’m told is probably the biggest collector in France has nothing to do with the internet, and a dealer once mentioned to me someone with a huge UG collection who has zero internet presence. And I know of other persons who post nothing or virtually nothing even though they do have a very discreet internet presence.

My God, what is the point of amassing an incredible collection if you’re not rubbing other people’s faces in it on the internet?
Who are these watch-hermit psychopaths?
 
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It’s been almost a year since I was fortunate enough to spot this and swoop in. Not sure there is another scarab with this dial in this condition out there. A rare specimen.
Edited:
 
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Seamaster DeVilles aren't rare, in fact they're common as muck, but you don't see the Sigma dial configuration too often.