Weekly Wind Down | Sales Highlights including watches from Audemars Piguet, Omega & Tudor

Complex movements have become an integral part of the modern watch landscape as brands seek to highlight the romance of mechanical mastery in the face of an increasingly digital world. However, if we go back to the late 1970s, things were very different. Complicated mechanical watches were rare objects, having fallen victim to quartz technology. While many Swiss watch companies were folding under the pressure of low-cost battery powered alternatives, three watchmakers at Audemars Piguet decided to combine forces and set out to create the world's thinnest mechanical perpetual calendar. 

The most intriguing aspect of this movement’s development is it was done after hours as a passion project, with the company’s management completely unaware. After finally being presented upon its completion, it was put into production, and the Quantième Perpetuel became the world’s thinnest automatic perpetual calendar. As such an important part of AP’s legacy, this model line demonstrates the depth of the brand beyond the ubiquitous Royal Oak. Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £10,750

Last week we highlighted the Speedmaster Racing ‘Michael Schumacher’ as a great value proposition for collectors looking for a bargain version of Omega’s famous chronograph. Well, right on cue, another great reference sold on the platform which we need to bring to your attention.

Launched in 2012 as a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Mercury-Alpha 8 mission, this Speedmaster “First Omega in Space” is a faithful and modern take on the CK2998 worn on the wrist of astronaut Wally Schirra. While this version of the Speedy incorporates that distinctive matt black dial with contrasting white hands and markers, it also reprises the classic looks of vintage references with a smaller 39.7mm case and straight lugs. As a numbered edition no longer in production, this is definitely a Speedmaster to look out for. Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £2,500

Tudor’s launched an impressive array of sports watches since the brand was resurrected in 2012. The Black Bay and the Pelagos have been the standout models, with both lines offering high quality dive watch credentials at approachable price points. While the Black Bay has leaned hard into the brand’s past, taking cues from vintage Tudor Submariners, the Pelagos feels like a more modern offering, and one that represents the Tudor of today. 

In 2021, a new variant named the ‘FXD’ was added to the stable. This no-nonsense dive watch was developed with France's Marine Nationale and brings some genuine field-use credibility to the line. Tudor then used this template to create a new variant last year with a  black-dial. As the name suggests, the FXD incorporates fixed bars which are seldom seen in watches of today and give this Pelagos an undeniably rugged feel. For a company with the tagline ‘born to dare’, this watch feels like it lives up to the motto. Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £1,810