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

There’s two reasons why the 2998 means so much to the Speedmaster’s legacy. Firstly, its design laid the groundwork for this iconic chronograph and continues to influence its modern iterations.

The second reason is how damn good-looking every modern rendition of this legendary Speedmaster has been. Firstly, we had the ‘First Omega In Space’ (FOIS) in 2012, which maintained the signature matte black dial and paid tribute to astronaut Wally Schirra’s spacewalk in 1962, in which the 2998 Speedy was strapped to his wrist.   

Since then, other models have been introduced, including a FOIS in Omega’s proprietary Sedna gold, and then in 2016, a limited edition 2998 with a striking blue ceramic bezel and blue sub-dials on a silver-coloured dial. Finally, this most recent CK 2998 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, but this time with a sporty ‘panda’ dial with red accents. 

There's no shortage of Speedmasters to choose from if you're in the market, but these modern 2998 references feel like a real sweet spot. They avoid the hype of other special editions like the Silver Snoopy Award watches while capturing the essence of the Speedmaster’s design, all while offering something a bit different from the standard Professional series. Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £3,600

The ref. 25654BA marks one of Audemars Piguet’s earliest ventures into the realm of highly complicated Royal Oaks. With its solid gold construction and perpetual calendar movement, it represents a complete re-imagination of a watch that started life in stainless steel with just the time and date.

A watch like this requires a little bit of geeky analysis. It was produced between 1982 and 1993, and this yellow gold model predates the introduction of leap year indicators. It’s powered by the calibre 2120-2800 which, in addition to its perpetual calendar complication, offers automatic winding and a 55-hour power reserve. That’s all pretty impressive for a watch with a height under 9mm. The movement inside is in fact based on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s legendary 920, a calibre first rolled out in 1967 for Switzerland’s ‘Holy Trinity’ - Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin. 

That instantly recognisable angular case measures 39mm in diameter - the size of the original ‘Jumbo’ and the goldilocks sizing for the Royal Oak. The case is a monoblock design and the fine polished bevels look killer in precious metal. This example also benefits from a flat white dial, deviating from the traditional tapisserie pattern. 

The 25654BA represents a pivotal era for the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar series and is an intriguing chapter in the evolution of this cultural icon. Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £59,000

Since its launch in 1945, the Datejust has been offered in a seemingly infinite array of specifications. Even seasoned collectors are often surprised by obscure references lurking in the depths of internet forums. 

With its classic proportions, the Datejust has been the perfect frame for Rolex to experiment with dial finishes, and we’ve seen some pretty spectacular offerings over the years. Some of the more notable examples include the linen, the tapestry, the buckley and the Jubilee. More recently, there’s one dial that surprised everyone when it launched in 2021 and was unlike anything we’d seen on a Datejust before - the ‘Palm Motif’. 

Available in two different colours, the standout option is this green, which adds a touch of colour to the tropical vibe. Rolex has been letting its hair down a little in recent years, and this demonstrates why they should continue on this trajectory.  

Whether it was slow sales driven by quirky design, or Rolex capitalising on the hype of short production cycles, the 'Palm Motif' Datejust was officially discontinued this year. With a three-year run and a truly unique dial, it’s sure to be a future hit. Recently sold on Watch Collecting for £6,600