Bob’s Watches is proud to present the latest installment of our ‘Fresh Finds’ series of buyer’s premium-free auctions. Showcasing a curated selection of 4 incredibly rare vintage timepieces that have all been purchased directly from their original owners, this month’s ‘Fresh Finds’ vintage auction is all about 1960s sports watches!
LOT 1: Omega Speedmaster Ref. 105.003 “Ed White”
While it is often the various Rolex sports watches that dominate much of the vintage market, the Omega Speedmaster can also claim to be one of the most famous sports watches in history. Becoming the first flight-certified watch of NASA in 1965 and then landing on the moon just a few later in 1969, there are few watches with the same sort of legendary pedigree as the Omega Speedmaster.
LOT 2: Rolex GMT-Master Ref. 1675
For Rolex, the 1950s were characterized by a bloom of purpose-built sport and tool watches; however, up until roughly the end of the decade, these models were all largely based upon the platform of Rolex’s existing Turn-O-Graph watch. It would not be until the very end of the 50s that these collections would start to develop their own specialized designs, and Rolex sports watches (as we know them today) would start to take on what would ultimately become their present-day forms.
LOT 3: Rolex Submariner Ref. 5512
Just like Rolex’s other legendary sports watch collections, the Submariner did not really come into its own design until the very end of the 1950s. With the launch of the reference 5512 in 1959, the case of the Rolex Submariner grew to 40mm, and crown-guards were added for the very first time. These two traits significantly altered the overall appearance of Rolex’s dive watch, and they have served as defining features of the Rolex Submariner ever since.
LOT 4: Rolex Explorer Ref. 1016
While the classic Rolex Explorer may lack features or complications that make it specifically suited to one particular sport or environment, the Explorer is Rolex’s original sports watch collection. First launched in 1953 to celebrate mankind’s first successful summit of Mount Everest, the original Rolex Explorer was a highly durable, self-winding watch that was built to the highest possible standards.
