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Vintage Watches A 1958 Longines Chronometer Pocket Watch Tested At The Neuchâtel Observatory And A 1960 Rolex Datejust With 'Bamboo' Bezel

A true chronometer from Longines and an early variant of an iconic Rolex lead the way.

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To view the entire current selection of vintage watches available in the HODINKEE Shop, click here.


This Week's Vintage Watches

Neither of the "new" vintage watches in the HODINKEE Shop are going to break records for being the thinnest on the market nor the most expensive. Neither require a small pen to wind or set the time, and neither are going to impress in a nightclub setting. As modern watches push the limits of what a time-telling device can be, looking to the vintage sector of collecting allows more focus on wearability of wristwatches, accuracy of movements, as well as iconic and timeless designs.

As we have come to expect on Wednesday mornings, the Vintage Team takes their picks from the bunch, with Rich giving the full rundown on a Longines Chronometer Pocket Watch that took a trip to be tested at the Neuchâtel Observatory while Saori extols on the simple icon that is the Rolex Datejust. Check out the slideshow above for a selection of other vintage watches still available in the HODINKEE Shop and read on for the full story on these two highlights.

1958 Longines Chronometer Pocket Watch Tested At The Neuchâtel Observatory
By Rich Fordon

This Longines is truly jumping off the page for me. Most of the questions we get asked here are focused around value. Whether in terms of retaining worth, monetarily, or simply getting more watch at a certain price point, value comes up time and time again. Modern Tudor seems to be dominating conversations around value in that market. For vintage watches, few categories compel from a value standpoint better than pocket watches and real, observatory tested, chronometers.

A vintage Longines pocket watch

Sure, it is much harder to flex a pocket watch, but if you are here reading this are you really all too concerned with what someone on the street thinks? Pocket watches can be incredibly mesmerizing in the metal and this Longines is no different.

The dial side is extremely well executed with legibility placed at the forefront of the design. Furthermore, the patina is just perfect with a creamy tone after nearly 65 years of use. I am particularly drawn to the full markings on sub-seconds dial to show off that extra accuracy, as well as the stylized numerals that look so at home on a pocket watch.

A vintage Longines pocket watch

Of course, the movement is really something to write home about here. Fully on view through an exhibition-style caseback is a Longines caliber 260 with a Guillaume balance. As is noted on the Longines Extract from the Archives, this caliber is normally fitted with a chronograph function yet was modified for this observatory use, stripping away those components. What the caliber 260 offers over the more commonly-seen caliber 360 observatory chronometer is its larger size. All of this extra effort in modifying the larger caliber was likely an aim for even further accuracy beyond what was the brand's standard even for observatory chronometers at the time. Watchmaking-wise, you can't do much better than this in a time-only application.

Observatory papers for a vintage Longines pocket watch

Having the full document from the Neuchâtel Observatory is maybe my favorite part here. I am a sucker for these accessories and love that the accuracy observations are handwritten. Check out this Longines in full right here in the H Shop before this Chronometer jumps off the page and into my pocket.

1960 Rolex Datejust Ref. 1603 With 'Bamboo' Bezel
By Saori Omura

When I think of a vintage Datejust, the first one that comes to mind is with a fluted bezel and a Jubliee bracelet. And there is certainly a place for classic Datejusts, but I'm particularly fond of the Datejust from the era where this example hails from. It's unmistakably a Datejust but also unmistakably a vintage design before this model evolved into a more recognizable flagship model for Rolex.

A vintage Datejust

While I know there will be a large divide between people who either love or hate the patina on the dial, I'd say it's a greenlight for me on this one. Yes, it's not a pristine dial; as a matter of fact,  it's far from it. But with vintage, that's what makes a watch compelling because it's what is uniquely pleasing to you. You need to know your own threshold of how far a patina is attractive for you. Wouldn't you agree?

Having said that, for me, the best feature on this watch is none other than the Bamboo bezel with the notches as hour markers, as opposed to the more visually impactful fluted bezel or an engine-turned bezel on the later ref. 1603 models. The Bamboo bezel feels as though it has the best of both worlds, somewhere between a smooth bezel and a fluted bezel. It feels not too little and not too much. It was most likely carried over from the various creations from the 1950s, ranging from the Precision to the Oyster Perpetual families. So I also appreciate it from a historical perspective on the design evolution of the bezels.

A vintage Rolex Datejust

I wish we could bring this Bamboo bezel back. If Rolex can surprise us with a left-handed GMT-Master II out of nowhere, I still have hope that maybe one day, we'll see this vintage glory back in their modern Datejust collection. Check it out here.

Questions? Send us a note, or let us know in the comments. Want to sell your vintage watch through the HODINKEE Shop? Email us at vintage@hodinkee.com with some photos. Want to sell your pre-owned watch? Click here.