Pre-Owned Picks A Neo-Vintage Rolex 'President' Day-Date, The First Omega 'Bond' Seamaster, And A Breitling Ready To Run

This is the watch that changed the history of two historic brands: Omega and James Bond. When Pierce Brosnan took over the role of the suave British spy in 1995's Goldeneye, it was with the 2541.80.00 Omega Seamaster 300M on his wrist. Released only two years prior to the film hitting theaters, the 2541 Seamaster was an attempt to revitalize Omega's dive watch lineup, which was not exactly setting the world on fire with the previous 200M models.

The 2541.80.00 was selected by the film's costume designer Lindy Hemming, who grew up with family friends who were Navy men that wore Omegas. When it came time to choose a watch for the new Bond, she thought back to the character's naval career and decided an Omega would be perfect for Brosnan's new take on Bond. This would start one of the most successful product placements in film history, with Bond no longer jumping from Rolex to Breitling to Seiko but instead having a signature watch and brand.

This new dive watch introduced the helium escape valve, twisted lugs, and one heck of a well-built bracelet, all of which would define the next 30 years of the Seamaster line. It would prove so successful that the case design would be incorporated into the Aqua Terra and Planet Ocean, solidifying this 90s quartz watch as the progenitor of modern, sporty Omega. This specific watch was made after 1998 as it does not have the tritium lume and has a near-perfect aluminum bezel. With so many of these watches seeing daily wear, this example is in unusually excellent condition and is a watch that will be remembered as one of the most historically significant timepieces of the 20th century.

If you're headed out for adventure, it's always a good plan to do so with a great watch on your wrist. Sure, there are rugged smartwatches and plenty of G-Shocks that are purpose-built to take on a long bike trek, backpacking in the mountains, or running a marathon, but they can sometimes feel too purpose-built for daily wear. Enter the Breitling Endurance Pro.

On the surface, this is a three-register chronograph with a compass dial, a good start for those who are looking to time a ride or not get lost in the woods. The case is made from Breitlight, a proprietary polymer that Breitling introduced in 2016 that is 3.3 times lighter than titanium and highly scratch resistant. Paired with a workout-ready rubber strap, this special material keeps the watch light on the wrist and comfortable for all kinds of activity. A thermocompensated SuperQuartz movement ensures excellent accuracy throughout the hot summer days – no matter how many bumps and shocks you may experience.

Seen here in sky-blue, the colorful combinations available for this model make it stand out from the pack of monochromatic sports watches. Adventure is calling, make sure you have an appropriate watch.

There is something so menacingly cool about a watch that has been blacked out. It is a style statement that skews away from the traditional. Part of the second generation of the Tudor Heritage Black Bay, the Dark model features a black PVD coating for the steel case and bracelet, giving it a stealthy makeover. The white hands, numerals, and markers sit in stark contrast with the case, making this Black Bay incredibly easy to read.

 
Featuring Tudor's in-house MT5602 movement, this Black Bay has with it 70 hours of power reserve and is presented without a date display. The first in-house movement from Tudor's new manufacturing arm, the MT5602 has proven to be a solid upgrade that has even been shared with other Swiss watchmakers.

The possible downside of a PVD-coated watch is if a scratch goes beyond the top layer and exposes some steel from underneath. Tudor has done a fantastic job with their coating being very resistant to scratches, as proven by this blemish-free example.

The Day-Date, the "Texas Timex," the "President." No matter your thoughts on any other watch from Rolex, the Day-Date captures everybody's heart. The all-18k yellow gold case shines on the wrist, and the bracelet on this example is unique to this model of Datejust for an added bit of flair. This is the watch of Presidents, titans of industry, sports legends, religious leaders, and Tony Soprano. No other watch provides the same statement.

This specific 18238 is a pre-1998 model that has tritium lume. The lume has aged on the hands and dots around the hour markers to a yellow that is a near-perfect match for the gold case. None of the lume is cracked, and in the hands, the soft creamy color is something that SuperLuminova has yet to match. The case and bracelet are in excellent condition, and it would be hard to find a better example of this neo-vintage reference of the iconic Day-Date.

Introduced in 2016, the Due line from Panerai offered something a little more wearable for those who may have been put off by the traditionally large sizing of these Italian military watches. The cases were slimmed down, and for the PAM 676, that means a thickness of just 10.5mm. In terms of width, this model is a very reasonable 42mm wide, and some Due models could be found as small as 38mm.

Thankfully, none of the Panerai vibe is lost with the smaller sizing. The signature sandwich dial construction, which allows the lume to glow from underneath the cut-out markers, is still on display as are the large Arabic numeral font used for the cardinal numbers. 

Likewise, the across-the-room recognizable crown lock system from the Luminor can still be found on the side of the Due's case. Representing the makeover that Panerai needed, the Due keeps the signature elements that have made the brand famous, while bringing the proportions down to a size that works for a much wider audience. Now, we can all Panerai.

For all of your pre-owned watch buying needs, head to the Hodinkee Shop.