What's Selling Here - August 18, 2025

By Charlie Dunne

Rolex Great White Tiffany & Co. Sea-Dweller Reference 1665

This Rolex “Great White” Sea-Dweller reference 1665 is an incredibly special watch with a Tiffany & Co. signed dial. The watch comes from the original owner who purchased it while he was an undergraduate economics student at Princeton University. He decided to travel into New York City on fateful day in 1979 and purchased the watch. It has been a faithful companion to him for all these years, but the original owner had some unexpected expenses come up and he decided to give us the opportunity to sell it.

It features the “Great White” Sea-Dweller dial with beautiful yellow lume. It is a “Maxi” Sea-Dweller dial and was among the last examples of the legendary reference 1655 made. These examples with 6 million serial numbers have the extremely large hour markers that give them the “Maxi” moniker. I find them to be the most beautiful Great White Sea-Dweller dials. The reference 1655 models with all-white text are known as “Great White” models and the early examples are known as “Double Red” Sea-Dwellers with two red lines of text and the earliest, essentially prototype and not-for-sale, Sea-Dwellers are known as “Single Red” Sea-Dwellers with a single line of red text.

The hour markers match the hands, which have developed patina on the surfaces and are very attractive. The seconds hand was relumed as the lume had fallen out of it. The case has been polished. It dates to 1979 with a 6.22M serial. The bezel insert was replaced during a Rolex service and we have placed a period correct Mark 3 Fuzzy 40 insert on the watch to complete the look.

The lug-to-lug length is 47mm and it measures 40mm in diameter excluding the crown. It is paired on an Oyster bracelet with VE date code dating to circa 1980 and is original to the watch. The inside clasp has the serial engraved from during a Rolex service.

The watch comes does not come box and papers. It was serviced by Rolex this month and comes with a RSC Rolex Service Center card with QR code. The original owner stated he only had it serviced one other time. The watch recently passed a water resistance test of 5 bar. It features a TrueDome D39 crystal.

I have to say this is the most beautiful Sea-Dweller dials ever seen, even without the Tiffany & Co. signature.

Patek Philippe "Dorè" Dial Reference 3940J Unpolished & Extract

This Patek Philippe reference 3940 in yellow gold is a rare and uncommon model from the early period of the amazing reference 3940. Whereas the earliest examples of the Patek Philippe reference 3940 only had a solid case back. This example for sale dates to 1985. Starting in the early 1990s, Patek Philippe made the 3940 models with both exhibition and solid case backs except for the platinum model, which only had a solid case back for the entirety of its run.

The references 3940 is arguably the most elegant Patek Philippe watches made over the last 40 years. The watch is powered by the self-winding calibre 240Q with microrotor, which when released was the thinnest automatic perpetual calendar movement available. The case is 36mm, and it comes on tan strap. We believe the case remains unpolished. The watch shows little wear and features crisp hallmarks, which is extremely rare for reference 3940s. The dial is a very beautiful "dorè" dial.

The watch comes with an Extract from the Archives indicating a production of 1985. It is believed this watch was in the first ten 3940s made after the original Beyer series.

It includes a beautiful 18k gold mesh bracelet to make the watch even more elegant.

There is no question that the special 3940s and 3970s are some of the most in-demand models these days. The holy grail 3940s are the first 25 3940s made for Beyer with the beautiful doré dials. Of those, the first 15 have German dials (yuck!) and number 16-25 have English dials (hooray!). In 2022, number 19 sold for over $386,000 USD at auction. I heard of another example selling for over $450,000 around that time. Just last month, number 12 with a German dial (yuck!) sold at auction in France for over $300,000 USD, although the auction house requires you to pay to see the results and we could not figure out how to pay them to get the exact number. Number 1 was presented to the Beyer family and is seen in the late Rene Beyer’s Talking Watches episode. Number 2 was originally owned by the legendary super collector Dr. Eugene Gschwind (1921-1991) of Basel, Switzerland and is now owned by the Stern family who owns Patek Philippe. The watch is on display at the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva on the fifth floor in a glass case on the wall near the library. Eric quoted Dr. Gschwind in his talk to the Horological Society of New York in 2019: “One must know how to purchase exceptional objects today, at tomorrow’s prices.” Unfortunately, Dr. Gschwind’s old watch is quite overpolished (like so many watches in the Patek Philippe Museum), although it will presumably never be resold so it doesn’t matter anyways!

This early example with the early dial featuring the more vintage PATEK PHILIPPE font is probably rarer than those 25 examples with Beyer dials. And for some collectors, having the cleaner dial without a retail signature is preferred. These early doré dials are truly sensational and a bit more metallic than later doré dials we have sold, although we would not turn down any of them!

If I was a betting man, I would probably place a bet that this watch is going to go up in value significantly in the coming years. And even if it doesn't, it is so difficult to find one of these early examples, let alone in this unpolished and beautiful condition. Maybe we should all take the advice of the original owner of No. 2 and buyer this exceptional watch today!

This is a firm price, lowball scumbags and tire kickers need not try!

Rolex Cartier Oyster Perpetual Reference 1005 in 14K Yellow Gold

This Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 1005 is an incredibly cool example with the very rare, double-signed dial from Cartier New York. The case is 14K yellow gold and it is paired on a period correct 14K gold oval link Rolex bracelet. The case is lightly polished. The watch has a 3.81M serial dating to circa 1974. For those who love Rolex and Cartier, this is a tremendous opportunity to own an elegant timepiece.

We do not know the service history, but it is running well. It does not come with box and papers. It came from the original family based in the Palm Beach area.

Rolex Red Submariner Reference 1680 w/ Meters First Dial Unpolished

This Rolex Submariner reference 1680 is a very cool sports watch dating to circa late 1969 with a 2.15M serial. It is an incredibly attractive Red Sub and has been one I have tracked for a number of years. We believe the case is unpolished. The dial, minute and hour hand all have the original lume which is a superb yellow. It is paired on a 7206 rivet bracelet from a few years earlier (1967). For those looking for an outstanding

It does not come with box and papers. We do not know the service history but it is running well. It just passed a water resistance test of 3 bar.

To learn more about the Rolex Submariner, dive into my ‘Reference Points: Understanding The Rolex Submariner’ video and corresponding article.

Rolex Bombé Oyster Perpetual Reference 6590 Unpolished on Bracelet

These Rolex Bombé Oyster Perpetual watches are very special models with the nickname deriving from the cambered lugs. This particular reference 6590 is in fantastic condition and features the uncommon Explorer dial with applied 3, 6, and 9 numerals. The 18K yellow gold case is appears to be unpolished. It measures 33.5mm in diameter and 40mm lug-to-lug. The watch dates to circa 1955 with a 120,xxx serial. It is paired on a rare Gay Freres 18k stretch Rivet bracelet with 19mm straight end links dating to 1956. The bracelet could be $20,000 alone if paired a Pre-Daytona!

This watch does not come with box and papers. We do not know the service history, but it is running well.

Rolex Explorer I Reference 1016 Full Set Unpolished

The Rolex Explorer reference 1016 is one of the purest expressions of watch design, and it is for this reason that I am probably asked for vintage Explorer reference 1016s more than any other watch.

This is a superb example that Eric was considering keeping. The case is 36mm in diameter and is super sharp. The case appears to be unpolished. It has an 9.06 million serial dates to circa 1986. It is paired on a period correct Rolex 78360 bracelet with 558 end links. The lume is fantastic with a nice warm color.

For those looking for a world-class 1016, look no further.

The watch is full set and includes box and papers and has an automatic movement (Caliber 1570 made by Rolex).

To learn more about the history and evolution of the Rolex Explorer I, you can see the video and corresponding article I produced with HODINKEE:

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Reference 5065J-001 Unpolished Full Set

The Patek Philippe reference 5065J-001 is one of the great contemporary sports watches. At 38mm in diameter, it has fantastic proportions that can appeal to both vintage and modern enthusiasts. This example has a fantastic case which remains unpolished. The hands and dial feature tritium lume which has a nice warm color. According to the Certificate of Origin, it was sold in 2001.

It is powered by the calibre 315 SC and is on view through its exhibition caseback.

The watch comes full set with box, the Certificate of Origin, and corresponding papers. For those looking for an outstanding Aquanaut, you cannot go wrong with this one!

Heuer Bundeswehr Flyback Chronograph Unpolished

This Heuer flyback chronograph is a super cool example for the Bundeswehr (West German Air Force). We believe the watch is unpolished. The case is measures 42mm in diameter. The watch dates to the 1970s.

It does not come with box and papers. We do not know the service history, but it is running well.

OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Tropical Dial Reference 145.022-69 Unpolished

This OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Reference 145.022-69 is absolutely incredible and I am tempted to keep it for myself. It is one of the nicest and most attractive examples in the world, so who ever purchases it can die happy!

The dial has developed a tropical brown color which is absolutely stunning. The case is unpolished and measures at 42mm with the Hippocampus case back. It is powered by a manual wind movement (an early Caliber 861 made by Lemania) and it features its original crown and crystal. The watch comes from the original owner’s family. It came head only, and I have added a period correct bracelet (clasp code 1039) with the correct 516 end links. When we bought the watch, the edge of the case featured a red paint mark which would indicate the watch leaving the factory.

To learn more about the Omega Speedmaster, see the ‘Reference Points: Understanding The Omega Speedmaster’ article and corresponding video.

The watch does not come with box and papers. It does not come with an extract.

TUDOR Submariner Reference 94010 Unpolished

This TUDOR Submariner reference 94010 is an insanely attractive example. The case appears to be unpolished. It features an attractive black bezel insert. The watch dates to circa 1979 with a 903,XXX serial. It is paired on a period correct solid link bracelet we added to the watch.

It does not come with box and papers. We do not know the service history, but it is running well. It recently passed a water resistance test of 5 bar.

Universal Genève Polerouter Black Gilt Dial Reference S20217-1 Unpolished

This is a very nice Universal Genève Polerouter Reference S20217-2. The case appears to be unpolished. It measures 35mm in diameter (44mm lug to lug). It features a beautiful non-luminous gilt dial which is in great condition and very attractive.

We do not know the service history, but it is running well. It does not come with papers.

Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1R-001 Full Set Unpolished

The Patek Philippe Nautilus is perhaps the most desired watch on the planet. The introduction of the model marked the first true sports watch from the manufacturer in 1976. Along with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, it ushered in the world of integrated stainless steel watches which are adored by watch enthusiasts today. This particular Nautilus reference 5711 dates to 2020. The case is 18k rose gold. The case appears to be unpolished.

The watch comes with the original box and papers. We do not know the service history, but it is running well.

Rolex Daytona Black Dial Ref 116500LN Full Set Unpolished

The Rolex Daytona Cosmograph reference 116500LN is one of the most sought-after watches in the world. It is an excellent contemporary timepiece easily suitable for any collector to wear as an everyday watch.

The watch features a black dial and black Cerachrom bezel. It beautifully pays homage to the red arched “Daytona” font from the past. The case appears to be unpolished.

The watch was sold in 2020. It comes “full set” with original box and papers from the original owner.

It comes with hang tags. It was worn sparingly and has very little signs of wear.

Rolex Daytona White Dial Ref 116500LN Full Set Unpolished

The Rolex Daytona Cosmograph reference 116500LN is one of the most sought-after watches in the world. It is an excellent contemporary timepiece easily suitable for any collector to wear as an everyday watch.

The watch features a whtie dial and black Cerachrom bezel. It beautifully pays homage to the red arched “Daytona” font from the past. The case appears to be unpolished.

The watch was sold in 2020. It comes “full set” with original box and papers from the original owner.

It comes with hang tags.