Vintage Inspired Chronographs?

I just bought this today…

https://danhenrywatches.com

We have this conversation yesterday in this thread…

https://www.watchcrunch.com/Deeperblue/posts/new-baltic-you-were-right-20298#comment-243833

there is a gold standard for vintage inspired chronographs, 38mm, 2 subdials. 

Seagull 1963

A Nivada Chronomaster can serve you with everything except rectangular pushers ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

That one doesn't work, but ... thanks for the pointer. The 1937 might do the trick perfectly.

It's been on my radar, but I'm not keen on the more military styling. (Also doesn't have rectangular pushers.)

I did see that. In fact, that's what clued me into Excelsior Park (sister brand). But you're right it doesn't quite match what I'm looking for.

Can I tempt you with this beauty from Zenith?

vintage ✅

38mm case ✅

Leave some watches for the rest of us. Your credit card hasn't gone back into your wallet in weeks.

Currently £75 on AliExpress, it's a mecaquartz based on a VK64 movement. It's 38mm. For 40mm you have much more choice there... MC also has a 35mm chrono vintage style, but with round pushers.

If you can consider 40 mm I highly recommend the Lamberti Pulsation Chronograph 

Lol…it’s better this way before my wife gets a hold of it… 😜

That Dan Henry is on my list for next year (if I can stop buying vintage watches in the meantime).

Some of these? Lip also got some cool chronos 😊

If you are looking for something a bit different, Bulova has a couple of vintage looking options, the Chronograph A, which comes as a quartz or a limited edition automatic, or the Joseph Bulova Chronograph, which is automatic. The Chronograph A is 40.5mm and the Joseph Bulova Chronograph is a bit larger at 42mm.

Chronograph A (Surfboard)

Joseph Bulova Chronograph

U should look at furlan marri. 

Your on fire!

I agree, I really like the surfboard style Chronograph's to mix it up. 

I'm surprised @ChronoGuy hasn't done a Chronograph Mic drop on this post yet

Maybe the Furlan Marri Nero Sabbia or the Brew Metric with the Retro Black dial (although the Furlan Marri is inspired by the Patek chronographs of the 1940s while the Brew is inspired by the obscure automatic Omega Speedmaster 125 chronograph from 1973).

https://www.furlanmarri.com/collections/mechaquartz/products/1072-a-nero-sabbia?variant=40512422871172

https://www.brew-watches.com/watches/brew-metric-retro-black

Wow - that is a specific set of criteria.

I personally would avoid the Chinese Seagull ST19 manual movements...you are better off spending your money on a vintage Chrongraphe Suisse watch than spending it on those Aliexpress watches.

Here is one that hits most of your criteria...it's by Corniche and it's 39mm, so maybe that's a bit too large, but I think it nails everything else...it's running the ubiquitous Seiko VK64 mecaquartz...and it sells for $425...

Here is the link to their website...

https://cornichewatches.com/shop/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA-JacBhC0ARIsAIxybyMpBabX1phTTBNEedTiUFf_NbJS-Kx8KHDmRuGxsFCZtU-4GVlrGqwaAjxTEALw_wcB#men

Another great option is a vintage Dubey & Schaldenbrand Index Mobile Rattrapante Split-Seconds Chronograph from the 1990s. You can find these in excellent condition, they run NOS 1945 Landeron 51 manual movements, but the case and dial were produced in the 1990s. Case size is vintage correct at 37.5mm and they have a split-second rattrapante feature. They generally sell for around $2,000 depending on condition. Here is a wrist shot of mine...on a gorgeous tan ostrich strap...

There are also many viable Chronographe Suisse-style vintage watches out there on eBay and Catawiki...you just have to be careful of numerous "restored" dials and also make sure you always get a close-up of the movement.

I wouldn't want to disappoint @whitesalmon ...so...

Here are some of the better ones I have in the collection...they range in price from $500 to $2,000 (excluding the two Minerva and the Zenith)...

No doubt the ST19 which is the old Venus calibre 175 is a workhorse movement. The quality of the movement really depends on whether the watch brand that uses it ensures that they have quality movements. It's no secret that it's a gamble if you are buying an Aliexpress brand with a Seagull ST19 that you could end up with a movement that works just fine or one that fails due to poor mechanical construction.

It's great to hear that you have three that are working well. I currently have seven in my collection that are working just fine.

I think if you purchase a Seagull movement in a brand like Hemel, Lorier or Baltic, you can be assured that they have tested the movements and eliminated the inferior ones from their inventory. I would love to know what their failure rate was when they tested the movements, but I'm not sure we can get that information.

So my advice to anyone new to chronographs, is to avoid the Seagull ST19 as it's a gamble. If you don't mind taking the gamble because of the relatively low price, then go for it. It would also be very expensive to repair the movement as few watchmakers are stocking the parts or willing to work on them. My watchmaker won't touch Chinese chronograph movements. I had to beg him to fix one of mine that was a Chinese copy of an ETA Valjoux 7750.

I have some Seagull ST19s in my collection, so it's not like I'm a snob about the movement...

I have experienced issues with the Seagull movements, but was fully refunded for most of those purchases. I generally don't specifically refer to the brand/reference where I have had issues. I will not bother trying to get them fixed as I indicated above it's not worth the effort. On a few that I was not refunded that were purchased on Aliexpress, I gave them away to my nephews as it was only the chronograph function that was defective and they could still use them as a watch. 

I've also experienced numerous issues with purchasing vintage chronographs. Likewise, I don't specifically call out those dealers who have sold bad watches and should have known better. I just try and alert those new to vintage to be careful and alert them to certain countries where the dealers are less honest. As a matter of fact, my watchmaker has two of my vintage chronographs right now for repair and I may not see them for a year, if he can even find the parts to fix them.

Definitely no racial bias here as I own numerous watches made in China, most of which are superbly constructed. Let's face it, many of the cases are made in China regardless of the "Made in ..." on the dial.

I just think it's important that anyone new to watch collecting, especially chronographs should be warned. They are a wonderful mechanical marvel, but so easily damaged.

It's great that you are a passionate fan of the movement. May they always serve you well.

I can understand your incredulity that someone would purchase as many watches as I have purchased. I can say specifically that I gifted three of the defective watches to my nephews and my brother-in-law. The ones I have been reimbursed for I can't recall - I would have to go through several years of emails to figure that out. I stopped purchasing random Aliexpress watches as I became a more sophisticated collector.

My main takeaway is only purchase a Seagull ST19 movement from a brand that you trust. If you see the ones that I own they are from Baltic, Geckota, Hemel, Landeron, and TC9 - the one outlier is Pierre Paulin which is part of Merkur and I have had very good experiences with Merkur watches. I also ordered the Pierre Paulin with the Swan Neck regulator which does make a difference.

Am I a glutton for punishment...that's obviously yes because I collect vintage watches. If you look at some of my posts you will see that I am an avid collector of vintage watches over the full span of watchmaking from the early 1900s to the present day. That alone makes me guilty of being a glutton for punishment since there are always a number of issues with collecting vintage watches as @chronotriggered or @Aurelian will tell you. That doesn't stop us purchasing more, we just learn along the way and try and pass that knowledge on. It's true that not all appreciate the wisdom gained from these painful lessons, but it doesn't stop me from sharing them.

Hopefully that is a fulsome answer to your questions.

I won't be offended that you are calling me a liar, but will take the high road here and end this discussion.

There are also many viable Chronographe Suisse-style vintage watches out there on eBay and Catawiki...you just have to be careful of numerous "restored" dials and also make sure you always get a close-up of the movement.

The more I look, the more I'm leaning towards this approach. I'm still a little uneasy with the extra service cost, but it seems like the best way to get what I really want (e.g. 36mm, dial style, rectangular pushers).

If you are interested in a particular watch, I am happy to share any knowledge I have before you purchase. I have been able to assist my friends in avoiding some mistakes. 

No promises, but you have a few members here who are pretty knowledgeable in their various segments and collectively can probably help you avoid a problem.

Thanks for the offer. If I do get a new watch, it won't be until next year, but I'll for sure keep that in mind.

Another one I could think is the Brew Retrograph and Method, both of which are inspired by the Heuer Monaco of Steve McQueen fame in design and the 'telephone timer' chronographs from the 1930s in concept.

https://www.brew-watches.com/watches/retrograph-brew-technicolor

https://www.brew-watches.com/watches/method-brew-cobalt

Agree with you. I really love my nivada.