Which Sports Watch Should You Buy?
My personal interest in collecting are two-tone watches. Solid gold watches are just too expensive, and who would dare wear such an obvious target for a thief. Platinum or white gold are less showy, but out-of-reach for the beginning collector. Oddly, in used watches you’ll often find that two-tone (18kt and SS) watches are not that much more money than SS watches. As an example read about the Submariner Hulk on this website.
This site reflects only sports watches, which are more interesting and almost always better investments than dress watches. There are seven styles of sports watches, which I’ll show you below. The examples I use here will mostly reflect my interest in two-tone watches, but the information will be pretty much true (at lower cost) for the all SS models. At the end I’ll show you how to do a search to figure the value of a watch you want to buy (or sell). So where to start? Maybe, with the least expensive option.
Turn-O-Graph
My personal interest in collecting are two-tone watches. Solid gold watches are just too expensive, and who would dare wear such an obvious target for a thief. Platinum or white gold are less showy, but out-of-reach for the beginning collector. Oddly, in used watches you’ll often find that two-tone (18kt and SS) watches are not that much more money than SS watches. As an example read about the Submariner Hulk on this website.
This site reflects only sports watches, which are more interesting and almost always better investments than dress watches. There are seven styles of sports watches, which I’ll show you below. The examples I use here will mostly reflect my interest in two-tone watches, but the information will be pretty much true (at lower cost) for the all SS models. At the end I’ll show you how to do a search to figure the value of a watch you want to buy (or sell). So where to start? Maybe, with the least expensive option.
Turn-O-Graph
There are a number of dial colors in the two-tone model. I don’t yet own one of these, but it is on my radar. They are not as popular as the other sports watches shown below, and therefore they are cheaper. The Turn-O-Graph was discontinued in 2011. Note how they retain a lot of dress watch features, as they are less bulky and technical looking. You might put it on for formal wear when you go to the theater, which of course few of us do that stuff anymore.
The last version made in 2010 was the Reference Number: 16263 for a two-tone with flat link bracelet. As of 08/23 over the last six months the watch has held pretty steady at a value of $6,182 market value for a used watch on the open market, according to WatchCharts.com (as shown below) which is a good guide to get me started on finding one to buy. Pretty cool stuff!
This model only comes as a 1-tone, in SS, so I don’t collect it. It’s a more common and (I think) less attractive watch, but the orange hand is cool and it is nicely bulky. It keeps time in a 2nd time zone by the orange hand.
The Milgauss was developed in the 1950s for scientists that could resist exposure to highly magnetic fields. It’s an odd ball, while not a sports watch, it is considered a “tool” watch because of its antimagnetic properties. Some have rotating time lapse bezels, while others don’t. Perhaps the most distinctive of many models is the Ref. 116400GV, as the GV is distinguished by its lighting bold orange second hand, shown above right. The alternating hour markers in orange than white, along with a truly odd green crystal made it unique among watches, Rolex included! The 38mm case makes it easy to wear and slip under a sleeve.
The watch was discontinued in 1988, but then brought back as the Ref. 116400 in 2007 with a sleek 40mm case, with a smooth bezel. None of the models come as two-tones, but I still think I may someday get one (a GV for sure) just because it is pretty cool.
Photos from Hodinkee.com
Cosmograph Daytona
Part of the fun of these watches is that you can modify them with original Rolex parts and make them pretty unique. Expect to pay around $21,000 for a 2022-23 Daytona two-tone. They are among the most expensive of all Rolexes, and probably the most desired of the professional watches.
This is the second version of the Yachtmaster I. It is also very expensive as it is complex and has a stop watch function to time the start of a boating race. See the dial showing a count down of ten minutes used as sailboats float around waiting for the starting gun to go off. I don’t yet own one of these yet, as they are very expensive in two-tone. Note how they use rose, not yellow, gold. This is one of the last watches I am hoping to collect if I can find one affordable. A lot of my time goes into research and shopping for a good price on a watch.
Be careful, if you buy one, an try to get the “Mercedes hands” shown on the right watch below, as compared to the stick hands on the left. That is the newer model. In a discontinued watch series, I always try for the newest version before the Ref. Number was retired.
Yacht-Master
Sky Dweller
This watch keeps time in two time zones, its the watch I showed you today, and comes with all kinds of dial colors, check out a bunch of them here on Chronos24. Mine has a gold dial as shown below, but it is hard to see the numbers or hands since they are gold. I’ll eventually change the dial to chocolate or blue. The blue dial only comes on the all gold models now ($70,000) like below. I like the slate and chocolate dials, too. Part of the hobby is being able to change the watch using genuine Rolex parts so I change out the dials now and then.
GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time, and this watch keeps time locally as well as at Greenwich, England for navigation – or anywhere else. The GMT-II is my favorite Rolex. It was the first watch I bought and it was vaguely affordable (for a Rolex) at about $12,000. I saw it on some website and then contacted the seller directly and bought it from a well established store in Ft. Lauderdale FL saving sales tax and auction fees. Check the references on the internet like TrustPilot, and if they sell on Chrono24 or eBay check references there as well.
Anyway, the new model GMT-II came out and I bought that, so I don’t need two of them. This 2004 (Reference number 16713) Rolex had all its paperwork and box. Usually if the warranty and paperwork is with it and the Serial Number on the warranty match the SN on the watch, it is not a stolen watch or fake. This one was fully legitimate, of course, and is in gorgeous condition. Amazingly the watch sold for only $6600 new in 2004.
Assume you are thinking of buying this watch, as an example as to how you might proceed. You can estimate its value by looking on eBay or Chrono24 and enter in the Model and Ref. Number; i.e., Rolex GMT Master II 16713. On 08/27/23 on Chrono24 there were 203 results. Then select Filter and enter the year range 2000-2009 for the range of dates that Ref. No. came in which was the last production run of this model, enter with papers, and enter the location - United States. You do NOT want a watch from anywhere except the US, since you’ll have to pay duties and no one can figure that out until the watch arrives in the US and it can be a huge hassle. Five watches showed up, as I did the search and you can see the results (albeit, it will be for the time, now) here. They ranged from $10,500 to $14,999 + shipping. I made sure all had papers indicating date warranted so I could figure the date of manufacture. I made sure the clasp was gold-through and that it had SELs or solid end links. I didn’t care that it had lug holes.
The cheapest ($10,500) is listed in only “fair” condition. Next there is a nice 2002 model for $10,995 and the other three are >$13,000.
You can make an offer unless the price is “fixed” on Chrono24, and usually when it is ~95% or more of the value of the watch, will be accepted. However, the cheapest watch at $10,500 was not accepting offers and shipping was free. So it would cost $10,500 + $687 tax = $11,682. If you register your name on the Chrono24 website you can see information about resale, including the chart below, showing how the watch's value had dropped a bit? A couple months ago it was averaging $14k on resale, but now it is averaging about $12,500 – but then there were only five for sale on Chrono24 when I ran my search. Note the general trend has been for the watch to rise in value, but there are dips and rises along the way. Click on the chart below to expand. Remember it cost $6600 when new! So using this method I decided to try to sell it for $11,500 especially since I had recently paid to have it overhauled (cleaned). At $11,500 it would be the cheapest 16713 for sale in the US! You see the research is not hard to do to sell a watch, and it the same to buy a watch once you settle on the model and year (Ref. Number) you want.
