I Wish I Had a Time Machine, Part III

by Nicolas Zalles

Time to jump back in the Time Machine. On our last trip we went to 2000, this time we're heading to 2005. YouTube had just launched, I was a freshman in college with a flip phone I thought was the coolest thing. The 5711 didn't exist yet, but it was about to, and Hublot had just launched the Big Bang, but who cares about that.

As usual, we are going to break it down in the subtopics you'll see below. If this is your first time reading, this Series is meant to explore trends and fads over the years. See which ones stood the test of time, which will lead to some inevitable heartbreaks, and which didn't. Above all this is meant to be price objective to see what collectors were chasing back then. These are our subtopics:

• The One(s) That Got Away 

• What Were They Thinking??

• Before It Was Cool 

• Bonus: A cool value-play pick-up 

All photo credits to Antiquorum.

The One (s) That Got Away:

This Fifty Fathoms you see here sold for only USD 2,530. Yes, you read that right, just USD 2,530.

One thing I love about these Fifty Fathoms is how passionate collectors are about them. You just need to see them in the metal to understand how amazing they are, to me they just ooze coolness. 

Another watch that’s widely loved, and one that’s been on my short list for a long time, is the Rolex Explorer ref. 1016, so this Time Machine would come in handy. This one sold for USD 5,290, which somehow makes the Blancpain price look even better.

What Were They Thinking??

This Gerald Genta Mickey Mouse watch sold for USD 29,900. It is a Minute Repeater so I guess you can somewhat justify the price, but based on looks? You be the judge.

Up next, this Harry Winston chronograph in white gold sold for USD 15,180 which wasn’t a particularly low sum of money back then. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this watch proves it, because it’s not winning any beauty contests in my book.

Before It Was Cool:

Seems like nobody cared for tropical dials back then. This Explorer sold for USD 4,600, note that it’s less than the 1016 from above.

Also looks like the term "tropical" hadn't been coined yet. The lot is described simply as "Explorer Color Change Dial." Honestly, this could also perfectly fit into The One(s) That Got Away Category. 

And here are two more that could thoroughly fit into both subtopics:

A Patek Philippe ref. 3700 retailed by Beyer, with Extract from the Archives, sold for USD 19,550. Were double-signed dials not a BIG thing back then? We’ll explore that in another post. 

To wrap Before It Was Cool, these white gold APs with integrated bracelets have been getting a lot of attention lately. Back then it seems like it was a sleeper. The one you see here sold for just USD 4,600, the exact same price as the tropical 1016. Who would’ve guessed?

Bonus: A cool value-play pick-up

To close things out, I saw this and thought it was cool. This 39mm platinum Chopard rattrapante, limited to 25 pieces with this being No. 2, sold for USD 11,500. In today's money, maybe not as valuable as the others, but a good reminder that not every pick-up needs to be a homerun to be worthwhile.  Always buy what you love.

Hope you enjoyed this one. See you next time!