Great Watches Under $5,000
Longines Master Collection 44 Retrograde Moonphase
We love Longines, especially their heritage models. In recent years, the brand’s biggest releases have had connections to a timepiece (or timepieces) from their extensive vintage catalog. That being said, Longines does much more than just resurrect old watches. One of my personal favorites from this manufacturer is the Longines Master Collection 44 Retrograde Moonphase. This timepiece is incredibly elegant and comes with a number of complications. The 44-mm steel case is large, but when you pack so many features into a single watch, you need a sizable case and dial to house and display them all. As its name suggests, the Longines Master Collection 44 Retrograde Moonphase makes use of retrograde displays. The minute and hour hands show the time in classical fashion, but the 24-hour indicator (at 9 o’clock), the date (at 3 o’clock), and the seconds (at 6 o’clock) are all retrograde displays. Furthermore, there is a moon phase indicator and a day/night display. All of this is made possible by an automatic caliber housed in an elegant case below a white dial with Roman numerals.
Enthusiast’s Corner: Rare and Exceptional Timepieces
Bulova Accutron Spaceview
I could be wrong, but the Bulova Accutron Spaceview has to be one of the quirkiest timepieces we’ve ever featured in this series. The watch is clearly not something you see every day, and there are several reasons for that. Before we go any further, however, let’s just admire this beauty, which first saw the light of day back in 1960. Over the decades, Bulova has released a number of different models with a similar aesthetic. The watch does without a dial; instead, Bulova uses a crystal featuring the model name and features a pair of white hands. The backdrop is the movement’s tuning fork and green circuit board – a super futuristic timepiece, especially in the 1960s. The Bulova Accutron Spaceview was an instant success and a harbinger of what was yet to come and wipe out so many of our favorite watch brands: the quartz crisis. Its edgy looks are divisive – you either love it or hate it. Early quartz movements were not particularly stable and often broke relatively soon after purchase. Nevertheless, this is a truly spectacular timepiece that appeals to watch fans around the world.
Iconic Timepieces: Great Value for Money
Rolex Submariner 5513
How we could write so many EP articles without featuring the Rolex Submariner 5513 is beyond me. When watch fans think of the Rolex Submariner, the first reference that comes to mind is likely the 5513. That’s certainly the case for me, anyway. It’s not that I don’t love the other references, but the 5513 is a very special model. This watch had the longest production run of any Sub, spanning from 1962 to 1989, after which it was replaced by the next icon: the 14060. What I find most fascinating, though, is that over those 27 years, Rolex made so few changes to the original 60s design. One major difference is the indices. On early Rolex Submariner 5513 watches, the indices were hand-painted on the dial. Later models featured applied indices; however, this had very little effect on the watch’s overall look. The long production run means relatively large numbers of this reference were made, suggesting prices may be lower, but this is not the case. To this day, the Rolex Submariner 5513 is one of the most sought-after sports models from the Swiss luxury brand.
