What's old is new. Trends come, go, and return again. This applies to the art of watchmaking. As the trend for vintage-style watches seems to be gaining strength, brands continue to dig into their archives to find inspiration and breathe new life into past glories. Here are the top 5 vintage reissues recently presented: from high-end original watches inspired by the roaring 1920s to a classic racing chronograph with a legendary movement.
HANHART 417 ES PILOT CHRONOGRAPH REISSUE
The Hanhart 417 ES reissue brings back to life the pilot chronograph developed for the German armed forces in the 1950s, based on three criteria: durability, reliability, and readability. This legendary bicompax chronograph is presented in a slightly modernized version. The case now measures 42 mm (versus the original 39 mm), with thick sapphire glass, short lugs, and a fluted rotating bezel with the brand's signature red marking. The watch is equipped with the Sellita SW 510 movement (a clone of the time-tested 7750 Valjoux) with manual winding, lending historical relevance and making it slimmer. Last but not least, the watch is worn on a cool calfskin leather strap.
Quick Facts - 42 mm steel case - water resistance 100 m - Sellita SW-510 M chronograph with manual winding - calfskin leather "bund" strap with steel buckle - 1,790 EUR
LONGINES SILVER ARROW
With its Heritage Collection, Longines has long demonstrated its expertise in reviving some of the brand's past accomplishments. The 2021 Silver Arrow model is a reissue of a 1950s model. The 38.50 mm steel watch features a rather large bezel, set low in the case, and faceted lugs. The silver-white domed dial has a slightly grainy texture and characteristic applied indices. Inside the case is the caliber L888.5, an automatic movement based on the ETA 2892 ébauche with numerous improvements, including a silicon balance spring and an increased 72-hour power reserve.
Quick Facts - 38.5 mm steel case - water resistance 30 m - automatic L888.5 (based on ETA A31.L11) - calfskin leather strap with steel buckle - 1,950 EUR
SEIKO PROSPEX 1959 ALPINIST RECREATION SJE085
The Alpinist watches, originally introduced in 1959, were specially designed for "yama-otoko," which translates from Japanese as "mountaineer." The 2021 recreation is a faithful embodiment of this model. The compact 36.6 mm steel case has thin faceted lugs and sapphire glass that mimics the original acrylic. The watch is equipped with the caliber 6L35, a modern automatic movement with a frequency of 4 Hz and a 45-hour power reserve. The watch comes on a brown two-piece calfskin leather strap with original uneven stitching and under a protective gray leather cuff.
Quick Facts - 36.6 mm steel case - water resistance 100 m - automatic caliber 6L35 - calfskin leather strap with steel buckle - 3,000 EUR - limited edition of 1,959 pieces
VACHERON CONSTANTIN HISTORIQUES AMERICAN 1921 40MM IN WHITE GOLD
The American 1921 model belongs to the famous Historiques family from Vacheron Constantin, sharing the spotlight with such golden oldies as the Cornes de Vache 1955, Triple Calendrier 1942, and Ultra-Fine 1955. The casually elegant cushion-shaped case with a diagonal crown is now made of white gold, measuring 40 mm in diameter and a slender 8.06 mm in height (for smaller wrists, a 36.5 mm diameter is also available). The grainy silver-colored dial is adorned with black Breguet-style Arabic numerals and a railway minute track. The movement is the in-house caliber 4400 AS with manual winding, its exquisite finishing visible through the transparent case back.
Quick Facts - 40 mm white gold case - water resistance 30 m - caliber 4400 AS with manual winding (Geneva Seal) - Serapian calfskin leather strap with gold buckle - 36,100 EUR
ZENITH CHRONOMASTER ORIGINAL
The 2021 Chronomaster Original model, an updated 38-mm El Primero and a worthy successor to the Zenith A386 (the most iconic of the trilogy of watches introduced in 1969 and equipped with the automatic El Primero chronograph), is presented in a vintage style. The design of the Zenith Chronomaster Original directly repeats the design of the A386 model: a round case without a bezel, faceted lugs, classic pump pushers, and domed sapphire glass. Thanks to its compact size, the watch offers impact, comfort, and a sense of perfect proportion. As for the dial, the classic silver dial with tri-color (blue, anthracite, and gray) sub-dials is certainly the most iconic option. The model is equipped with the caliber 3600, an updated movement that enhances the legendary technical specifications of El Primero. Taking full advantage of the 5 Hz frequency of El Primero (which beats at 10 vibrations per second), the central chronograph hand makes a full rotation in 10 seconds. This is six times the speed of a regular chronograph hand.
Quick Facts - 38 mm steel case - water resistance 50 m - automatic chronograph El Primero 3600 with integrated high-frequency column-wheel system and horizontal coupling - calfskin leather strap with steel triple folding clasp - from 8,300 EUR