Patek price hikes; A Watchlist with Tanks, TAGs, Movado, and more
+ The rare Rolex Daytona ad that started it all (and costs more than most watches)
Happy Saturday. In this weekend edition: Patek raises prices, a chance to buy the first Daytona ad ever (but it’ll cost you), a few words on collecting Patek Philippe pocket watches, and moves from watch media’s biggest player. Then for paid subscribers: The September Watchlist features a pair of Tanks, and the Piaget might be better than the Cartier; a whole lot of TAG Heuer divers; a rare Rolex book; a Borgel-case Movado, and more.
Thanks for the kind words on last week’s end-of-summer update. The full Unpolished archive is available online.
The Roundup
Patek Philippe is raising prices in the U.S. by 15% on Monday. Get to that Patek boutique this weekend and shop shop shop. More price increases from other brands coming soon.
The first Rolex ‘Daytona’ ad ever. My buddy Nick of Ad Patina has the first Daytona ad ever, from 1964, in stock. It’s called Le Mans, the ad reads. While it features a ref. 6239, it shows how Rolex considered other names for its manually-wound chronograph before landing on the American-friendly “Daytona.” Nick said he only knows of four Rolex ads that show vintage, four-digit Daytonas, but this one is the first. Like anything first in collecting, it’s got the price tag to match: $1,795. So I texted Nick to ask how rare it really is. Here’s what he said:
“I first discovered the magazine this ad was in back in January 2022. Up to today, I’ve found 10 total. But most of those were found early on in 2024. It’s one of those ads that’s very hard to predict when the next one will pop up.”
A Daytona ad that’s more rare than most Daytonas. Find it on Ad Patina.
On collecting Patek Philippe pocket watches. I remember the first time I held a Patek Philippe 844 (below). It’s a hefty chunk of horology, a 51mm perpetual calendar minute repeater. Recently, I put together collectors’ guides on the ref. 844 and the ref. 725 perpetual calendar for Collectability. They’re perhaps the last great Patek pocket watches. I compiled every known example for both references to create, I think, the most comprehensive cataloging yet. Pocket watches represent amazing value—you can pick up a Patek perpetual calendar for well under $100k—but I get they’re not for everyone. I might not be in the market for something complicated, but I wouldn’t mind this second watch propped up on my desk:
Teddy Baldassarre revamped his site to put more content behind a ‘free’ wall. I got a peek at the first video with Eric Wind earlier this summer; it moves fast, but it’s a solid ~50-minute intro to vintage collecting. It’s a smart move—much of Teddy’s website content is very SEO-focused, and that traffic’s slowly evaporating. You’ll just have to sign up and say how many Alpinas you own to access it.
I enjoyed Gary Shteyngart’s latest novel Vera, or Faith, on vacation last week. But he gives the main character an addiction to pens, not watches—we know your real allegiances though, Gary!
Swatch What If..Tariffs? Flips the 3/9, CHF 139, only available in Switzerland, and “hopefully just a limited edition.” Putting that very bad ad behind us.
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The Watchlist
A monthly feature of under-the-radar watches from around the internet, in hopes of scoring you a deal. This month: Auctions are still heating up, so we’re focusing on accessible, fun finds.
TAG Heuer Divers
I had a few requests for TAG Heuer divers after Tuesday’s visit to its museum, so let’s start there. I only really like the first ref. 844 and the Professional 1000 Series that replaced it in the 80s. The 2000 Series and later get a little too 90s for me—more Shaq-as-a-rapping-genie in Kazaam than MJ dunking on Monstars in Space Jam.
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