It’s no secret that we’re huge advocates for smaller watches.
Before the mid-1990s, most men’s timepieces — with the exception of a few “oversized” tool watches such as the Submariner, Speedmaster, and a smattering of others — were smaller than 36 or 37mm. Things changed when celebrities such Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger began rocking 44mm or 47mm Panerais and Royal Oak Offshores; other brands quickly picked up on the Panerai-led trend and began producing oversized pilot’s watches and hulking dive watches that, frankly, just didn’t fit or wear well on most men’s wrists. Thankfully, this trend finally began to subside a few years ago, with brands such as Tudor leading the charge in designing much more manageable tool watches. Meanwhile, microbrands the world over have long embraced the idea of moving back to smaller case sizes.
This month, we checked some incredible vintage sub-36mm watches into our inventory: From a remarkably cool, time-only Doxa to a specular Patek Philippe Calatrava with an amazing caseback engraving, these are the sort of pieces that A:S was built upon. Boasting beautiful patina and compelling aesthetics, they’re a cross-section of the best in mid-20th century horological design and represent a range of prices. Best of all is their sizing: Measuring under 36mm in diameter, each of these pieces is perfect for both men and women and will wear excellently on virtually any wrist. Enjoy the variety of styles, materials, and designs on offer, and be sure to check back in often with Analog:Shift for the best in small — and all — vintage and pre-owned watches!
Movado M90 Chronograph ‘Breguet’ Dial ($11,950)
Movado M90 Chronograph 'Breguet' Dial - IN THE SHOP
Dating to the 1940s, this solid 18K yellow gold Ref. 9005 chronograph encapsulates all that we love about vintage Movado: Measuring 35mm with a beautiful stepped bezel, ‘doorstop’ pushers, and an acrylic crystal, it features a gorgeous silvered ‘snail’ dial with multiple timing scales, applied gold ‘Breguet’ numerals, dual chronograph registers, and gold feuille hands. Powered by the hand-wound Movado M90 chronograph movement, it recalls the elegance of the mid-20th century in spectacular style and would be perfect for someone who wants to capture a bit of that old-school charm.
Seiko Diver ‘Baby Willard’ ($2,150)
Seiko Diver 'Baby Willard' - IN THE SHOP
Like its big brother, the Ref. 6105-8110 worn by Martin Sheen as Captain Willard in Apocalypse Now, the Ref. 2205-0769 ‘Baby Willard’ is an extremely capable dive watch from Japanese maker Seiko. In the case of the Ref. 2205-0769, however, the measurements describe a timepiece perfect for a lady or for a child’s smaller wrist: Measuring 35mm in stainless steel, it features a luminous black dial with a date window at 3 o’clock; luminous, applied indices; a luminous ‘sword’ handset, and an automatic Seiko movement. Paired to a correct black rubber ‘waffle’ strap with a signed pin buckle, it’s ready for action.
Doxa ‘Calatrava’ Dress Watch ($2,750)
DOXA 'Calatrava' Dress Watch - IN THE SHOP
While it may be best known for its superb dive watch offerings, Doxa spent much of the early 20th century producing elegant dress watches in the mode of brands such as Omega, Cyma, and others. This handsome piece from the 1960s is an excellent example: Housed in a 35mm stainless steel case, you’ll notice immediate similarities in its lug profile to the famed Patek Philippe ref. 565. Boasting a handsome silvered dial with an outer 1/5th-seconds track, luminous outer indices, and applied gold-toned round, ‘doorstop,’ and ‘Arabic’ indices, is a thing of beauty. Powered by a hand-wound movement, it’s simply a beautiful design object.
Universal Genève ‘Denim’ Dial ($3,450)
Universal Genève 'Denim' Dial - IN THE SHOP
Someone on the hunt for an ultra-thin dress watch for men or women would be well served by this incredible Universal Genève Ref. 842142: Measuring 31mm in diameter and just 6mm tall in stainless steel, it features a beautiful blue ‘denim’-texture dial with applied ‘baton’ indices and a matching, thin ‘pencil’ handset. Powered by the Universal Genève cal. 1-41 hand-wound movement and paired to a taupe-colored leather strap with tone-on-tone stitching and a steel pin buckle, this piece will slip perfectly under a cuff to discretely keep the time. (Frankly, though, who would want to hide such a gorgeous dial?)
Omega Sector Dial Dress Watch ($6,750)
Omega Sector Dial Dress Watch - IN THE SHOP
Feast your eyes on this spectacular masterpiece from Omega: Dating to the 1930s, this 33mm stainless steel beauty with a stepped bezel and acrylic crystal features a handsomely patinated silver ‘sector’ dial with black printing, ‘Arabic’ indices, a sub-seconds display above 6 o’clock, and a sharp, blued steel ‘leaf’ handset. Powered by the hand-wound Omega cal. 26.5 SOB movement, it comes paired to a brown leather strap with contrasting, cream-colored top stitching and a stainless steel pin buckle. With such an inspired design gazing back at your from your wrist, you’ll be hard pressed to ever take this watch off!
Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 2545 ($25,500)
Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref.2545 - IN THE SHOP
All hail the venerable Patek Philippe Calatrava, the prototypical round dress watch that will never go out of style. This Ref. 2545 in yellow gold dates to 1956 as per its Extract from the Archives: Measuring 32mm, it replaced the legendary Ref. 96 and includes a screw-back case, the hand-wound cal. 12”400 movement with 18 jewels, and a beautiful and simple silvered dial with applied ‘doorstop’ indices, a sub-seconds display above 6 o’clock, an outer minute track, and a set of gold ‘dauphine’ hands. The caseback includes a touching engraving to one “C.B. Neville” for 41 years of service. Imagine receiving this baby as a retirement gift — wow!
