Shopping Time: 5 Rare 1970s Sports Watches You Can Buy Right Now
We are always scouring the web for the most amazing watches currently available, and each Friday Shopping Time shares five standout timepieces with you.
The 1970s was a magical decade for mechanical sport watches, with some of the all-time legends of the genre finding their footing and making their biggest cultural impact prior to the looming quartz crisis. This is a time when many new and established brands—from Rolex and Vacheron Constantin to Breitling and Blancpain—made their mark with practical, stylish watches that served a true purpose before the advent of more precise digital timing. As a result, we’re left with some serious sports watch lore from this era, from timing laps at Le Mans, to pulling duty on the surface of the moon.
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This was an era defined by bold design decisions that linger today, often in the form of re-issues and throwbacks. These designs were driven by the need to find practical solutions for the needs of the market, all while retaining roots that were set in the preceding era. Well preserved examples serve as the basis of our enthusiasm today, and offer a contrast to the often safe choices made by brands these days.
This week we’re bringing you a selection of these 1970s sports watches that serve as a vital part of the foundation of the genre as we know it today.
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Tudor 7031 Chronograph ‘Homeplate’ | €31,800 ($34,300)
Tudor released their first chronograph in 1970 with the 7000 series of watches. Where the Rolex Daytona was almost austere, the Tudor was brash and bold, with interesting shapes and splashes of color. The reference 7031 (with acrylic bezel) and 7032 (with steel bezel) were the first to be released, and measured 39.5 mm in diameter compared to the 36 mm Daytona. The 7031 and 7032 earned the “homeplate” nickname thanks to the unique shape of the hour markers, but the dial itself was dominated by the contrasting blocks that contained the minute totalizer and running seconds. This is a wholly original design from Tudor, and while it made a comeback in 2010, it didn’t quite capture the charm first seen in the original reference.
This 7031 Chronograph comes to use from Amsterdam Vintage Watches in excellent condition with what looks like only a light polish to the case. This is a full-kit example, representing a rarity for the watch, which has become quite desirable these days for its unique design and exceptional wearability. This is a design that holds up remarkably well today, and while we’d say it deserves a proper modern variation, it’s tough to beat the original.
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Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 3H Bundeswehr | €17,900 ($19,300)
Okay, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms quite famously dates to the mid ‘50s, but it went through a very interesting period in the ‘70s that included the German Bundeswehr frogmen. That’s exactly what resulted in this Fifty Fathoms example, which was issued to the elite spec ops unit divers. This was never commercially available, and made to suit the specific needs of these individuals, which is why we find no index around the bezel itself. The overall design differs dramatically from the original Fifty Fathoms, and is geared entirely to the practical needs of the unit.
As you might expect, these watches rarely reach the market, and the condition can vary wildly given the situations in which they were used. Additionally, they generally have a very interesting provenance associated with them. This example offered by Bulang & Sons was issued in the ‘70s, and the caseback bears the marking 6645-12-4162. This watch has its original bakelite bezel, and used tritium lume, which is noted by the “3H” on the dial (hydrogen-3). We love this one for its honest condition that indicates it was indeed put to good use, making it one of the most interesting Fifty Fathoms to come out of the ‘70s.
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Vacheron Constantin 222 ‘Jumbo’ | $140,850
The ‘70s delivered some of the most iconic high-end sport watches of all time, beginning with the Royal Oak of Audemars Piguet in 1972, and continuing to the Patek Philippe Nautilus and IWC Ingenieur, both in 1976. Each designed by the legendary Gerald Genta. But there was another such integrated bracelet design to come out in 1977 by Vacheron Constantin dubbed the 222. The odd name is a reference to the anniversary of the brand, which turned 222 in 1977. This watch laid the foundation for what we now know as the Overseas collection.
This design differs from other sport watches of the era thanks to its scalloped bezel design and maltese cross embedded in the lug. Each of these features is beautifully preserved in this example coming to us from Analog/Shift, which dates to 1980 (but the design itself is pure ‘70s). The watch comes with its full bracelet and a spare bezel piece, along with a certificate of origin from Vacheron Constantin. We love this design for how it stands apart from other stalwarts of the genre, which makes it all the more special today.
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Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655 | € 20,300 ($21,935)
The Explorer II is a well known entity these days, and what some might call the last bastion of the true tool watch within the Rolex stable. The first Explorer II was released in 1971 with the reference 1655 with something of a niche audience of speleologists and cave explorers. The watch featured a fixed steel bezel indexed to 24 hours, while the 1575 movement borrowed from the GMT-Master provided a 24 hour hand to provide a full day/night indication. Unlike the GMT Master, the Explorer II took more liberties with its design, which included a large orange 24 hour hand, and a rather unusual set of hour and minute markings at the dial’s perimeter. The orange hand was brought back with the six digit reference modern Explorer IIs, but the funky dial design remains unique to the ref. 1655.
This 1655 Explorer II is available from Amsterdam Vintage Watches, and is in excellent condition. So good that we’d question if the case is recut or refinished to appear new. The dial is also in great condition, showing light signs of age in an aesthetically pleasing manner. This MKIV example dates to the late ‘70s, and comes with service papers from Rolex. This is one of the most interesting sport watches Rolex has ever made, and it remains compelling today thanks to its fascinating history (which, by the way, does not include appearances on the wrist of Steve McQueen, despite the watch taking on his name).
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Breitling 817 Italian Army Chronograph | $13,850
Finally, we have another military-issued watch, this time to the Italian Army courtesy of Breitling. When we think of a Breitling chronograph of any era, there’s generally all manner of scales involved, from slide rules to tachymeters, creating a flurry of complexity. This example runs counter to that, with only the essentials represented on the dial. The reference 817 was made for helicopter pilots, and issued in the mid-’70s, with less than 1,000 being produced. The chunky black bezel rotates bidirectionally, and this particular example remains in excellent condition.
This is a peculiar watch that showcases the versatility of Breitling chronographs in this era. It’s not a design we find in their current catalog, and its provenance renders it a fascinating part of the brand’s history and DNA. This watch is offered by Analog/Shift, and represents a vanishingly rare opportunity to own not only a piece of Breitling history, but of Italian military history as well.
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Please note that we are not affiliated with the sellers of the watches we recommend. We may point out aspects of a listing that we feel are positive, but only you can vet a seller. We can recommend viewing our video “How to Collect It: Vintage Watches” to glean some best practices, however.
