CHRONICLE - Re-issues are popular
The last few years several high-end brands, with an impressive history, have released new versions of historic watches from the sixties and seventies.
29 May 2009
Frank Geelen - www.monochrome.nl
A re-issue is an old watch in new cloth you could say. In fact it's a tribute to a remarkable vintage watch, that's very significant for a brand or sometimes even watch history in general. Some brands have been releasing re-issues for some time while others just recently came with a re-issue.
The first re-issue that really got my attention was the TAG Heuer Monaco. In 1998 TAG Heuer released the first re-issue of the Monaco, limited to 5,000 pieces. In 2003 TAG Heuer decided to give the Monaco a place in their collection. Besides the Monaco, TAG Heuer also released re-issues of the Autavia, Carrera and Monza. All of them remarkable watches from the Heuer era.
Although the Monaco was initially released with one movement, caliber 17, the Monza came in two versions. One 'regular' model with the same caliber 17 as used in the Monaco. The other version had the calibre 36, based on a Zenith El Primero. The Monza Calibre 36 had a guilloche dial and a see through caseback, so the beautiful movement could be admired.
Although I didn't intent to write only about TAG Heuer, I must admit that this brand is responsible for my interest in re-issues. My first ‘expensive’ watches where a vintage Heuer Autavia and a TAG Heuer Monaco.
Omega is also a brand with an impressive history, yet it would be wrong to call the Omega Speedmaster a re-issue since it hasn't changed that much since it made it's first appearance. This year at Baselworld Omega released a re-issue of the legendary dive watch PloProf.
Omega PloProf © Omega
IWC also jumped on the re-issue boat and they released an impressive amount of six re-issues at once! The IWC re-issues of the Pilot's Watch, Portuguese, Ingenieur, Da Vinci, Portofino and Aquatimer are available in platinum as limited edition of 500 with a white dial and 500 with a black dial. The IWC vintage Aquatimer is beautiful example of a so-called super compressor style dive watch.
Last year Jaeger LeCoultre presented a re-issue of the Memovox Polaris, another beautiful super compressor. The Memovox Polaris has, like all Jaeger LeCoultre Memovox models, an alarm function.
Jaeger LeCoultre Memovox Polaris ©Jaeger LeCoultre
Although there are many more re-issues from many more brands, there’s one thing that really got my attention. The revival of the so called super compressor models. The first re-issues of these super compressor style dive watches, was the Longines Legend Diver, released at Baselworld 2007.
From the first moment photos of the Longines Legend Diver where shown online, the watch community was totally exited and so was I.
On monochrome.nl you can read more about super compressor dive watches and the new Longines Legend Diver with date and the rose gold version.
http://www.monochrome.nl
Longines Legend Diver © Longines