Timepieces MARCH 2018 : iSSUE 82
Desirable Dials TARiq MALik
P
assion and energy. Contrast and vibrancy. Red on black is a strong visual combination – and when it comes to vintage watches, it’s an exclusive one too. Besides being an aesthetically pleasing pairing that looks incredible on the wrist, it is proving to also be a highly collectible pairing. Lately, there has been a significant upsurge at Geneva Auctions of the finest and rarest watches being snapped up at the highest possible premiums, because of one small detail – red on a black dial, making them seemingly irresistible to bidders. Red Racer Tag Heuer were pioneers of PVD racing watches in the mid-to-late 1970s, and began to offer different versions of the Monza, Lemania, Pasedena and Monaco series from there. The passion of auto racing, the high-octane energy, the fast cars screaming around the track – and the split-second timing all find expression in Tag Heuer watches. Without doubt the rarest of these PVD models is the Monaco, and more specifically, the ‘Gulf’ series, which feature a dial with the classic racing stripe. The Monaco dial, in all its forms, is often slightly metallic, and partially textured. A special edition of 55 Monaco watches were made for the Porsche Club of America, and the gorgeous red on black found a perfect home. Vivacious Vignette Why do lovers prefer red roses? Why do so many men prefer ruby red lipstick
on women? Red speaks the language of the heart, and one of the most refined and tasteful expressions of that can be found in an unexpected place – the Rolex Day Date. With so many dial variations over the years, it takes some searching, but these Vignette Dials are some of the most lustrous that Rolex has made – the colour deepens as the watch catches the light. The original Rolex factory diamond dials, though, should not be confused with the many after-set or after-market diamond dials that are sometimes seen. Single or Double The Rolex Submariner has always been hugely popular among serious (and even not so serious) watch collectors. The earliest versions of the Submariner ref. 1680 had the “SUBMARiNER” label
printed in red writing, and that’s where the nickname ‘Red Sub’ came from. Rolex eventually phased out the red writing on the ref. 1680 and replaced it with white writing in 1973. As a result the models with the red “SUBMARiNER” are now highly prized by vintage Rolex collectors. When two lines of red text appear on the dial, it’s known as a “double red”. The Rolex Double Red Sea-Dweller was produced for a decade from 1967 until 1977 and during that time, several dials were created and are known by collectors as Mark i, Mark ii, Mark iii and Mark iV with their rarity ranking in descending order. That one small detail makes all the difference. Dubai’s DIFC is home to Momentum, Tariq’s co-founded vintage watch boutique. momentum-dubai.com 33