3 Vintage Driving Watches You Can Buy Right Now

One brand that I feel doesn’t get enough credit for some of their early models, is Mido. Although they did produce a number of admittedly underwhelming watches, there are a few stand-out pieces in their back catalogue, like the technicolor, exotic-dial variant of the Powerwind Diver, and more relevantly, the Multi-Center Chronograph. It’s a unique and slightly undervalued piece in the realm of vintage chronographs, as it features central elapsed minute counting, and a number of compelling details.

Mido Multi-Center Chronograph

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Such details include a case manufactured by Francois Borgel, three different scales surrounding the dial, and the same pusher design that is found on the Patek Philippe Ref. 1463. This example found on eBay also happens to have a Portuguese importation stamp on the upper left lug of the unpolished case, which in my opinion makes this piece all the more desirable. A truly interesting watch.

Porsche Design Chronograph by Orfina

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The blacked-out watch will always be somewhat of a polarizing look, but even the most staunch horological traditionalists will often agree that in some cases, a case for the all-black case can be made. This, my friends, is one of those cases.

What you’re looking at is a vintage Ref. 7177 Porsche Design chronograph produced by Orfina, offered in decent condition by a dealer in Florida. I especially like how the luminous compound on the hands and dial have both aged to a dark custard color.

Rolex Daytona Ref. 6241 Paul Newman

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In many ways, Rolex’s Paul Newman Daytona is the it watch, so to speak. It’s the magnum opus, it’s the pièce de résistance, it’s a force to be reckoned in the world of vintage chronograph collecting, and it really is easy to see why. The iconic dial design is clean, concise, and has just enough flair to distinctly separate itself from the rest. I mean, just look at it! Perfection.

This is a genuinely stunning example of a Ref. 6241 Newman that has just come onto the market, with a perfect original dial that has all of its lume plots fully intact. I’ve seen a healthy number of Newman’s, and they really don’t get much cleaner than this.