Fratello: Super Collector Mike Stockton Highlights Vintage Watches on Wind Vintage
Super collector and journalist Michael Stockton recently wrote for Fratello ‘The Fratello Watch List: Mike’s Pre-Owned And Vintage Favorites From Cartier, Vacheron, And Rolex’. Within the article, Stockton highlights a vintage Cartier Tank Normale and Rolex Oyster Perpetual 1002 in 14K gold from Wind Vintage.
The Tank Normale is a weird little beast at just 23mm wide by 30mm long, and, yes, I thought it was too small when I tried one on at Wind Vintage. That was foolish because I am now used to wearing small watches. It’s a relatively rare watch that comes and goes in terms of production, with most desirable models coming from the ’70s out of Cartier Paris. Movement-wise, a bog-standard ETA 2512 manual-wind caliber sits inside, reminding us to focus on the outside of the watch. The Tank Normale is expensive, with decent examples fetching north of €20,000. Eric and Charlie of Wind Vintage seem to locate one or two nice ones annually. At some point, one will have my name on it.
A few weeks ago, a gang of us, including my colleague Dave Sergeant, hit up some vintage shops in London. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 1002 in 14K gold is not what one normally thinks of when considering vintage Rolex. However, this is a fantastic watch, and it has crept onto my favorites list. It also reminds us how versatile the Oyster case can be because it works on everything from an outright sports model to a dressier piece like the 1002.