Pre-Owned Picks An 18K Gold Universal Geneve Compax, An Engine-Turned Rolex Air-King, And A New York-Exclusive Omega Seamaster

Universal Geneve has been making news over the past month ever since it was announced that Breitling was effectively behind a new revival of the brand. UG is about as historically significant as they come in the vintage watch world from the Polerouter to the Compax and all manner of chronograph options in between. The brand represents arguably the best of mid-century watch design and it even had a young Genta behind some of its most iconic pieces (ahem, Polerouter once again).

Today we are looking at the brand's bread and butter, a chronograph – an 18k gold UG Compax ref. 12550. This watch, with its signature rectangular pushers, variety of typography on the golden dial, and the iconic Compax wordmark, is like a time capsule of pre-Quartz Crisis design and you're able own a piece of that history for an unfathomably affordable $5,000. This particular piece has a personal engraving on the caseback which just adds to the mystique.

The Rolex Air-King developed in the 1940s as a (loosely) aviation-inspired subsection of the Rolex collection would quickly turn into the quintessential everyday Rolex, full stop. The 34mm case sizing (that wears closer to 35mm), and the no-nonsense dials with attractive Air-King branding have made this particular line the most under-the-radar that the Crown offers. It has since been completely supplanted by the Oyster Perpetual range but it's important to remember the place that the Air-King occupied in the watch world.

And today's example from the 1990s with its simple silver dial, and utilitarian engine-turned bezel represents the tool watch aesthetic of the Air-King in its fullest form. Taking things another step further is the fact that this is a Rolex Precision, meaning that it doesn't have a chronometer-grade movement inside. It's choices like these that speak to Rolex's decision to reserve some models as pure workhorses –watches meant to be worn. There is a certain charm to this particular Air-King that you just don't see anymore.

The AP Royal Oak is about as recognizable a watch design as there is in this business. But recognizability generally speaks to a certain case and bracelet design that can be spotted from across a room. A steel RO is that watch for sure. But what about taking things to the next level? What if someone did spot your watch and made their way over to you expecting to see a standard Royal Oak only to be blown away by a next-level dial layout? That's the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar. It's the pinnacle of steel RO design, packed with complications but maintaining the classic thin look befitting of the icon.

Over the years, AP has seen fit to take the QP model range and craft it in all manner of case materials from precious metal to ceramic to titanium. In fact, we probably come across more ceramic QPs than any other these days. But at the end of the day, steel is the classic and the example we have today with the legendary blue dial encapsulates the 50-plus year history of the brand while simultaneously representing the top of the mountain.

In the late 1940s, the Omega Seamaster was born, but it wasn't the dive watch you have in your mind when we mention Seamaster today. No, the watch was born as an everyday field-meets-dress watch for the working person, for the office. In today's collection, the Aqua Terra more mirrors the true heritage of the Seamaster than any diver. And over the years, the brand has reached into the archives to honor to the lineage of one of its most well-known timepieces.

This Seamaster Specialities New York Boutique Limited Edition exemplifies the 40's-era feel of the Seamaster in modern form and it was made as an exclusive watch for – you guessed it – New York. But today you're able to nab one and experience this modern watch speaking to the past. From the gradient dial to the markers to the crown, the NY LE is like a remastered B&W film and you don't have to travel to the New York boutique to get it.

An FP Journe sport watch is certainly not the first form of horology from the brand that springs to mind, but what FPJ is producing in this vein is about as cool as you're going to find in any corner of the watch world. The Octa Sport is a format that only Journe can produce with rubber inserts throughout that cushion a design language that is consistent withsome of the more haute horology variety from the brand.

Adding to this is a supreme lightness that comes with the titanium construction. On the wrist this watch is pure comfort and the balancing act of ornate numerals and red sporty accents produces a versatility and originality unrivaled in this price segment. Journe is known for its rarity, and for its quality. It's not often known for its sporty designs which is why this is where you should be looking.