Wittnauer produced some really cool looking replica Omega 1284.79 watch about 40 years ago (see?), but we don't feature them on Hodinkee that often.No real reason behind that, sometimes things just are because they are.Today we did stumble across a really cool vintage Wittnauer Professional chronograph.It is cool for a few reasons.The first reason we like this Wittnauer are its looks.This professional dial is really something unique.It is a deep chocolate brown but features an orange and white checkerboard outer ring.
We've never seen anything like this on any replica Omega 4610.32.02 watch, although we have seen checkerboard used before.The second reason we really like this Wittnauer is that it features a legendary (we realize we use that word a lot, but not sure how else to say it) movement, the Valjoux 72 chronograph movement.Many of you out there may recognize this Valjoux as a "movement to the stars".What we mean by that is it was used in a host of different watches, many of them real classics.
Watches like the Rolex Pre-Daytona, this 1940s LeCoultre replica Omega 4170.76 watch chronograph, and of course this Heuer, which we called the Pre-Daytona without the Daytona, all featured the very same movement as this Wittnauer.We actually think this Wittnauer is better looking than the whole aforementioned lot, and guess what.it's a full $1000 cheaper than ANY of them.Not bad right? Sure Wittnauer may not have the modern-day cachet of Rolex, LeCoultre, or even Heuer, but we say "If Wittnauer is good enough for Joltin' Joe, it's good enough for us.
