« The Golden Age of Dive Watches »
Arguably no other decade shaped the modern watch world more lastingly than the '60s: groundbreaking chronographs like the Rolex Daytona, extroverted classics like the Hamilton Ventura and countless famous divers defined the era of the Beatles and the Moon landings. We present the most successful re-editions and successors that have followed in the footsteps of the original models and bring the flair of the '60s back to life.
Divers Sixty-Five: A New 1960s Watch from Oris
With the Oris Divers Sixty-Five, the storied brand from Hölstein has one of its most successful retro watches in its lineup. Closely modeled on the 1965 original, it combines the domed front and understated aesthetics of the time with the technical advances of the 21st century: sapphire instead of acrylic crystal, a unidirectional rather than bidirectional rotating bezel and 100 meters of water resistance make the Oris Divers Sixty-Five a contemporary homage.
Today's collection is powered by the caliber 733 (Sellita SW200) and is available in a wide range of classic and creative designs – how about a deep green dial with gold-tone indices, for example? Greater functionality comes from the separate 43 mm Sixty-Five Chronograph line, which adds a useful stopwatch function to the '60s originals and draws its power from the proven Oris 771 (Sellita SW500-1).
Focus on Elegance: The 1960s Omega Seamaster
When it comes to famous watches of the '60s, the Omega Seamaster De Ville plays in the top league. First used in 1960, the name suffix "De Ville" stands for a more elegant and pared-back orientation compared with the Seamaster 300 launched in 1957. Unlike the latter, the understated timepiece never aspired to be a hardcore dive watch; instead, from 1967 onward it embodied Omega's technical innovation. It was in the De Ville that the Swiss luxury brand unveiled the world's first central tourbillon in 1994 and the first Co-Axial caliber in 2007.
Today, the line is no longer called the Omega Seamaster De Ville; instead, as a standalone collection, it represents the refined side of the Biel-based manufacturer. Packed with masculine dress watches and elegant ladies' watches, the De Ville collection is one of the most underrated lines in the industry and a true insider tip for anyone looking to get their first Omega at a moderate price.
Authentic Heritage Watches from Longines
Few brands release new series inspired by the '60s and other decades as authentically as Longines. We could list numerous Longines Heritage watches, such as the Avigation Watch Type A-7 1935 or the Flagship Heritage, but when it comes to the Sixties, our favorite is the Longines Heritage Diver 1967, introduced in 2015.
Its red rotating bezel and the differently sized subdials on the black opaline dial make the 42 mm dive watch a rare sight, staying very close to its historical 1967 predecessor. 300 meters of water resistance and the ETA movement L.688.2, produced exclusively for Longines, with a column-wheel chronograph and a 54-hour power reserve bring the reproductions up to today's technical standards.
Daytona: The Legendary Rolex of the 1960s
As accomplished as the Longines Heritage Diver 1967 may be, it comes nowhere near the prominent status of a Rolex Daytona. Named after the prestigious high-speed race in Daytona, Florida, it was born in 1962 as the Cosmograph reference 6239 and received the Daytona moniker that same year. Back then, it was presented to every race winner as an additional trophy; today, it is a true trophy for watch collectors:
Long waiting lists and selling prices far above retail demonstrate the extreme popularity of what is arguably the most famous chronograph in the world. If you are lucky enough to be able to buy the 40 mm Rolex of the '60s today, you can choose between the precious metals gold and platinum and the popular stainless steel reference 116500LN. Officially, it is listed in the catalog at just under €12,000, but in reality it trades for at least twice that.
Pure Progress: New 1960s-Inspired Series from Zenith
Among connoisseurs, Zenith ranks on the same level as Rolex or even higher – and rightly so. The luxury brand presented the greatest milestone in its more than 150-year history in 1969 with the El Primero, the world's first automatic chronograph movement. It was not only fitted in the well-known reference A386 with blue, light gray and dark gray subdials, but was also intended for a concept model whose drawings were discovered on Zenith's premises decades later.
In 2020, it came to life for the first time with the Zenith Chronomaster Revival Manufacture Edition. Housed in a 38 mm case in line with the original plans, these vintage-style watches stand out from the other masterpieces from Le Locle with subdials in three shades of blue and draw their energy from the El Primero 400. Hardly any other chronograph brings a rich history, complex mechanics and expressive aesthetics to a slim wrist as successfully as the Zenith Chronomaster Revival.
Triangular, Wild and Original: Retro Watches from Hamilton
No collection proves better than the Hamilton Ventura that famous watches of the '60s can also be polarizing. Although the world's first battery-powered electric wristwatch was released as early as 1957, its breakthrough only came in 1961, when it gained wide public recognition on Elvis Presley's wrist in the musical film "Blue Hawaii."
Few '60s originals can match the instant recognizability of a Ventura, and that has hardly changed to this day: Hamilton's portfolio includes numerous re-editions of the groundbreaking classic, from quartz to automatic and from men's to ladies' models. If we had to sum up the revolutionary spirit of the Sixties in a single timepiece, it would undoubtedly be the triangular Hamilton.
Pure Elegance with the Glashütte Original Sixties
As the 1960s Omega Seamaster has shown, however, not every model from this pioneering decade has to stand out from the crowd like a peacock. It is a philosophy the Glashütte Original Sixties line puts into practice with great success: defined by domed dials, extravagant typography and pure timelessness in a 39 mm case, these vintage-style watches put the elegant side of the '60s center stage.
They are not reproductions, though; rather than honoring a specific predecessor, these charming editions revive the general style of the dress watches of the era. While the time-only models rely on the in-house automatic movement 39-52, the 42 mm Sixties Chronographs are powered by the 39-34. If you are looking for a new 1960s-style watch with the highest quality standards in a refined guise, the Sixties is the right choice.
