Shopping Cart: March 2026

Every month I trawl eBay, Chrono24, forums, and wherever else watches surface. Here’s what caught my eye in March.

1. Raketa Perpetual Calendar — $85

The Raketa perpetual calendar is one of Soviet watchmaking’s more ambitious creations. This one has a clean white dial with all four subdials intact and legible. The seller says it runs but loses about 30 seconds a day. At this price, that’s a project worth taking on.

2. Citizen Homer Date — $120

A minty example of Citizen’s underappreciated 1960s dress watch line. The Homer Date predates the brand’s quartz pivot and represents a period when Citizen was genuinely competing with Seiko on movement finishing. This one has an unusually clean dial.

3. HMT Janata — $25

Yes, you can still find original HMT Janatas for under $30 if you know where to look. This one appears to be an honest original, not one of the many franken-watches that plague the HMT market. The hand-wound movement is simple and serviceable.

4. Vostok Amphibia Ministry Case — $65

The ministry case is the most elegant of the Amphibia variants. This example has the classic sunburst blue dial with a date window at three. The 2416b movement inside is essentially bulletproof.

5. Orient Bambino v1 — $95

Not obscure, but at this price for a used example in good condition, the Bambino remains one of the best values in watches. The domed crystal and cream dial give it a vintage feel that punches well above its price point.