Hi,

I have inherited a President Jackson II (according to Vintage Watch Resources). I'm having it restored in Switzerland and am just wondering if anyone has any information about this watch? I can find very little information about it online. I see there is a catalogue referenced on VWR - the Longines Advertising and Merchandising catalog Spring/Summer 1952 - Blue/Green binder. Would anyone have a copy of this? Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

greetings and welcome to the forum.
As you already found out, it’s a US market Longines watch from the 1950s.
Longine’s agent in the US Wittnauer imported the movements and gave them cases.
Those model names were also invented by Wittnauer to market those watches. So there is little about them in the Longines archive in Switzerland, but they can tell you what date it was sold to Wittnauer and what the caliber is.
Those catalogues are probably hard to find nowadays and It looks like you’ve already found out the most info there is through Vintage Watch Ressources.
Did you send it to Longines for restoration? If so, for the price you could probably ask them to figure out if they have that catalog in their museum and would make a copy for you.

 

Thanks for the reply! It’s been sent to Longines for restoration indeed!

 

I have a wristwatch that I would be interested in having Longines in Switzerland restore- here is a picture of it.

Do you think that they would produce a new dial for it?

 

Ha, you’re the buyer of the gold one?
If you ever tire of it by all means let me know as I could be interested.
You should absolutely not have it restored by anyone!!!
Its value as a collectible comes from the fact it is entirely original. The dial design is beautiful despite the patina.
Also Longines would probably charge much more than the watch is worth.

Here are pictures I saved of your watch before it came into your hands.

 

I echo this sentiment!

 

That is the one.

Interesting.

I was thinking that I would have someone make me a replacement dial. i can save the one that I currently have and keep it aside for the next person. However, I expect that it would cost a lot to have someone make a dial to replicate this from scratch. I also expect that the chances that there is an unused dial somewhere is almost zero.

What does Longines do in Switzerland for a restoration?

 

Also, what do you think of this one - I was thinking of redialing this one too.

However, the more I see it, the more I love the even patina.

It reminds of what I imagine a classic reverso to be like

 

Sorry- I think I hijacked the thread.

 

The second one also has a lovely dial design.
Longines would send the dial to a dial making company where they would remove all of the antique varnishes and inscriptions from the dial plate and they would repaint it anew.
It would probably be well done but the dial would loose its character and specific reflections.
That is something people only do when the dial is damaged beyond redemption — that’s far from the case on yours.

Please don’t do it, you would destroy those nice watches.

 

Okay, I shall leave them alone.

 

Good call.