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A requiem for a 1930s chronograph: Or why it’s important to take notes and keep records (updated!)

DirtyDozen12
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This thread is a treat. 👍

P.S. What will the next iteration be? Some kind of proto-Paul Newman dial that was commissioned by the Bao Dai?
Edited:
 
Tom Dick
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Twenty grand this time........... that's one pricey pricey dial, although in fairness it does now also have a lovely JP pigskins strap, which is bound to improve its value
 
Sharp
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DirtyDozen12 DirtyDozen12
This thread is a treat. 👍

P.S. What will the next iteration be? Some kind of proto-Paul Newman dial that was commissioned by the Bao Dai?

I think at this point it needs to travel to Italy where it will become 'tropical', it may even spend some time with a laser before returning to Geneva to become 'fine, rare and historically important'. Next it will sell for 50k CHF hammer to an investor, thus completing the vintage watch circle of life from unknowing seller on eBay to unknowing buyer at auction 😉
 
MoclovFlop
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Can't wait for it to get a "prototype" dial in one of the next versions!

Good Sleuthing. Poor watch doesn't know who it is anymore.

And what's happening to all the discarded dials?
 
Tom Dick
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Black dials are trendy at the moment so the the other dials I’m sure will be stored away until they are trendy and then we will see them resurfacing
 
Willbur
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Some movement's screw have changed of position so something have been done on the movement.
So mark of service can be true at all.
 
Syrte
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At least the latest dial transplant is much more correct relative to the period of the case- so an improvement over the sad previous step.
The upshot of it being... let’s be thankful for the pre-2017 watches held in good hands.
Edited:
 
septentrio
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Unbelievable if you ask me. 20k for a frankenwatch. Sad that someone that charges a signifcant premium for investigating and selecting the best vintage pieces out there (STO) is apparently taking the bait. Did he research the watch? Does he know the provenance? Where did he get the watch??
 
watchyouwant
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septentrio septentrio
Unbelievable if you ask me. 20k for a frankenwatch. Sad that someone that charges a signifcant premium for investigating and selecting the best vintage pieces out there (STO) is apparently taking the bait. Did he research the watch? Does he know the provenance? Where did he get the watch??

Why would you call that a Franken watch? You and we all would not have a clue, how it started life in the first place..... It is a lot older than the first mention here.....maybe the black dial was the original? Who knows.... Kind regards. Achim
 
septentrio
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watchyouwant watchyouwant
Why would you call that a Franken watch? You and we all would not have a clue, how it started life in the first place..... It is a lot older than the first mention here.....maybe the black dial was the original? Who knows.... Kind regards. Achim

Exactly, you don't know, I don't know, so it is pretty safe to assume that STO does not know. These early examples are not well documented. What I dó know, is that the first iteration seems the most logical combination of styles.
 
septentrio
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The dealer that is selling the third iteration with black dial 😉
Berlin based.
 
Ron_W
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Great post @Vitezi !!
and non of my business but should the dealer be warned in case he is selling in good faith ?? As you explained it is all to difficult to judge if matching cases and dials from a period left the factory together unless you are as diligent as yourself. And if not in good faith, informing him may lead to withdrawing the watch so you protect the buyer ?
 
C
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Dan S Dan S
Military?

I guess it's assumed military because of the telemeter scale?

I'm just wondering if the movement looks "kosher".

At this price, it's probably "franken" I'm guessing, and it sounds like from reading this thread that there's really no way to know for sure...
 
C
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I'm too wary of radium dials to touch them though... especially ones where the radium has fallen off of the numbers (and probably more to come which will float around in side of the case...).
 
Dan S
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C cagliaris
I guess it's assumed military because of the telemeter scale?

I'm just wondering if the movement looks "kosher".

At this price, it's probably "franken" I'm guessing, and it sounds like from reading this thread that there's really no way to know for sure...

Really you should start a new thread if you want people to look at it. I don't see any particular reason to think it's a franken. Given the condition issues (notably the missing lume on the dial) it's definitely not a huge bargain IMO. It's definitely radium.
 
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