A Summer Fancy

Summer is the doldrums for vintage watch prospecting...but one watches the usual spots nonetheless. And once in a while, something kinda interesting turns up. So you put out a modest snipe here and there, not really expecting anything to come of it. And once in a while, you find yourself top bidder. And so it happened recently.

The subject is a Movado two dial chronograph in gold, from back before the Museum Watch became ubiquitous, before it occurred to anyone to sell Movados in malls, from back when Movado took itself seriously.



The watch has got issues, to be sure. It has not been handled gently, the crown is obviously not original, the dial is far less than perfect. But it has some of the trademark features of the classic Movado chronograph -- the kris hand in the chronograph subdial, the 60-minute subdial.



The real hook for me - what made me go for this despite its flaws - was the case. The stepped design has this beautiful logic to it. The bezel which makes the upper step and medial part of the lugs have polished finish, and the body which makes the lower step is brushed which brings the whole thing into balance and unity. And the design is an excellent path to making a large watch (37mm) around a smaller chronograph movement without making it seem disproportioned. It gives the whole watch a lenticular shape, which also camouflages its thickness.



From inside, the Movado hand gives us an horological blessing



The Movado chronograph movements are always disorienting at first glance. Where is the balance? What an odd-looking bridge! The calibers 90M & 95M are modular chronographs, with the engine on the dial side. Another Movado oddity - they work in reverse. The 4 o'Clock pusher stops and starts, and the 2 o'clock resets.



It's really getting too dark to shoot by natural light - I'll do more another day.



Hope you enjoyed...

From the 1949 Consumers Reports article on watches -

"The Movado chronometer[sic], priced from $120 up is especially recommended; its stopwatch mechanism is wholly separate from its timekeeping mechanism, and can be maintained and repaired separately."

http://www.bortolot.com/watches/Page_4.html

An excellent example of the Movado "chronometer" ,
gatorcpa

Movado pushed the modular construction as an advantage. Here they are taking an odd angle in advertising somewhat later in their history

Well, you are an Omega guy, so Omega seems an obvious place to dip your toe. I've heard they make chronographs...😉

Tissot & Lemania are good alternatives that do not come at as high a markup.



Thank you. I knew the hand was named after the Indonesian knife, but I thought the Indonesian word was 'kris.' I guess that's an anglicization, then?




Howzzis?



Or do you want a real macro? That'll have to wait a few days.

You do them waaay to much honor, and I'm not even a fan of Warhol's. I vote for "Happy Meal" hands, "Lego" hands, or "Alain Silberstein is Laughing at Your (Considerable) Expense" hands.