I was in it to the end but had to back out. Sold for 22k CAD plus auction fees. Anyone here nab it? Looked great with the tropical dial

https://www.millerandmillerauctions.com/mobile/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=6801



I did manage to grab this one off eBay last week. Never had seen one for sale before then two for sale in one week. Funny how things work

 

Holy shit these have jumped! Somebody really wanted that. I realize these don't come up very often, but wow!

 

The case looks great too, but the lume of the hands looks a bit off.
Thanks for sharing

 

Another auction with low expectations surpassed, easily...

Movement not bad tho...

 

@Dero13 , you got the white one?

More pics when it arrives! I'd love to see the case.

 

Jaw dropping indeed.....

 

Iconic watch in my humble opinion...

 

I now somewhat regret passing up on a black dialled Geometer a few years ago @ €2.5K due to a wrong hand set.....Ah, hindsight!

 

Crazy result but I will say that anytime I post mine on IG my DM's light up with people literally begging to buy it. So there is definitely a serious cult collector market out there for these...



As a comp, this "standard" black geometer just hammered for £4750/$5800 USD/$7700 CAD at Sotheby's London in September:
http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/fine-timepieces-l18054/lot.4.html
Tropical still rules I guess.
All the best,
T.

 

I would agree with Tom's sentiment above - the "dibs" list for one of my Geometers is the longest of any watch in my collection and I think the result above was well-founded / is pretty close to realistic market for a great example. The hands aged to a lighter shade (presuming no re-lume) but the dial is phenomenal and the case is perfect.

I believe the Sotheby's example is further proof of what we've seen throughout the vintage world in recent months - premium quality deserves premium prices, and average quality is approached with a hesitant buyer universe. The dial of the Sotheby's example appears washed of lume and the hands weren't attractively aged (plus the sub/chrono hands were painted white, which is incorrect), and it deservedly should not be in the same price range as the attractive examples (like the OP link).

Let's just say, IF the day ever comes that one of these leaves, it won't be for a sum near the Sotheby's result

 

Ok here comes the impertinent question .. why is this an iconic watch? Beautiful yes but what drives the collector willingness to pay $$$$$$$?

 

Spoiler alert, look at the forum name

 

?

 

Umm the forum name is Omegaforums/Other Watch Brands Forum. How is that a spoiler? I think it is a genuine question, the Rodania presumably strongly influenced the look of the original 2915 but is that the sole reason why they are valuable? Is the marque known for anything else noteworthy?

 

Because omega stole the design for their speedmaster?

 

Ah so this is the progenitor of all speedies? So it lives in the halo of 2915 to collectors?

 

Speculation / hearsay...not fact. Have read many folk say that, and my eye's work quite well...but well enough to see the differences too...

edit : the spacing of the subregisters to my mind screams 'speedmaster reduced' more than 'speedmaster'

 

Not really. Made some decent watches. Here are a few links for those seeking a new rabbit hole:

https://omegaforums.net/threads/so-what-do-we-know-about-rodania.47588/

https://orologi.forumfree.it/?t=58923783

https://masterhorologer.com/2018/06...-brand-details-history-and-watch-collections/

 

I know. It's a process we all have been going through. Denial is the first step to acknowledgement...

 

Yeah, the "stealing the design for the Speedy" thing does not really fly in my book. As I understand it, the way the watch industry works with regard to dials is the dial manufacturers (Singer, et al) hawk their wares to the different houses, pitching them different designs. So it is really usually more of a collaborative/contracting process rather than a specific design decree from the houses (though I'm sure that can happen, as well). Chances are Singer or whoever simply sold the same dial concept to Rodania and Omega during a similar time period (there are similar Breitling chrono layouts a little later in the '60s, as well) and there is not really any "industrial espionage" that resulted in the similarities. Obviously happy to be proven wrong but I think the "Rodania Geometer is the father of the Speedy" is a nice folktale but pretty much unverifiable. Where are people getting these Geometer production dates by the way?
The Geometers have enough going for them in terms of design to make them an attractive chronograph option for the vintage collector. As for pricing, I think we can all acknowledge by now that rationality doesn't seem to have anything to do with it anymore. The Geometers are a small batch, high quality watch with good size and an above average Valjoux 72 movement (always adjusted to 2 positions AFAIK) and they're definitely a handsome vintage timepiece in their own right. Just glad I got mine when I did... and of course not as glad I sold a bunch of other stuff when I did. C'est la vie!
Best,
T.

PS As an aside, the reason you can find so many "prototype dial" watches today at auctions is because some resourceful coves have gotten hold of these old dial maker design books and installed a few in completed watches thus creating high priced but never actually sold unicorns.