Beautiful 1940's solid 18k yellow gold Baume et Mercier Chronograph - Fully Serviced I've included many large pictures to show the condition of this beauty. Original Baume & Mercier two-register chronograph Overall in Very Good Condition (recent full service) and running well / chronograph functions are perfect / winds smoothly. Original Swiss Made Movement, Bi-Compax Landeron 48, custom finished by Baume et Mercier, dating from approximately late 1940's. Original Signed Dial with hand-applied yellow gold index markers (marked "SWISS MADE"), Case, and Movement 3-body elongated lugs solid 18k yellow gold case with case reference 3922 marked on case back 37mm diameter without crown 20mm lug width bezel and case back snaps very tight, look closely at pictures to see how tight the case back fits to the case middle. This is a beautiful 18k chronograph from the late 1940's and it had a full service about two months ago and is running perfectly! $1,275 shipped and PayPal no fees
Very nice! What are people's views on Baume and Mercier? Both as a vintage brand and their modern watches?
The modern brand is respected in Indonesia because it is carried by the same AD who carry Breguet, A Lange Shone, IWC, Breitling, Corum, Chopard.......but also carry Hamilton . The positioning is above Longines but below Omega. Mostly known for dress watches. Vintage is less sought after in here.
I agree with you, the gold hands and markers are nice touch,too. I heard Landeron 48 is durable too. Not highly prized, but durable.
The Landeron 48 was the valjoux 7750 of its day - after all Landeron introduced cam lever control of the chronograph making it a more affordable complication. If you are looking for a vintage swiss cased 18k chronograph in a nice size, this is one to strongly consider purchasing.
A good analogy. I'd add the Venus 175 and 188 to the mix of common chronograph calibers used back then. The upper end started with the Valjoux 72.
The fact that Baume & Mercier put their name in the bridge means they probably took the standard ebauche to higher standard. (Probably similar to what many modern good brand do with Valjoux 7750). Most others who use Landeron didn't even put any sign in the movement.
Uh...... http://forums.watchuseek.com/f2/smoke-mirrors-part-2-eta-modifications-upgrades-459866.html Since doing that, I have been told by Steve / N2FHL that Breitling does do a few things but not as much as you'd think. He went to a Breitling training course in North Jersey or NY and said he was a little more impressed with the brand.
Ah I forgot that interesting article of yours.......... OK so just purely speculation probably Baume & Mercier asked Landeron to spec up their movement order a little bit ......
No surprise. It's a nice watch at a good price. Passing on one of these in stainless for $400-ish a few years back was one of my silliest mistakes.
Congrats. If I am not engaged in several transactions in past few weeks, I'll probably try to get this,too.
Hi to all, With all due respect, the movement is not a Landeron 48, but more likely a 148 or 248. Wich does not change anything that has been said, but...
I thought that, at first because of the updated fly-back lever, but there are several pictures of 48s around the web with the updated lever on 48s where you can clearly see the "48". I'm, guessing that it is a 48 with a replaced lever. IIRC, by the time they had bought out that lever, they had also updated the minute recorder jumper and Hockey's watch definitely has the earlier version of that. The fly-back lever is interchangeable but the jumper isn't because it also had a revised mounting.