Dear all, I’d like to draw attention to a beautiful and interesting little gem of a watch, now available again on Ebay. I’m unrelated to the seller but hope a suitable buyer emerges because it’s just too lovely to end up melted. I also believe it is offered at a very fair price. I initially purchased it on auction for 350 euros from this very seller, but decided I had to return it for the reasons below, unrelated to the quality or beauty of the watch. In hand I found it to look even better and with sharper case in real life than on the Ebay listing. https://www.ebay.fr/itm/Montre-Homme-mecanique-LONGINES-1938-en-Or-massif-18-ct-Cal-23-0-Fonctionne/283548545927?_trkparms=aid=111001&algo=REC.SEED&ao=1&asc=20180105095858&meid=521d66ec383a47d59a646f2c2ec86152&pid=100904&rk=3&rkt=20&sd=362681991813&itm=283548545927&pg=2509164&_trksid=p2509164.c100904.m5276Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network I initially purchased it to include in a small array of micro ladies watches. However its size — 26mm — turned out to be larger than the watches I intended to pair it with. And as you know, we can’t have it all. I find it very cool and interesting for several reasons: - its lovely and very sharp, unpolished stepped bezel, unusual AFAIk on a gold Longines of this era and reminiscent of course of the tre tacche bezel; - 18k swiss Longines marked case with matching serial numbers; -caliber 23O, a variant I had never seen before of the well known 23M movement — labelled «O» because it was intended to go in a gold watch, « O » stands for «or» which is gold in French; - the lugs are also quite sharp although top sides a little softer; - sold with a gold buckle marked « SL » which I reckon means « Societe Longines »; - one of our pals (he knows who he is) found a super cool catalogue picture with that exact reference showing this dial, also found on small tre tacches, is original to the reference. I really hope this gem ends up in the right hands. It will obviously need a crystal change and I have found or seen no functional problem for the short time it was in my possession. Below sellers pics for the record— the very cool catalogue picture- plus more which I took myself.
Thanks to @Syrte, I made a close offer last week but decided not to push further as sellers pictures were not very clear. Now, your post with clear pictures of dial gave me the assurance I needed to grab it. The Longines advertisement is a real bonus. Coincidently, I purchased recently a 30mm 10.68z Tre Tacche with a similar-looking but not so well preserved dial. I will post pictures of the pair when I get it.
Thanks to @DirtyDozen12 for spotting this one. Interesting as this is the second French example. I might almost regret not holding on to «mine », except I now know it’s in the hands of a dedicated enthusiast. Also the funds were reallocated to another purchase a few weeks later - which was exactly what I was looking for. (Weird because somehow I cannot add the picture).
Love the French examples . I am always looking for them as many other collectors I m sure Congrats . Beautiful
Below picture of the one I got instead, which is much smaller. Some are my pics and some the seller’s. (I had many more but my phone recently broke down before I was able to back up).
Thank you! It was exactly what I had been hoping to find and incredible it just fell from the sky only a couple weeks or so after the OP episode.
Here the current picture of the one posted by @Syrte and a special thanks to you! You snagged a great looking watch on the above post. @tropicalpatina I will let you know if I decide to part with this one. Thanks
Thank you and thanks for sharing those nice pics They are more crisp than the ones I took with my crappy phone.
Sweet piece Syrte, I'd love a sector dial 1930-40s Longines but the prices seem outrageous whenever I find anything in a decent mans size. Cool taste in watches none the less, enjoy!