Bought A Zenith Crown Today

My Zenith Captain de Luxe got a new "modern" (seventies) logo crown at service. The original one was really bad so I had no choice. I have looked for an older logo replacement since then. Today I found one and bought it. It was at a local watch swap meet. Attached to the crown was a Zenith Respirator sans the "Respirator". The crown is in really good shape. 😉

The rest - which I got with it is OK also. I am not that keen on plated watches but since I got the crown I wanted I really do not mind. The dial does have some damage - a chip that can be seen at 9 and in a certain light and angle a corresponding dent at the same place, but nothing too bad. The case and crystal is very, very nice, the date wheel seems to be out if line and I have no idea about the movement and lastly - the strap is a joke.

Dial colour on this model is fantastic! It is a rich, dark and transparent cherry/mahogany candy over a gold base. This dial - undamaged in an 18k case would be a hit. Something to covet. This one - even if the dial is not totally OK and in a plated case is still a nice find - considering that I bought it just over what I would have been prepared to pay for the crown.

Regards
JE








LouS: s catalog pic.

Nice watch - no Captain de Luxe, but sort of a shame to de-crown it, and I wouldn't be surprised if the original Captain crown was shaped a bit differently. Maybe you'll come across another of those crowns one day.

BTW, I've got a gold-plated diver similar to that P 3632 - currently in the shop - that needs one of those NSA brick-road bracelets.

This one has no seal damage but suffers from the other problem that you mention - it has been bent a little between 8 and 9, which has made the enamel/paint flake a little.

Maybe - but it is the exact twin to the one that were mounted earlier - except for the condition. But I can not swear that it was the original crown. It could have been - though. I might just swap them - as the one I got at service is a Zenith also I do not feel that bad for this "Respirator" - getting that one instead.
Regards
JE

Full disclosure: I was recently planning to do the same thing to a rare and pristine Movado. Ultimately I didn't have the heart (or the budget).

😜 Got a box of stuff that way myself.