Forums Latest Members
  1. danomar Dec 26, 2012

    Posts
    347
    Likes
    1,307
    Hello-

    Ever since I saw Lou's A277, my desire for one has increased. Is there any reason why I should want one now more than before? None. Maybe because he beat me to that example, but probably one-upmanship that I refuse to acknowledge. Do I even need a new watch? Of course not. These things just work that way. I think there is a word for it... Obsession, perhaps?

    Bereft of other fine examples of the A277, I have started considering its close relation, the Movado Sub-Sea. The only thing I don't like about the Movado version is its tachymetre part of the dial. The Zenith's numbered edge is one of the things I most like about the watch. The rest of the Movado is nearly identical to the A277.

    I know of a very nice Movado for sale, but the seller claims it contains a Zenith Cal. 156. Odd, that. As far as I know, the Zenith and Movado cases are identical, and looking at photos of movements shows no rearward difference in thickness. I know the 156 is thicker than the 146, but then why would it be found in the Movado and not the Zenith? Would that extra ligne not make it difficult to fit in the same case?

    The provided photograph is just blurry enough in the wrong places to obscure the bridge engraving. See here:

    [​IMG]

    Maybe one of you can figure out the glyphs. It seems to me that the balance uses the later-style KIF shock protection, but again, I cannot be certain. The non-Incabloc shock protection would jive better with the idea of using a 156, but then again, later versions of the 146 used KIF.

    Another thing unusual about this watch is the center chrono seconds hand: It is plain like the some (earlier?) versions of the A277.

    [​IMG]

    In one sense, it seems right. In another sense, well, I dunno. The seller is well respected, but that doesn't mean he unknowingly got a bitsa.

    May I ask the experts to weigh in here?

    Thanks!
    -Daniel
     
  2. LouS Mrs Nataf's Other Son Staff Member Dec 26, 2012

    Posts
    6,713
    Likes
    18,259
    Dan,

    He's mistaken, its a 146HP, and correctly marked from what I can see. And anyway, the 146 and the 156 are nearly identical. I believe they are just scaled versions of one another, adhering to the practice of their originating company Universal Geneve (Martel) of making the same engine in different sizes.

    When I looked at your pics, I was initially concerned that the second hand was not correct, as all of these that I have seen have a lume paddle, but then I came across this catalog pic in my library (source unknown):
    [​IMG]

    So I think you've got a very nice example, the dial perhaps just a hair on the dirty side if I had to pick a nit, but well this side of acceptable (for me) as these so rarely come up in any kind of acceptable shape.
     
  3. ulackfocus Dec 26, 2012

    Posts
    25,983
    Likes
    26,968
    You forgot the H at the beginning Dan. Hobsession as in a combination of 'hobby' and 'obsession'.

    Okay, carry on. Nice watch BTW.