Hi guys - I'm not really familiar with UG and more importantly, the earlier era of chronographs but I'm really attracted to the history I've been reading and the stunning designs. I've been offered this Compur at roughly 4500 USD. The dial looks good to me but I wanted to post it for opinions. I've requested movement pictures. Thoughts?

 

Central chrono hand and small second subdial hand are wrong.
Crown might be a replacement, but tough to say as the original one would also be unsigned and of very very similar shape.
The patina is insane, kind of like it actually.
My main doubt though is this serial on a Compur.
With a 861XXX serial we are already in 1942-ish. i would have thought by then the Compur didnt exist anymore as they would have been substituted by the Uni-Compax, to standardize all of Universal's nomenclature so "Somthing"-Compax.
By then they had the Compax (three registers), the Uni-Compax (2 registers), the Aero-Compax, the Dato-Compax and pretty soon (following year) the Tri-Compax.
Compurs are 1930s....
I don't remember the highest Compur serial number on Sala's bool, but worth checking. Also the lowest serial Uni-Compax. These would not be data cast in stone but a pretty good reference to gauge if this serial on a Compur is plausible or not.
What's the size? Looks pretty small from pics.
Given size, if it turns also out the serial is too high for a Compur, then I think the price is too high IMHO.

 

It's a 34mm case.

 

Beautiful!

 

Compurs existed alongside the Uni-Compax well into the 40's probably as a result of leftover dials from the 30's.

The crown is indeed a replacement. Beautiful dial, but $4500 is very high for a project watch.

 

Thanks for the input guys. OF is such a great resource.

 

Thanks @LouS. Yes, the seller is Italian. Interesting thread. Everyone seems to accept it at face value. I started following O&P based on your comments when I was researching A277's. Great resource and my Italian has improved!

I'm going to pass. 34 is a tad to small, though I realize it seems about the average for the period. Thanks again for the information/legwork.