Hello All-

Can anyone definitively identify the correct bracelet pic or reference/s for the 1960's era Clapton Tri Compax(s)? Ref
881101/01
881101/02
Typically pictured on leather straps; I beleive they may have actually been initially offeredprimarily on stainless bands which would have been more period correct?

 

A starting point for your research… (old catalog image showing a Clapton on a Gay Freres beads of rice bracelet).





Link to prior thread below:
https://omegaforums.net/threads/evil-nina-chrono-hand-question.70796/#post-891802

 

The correct bracelet is definitely the Gay Frères bracelet pictured above. The reference material included in the Polerouter book is consistent with that.

Whether the watch was 'offered primarily' on that bracelet rather than a leather strap is less clear to me. I suspect both options were available.

 

Interesting that the catalog(?) page referenced above shows both the space and the tri on metal, I"ll try to check Sala over the weekend

 

I wonder what the view is on the similar looking unmarked JB Champion (Universal singed, but no branding) bracelets with 19mm end links? Were these made for the American markets? Are any of these considered correct for the Nina's / Space Compaxes, or just the GF's?

 

I think the JB Champion bracelets you describe were largely for Unisonic models

 

Quick Sala check suggest most of the Clapton's were early 70"s which again suggests metal bracelets to me. Sala's Clapton photos are mixed so no strong supporting evidence. Gay Frères bracelet would seem pretty appropriate but the american market inference raised by levkov is interesting as well. Sala does provide one image of what might be a correct clasp with folded metal links similar to same period rolex.

 

Not sure if I made up the fact that unsigned bracelets may have been intended for the US market (based on similarly unsigned early US Rolex bracelets), or I specifically read about it somewhere. But Mazoue is also correct as I know one of the two I own were definitely on a Unisonic

 

This looks to be a standard Gay Frères bracelet.

 

The metal bracelet unisonics I'm familair with were 60's models and had either straight edged end links or no end links (final links directly into case). All of the 70's types I've come across (not many) have been on leather straps. Anyone have pics of 70's round edge metal with curved final end links on a Unisonic to look at?

 

Please forgive the sales pitch but The Polerouter book includes a dozen pages from bracelet catalogues with photographs of all of the steel bracelet types, listing the references that they were intended to fit (of which Polerouters are only a fraction) and the size of the end links.

 

Oooohhhh.. can’t wait to see that!

 

Any chance you can reference this one:

 

Do you have a picture of the end links? Do you know what size they are?

 

That's a JB bracelet.

Does it have straight 19mm end links? If so, it was intended for the 853104, 873100, 873101 and 873102 references.

 

curved end links, no markings, 19mm width, clasp dated 6-71

 

It's difficult to tell from that photo but I’m not sure that those end links belong on that bracelet.

I would have expected the end links to continue the double beads of rice pattern and the central section on the end link looks too narrow and so doesn't seem to match.

I wonder whether it might have started life with the straight end links I described above and someone has combined it with those curved end links at a later date.

 

your point well taken I always wonder if back in the day the manufacturers were as precise (picky?) as todays collectors?
Both the space and tri illustrated above appear to drop the rice bead prior to the endlink attach and the fit of the space bracelet (width wise) is just terrible (esp for a catalog item) just to reinforce my previous point

 

The points I made were specific to the JB bracelets.

You are comparing a JB bracelet to a Gay Frères bracelet. I would not expect the double beads of rice pattern to continue on a Gay Frères bracelet.

 

Understood--center link match also not good
JB - Champion same?