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Dilapidated Cal 22A. Information sought.

  1. Fialetti Mar 31, 2017

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    Dear forumers,

    I have picked a very beat up caliber 22A. More as a learning exercise about repair and restoration than anything else. If anyone finds this interesting, I would appreciate a little help in figuring out the right steps to take. Here are the facts of the case:

    Movement: A call 22A with the serial number 8135383, additionally marked LXW for US export. The crown, stem and case tube are obviously wrong. The pins holding the oscillating weight in place were replaced by a watchmaker whose ability to improvise was, I suppose, commendable, and one has since fallen off again. For all this, the watch can be wound manually and still works. I hope it will be possible to get this fixed, though it would be nice to know what the crown should look like.

    Dial: This is dirty and has lost some lume, but the discolouration is mild, and the text and minute markers seem (to me) to be original and largely intact. So I am interested to see if it can be cleaned up. The hands are likely not original, as the minute hand is too short.

    Case: This has the reference number 625C2 11, with the serial number repeated on one of the lugs. The seller said it was missing a bezel, and it's true that the lugs do protrude above the rim of the case as if designed to grip something. But if it is missing, the bezel was not needed to hold the crystal in place, and every watch I have seen with the same or similar case reference has this same or similar look. So either this was a really flawed case design or it is, in fact, intact.

    So far the best comparison I have found is this very similar watch here: https://www.benswatches.com/product...less-steel-automatic-cal-22a-wristwatch-1950s . But if anyone has any further information about the original appearance of the watch, like an old sales or parts catalogue, or some tips on repairs or cleaning, I would be grateful.
     
    Front 2.jpg Front 1.JPG Caseback ext.jpg Case side.JPG Case side crown.JPG Movement 2.JPG Caseback int.JPG
    Edited Mar 31, 2017