Well despite the bad weather and a stinking cold, the weekend turned out to be better than expected when I picked this up on Sunday. Not a planned purchase, but it was a price I couldn't turn down and I really like the style of the these early Enicars. Anyway, here are the sellers pictures...

As the watch has no known service history I will get it to a watchmaker for at least a movement service, but then comes the question whether to go any further or not. Case just needs cleaning, and I'll leave the dial well alone, but what is the consensus here on the hands. Is it possible to remove the corrosion without risking damaging further ? Of course it depends on the precise nature of the damage, and the skill of the watchmaker, but has anyone here had luck with removing corrosion like this ? Then the crystal... perhaps it's original (?) but it's damaged, polish as best as possible or replace ?

I had some great advice so far from @CajunTiger regarding the difficulty with the bayonet case back, so also would ask if anyone can recommend a watchmaker with plenty of experience of Sherpa Graphs. The watch is currently with family in the UK, and I am in Germany, so a watchmaker in either would be perfect (or else anywhere in Europe would be fine). Thanks !

 

would recommend either Abel Court (HeuerTime) in BE or Rich Askham in UK...

very nice SherpaGraph!

 

I just asked Rich about his availability, and he seems to work in the same county that my parents live in so it might even be possible to drop it off. I have a Heuer 3647T that needs servicing and have tried to get it into Abel but haven’t had any luck yet as his schedule is so full. I think I’m on his back-up list for filling cancellations. I’ll ask him about the Sherpa Graph too. Thanks for the recommendations.

 

That is a great looking watch. Enicar is not a brand that I know much about.

Are their modern pieces as desirable as the older stuff? I have had a look at their website and they have a couple of nice ones.

 

No, it's not even the same company any more. The new stuff is made by a company that bought the rights to the name after the original one shut down.

 

Ah, noted. Thanks.
That is a shame.

 

Nice pickup, looks like an unpolished case too!

 

Looks very nice.
Where in the UK ? If South then I can recommend
http://www.littlecogs.com/
in Midhurst or STS in Essex who have a partner company downstairs servicing non Omega stuff. Call on 01702 543 100

 

Thanks for the recommendations ! The watch is currently with family in Yorkshire, so using South-based watchmakers would mean posting which I am always keen to minimize. I am asking Rich Askam as he is probably in driving range which would avoid all risk of loss or damage whilst in the mail.

 

Sensible decision if you've someone good close.

 

Well it's in for service now, but I have to decide what to do with the hands.

They clearly don't look great but have the original lume. We could scrape the rust off but they'd still be pitted, and the risk that the lume might disintegrate is obviously quite high. Could stabilize the lume from the back but it sounds like there are some through holes, and the stabilizer might bleed through to the front.

My feeling is to clean them up, and in the absolutely worst case they could be relumed, but it's always nice to have some second opinions. Any thoughts ?

 

I like this pitted look, I feel it brings a very vintage feel whilst retaining all the originality of the piece. Of course if it bothers you can ask try to clean them & if it fails you just restore them. I have picked up a very similar Sherpa Graph lately, same dial, but I have an arrow hand in the hours for the chrono & a caseback without the Seaperl 300, just Seaperl...
Congrats on the pick up!

 

I vote restore the hands and re-lume in a color that comes close to the dial. There's too much rust. I'd have all the hands done.

 

I am usually not for aggressive restoration. That said, rust is like cancer. Untreated it will almost always get worse. Do as little as possible but get rid of the rust to the extent that you can.

JohnCote

 

Thanks for the opinions guys

I'll be asking my watchmaker to remove all the rust from all the hands. We'll try to stabilise the lume first but if it crumbles and falls out then so be it. In that case we'll have to relume them. We'll try and keep the original paint on the tips too. Will report back when its done !

 

Very nice catch. Please show a picture after you have had it serviced.

 

Great find! You might want to check the German Uhrforum's Enicar thread for similar watches and restauration stories: https://uhrforum.de/enicar-uhren-t6725 (Attention, over 3k posts and lots of pics of seductive watches) ...

 

Well the hands are cleaned up as far as they'll go, and Rich did a great job of keepig away from the original lume and paint (which all remains intact). Movement is done too. Now just waiting for a GS PA#482 crystal to arrive from the US and we can pull everything together.

 

That really is a beautiful watch.

 

Congrats, it looks great. I'm sending mine for a service (it looks identical to yours), I'm waiting for it to come back and the wait is looong