After an semi-unenforced 6 month dry spell on the watch front today was the day for the quarterly watch fair in Houten which is here in The Netherlands There are about 250 stands with continental dealers and hobbyists coming together to buy and sell all things horological, clocks, watches, boxes, books, tools and spare parts, you name it, you can find it pretty much all here. There is a huge assortment for sale both good and not so good and as it is extremely busy I always aim to be there as early as possible to coincide with the dealers and hobby sellers setting up their tables and to hopefully find something I'm really after or, even better, a good deal. There is a real buzz in the air at setting up time, almost akin to a watch feeding frenzy with buyers/dealers hovering around a single seller/dealer as he hurriedly unpacks his wares, all vying to be the first to spot, get their hands on and bag a choice piece. Of course I wouldn't dream of demeaning myself in such an uncouth manner like that at the crack of dawn on a Sunday morning Setting up time, blurred as there was no time to stand still Later in the morning, very many grey haired collectors visible in this shot..... While on patrol I found this one and thought it a nice addition to my collection, it's an early Constellation 2648-2 cal 354 and I'm pretty happy with it, the case being in very nice, crisp shape. It has the wrong crown and I think the seconds hand too but they should be quite easily fixed. It's good to be back
Combination of some of my favorite things - sharp case, textured dial and white gold arrowhead markers.
very nice, that dial is mesmerizing! Double dibs! I wish the US has events like this...are there any!?
The National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors has regional sales meets I believe, never been. http://mb.nawcc.org/
Nice! We call it the 'spruitjesbeurs' where people smell bad and walk on sandals (with socks). However, it is the place for some nice finds once in a while! Congrats!!
I know what you mean, all that bending over the tables early in the morning really creates a "special atmosphere " in that lovely venue! Still, I love it though, the thrill of the chase and all that. I've had a few good finds there over the years, all early in the morning, which kind of makes up for the brussel sproutiness
Some early Constellations had blued seconds hands. I think it is original, or one with the correct dimensions taken from an earlier watch. I would leave it alone. Steel cases look better with the dark hands, IMHO. gatorcpa
