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Franken PAF Rail/Seamaster on sale at upcoming Monaco Legend Auction

fizz
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An auction house that makes as much fanfare as these guys do about their lots should do their homework, especially when it's so obvious and easy to deconstruct everything that's wrong with this PAF Seamaster being offered.

A picture to start with (more at the link here).

download.jpg


1 - The dial is clearly incorrect. With it's coat hanger S, and even the radium burn on the dial, it's from a 2914-5.
2 - Even the BA hour hand and the second and minute hands are from the earlier Railmaster reference, not the later 135.004 which should have the thicker syringe like hands.
3 - The caseback serial number don't match the movement serial number, which is never the case with these.

Bidder beware!
 
rootbeer7
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Hope no one gets scammed on this. I have more experience with spotting Rolex nonsense and Perezcope to help! I just can’t understand an auction house allowing this
 
Deafboy
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Look at that featureless case! These auction houses use strange image processing on their watch pictures. Care to comment @JwRosenthal ?
 
JwRosenthal
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Deafboy Deafboy
Look at that featureless case! These auction houses use strange image processing on their watch pictures. Care to comment @JwRosenthal ?
The shadows from the second and minute hand on the rehaut speak to directionally of light but you really don’t get a sense of any directionality with the rest of it- I’m thinking this it a composite from several shots stacked or HDR. Possibly they moved the light around and erased down the layers of deep shadow or spectral highlight, particularly where it has omitted any trace of the crystal (unless they removed the crystal for the photo). The result is a flat and unnatural looking image (or they ran it through an AI filter). Falls into the camp of just becuase you can doesn’t mean you should.
 
Deafboy
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
The shadows from the second and minute hand on the rehaut speak to directionally of light but you really don’t get a sense of any directionality with the rest of it- I’m thinking this it a composite from several shots stacked or HDR. Possibly they moved the light around and erased down the layers of deep shadow or spectral highlight, particularly where it has omitted any trace of the crystal (unless they removed the crystal for the photo). The result is a flat and unnatural looking image (or they ran it through an AI filter). Falls into the camp of just becuase you can doesn’t mean you should.

I mean, look at that case: it looks like a CAD rendering from two decades ago.

By the way, image processing aside, the upper lug is quite polished. The lower lug still has an edge at least.


upload_2024-4-1_9-38-40.png
Edited:
 
neilfrancis
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Deafboy Deafboy
I mean, look at that case: it looks like a CAD rendering from two decades ago.

By the way, image processing aside, the upper lug is quite polished. The lower lug still has an edge at least.


upload_2024-4-1_9-38-40.png

Jeez-us. 🤦 That is absolutely shocking, isn't it? Good spot, Sir.
 
nkhandekar
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Fallout Boy Fallout Boy
auction.jpg


one part of the team 😉 "directors" all over the world

Fallout Boy I am missing your point. Can you spell it out a little please?

The difference in corrosion/patina between the dial, hour/minute hands, second hand and rehaut are all I need to see to stay away.
 
dmtowl
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More often than not, dont these auction houses have little to no actual knowledge of the super specified "collector's level" knowledge? So many instances like this have slipped through, even very "reputable" houses.

They are happy to make their money and move on..
 
coffee
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I would imagine that the winner would have to buy a "bidding fee" percentage, plus taxes. Sadly, someone will buy this franken.
 
fizz
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While the PAF models, due largely to military use and bad, local, country specific servicing, aren't ever in the best condition (the one's that I have are all suitably banged up, but there in lies their vintage charm), they are appealing when period correct/complete. The problem with this one is its a Franken/put together piece. But that's not the worst part.

The worst part is the misleading confidence in describing it with implied authority - using words like "very rare", "attractive" "meticulously preserved" "fewer than 100 pieces" - most of which is bullshit (the 2914-5 PAF variant was produced in 177 pieces and the later 135.004 in seemingly in higher quantity, though exact exact numbers of that latter reference are speculative an unknown). This is beyond comical.

What's worse in the narrative is some gibberish about this model being "crafted in 2 versions". There were 2 references of the Railmaster with Seamaster dial made for the PAF and multiple later references of the Seamaster made or commissioned for PAF going into the early 80's, so their facts are merely an assemblage of unrelated information just thrown together to sound coherent.

I am convinced ChatGPT could have generated more accurate and useful publishing material to go with their advert.
Edited:
 
Deafboy
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fizz fizz
I am convinced ChatGPT could have generated more coherent and useful material.
Maybe the auctioneer used it to write the description...
 
watchyouwant
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It's always lovely to see crisp PAF/the dots/the numbers engravings on a very, very worn caseback. Like a " Miracle " .
Edited:
 
Mark020
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fizz fizz
though exact exact numbers of that latter reference are speculative an unknown)
Already tried the tank formula?
 
fizz
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You learn something new every day. Great concept.

I have been keeping track of all publicly known PAF 2914-5's as as well as 135.004 and I'd say, from what I can tell (and extrapolate) based on the data I've collected, that the latter reference has about 25% more pieces available than the earlier reference.

By that crude, rough approximation (not an exact science), I'd guess that the 135.004 was probably produced in the vicinity of 250 pieces (but don't quote me on that!).
 
dsio
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Several posts here were removed as they went against our terms of service, the discussion is a fine and interesting one so let’s just keep it to watches
 
Delroyb
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It never ceases to amaze me the level of inaccuracy some auction houses manage. Ok, a lot of PAF watches are bitsas, but at least bitsas from the same reference.
 
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