Help Identifying 18 KT Gold Longines (50's)

Kmart · Nov 16, 2016

Hello all! Finally stopped lurking and created an account here because I'm incredibly curious if anyone knows anything about this vintage Longines currently for being offered from an estate sale. The seller has provided no info other than that it's 18 karat gold, manual wind, and in "good condition". I think it's beautiful but I can't really find any other examples of this reference (except maybe for this, which seems to suggest it might be called the ambassador?). Anyway, here are the pictures:

ulackfocus · Nov 16, 2016

I can't exactly see the markings on the inside of the caseback - does it show 18K? It would be a Swiss cased version where these usually had 14K US made cases. It kind of looks like it is Swiss from the hallmarks I can make out.

Anyway, it's a caliber 23Z and probably from the 50's. If we could read the serial number on the movement we'd be sure of the year that was made.

Oh, and I can't help myself:

However, that Tracer Bullet avatar rocks! 👍 I miss Calvin and Hobbes. 🙁

Kmart · Nov 17, 2016

Ha! Kmart has been my nickname/handle on various forums for a long time, I'm way too lazy to find a new one now. And it's always available (of course). Glad you appreciate my avatar as well, always happy to meet a fellow Calvin and Hobbes fan.

Thanks for the info regarding the watch. I can't make out the writing on the caseback either, pictures aren't the greatest... assuming it is 18K, what would this be worth? I still don't have a strong handle on vintage watch pricing.

ulackfocus · Nov 17, 2016

Kmart
... assuming it is 18K, what would this be worth? I still don't have a strong handle on vintage watch pricing.

Well, I'm still often accused of working from the 2011 price list stuck in my head, but if I were looking at purchasing it I'd say $600 is about the maximum. First, I'm not sure that dial is original - it may be refinished. Second, even if it is 18K it isn't a sought after model. Nice as a dress watch for the office though.

Kmart
Glad you appreciate my avatar as well, always happy to meet a fellow Calvin and Hobbes fan.

Two of the simplest yet funniest "throw away jokes" (the first panel or two of the color Sunday strip that were a joke separate of the theme of the rest of the strip) were by Bill Waterson.

Kmart · Nov 17, 2016

U ulackfocus
Well, I'm still often accused of working from the 2011 price list stuck in my head, but if I were looking at purchasing it I'd say $600 is about the maximum. First, I'm not sure that dial is original - it may be refinished. Second, even if it is 18K it isn't a sought after model. Nice as a dress watch for the office though.

Noted, that was about where I was thinking as well. Dial does almost look modern, but it doesn't really matter too much to me in this case because I don't even know the model name.

U ulackfocus
Two of the simplest yet funniest "throw away jokes" (the first panel or two of the color Sunday strip that were a joke separate of the theme of the rest of the strip) were by Bill Waterson.

Watterson was a master of the throw away joke, which is funny because he HATED the fact that he had to do them (as some newspapers actually would throw away those panels to fit more comics on one page). He fought with the syndicates for years until they finally let him break from the standard Sunday format and do his own thing. I love all of his work but the later Sunday strips were works of art.

Syrte · Nov 17, 2016

Greetings, the design of the watch and the dial look very nice (agree with @ulackfocus it looks 1950s) but I too wondered whether the dial was refinished, primarily because of what looks like uneven subdial print. We'd probably need better pictures to tell more.
Best regards,
S

Henri68 · Nov 25, 2016

The dial is very similar to a Longines I own, but mine is 10k gold filled, has big second hand and is automatic with a 19AS caliber.
(Sorry I cannot provide any pics currently)

Yours looks more like a 23Z caliber from 50-55 with the Longines design from that area :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1930s-Authe...996062?hash=item43ee403c9e:g:VM0AAOSwzvlW-qik
https://ambwatches.com/2013/04/09/1950s-longines-automatic-19as/
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/a6oAAOSw1vlUx-DT/s-l640.jpg

A lot of sweets dial at that time 😀

Help Identifying 18 KT Gold Longines (50's)

Kmart

ulackfocus

Kmart

ulackfocus

Kmart

Syrte

Henri68

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