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Hodinkee on UG- wasn't that a redial?

  1. Syrte MWR Tech Support Dept Dec 20, 2015

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    Having been looking at 1940s UG chronographs lately, I was interested to stumble upon the following Hodinkee write up about the history of UG distribution. But the watch they featured -- (a co-signed Hermes chronograph) looks like a full-on redial!

    Is it just me? Is it that" Hermes UGs" didn't have the same dials?
    Or could it be that in those oh so early days (2011) they just didn't know?
    http://hodinkee.squarespace.com/blo...eneve-chronograph-retailed-by-hermes-and.html

    Interesting piece nonetheless - although experts here I realize probably know much more.
     
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  2. Rman Dec 20, 2015

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    Did you scroll down and see the vintage advertisement that depicted a double signed dial:whistling:
     
  3. Syrte MWR Tech Support Dept Dec 20, 2015

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    it's not the double signature I was referring to but the apparently brand new paint and texture on the dial, the flatness of the subdials etc.
     
  4. Modest_Proposal Trying too hard to be one of the cool kids Dec 20, 2015

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    The possibility that the watch in question is a redial has been discussed before on this site. There is room for skepticism.
     
  5. MMMD unaffiliated curmudgeonly absurdist & polyologist Dec 20, 2015

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    It's not just you. There are multiple problems, to my eye. Ink thickness is a big one. And the dial doesn't compare very well with the advertisement. Not the same layout of wording or style of hour subdial numerals, for starters. And I would expect "FAB SUISSE" for a French market watch, as we see in the ad, not "SWISS."
     
  6. Rman Dec 20, 2015

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    I wasn't implying that it was original either. In fact I don't think it is.
     
  7. MMMD unaffiliated curmudgeonly absurdist & polyologist Dec 20, 2015

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  8. LouS Mrs Nataf's Other Son Staff Member Dec 20, 2015

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    Dunno about redial. The printing on that dial looks awfully correct, and the dial finish as well.
     
  9. Syrte MWR Tech Support Dept Dec 23, 2015

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    Thanks gents for your thoughts. Interestingly it seems very hard to find any other pictures of co-signed Hermes examples on line, except perhaps for a very fine black one which was sold by Cars and Watches.
    One wonders how many of those may have been salvaged in private collections or in people's forgotten drawers....

    Best regards and happy holidays,
    S
     
  10. reficul_x Dec 24, 2015

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    I am slightly sceptical, but leaning on the fact that this might be an all original dial. The details so far looks good to me, but just thought that the patina on the lume looks too perfect and I am suspicious in nature. But well, overall, it looks original still. Innocent until proven guilty. ;-)
     
  11. pitpro Likes the game. Dec 24, 2015

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    I hate Hodinkee
     
  12. MMMD unaffiliated curmudgeonly absurdist & polyologist Dec 24, 2015

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    I don't hate Hodinkee per se. But I do hate "Bring a Loupe." Unless I'm the seller.
     
  13. cvalue13 Dec 24, 2015

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    Last week I was quietly watching a fine Girard-Perregaux Olimpico, when days before the finish the bidding went ape. Now I see it was the featured "Bring a Loupe" watch last week. $10K for that watch is... impressive.
     
  14. MMMD unaffiliated curmudgeonly absurdist & polyologist Dec 24, 2015

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    Precisely. I had a pretty strong snipe in place for that one... or so I thought.
     
  15. pitpro Likes the game. Dec 25, 2015

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    That's why I hate Hodinkee.
    That watch was mine until that Bring a loupe thing.
    I had been looking for one for a year.
     
  16. MMMD unaffiliated curmudgeonly absurdist & polyologist Dec 25, 2015

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    That's what I thought. It might have been yours, but I would have punished you for it; I thought my snipe was stupid-high, but I was priced out well before the finish. There were a lot of eyes on that one even before it got Hodinkeed, so maybe there was already someone even stupider in line. ;)
    Considering the rarity, condition, beauty, size of the watch, not to mention papers, I get it. The good news is that my Christmas chrono slush fund could be directed elsewhere...
     
  17. Modest_Proposal Trying too hard to be one of the cool kids Dec 25, 2015

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  18. cvalue13 Dec 25, 2015

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    It was a beauty, wasn't it? Razor sharp. I agree it would have been a battle with or without the Hodink-ification.

    Though, with that particular watch making Hodinkee, it probably changed from a battle not among vintage chrono collectors, but instead to a battle among biggest-modern-Paneri-I-can-find type guys on a lark. Then, you pay $10K for it because it was on Hodinkee and relatively cheap.
     
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