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Is this solid gold Longines with cal. 12.68Z a buy?

  1. iamvr Feb 15, 2021

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    Hi Longines lovers

    I've been bitten by the Longines bug lately and I would like to add two Longines movement to my watch collection, which, if I am not mistaken, are iconic for Longines, the 19AS on the automatic side and the 12.68Z on the manual side.

    I've been mulling over this solid gold Longines, ref 6764, cal. 12.68Z for quite a few days and I would like to hear your opinion.

    Here is what I see:
    Dial: As redials seem to be as widespread with Longines as with Omega, I would like to check the box for originality first, though I'm quite certain it is original. Other than that, the dial shows apparent signs of age, but the age spots are spread evenly in my view. The only blemish that stands out is between 2 and 5 o'clock at the edge of the dial, which the seller transparently exposes. On the pictures, it doesn't seem to be too distracting, but I guess you can only tell when you actually see the watch for real. The dial is simple with painted markers rather than applied ones, which probably commands a lower price, I don't know.

    Case: I didn't manage to find another example of the reference online to compare the state of the case, but to my eye it does not seem polished to death, the edges are still clearly visible at lugs, so is the faceted bezel. Though some deeper scratches have been slightly polished off, i.e. above 12 o'clock or between 4 and 5 o'clock. The other major scratch is on the back side of the case on the opposite side of the crown, probably from past attempts to open the case.

    Movement: Looks clean to my untrained eyes apart from some wheels showing some signs of corrosion. Is this a reason for concern? The seller claims that the movement has recently been serviced. The regulator is not centred, however. I asked the seller and he states that serviced watches may come with uncentered regulators. I know too little about it, but other members told me, in that case it's just a poorly done service, which needs to be redone earlier than later.

    Finally the price: It's offered for €890, which I believe is a good price for a solid gold Longines, but is it fair taking into account the number of smaller imperfections? I may be able to negotiate a bit as I've bought from the seller before.

    Here come the pictures. Many thanks in advance for your comments.

    s-l1600-8.jpg s-l1600-9.jpg s-l1600-10.jpg s-l1600-11.jpg s-l1600-12.jpg s-l1600-13.jpg s-l1600-14.jpg s-l1600-15.jpg s-l1600-16.jpg
     
  2. Dan S Feb 15, 2021

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    Size?
     
  3. iamvr Feb 15, 2021

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    Sorry, 35mm without crown.
     
  4. DirtyDozen12 Thanks, mystery donor! Feb 15, 2021

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    The first thing you should know about this watch is that the case is not Swiss.This makes the watch less desirable, and suggests that the "6764" marking is not a reference number. The second thing I notice is that the movement is in excellent condition, which is a plus. I am judging this based on the condition of the screw heads. As a side note, this is quite a late example of a caliber 12.68Z. I do not think that the price is wildly unreasonable but you must consider whether you can live with a locally-made case. Do you know what country this watch is being sold from?
     
    Rumar89, Mark020, iamvr and 2 others like this.
  5. DirtyDozen12 Thanks, mystery donor! Feb 15, 2021

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    I found the watch, the seller is from Italy. I recall seeing Italian-market Longines with locally-made cases. However, unlike France, Italy also imported gold cases that were made in Switzerland. As I alluded to, this is a late and somewhat atypical cal. 12.68Z example. If you are not married to gold, I would probably suggest looking for an example with a Swiss-made steel case.
     
    iamvr likes this.
  6. Spruce Sunburst dial fan Feb 15, 2021

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    Dials and patina are very much a matter of individual taste but, at that price, I think the watch is significantly overpriced.
     
    iamvr likes this.
  7. DManzaluni Feb 15, 2021

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    i have commented on these boards before about over-photographed watches which are mysteriously under described and this is one such watch.

    Who is it that is trying to cover what up? A large number of largely identical photos of the dial but only one photo of the movement spacer? And that sole photo is taken at such an angle that it shows an eccentric angle in which the movement sits so high in the case that it looks completely off-centre?? Which it probably isnt?

    I'd take a measurement of the gold weight of the case and use that (plus some amount for the value of the movement) as a guideline to make an offer for this watch.

    It is a good thing that you have bought from this seller before, because I would be suspicious about his methodology, which is faintly redolent of the Ukranian marriage-brokers!
     
    Mark020 and iamvr like this.
  8. iamvr Feb 15, 2021

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    Thanks for pointing this out. It indeed is missing the Longines logo and "Fab. Swiss" / "Swiss Made" on the case back, which I have on my other Longines. I was responding to your first post and saw that you've already written a second. Yes, the seller is Italian. You're highlighting the fact that it's a later 12.68Z. Are the later versions less reliable than the earlier examples?
    I'm not married to gold per se, and a non-Swiss case is not necessarily a deal-breaker for me as long as the price reflects it, which does not seem to case here.
     
  9. iamvr Feb 15, 2021

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    Thank you everyone for taking the time to comment and sharing your knowledge, very appreciated. I've decided not to go after this one.
     
    Spruce likes this.
  10. DirtyDozen12 Thanks, mystery donor! Feb 15, 2021

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    My primary motivation for highlighting that this is a later 12.68Z was just to suggest that this is not necessarily a typical example. Of course, this is an odd idea since 12.68Z production spanned more than three decades. But I would argue that most people associate the caliber with either the 1950s (e.g. ref. 5356), or the 1930s and 1940s. Additionally, later 12.68Z movements do away with certain features such as formed (versus wire) springs in the keyless works. But most people are not bothered by this.

    Correction: Even later 12.68Z movements had formed springs in the keyless works.
     
    Edited Feb 15, 2021
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  11. iamvr Feb 15, 2021

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    Many thanks for this additional color!