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Is this watch worth my offer?

  1. Cjmani Mar 16, 2014

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    Hello, I've been smitten heavily by these Zenith Defy Divers. The seller and I are close to agreeing on a final price, but I wanted to get some final input by the resident experts. This one has had much work done to it and the seller has provided full disclosure, and the original parts (including dial) will be included with the sale. The lack of "Swiss Made" on the dial has me thrown as the seller said it was NOS Zenith.

    Thank you in advance for any input you might have. I really do like how it looks in almost every way. I'm just concerned about getting too much of a frankenwatch or even a forgery.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-60-...es_Watches_MensWatches_GL&hash=item4d1a38d99bPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

    Many thanks,

    Christian Mani
     
  2. MMMD unaffiliated curmudgeonly absurdist & polyologist Mar 17, 2014

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    I think the dial is a legitimate Zenith replacement, and I like the way it's been lumed. Dig the hands too. Movement looks OK. What I don't like is the degree of polishing that the case has undergone. Like the angled tonneau cases of the A384 and its kin, the octagonal "Miura" diver cases lose a lot of character when they lose their edges, and the facets on this one have been rounded off. I suspect the case number has been polished off the back as well, as it's mighty shiny and all the stippling around the 4-pointed star is gone, and that always irritates me. I'm not holding out mine as a stellar example, because it isn't, but compare its bottom edges and the preserved brushed finish on the bottom facet with the one in your listing, and you'll see what I mean.

    [​IMG]

    They went a little nutty with the brushing and cross-hatching in this ad, but here are the ideal contours (rarely seen in the wild):

    [​IMG]
     
  3. LouS Mrs Nataf's Other Son Staff Member Mar 17, 2014

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    Wot he said. The loss of case definition detracts from an otherwise nice - dial is better than average - package. It's no forgery for sure. The other detail is that these "Miura" Defys really cry out for their native bracelet - much better than a strap. Not that you can't find one on eBay every now and again, but the seller shouldn't charge as if it is there.
     
  4. ulackfocus Mar 17, 2014

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    That depends on what your offer was.
     
  5. Cjmani Mar 17, 2014

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    Thank you all very much for your input. My offer was originally GPB400 and we've haggled to GPB470.....so about $730 (@ 1.66 conversion rate). I hadn't noticed the rounded edges versus the sharper edges on better preserved examples, but I still quite like the shape. The bracelet is another matter. Are these highly sought after/impossible to find items? I don't know enough about the mkt for Zeniths to know if $730 is fair for this watch without the original bracelet. I do know that I would wear this watch or another like it proudly.

    As you can tell, I'm a newcomer to this fantastic forum. I've always wanted to own a small collection of excellent time pieces. I've had my submariner (I guess very predictable is some ways) and a couple of nice small Hamiltons for 15 years now, but Id like to start a small collection of 15 watches or so: some divers, some more classic/evening watches, and a couple of 60's/70's watches, as I really like the design ethos of those years. Something about Zeniths scratches that itch.

    So at first I will be taking in much more than I could possibly give back to this forum, but once I have some experiences under my belt, I would be a very happy contributor. I am an avid enthusiast photographer, so maybe I could provide some sort of input in that area.

    Warm Regards,

    Christian Mani