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Learning How To Fish: The Under $50 Collection

Canuck
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The 1950s Certina on the left end in this picture was purchased at a garage sale for $2.00 (she wanted 50 cents). Then I spent the equivalent, out of pocket, of $200.00 to bring it to where you see it. The next one to the right is an original 1962 Timex Electric with a German Durowe movement in it that I retrieved out of a waste paper basket, 30 years ago. Free! Runs good! (Everything else in that picture came to me for free! So the Certina was the only one I actually bought).

799B8FE7-29EF-4B44-AE84-896D580388DC.jpeg
 
Waltesefalcon
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Canuck Canuck
The 1950s Certina on the left end in this picture was purchased at a garage sale for $2.00 (she wanted 50 cents). Then I spent the equivalent, out of pocket, of $200.00 to bring it to where you see it. The next one to the right is an original 1962 Timex Electric with a German Durowe movement in it that I retrieved out of a waste paper basket, 30 years ago. Free! Runs good! (Everything else in that picture came to me for free! So the Certina was the only one I actually bought).

Nice collection for only spending $2.00.
 
ClarendonVintage
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Canuck Canuck
The 1950s Certina on the left end in this picture was purchased at a garage sale for $2.00 (she wanted 50 cents). Then I spent the equivalent, out of pocket, of $200.00 to bring it to where you see it. The next one to the right is an original 1962 Timex Electric with a German Durowe movement in it that I retrieved out of a waste paper basket, 30 years ago. Free! Runs good! (Everything else in that picture came to me for free! So the Certina was the only one I actually bought).

799B8FE7-29EF-4B44-AE84-896D580388DC.jpeg
So there is the one! $2 damn!
 
boltman
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Super informative forum. Have so old Hamiltons just sitting in a box my father gave me. Think I will put them on Ebay to find a proper home.
 
GordonL
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Canuck Canuck
The 1950s Certina on the left end in this picture was purchased at a garage sale for $2.00 (she wanted 50 cents). Then I spent the equivalent, out of pocket, of $200.00 to bring it to where you see it. The next one to the right is an original 1962 Timex Electric with a German Durowe movement in it that I retrieved out of a waste paper basket, 30 years ago. Free! Runs good! (Everything else in that picture came to me for free! So the Certina was the only one I actually bought).

799B8FE7-29EF-4B44-AE84-896D580388DC.jpeg
Superb! Well done....
 
GuiltyBoomerang
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Looneytoons Looneytoons
Great finds @gatorcpa. I love the dials on your Bulovas. I tried to buy very similar watches, but the bidding always went to high. I think the market on the <$50 is shrinking fast. I'll have to stretch to $75😀

Bidding is below $50 for this one.
 
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sdre
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Brilliant. I love a good hunt! A friend of mine who used to frequent this forum, but no longer due to work issues, he recommends GP ( I think Girard Perregaux) which he feels is a vintage that is under valued.

What do you folks think?
 
gatorcpa
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sdre sdre
Brilliant. I love a good hunt! A friend of mine who used to frequent this forum, but no longer due to work issues, he recommends GP ( I think Girard Perregaux) which he feels is a vintage that is under valued.

What do you folks think?
That you're not getting one for under $50.🙄
gatorcpa
 
gatorcpa
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Waltesefalcon Waltesefalcon
I picked this Hamilton up for $42 about a year and a half ago.
That's a great buy. Have the watch serviced, then have your watchmaker send your dial off to International Dial in Wilmington, OH.

http://www.internationaldialco.com/Pages/Public/Default.aspx

They can turn this:
Before_zpsdaecfa7a.jpg


Into this:
After_zpsb8326ded.jpg


Final product:
Relume01_zpsd45a5fa4.jpg


As it turns out, I actually paid $49 for this watch originally. Shipping put it just slightly over $50. The restoration work cost quite a bit more. Details here:
http://www.hamiltonchronicles.com/2013/02/1931-perry-restoration.html

gatorcpa
 
Looneytoons
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gatorcpa gatorcpa
That's a great buy. Have the watch serviced, then have your watchmaker send your dial off to International Dial in Wilmington, OH.

http://www.internationaldialco.com/Pages/Public/Default.aspx

They can turn this:
Before_zpsdaecfa7a.jpg


Into this:
After_zpsb8326ded.jpg


Final product:
Relume01_zpsd45a5fa4.jpg


As it turns out, I actually paid $49 for this watch originally. Shipping put it just slightly over $50. The restoration work cost quite a bit more.
gatorcpa

Superb work and what a great find. I'll note that dial company. Do you have any knowledge/experience with Kirk Rich Dial here in California?
 
gatorcpa
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Looneytoons Looneytoons
Do you have any knowledge/experience with Kirk Rich Dial here in California?
None at all, other than I've heard of them.

For American watches you want to stick with ID, as they have some of the original dies. In the olden days (pre-WWII), they made the dials for these companies.
gatorcpa
 
STANDY
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sdre sdre
Brilliant. I love a good hunt! A friend of mine who used to frequent this forum, but no longer due to work issues, he recommends GP ( I think Girard Perregaux) which he feels is a vintage that is under valued.

What do you folks think?

image.jpeg
 
Looneytoons
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gatorcpa gatorcpa
None at all, other than I've heard of them.

For American watches, you want to stick with ID, as they have some of the original dies. In the olden days (pre-WWII), they made the dials for these companies.
gatorcpa

Perfect. Thank you. The quality of information on this forum is truly unique.
 
Waltesefalcon
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boltman boltman
Super informative forum. Have so old Hamiltons just sitting in a box my father gave me. Think I will put them on Ebay to find a proper home.

You might put them up here, I like a good Hamilton and I believe there are several other members who might be interested.
 
Waltesefalcon
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gatorcpa gatorcpa
That's a great buy. Have the watch serviced, then have your watchmaker send your dial off to International Dial in Wilmington, OH.

http://www.internationaldialco.com/Pages/Public/Default.aspx

They can turn this:
Before_zpsdaecfa7a.jpg


Into this:
After_zpsb8326ded.jpg


Final product:
Relume01_zpsd45a5fa4.jpg


As it turns out, I actually paid $49 for this watch originally. Shipping put it just slightly over $50. The restoration work cost quite a bit more. Details here:
http://www.hamiltonchronicles.com/2013/02/1931-perry-restoration.html

gatorcpa

That is awfully pretty. I cleaned it two years ago and before I joined this site I would have shipped the dial off in a heartbeat, now I am a bit more leery about having one refinshed. Granted it will never be a Connie.
 
Alpha
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$20 makes a Scotsman happy and his wife even happier 😁

IMG_4619.jpg
 
GordonL
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Alpha Alpha
$20 makes a Scotsman happy and his wife even happier 😁

IMG_4619.jpg
This scotsman says a bargain! Well done.
 
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