Hi everyone. New member here. I have some questions for the Longines experts and I hope you can help me out.

This 13.33z monopusher chronograph in 990 silver was my grandfather’s daily watch. He bought it new in 1929 (I have the watch info from Longines heritage) and was involved in auto-racing at the time. So he actually used it for its intended purpose. He was an engineer and wore it daily up until the time he died in the late 70s. It sat in a drawer until I decided I’d like a nice watch when I finished high school in the late 80s and my grandmother gave it to me.

I took it to a watchmaker who was very excited about it – was amazed that it had only a few services done in its 30 year history and was in perfect condition internally. That’s when I made my first mistake. As a dumb kid who had never seen anything like it before, and this was pre-internet, I thought that the minute counter on the right was broken because it didn’t have the little tail piece on it like the second’s dial on the left had, lol. So I had him replace it. Dumb.

I replaced the cracked crystal too.

I wore it quite regularly for a few years until I overwound it at some point and broke the mainspring. I bought myself a Speedmaster automatic and never went back to it.

About 5 years ago I bought a smart watch thinking it would be great and wore a series of those until I finally got fed up with how ridiculous it looked on my wrist and having to charge it and decided to fix the Longines and go back to it. I took it to a well-respected watchmaker and he fixed the mainspring and serviced it. He told me I should display it or sell it but DON’T WEAR IT because it’s too delicate to wear everyday and I’ll probably break it! So I picked up a moonwatch instead. But he got me thinking.

Bottom line, I haven’t decided what I want to do with it. I’m not a collector and I don’t just want to put it back in a drawer and forget about it. Maybe it’s time to sell it, I don’t know. By the time I’m gone, I’m sure my kids won’t have any attachment to it at all and it would be liquidated for sure, lol.

About once per decade I try to see what it’s worth. Early on I was told 5 grand. 10 years ago, $1500. It’s a rare watch. I recently saw one on chrono24 for $15000 but I don’t know if that even sold or was wishful thinking. I really think it is an underappreciated watch and would probably have much more dollar value if Longines was still the brand it once was.

So I’m putting the feelers out. Do I need to find a donor hand for the one I foolishly replaced? If you were going to sell would you auction it and get it maximum exposure – and pay some hefty fees in the process? Let me know what you think. At the very least I hope you find it interesting and like that I shared it with you. Thanks!

 

I think it's a great watch and wonderful heirloom. The watch has some condition issues with the dial and lugs, but that's not unexpected for something this old, and it's still a collectible piece. In your position, without much experience or history as a collector/seller, an auction or dealer consignment would probably be worth considering.

 

A lovely story and wonderful heirloom indeed. I think most of us would say you should keep it and wear it from time to time in memory of your grand father! Given how few of these have survived I don’t think the replacement hand matters- especially as I’m not sure the previous hand would have been original either, others would know better.

the cracked dial would alter somewhat the resale value.
that being said, I heard of miraculous enamel dial restorations from a collector who’s got some of those. It’s also possible that Longines might have some old stock replacement dials for these, and if so it would be totally worth it to pay their hefty service bill to have the watch outfitted with a new, correct and authentic dial.
For that, you’d have to get the watch to their headquarters in Switzerland.

 

Dial is one of the most important factors in the value of this watch and condition. The cuvette looks unoriginal. A lot going on with your watch. Does the case and movement serials match? Serial on all lids? Note: .900 silver with factory original multi-color multiscale dial is not normal. Usually only black and white dials.Dial in that condition will severely drop prices.

Sending to Longines at a cost of $4000+ to end up with a watch that may still not reach $6000-8000? Assuming they have the correct dial. Longines knows what dial that watch had originally. Silver with colors is really unusual.

 

All of the serial numbers match and are on all lids. The information Longines sent me doesn't mention dial color but I will ask them. Thank you!

 

Thank you. I've been doing a lot of google searches and was pleased to learn how to request info. I had to look up what a "cuvette" is from your reply and confirmed the serial number is on it as well. I'll see what Longines tells me.

 

As I own a 1918 gold 13.33z with the same dial, I’m not sure how the cuvette can be replaced since its all on hinges. These watches have no anti shock so yea be careful but I certainly wear mine on a trench strap from David Boetteger. I think there is a bezel missing on your watch. I don’t think you should be able to see the edges of the dial like that. It could be the pics. My advice…wear and enjoy. The dial has hairline cracks but no chips but it needs more work than one might recoup. I assume by “information” you have an extract from Longines. I would not bother with the minute counter. Looks honestly like it belongs there. I posted and discussed this watch before I bought it on OF.

 

Coaxile button solid lug watch is a late generation 13.33z watch. It normally has a medal count that is around 8.

 

It you know Longines made the case, it's no problem. If you want to know if it impacts the value...these are more desirable with cuvette like the watch on Chrono24 you linked.

 

Was there a major repair done to the case on the crown side? Top right lug? The way the dial is cracked and the way the lug looks, it looks like a direct hit to the upper right. The timing is way off for a serviced watch. If all true, this will be hard to get much over $2k. These watches won't work right after being hit or dropped. The winding crown looks wrong color, is it replaced?

This movement features an instantaneous seconds start. Do you have any problems starting the watch?

The damaged area as photographed is in the bottom backside crown side lug.

 

It is pretty simple for a professional watchmaker to heat up the case and push the hing pin out to take the covers off. If I have photos of friends watches taken completely apart. If the watch has had substantial damage missing original parts is not impossible.

 

Given OP description of the life this watch led, I’d imagine it may have had some repairs.

 

Before covid, I was in contact with more Longines crazies. I had two requests to sell my 13.33z. I refused an offer for $18k usd. I said I wanted $22k, but quickly changed my mind when I thought one person in Hong Kong was going to pay it.

I have one of the more difficult to find 5 color kilometric type of dials.
You can find a few examples of this hard to get White, Black, Red, Blue, and GREEN color dial. Green is the rarest color on a 13.33z dial.

 

I became obsessed with these from the excellent Longines Chronograph article on the Dink. Miraculously, I was offered one with extract by an Italian broker. I cannot remember if I had discussed these but he knew my interest in Longines. Mine has one very faint hairline and had been owned by a physician. I have had it overhauled and it keeps amazing time for its age. I think I’d have trouble parting with it too. The coolness factor is still there for me although the trench strap keeps me from opening the watch which is prolly a good thing.

 

Two color --standard silver or steel case

Three color --available on silver or gold

Four color -- usually only on gold (silver was upgrade?)
Add your two watches here.


Five color--rare and expensive

 

There has been no repair to the case since I've had the watch. I can't say for certain what my grandfather did but I can't see anything. Would that have been an expensive repair? Hard for me to imagine my grandfather having a repair done if it was more expensive than the watch was worth but all is speculation at this point. Is there a way for me to know definitively?

What do you mean that the timing is off? I took those pictures before I had it serviced and I did have that small hand replaced -- perhaps the new hand was not aligned perfectly? The winding crown -- again I don't know. I'm not an expert but I can say again, not been replaced since I've had it. Could be the photo.

It starts and stops properly and seems to keep time well. I'll see how accurate it is and report back.

Another silly question -- My watchmaker nearly fainted when I asked if I should use a little silver polish to remove the tarnish. Do you agree?

Thank you for your thoughtful comments. I'm making lists of everything left to research and it's quite enjoyable.

 

No silver polish. No polish at all. It’s personality is that of a prize fighter of an almost 100 year old vintage watch. Took a licking and still ticking! (Apologies to Timex)

 

Hi Seiji,
I must be blind but I don’t see anything wrong with the lug on the right hand crown side.
As for enamel dials, my (very good) watchmaker told me they crack easily even when held in a drawer without any motion, due to the simple fact the metal plate to which the enamel is affixed reacts differently to the environment, and the enamel is rigid so it cracks when the metal plate expands or contracts, it’s just physics. So it doesn’t take any blow, and having a dial without any cracks can be pure luck.

As for the value of the watch, and given how rare those movements are, I’d be cautious about underestimating the watch, even if one should not necessarily think it’s worh 18K like you say yours is.
First off, a silver cased one seems to be pretty rare isn’t it? I don’t pay close attention to those but I don’t recall ever seeing one. if both of the case covers are marked Longines, the only thing that I find would diminish the value is the cracked dial, but again if that is something Longines can fix I’m quite sure it would be worth it.
We wouldn’t want the OP being driven to accept low ball offers because people convinced him his rare and sentimental watch is not worth as much as others.

Also provenance and a one owner watch who raced cars with it could be pretty cool, if there’s photos, documentation, etc. And maybe the OP’s grand father was a famous race car driver in his days?

Finally to the OP, maybe your watchmaker feared you’d drop some of that silver polishing chemical inside the movement and create a mess (I’d be worried). Purists frown upon polishing or buffing a watch, but that’s usually because thr process damages the watch and its original patina or finish.
Silver patina is relatively quick to return- I wouldn’t see a problem with it so long as you’re using a special cloth instead of some chemical, one could argue the watch would lose some character but it’s clearly been buffed before otherwise it would be completely black, like my 1916 watch below.

 

I did read somewhere that there are fewer silver than gold but not sure where I read that