Hello OF I am looking to buy an 18k yellow gold Longines. But I'd love to hear your thoughts first. To the watch: Ref 3404 Material: 18k, strong hallmarks visible at the back of the lugs Movement: Automatic caliber 340 / must be a chronometer according to the dial Dial: The silver crosshair dial seems to be in great condition. BUT, there are indices missing at 12,3,6 and 9. I couldnt find any other version with a crosshair and markers missing. Case: has a weird spot on the caseback. Of course id also be interested to hear your opinion on the value of this watch. If this watch is legit, it must be rare to come across an 18k chronometer. So i am guessing its somewhere around USD 1800-2000. Thanks for the help. Best Brian
Going to need much better photos to get any help, movement and inside case back a must for this sort of purchase as well. Not aware of the cal 340 ever being chronometer rated.
It is an auction and no better or other pictures are provided. But the quality is poor due to the upload on here somehow. Let me try it again… I didnt find any evidence of a cal 340 being a chronometer either.
Here is one that @Tony C. sold a few years ago. Source: https://omegaforums.net/threads/sol...hip-chronometer-w-box-and-certificates.61050/
I think the absence is normal for this type of dial. Below is another example. Source: https://www.retrowatchguy.com/products/sublime-minty-1966-longines-flagship
I have not spent much time studying these Flagships. However, I do not see anything that looks obviously incorrect. The lugs look polished, but it is still an attractive example. I do not think that the chronometer designation adds a lot of value.
Do we think that the watch originally had some sort of Flagship engraving on the back that has been polished away?
I don't think so. See another ref. 3404 with a similar case-back below. Source: https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/...t-yellow-gold-35mm-long-lug-full-set.5147661/
Oh, so it could have been a plain case-back made for personalized engravings. Mostly I see this type of caseback, but I guess that would require a lot of polishing.
Thank you very much for all of your inputs. So there‘s a good chance the watch is original, but its an uncommon configuration with a plain caseback and crosshair dial. On Tony‘s sold example there isnt any evidence on the movement that the watch was certified as chronometer right? What are your guesses on the possible value of it? So chronometer certification wont add a significant premium? (20%?) I read a nice thred here on OF regarding longines chronometers and their rarity.