Hey guys,
I have always been a fan of collecting vintage watches that are imbedded in the very core DNA of the brand. With it's rising prices i decide to take a leap on this one, so acquiring this watch was definitely a big one for me. Just got this 3647N about a week ago. Judging from the case my guess is it has not been polished, or if it did it would just be a light one.
Please share your thoughts on it

Thanks for your time fam.

 

My only observation is that it looks like an early one due to the non-T dial, and if it is early it should have an unsigned crown rather than a signed one. Can you let us know the serial number (or at least the first three digits) ? It will be between the lugs on the 6 o’clock side.

Also, and I’m not sure if this is just a trick of the angle, but the second track on the rehaut seems misaligned with the dial. It’s most obvious around the 10 o’clock area, but oddly seems to align at 3 o’clock.

 

Wow i did not even see that. Amazing attention to detail! Even my twelve o'clock is not aligned. I will take note of this and do my best to re-align it when i bringing it in for a service. Yeah i realize about the crown too, the serial number is 610xx.
Thanks

 

I'm not a vintage Heuer expert so I cannot comment on the originality of the watch. As a vintage watch fan and the chronograph geek though I can say that it's an amazing timepiece and the corner stone for every vintage collection.

 

looks like redial. can't believe the indices aren't aligned either.

the chrono chapters were almost done well, but they weren't. i'm sure if u zoom in you will be alarmed even more so.

i would be concerned about the case back as well. it looks like it was heavily polished and dirtied up. it may not even be correct as well, but i can't be sure

watch has been worked on, no doubt about it.

 

Not a redial!

 

The dial appears to be a silver script dial...these came on some early serial numbers, but not sure it should be on a 61,000
I can double check my records tonight, but I believe they are found on the 57,000 range and then later around 68,000.

Can you verify is the printing in silver or white? looks silver

Regarding the case back...its a notched case back that came on the earliest Carreras...before 56,000 sn.
Is it engraved on the inside? if so how?

Can we see the movement with the bridge in focus?

 

agreed with @CajunTiger it is not a redial, the silver script Carrera's never seem to be as crisp as the white/black script.

Case looks sharp overall, and I would tend to agree that a non-t dial should have an unsigned crown, but as Cajuntiger mentions, the silver script kind of seemed to exist in a transitional period at times.

The central chrono sweep hand looks off to me, like the fan on the tail is too wide/exaggerated.

 

its a later replacement. The original is elegant and slender with less taper.

 

Ha, massive facepalm with that re-dial comment. Do NOT listen to people who clearly don't know much about Carreras! Silver scripts, for some reason, were not as finely printed as the white text, but they certainly have a charm in person. That's a very nice example. As @CajunTiger pointed out, the chronograph hand is a replacement and the caseback corresponds to an early serial. Now, if the case bears a later serial, there may be slight cause for concern that it's been pieced together, but for now I wouldn't worry.

I consider the Carrera to one of the quintessential examples of the golden age of sports watch design (the 1960's). Enjoy those angled lugs and the perfectly executed dial design!

A few of my black dialed Carreras say hello

 

Hey @CajunTiger @ChicagoFrog @gophishin my serial number between the lugs is 61XXX. It should be an early one. Thanks for letting me know about the Central hand. It is Silver script the dial.
Reading the comments has given me some cause for concern here haha. Anyway heres the best picture i got of the movement. Hope it helps!!
Amazing pieces by the way @ChicagoFrog

 

According to my info the silver script came in three different serial number ranges: 57,000/68-70/76-79.

oops, sorry that is for a 2447N.
It all looks correct to me. The crown may or may not have been signed by 61000, the sweep hand has been replaced, so likely the crown too...typical for a 50 year old watch as during service watchmakers weren't concerned with finding the exact original part. Close was close enough.

Same goes for rehaut...its part of the crystal and was typically replaced during service. Most of the time its not a Heuer crystal thats installed, but a cheaper substitute. Finding an original Heuer crystal...is well impossible, but you should be able to find one that lines up correctly

The silver script dial is far less common than the white script...nice find.

 

Very interesting to read about the nuances of the silver text version, something I didn’t know.

I’m still not sure about the rehaut alignment though, especially the idea that an incorrect one wouldn’t align properly. As long as it’s concentric with the dial it should surely align. I can’t imagine any rehauts exist that are so poorly made that the hour markers aren’t almost exactly 30 degrees apart. So maybe it’s a trick that the alignment seems to change, and perhaps a small rotation counter-clockwise will correct everything.

Here’s my early 54xxx red-tachy version. Would love to get a 2447N at some stage.

 

My 3647 (which I foolishly sold in a moment of madness!) was a 61xxx and had the larger unsigned crown but everything else looks good to me.

 

Hey @w154 yeah i totally agree with your point. I believe a slight rotation of the outerscale ring would do the trick for alignment. Appreciate your input.
Also beautiful piece you got there love the red.

 

Whew got me real worried there haha. Thanks for sharing your knowledge man appreciate it. The hunt is on for an unsigned crown and sweeping hand