Hello all,
First of all I'm sorry about my low knowledge about watches.



My grandfather gave this watch to me when i was 14 years old. I kept her until this time. I loved to wear her from time to time. Last weekend i bring her to a repair shop to get a new band. And the repairman told me this is a valuable watch. I didn't think so!



After some searchs via google image, I found that this watch is named as 146 hp and there's copycats. After i read more and more, I bring her to another watch shop and wanted them to remove the back.







Can you please tell me more about this watch? What's the history behind it? How much valued is this?

ps: I also recorded a video while she's working

 

Welcome to the forum, I don’t know much about Zenith so cannot answer your questions, but I can say I find it really good looking and the design is typical of the 1960s.
Best regards

 

Beautiful piece! Late 1960s by the case number. It’s referred to as a reverse Panda dial because of the Black base and White sub dials. We don’t give values here but it’s quite a bit.

 

Wellcome!
Your grandfather watch is a really WOW watch. 146 HP is the name of the movement, the correct reference is A2711, for a pricing valuation search on Google.
The watch looks in great conditions to me, dial fantastic and I think case never polished! I think also crown is correct (need better photos).
I think it’s about 1968 but if you want you can ask an archive extract to Zenith, it’s quite easy to do and costs 80 euros.
DON’T SELL IT!!!

 

No sell it to me

 

Just to make it clear, that is NOT a rule on Omegaforums.

 

Very nice and collectible chronograph. Unfortunately, I think the tip of the sweep seconds hand has broken off, and the hand itself is rusty, but otherwise it seems to be in nice condition. The movement was made by the Martel company, and similar movements were also used by Universal Geneve in their chronographs. I think the value is realistically in the general area of $2,500 USD in its current condition if you were to sell to a collector or on eBay. Other people may have different opinions on value, and honestly it's difficult to do a precise valuation without better photos and more information. Obviously, professional dealers will ask higher prices when they sell this reference. The strap is too narrow for the watch.

 

i thought we weren’t supposed to do that. Good to know

 

noob

I'll throw out $100. Beautiful watch, btw.

With Google at the fingertips these days, it's not hard to find some comparables. Pretty rare. Please hang on to it and let us know if you want to have it serviced. Plenty of people here can make recommendations.

 

You have a very nice unpolished example of quite a rare AH 2711 reference from the 60s. See the link below for info on this reference from Zenith themselves.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/the-so-called-rare-cal-146-hp-reverse-panda.56806/page-2#post-726883

I echo the recommendations to get it serviced by a competent watchmaker and to hang onto it.

 

thank you!

I really didn't mean to get an exact value. Thank you for the name also I'm sorry but i don't want to sell it

Thank you very much for the detailed information. I would love to get it certified. I do not think to sell it

Hand is rusty yes. Thank you for the detailed information.

I would love to get a recommendation for a service. But i don't think you would know anyone in Istanbul, Turkey? Do you?

The link was the only detailed resource i could find on the internet. Actually if i couldn't find it i would not write here. Thank you!

 

If you are in Istanbul Turkey I can ask someone who might know.

 

Yes i'm living in Istanbul. If you can refer someone that would be great.

 

Unfortunately the person I know says he takes his watches to Izmir for repair, and doesn't know anyone he'd feel comfortable recommending in Istanbul. Sorry. You could try asking on a Turkish forum --not sure there's anyone from Turkey here.

But you have to be very careful no matter what.
The first watchmaker I used was dishonest even though his name was mentioned as "serious" on a watch forum.
I found out he had lied only after a watchmaker closer to me took a second look inside one of the watches.

For a watch that is so precious as this one, you might well do like people here: ship your watch to someone who's very strongly recommended, even if it means sending it to a foreign country.

Here's a thread about choosing a watchmaker.
https://omegaforums.net/threads/how-to-evaluate-a-watchmaker.79918/

It is key to ensure the watchmaker you go to is transparent and honest with you.
It is also key to say you only want a movement service -- and that you do not want ANYTHING done to the outside of the watch to make it look "better" or more new. No polishing, no removing scratches, no machine, no change of luminous material on the dial.
Polishing the crystal is okay, however.

 

And if you can source a correct replacement second hand that’s fine too- but as advised, only take it to a watchmaker who is sympathetic to vintage high end watches- not a “watchmaker” at the local shopping mall kiosk who does battery changes all day.
Lovely watch and a great keepsake from your grandfather.

 

+1
your watch has a beatiful dial with stuning subdials incredible white and clean. A bad watchmaker could easily ruin them.
It is more dangerous a bad watchmaker than a heavy use of the watch

 

Is this your new watch band ? If so you should stop wearing it right now and get another one. It's not wide enough.

If an unexpected movement pulls at the strap, the spring bar might pop off and cause the watch to fall and break.
A very silly and expensive risk to take for such a nice valuable watch when you just need to get a strap that's wide enough to fill the entire lug width.
Better too wide than too narrow.

 

You could always send it to Zenith

 

The chrono second hand length is fine, no need to change it apart from getting the rust cleaned. Here's mine for comparison.

 

very nice, thank your grandfather