Hello all,

firstly, many thanks for all the help, not just from the replies, but also all the old threads I've dug up! I really appreciate it!

I thought I would share pics of my SM30.

It has apparently spent the last 30 years in a safe, being wound every 6 months. Everything seems original. I am really happy with the condition of it. Minimal scratches, no refinishing/polishing. It has the omega etch on the crystal, original crown. Also, I saw the movement today, and it looks spotless. Photos unfortunately not that good, but the movement looks as if it were brand new.

It keeps time relatively well (from my observation). The only negative point, is that the crown is a bit stiff when winding. It is at the watchmakers now, who will test it. He mentioned that it may be from a perished gasket on the crown.

I have also just ordered a light brown ostrich band, with a deployment clasp.

I will try and get some high res pics when I have the new strap.


Cheers,

Ben

 

Wow, it looks like it came out of a time capsule. Well done. Do you know the ownership history?

The placement of the third wheel is rather unique, at least to me. I remember most wheels being under the plates and not near or overlapping the intermediate winding wheel. Neat.

Thanks for the post and welcome to OF.

 

Thanks for your kind words!

I bought it from ebay from a watch collector who is slowly selling his collection.

He mentioned that his children weren't interested in the watches. I didn't buy that in the beginning, but looking into him, e.g. age, professional background etc, I believe him.

I just know that he has had it for 30 years in his safe, together with his collection and just wound it every 6 months.

I just wrote him again, to see if he can tell me more about history. Will let you know.

Also, I am curious about the third wheel you mention; is this something which is different in mine, or in the 286 in general. (I thought mine looked like the rest in google, but my eyes aren't really trained on movements!)

 

I'm assuming that movement in general. I didn't mean to imply that there is anything wrong with yours. I like to geek out on youtube watch repair videos from time to time. I've not noticed a construction like this.

So this is a 286 movement? It's hard to tell in the pictures.

 

That's a lovely watch. I have the Rose gold plated version with coat hanger S dial in similarly mint, almost untouched condition.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

That's not the third wheel, but the sweep seconds drive wheel - it is a separate wheel that is pressed on an extended post of the train wheel below. Very common in indirectly driven sweep seconds, and very similar to a drive wheel for a chronograph mechanism for example.

BTW very clean example overall.

Cheers, Al

 

Very nice example <said through a cloud of envy>

Thanks for helping decide what to wear today.

 

Thanks for clarifying. Yes, this is a 286.

I am not so far that I am geeking out with the movements, but you just got me into it! Now, I know what a 3rd and 4th wheel are!

 

Beautiful! I think if I had the choice, I would have a sub-second dial 26x .. But that gives me an excuse to find the next one

 

Very nice!! Thanks for the pic, very familiar, and nice to see a close up exaple of the same style of dial, as well as shade of lume.

Out of interest, what year is yours? Interest to see that the 'S' is the same style as mine, whereas others with the 4 Arabic numerals I have seen have the hanger 's'

 

It is a very common feature. You can see that in almost all the indirect central second.

The 280 series has the good idea to put the central sec pinion in a jewel with a bridge. I prefer that feature rather than the use of a spring covering the pinion - of course there is also a spring for the 280 pinion. But the position of the driving wheel is very common.

Edit: sorry, did not see Al ´s message before posting mine.

 

My serial number of 20,785,017 puts it around 1963/64 and the case is a -63, so most likely 1964.

 

Thanks for the info. So ours are very close relatives then!