... both arrived with their sweep second hands knocked off in transit.



Both packed rather flimsily, in small plastic containers inside lightly padded envelopes. The Enicar lost lume from all three hands.

Please, for the love of the watch gods, don't skimp on the cardboard, bubble wrap, and styrofoam peanuts.

 

Dibs on the Kon Tiki!

 

Very interesting seconds hand on that Enicar. Pity you can't wear them yet. Still a couple of great grabs.

 

Not exactly two at a time... bought the Enicar on November 26 and it arrived on January 13... 44 freaking days from a country that shares a lengthy border with my own. Bought the KonTiki on January 10.

More on these when they get back from the shop. The Mark I KonTiki with date is seriously rare. And the Enicar is, I think, the earliest "Sherpa" I've seen.

 

I particularly like the Sherpa, and yes, it is an early version. There was a nice NOS dial for this model that sold not too long ago on ebay.

 

Thanks Tony. I might have seen that dial... there is a German seller who has been liquidating a horde of NOS Enicar parts and a few nice watches for a while now. This one's EPSA case dates to 10/56, five months after the Swiss Everest expedition that set off the Sherpa-mania at Enicar. I'm not sure when exactly the first "Sherpas" were marketed.

 

Of course the problem with NOS dials is that they can present a displeasing contrast with patinated hands.

 

Nice watches, I would have been seriously vexed had those watches arrived to me missing their hands. What did the seller say about the shoddy packaging?

 

Both sellers were apologetic about the damage and asked what they could do to make things right, but didn't say anything about the packing. The seller of the Enicar agreed to a partial refund, which I requested because the hands had been damaged. I'm hoping the KonTiki will be an easy fix. You have to worry a bit about the innards, though, when a watch endures shocks strong enough to knock off the second hand.

How do you all pack your watches? I always feel better when a box at least 15cm square arrives, filled with styrofoam peanuts or shredded newspaper, with a watch cocooned in bubble wrap inside. My heart sinks when I see a padded envelope or a tiny box. I think there should be some extra space inside a box filled with cushiony material in which a watch can decelerate gently when jolted.

 

The watch gets wrapped in Sontara cloth usually, then bubble wrap, and I add those rectangular air packets until I can barely close the box.

Which reminds me to get some Sontara cloth.

 

I already dibsed it

 

True.

http://omegaforums.net/index.php?threads/Incoming-Teaser.9538/#post-113519