... sans bezel, unfortunately, but otherwise pretty good. One day, if the watch gods see fit to deliver the correct bezel (and some 20mm end pieces to replace the 18mm ones on my NOS Nautilus bracelet) it will look like this:

Perhaps @MattS has some extra 6921 bits lying around.

For now, however, I am very pleased with it just as it is. It was sold as a non-runner, but it is in fact running fine and fully functional. I believe the crown, with its tiny paddles (resembling the catalog image) and cross-hatching, is a rarissimo original one. The thick, original crystal cleaned up nicely with some Polywatch. And the thin layer of lead within the case back, for radiation shielding, remains in place.

Straight out of the box:










After a little elbow grease on the crystal:

 

Congratulations. Grail watch in every respect. Looks fantastic as-is! Keep looking, and you will find a bezel sooner or later.

 

KHAN!!!!!!

 

Spot on! but with less hair and a darker Turtle neck.

 

Sweet!

 

Bulova made a single crown super compressor with a similar Bezel. Not familiar with its dimensions but worth looking into. They turn up here and there. Surprisingly, since no one else has said it yet, DIBS! with a similar conviction as pic above.

See pics of Bulova here: http://cda.chronomania.net/forum_entry.php?id=76656

 

I have to admit, this bezel-less 40mm beauty has momentarily eased my craving for a 1016 Explorer. And it's less stressful wearing a watch without an introvabile plastic bezel that seems to have been designed to eject itself when threatened. No wonder Longines made the switch to an internal-bezel diver and never looked back.
But yes, I must hunt that bezel down. I know the watch looks good without one, but...

 

The strange affliction of the collector.

Beautiful watch, by the way. Never see those.

 

Maybe ask Aldo if he can make one?

 

Deep down, we are all Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard. Or Inspector Javert, if we are French. Or Klondike Kat, if we are Canadian.

Thanks! You just have to buy the bracelet (even with the wrong end pieces), and the watch will be inexorably drawn to the net. Never fails.

 

Interesting idea.

 

Very similar bezel but, alas, the Bulova is 37mm in diameter and the Longines is 40mm.

 

First the 4atm. Now this. Can't imagine what the year will bring.

 

Rembered when you got the bracelet your comment reminded me of
" Build it they will come "

Nice score, got to dig the under dial anti-radiation shield....

 

wow! awesome looking! That's patina elegance!

 

Very nice and good luck with the bezel quest

 

Such a nice patina ! And you've got the rare matching bracelet !!! Wow

Wish you the best of luck with your bezel hunt

 

Beautiful, congrats !!
Doesn't Jack at IWW recreate bezels that are impossible to find?
(I seem to recall something about him recreating an impossibly rare BP FF type acrylic bezel insert --but I may be wrong. Worth asking perhaps in any event).
Best regards, S