I have mostly focused on Omega and Rolex watches recently but wanted to share a fun Longines that just arrived today. I purchased it from the grandson of the original owner and it came with the original box, strap, and buckle. The watch was given as a gift in 1954 for 20 years of service at WM Chase Co.

The dial looks beige/cream in normal room lighting but takes on a beautiful tan look in the natural sun. It is sized at 33mm and come in a gold filled case. All Radium lume in the hands and dial markers is intact. There is even radium burn at 8 o'clock, which I quite like.

It is running on and off so it needs to go for service. It was never opened, and I could not get the caseback to budge. In fact, I gave it a gouge with my case wrench :-( Any guesses as to what movement will be inside?

 

I have all the time in the world for these honest, smaller, one owner or family watches. I couldn't tell you how many similar pieces I have.

What I find interesting on that dial is the lack of discolouration around the text. Surely it's down to the printing/manufacturing process. I wonder if the printing was made onto a lacquered dial and then an additional coat of lawyer was put over the text, thus giving more protection against the radiation that caused the change in colour elsewhere?