Anyone out there have any opinion as to this cal 266? I have written to the vendor (I've bought a Mido from him before, seems straight enough) and he doesn't really know if the dial has been re-done. He didn't have it done. But it seems pretty perfect to me, given that the serial number dates it to the mid 1930s, I believe. Thanks!
It is a massively refinished or fake based on one of the 1894 homage dials, such as this one. We have seen these before out of S.A.
The serial number on the 266 makes it 1953 not 1930s. You can also see that the case is oversized, by the way the movement has an extra spacing ring. So this is a pretty big watch, for the period.
In my opinion the other way to judge the dial condition of the dial is to look at the overall condition of the watch . This one looks to have been kept properly and sparingly used.
Oops, sorry! You are quite right, of course. The inner back is marked 771449, so no style number per se. I agree that it's most likely a new dial of some sort. But this hasn't been this guy's style so far, he's been bumping along selling modestly priced watches of no real collectibility. Now he has this... This 266 is currently at £200/$300 as item 261251758080 on ebay.
Case style too early for the movement, more 30s than 50s and I find the combination of markings on the case troubling.
OK, so I was right about the size - 38mm. Now we can see the eBay listing things are a bit clearer. The case and movement do not belong together, hence the spacing ring - the case must be pre-1939 with strap loops (not lugs) and the 266 is a post-war development of the 30-T2. P.S. Quite where the dial fits into the story, I really don't know . . .