Amazing

 

(... still in awe of @preacher's A3736 above)

Went for a hand wound EP today, Prime from 1995
Rather thin, once they got rid of the rotor

 

Something off track. A lapis lazuli, silver and ivory clock. Movement and case Zenith stamped.

 

Sneaking in a Zenith-ringer here ...

I had looked forward to bidding on an Espada at auction in mid-December but I stopped short thinking it would be an expensive proposition for the condition, after adding in premium, euro exchange and shipping.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/94425097_zenith-raro-modello-sub-sea-espada-ref-a-7817

(And it was even from Milan! So why wasn't it NOS and perfect like all Italian Zeniths are supposed to be??)

So, I was left disappointed, Espada-less.

I found, and took comfort, in this domestic Movado Astronic HS360 01.0010.438 in apparent fine fettle. It arrived yesterday, and turned out to be, truly, in really nice shape!

 

Nice catch! Those hour markers win the battle of the markers vs Espada imo

 

In ‘60 and ‘70 Italy was one of the most important markets for Zenith. nowadays Zenith is not highly regarded here, or at least not as well known as other brands. it happens that someone finds an old Zenith at home and decides to sell it (and maybe it's an EL primero!). all my Zeniths come from their original owners (except the last one). then there are some stock funds (nos) but they are mostly Rainbow and sometimes De Luca. my A3736 was from an old watchmaker who had closed down years ago and had kept a few watches (mostly omega 70s). while for a rolex collector it is a dangerous land (many Franken or assembled), for a Zenith lover Italy is the peninsula of treasures ...i would have a nice chance for an a386 that has been in a drawer for 30 years but i ran out of budget, i am taking time to raise my finances.
for example Autavia, on the other hand, you don't even see them here with binoculars...

 

Unfortunately, nowadays the most beautiful watches are flying away from Italy, and it's a bit sad

 

An A386 from the drawer: it sounds like in my dreams

 

yes, it was used the first few years and then put away.then the owner when about ten years ago saw the reissue and started using it again, but it didn't work well (strange isn't it?). then he posted it to an idiot watchmaker who didn't understand anything about el primero but who managed to scratch the caseback in an attempt to open it. not happy this idiot watchmaker has changed the crown (putting an unwatchable one) and the winding shaft. moral, the clock continued to fail and the owner put it back in the drawer.I would also have agreed on a good price but then I found the a3736 ...I have to take time, it seems that he is in no hurry to sell

 

Happy end of the fu@@in 2020

GIGI

 

Posted here some time ago but here’s my Zenith, from the family in Italy, find. 18K Cal 810 from Torino

 

Zenith Defy 01-0170-346 running perfectly just had seals done and pressure tested

 

I had already posted them, but never together

 

Those are both very nice examples. Congrats! M

 

That is so awesome looking. Imagine a reissue with a GMT compilation. I would be all over that.

 

My vintage 60's Pilot. Don't know much about it but I love it. I am not even sure that it is all original. It gets a lot of wrist time. At +6 per day it is surprisingly accurate.

 

a redial but still a nice piece

 

Thanks. That is what I have been suspecting.