You will all have heard of MMMD's capture of the Zenith S58 at last week's Bonhams auction, during which I patiently let him and the other internet bidder sort out. I did advise him of the condition before the sale started and, in fact, had made him aware of it when the catalogue first came out. Anyway, I thought it was time to break cover with my purchase from the sale.

I'm not going to play Lou's game of "What's in the box?" but here is the box. It is a bit of a work of art with a sliding, locking band and sprung loaded, bi-parting lid. Let me apologise for the photos but I can't bring myself to spend valuable watch money on a proper macro lens.



Look what you see when you open it.



Whilst I would love it to have a shiny dial, at least it is an honest patina.


Nothing special about the case back apart from its origins.


Still got its anti-magnetic inner cover


The inside of the case back has got 14 service markings


And here is the 458-3 movement


.....and again with the brightness turned down



Unfortunately, one of the watchmakers seems only to have had one screwdriver and the setting lever screw is deeply recessed so there is some "counter-sinking" type damage around that hole. Never the less - I love it.

 

Looks like you did damn well for yourself! Appears to be from the 40's. Got a serial number or do you know what year already?

 

Thanks Dennis. It's actually a 458/3B, number 488147. Case 320842. I don't know the date but there was a lady sitting next to me at the auction who turned to me when the hammer fell and said, "That was my father's watch." She reckoned that he bought it in about 1950 but I'm buggered if I'm going to pay V&C 150 Francs to tell me exactly. If there is another way to find out, I'd certainly be interested.

I do use a watchmaker who is well connected (he can get Zenith to make obsolete parts for him) so hopefully he has a similar relationship with V&C - I shudder to think what a service would cost from them.

The watch also came with a small, CD case, sized brochure for V&C but unfortunately that is not dated. It does talk about V&C giving watches to the heads of state from the US, Soviet Union, GB and France at the Geneva cold war conference on 18 July 1955, but the brochure may have been sent to the original owner by a jeweler trying to get him to buy a new watch.

 

That's a beauty, Stewart. Very classy piece.

 

1945 started with serial number 475,000 and 1950 started with 500,000 so I would guess your watch was made in 1948.

 

Nice snag Stewart. This and the S58 would be the ones I would have gone for after going through the catalogue.

 

Thanks Dennis. That would bear out the lady's thoughts of purchase in around 1950.

 

Stewart,

To me the story of the daughter sitting next to you makes the watch that much more special. What could be better than a beautiful, original watch in its box with the daughter's words in your ears. Congrats!

 

No, it was last Tuesday's sale I went to. I think the sale they had today was in Chester.

 

Agreed. I made my purchase at that auction in my pajamas at the kitchen table, surrounded by screaming kids. Memorable, yes, but not the same.