I managed to turn up a few watches this week one of which I thought might merit a post here. This little gem was sitting on a jewelry dealer's desk when I walked into his office to pick up another watch. He couldn't get it to work and he was afraid to "mess with it".....so he sold it to me. It is working fine now with all functions acting like they should and keeping good time although it could use a COA. It looks like someone bought it and put it away without wearing it much.

I always wondered how these would feel on the wrist and I can tell you that on my big wrist it feels almost weightless. The back has the big interconnected Zs logo. I love it!

JohnCote

 

You're killing me John. Tell me how you do it.

Great score! Very nice looking first series Astronic.

 

Gotta love it - you're saying "Hey, I think I'll find a few cool watches this week" instead of "I'm gonna search for a decent watch" as if it's a foregone conclusion that you'll turn up something that makes us all drool.

 

My secret is that except for my photography business, which keeps me on airplanes and at race tracks for long weekends through the motorsport season I look for watches all of the time. I have been looking pretty much all of my adult life and I have met a lot of people who find watches and call me about them or save them for me. I only do two things...take pictures and find watches....my wife hates me...most of the time...but it seems to pay the bills.

 

Lou, when I saw this on the guy's desk I tried not to look at it and I tried to keep from trembling. I am pretty good at this. When I finally picked it up and saw that it was dirty on the surface but crisp underneath it was really difficult to act dis-interested. Then...the guy's partner walked in and said...with no prompting...."it's gonna cost us a grand to get that thing fixed....sell it to him".

Lou....shhhhh...let me whisper a secret in your ear....I love watches too much....just like you....but in the end, I end up selling most of them....that's the difference....shhhh...don't tell anyone.

 

Okay John, if you ever find a late 50's to mid 60's Longines Conquest Power Reserve, especially an 18ct (white gold preferred) contact me immediately please!

 

Dennis, I had one of these last year...but gold filled if I remember correctly. I don't see them very often but I will look harder.

JC

 

I have a question for you guys. Does anyone know how many of these were produced? I have heard in various places that only a hundred or a few hundred were made and I have heard that thousands were made. I know that not too many of the 18k version were made. What's the story?

Thanks

JohnCote

 

Which - the Conquest of the Movado in your original post?

 

Yup Dennis...the stainless Astronic pictured above.

Thanks

 

Thanks Lou...you mean only 300 stainless Espadas?

 

BTW, this watch sets differently than the odd-ball Luna that I posted several weeks ago. I don't know if it is just because it is a later...improved movement or what but the big difference is that on the Luna (per the typewritten factory instructions and per actual function) the months have to be advanced with the button at 8:00 because they do not advance automatically. This Movado sets more like a conventional watch with the months advancing each time you advance 31 days.

 

....what is the month button on the Luna is the Day button on the Movado.

 

It's my understanding that there were about 300 first generation Espadas and about 500 second generation Espadas (different case backs and different stars on the dial). The number 100 is often thrown out for Astronics, but I find this hard to believe as they show up on eBay and elsewhere with some regularity. The Astronics were also produced in two series - Movado logo on the first one's dial and the MZ 70's star on the second. First series with NATO star case back, second plain.

 

The reason I asked this numbers question is that a watchmaker who I know from another forum used to work for Movado USA. He told me that he thought that they made thousands of Astronics. He did not distinguish between the first and second generations and he did not have any real backup for his statement other than the fact that they seemed to have a lot of them in for service because people thought that they were much more water-resistant than they really were. I had always heard that there were only 100 or so of the first series but given the number I have seen for sale (not a lot but some) I thought 100 seemed a bit hard to believe.