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Thoughts on what i should do with this 12.68?

  1. FrPaul69 Sep 11, 2016

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    Hi everyone,

    I recently purchased this vintage military off the bay, its a 12.68, black dial and the serial number puts it c1947.

    Im completly new to longines but when it popped up in the recommendations i really wanted to buy it (after doing some background research).

    I'd really appreciate any advice on how i can give it a new life now. Should I have it repainted or does it look better with the original 'worn out' dial? What type of hands would you recommend? Any ideas on what the original looked like? Im thinking of buying hands like in the last picture (in silver, not gold)

    Thank you!!
    20160912_095139.png 20160912_095124.png 20160912_095103.png 20160912_095050.png 20160912_095031.png Screenshot_20160912-100040.png
     
  2. ulackfocus Sep 11, 2016

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    Might as well have the dial repainted because it was repainted at some point earlier in it's life.

    ps - it's not military. :(
     
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  3. dodo44 Sep 11, 2016

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    The top case is an alloy and the spring bar holes are almost dead (one looks dead already, look at the upper left lug). A terrible redial, missing hands, missing crown. Return it if you can. Do not spend money on an expensive restoration; it is not worth it.
     
  4. Syrte MWR Tech Support Dept Sep 11, 2016

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    The case is quite damaged but unless it's been mismatched with the wrong case back it should be steel, as the case back is marked "acier inox".
    That being said, that lug looks like it's gone already...
    If the watch was sold as military, it definitely isn't.

    @ulackfocus, @dodo44, maybe I'm naive, but what makes you say it's a redial?
    It's quite worn but I find the logo, subdial, indexes and numerals pretty well done.
     
    Edited Sep 12, 2016
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  5. FrPaul69 Sep 11, 2016

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    Thanks a lot for your feedback guys, learning every day on this forum.. I will defo try to return it now if the seller lied on the "military"..
     
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  6. FrPaul69 Sep 12, 2016

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    And sorry another question for my learning. What are generally the features of a "military" vs a non military longines? Besides the steel case and the 24hr dial?
     
  7. Seiji Sep 12, 2016

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    I think some basics first. What is military is a long discussion. You must learn each military marking for every country and military division. Www.broadarrow.net go and read there.

    My estimate is that these are probably only less than 300 kinds of recognised military watches. Whitney, James Dowling, Konrad Knirim. http://www.knirim.de/english.htm,
    Zaf Basha, are some resources.

    Longines markings, Czech, British, Serbian, German, Japanese, Romanian, are some well known by the way.
     
    Edited Sep 12, 2016
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  8. FrPaul69 Sep 12, 2016

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    Thanks Seiji!

     
  9. Syrte MWR Tech Support Dept Sep 12, 2016

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    A steel case and a military dial do not make a military watch. Equally, numbers on a steel case do not mean a watch is military.
    A military watch is one which a government purchased for its military -- and, more strictly, which a government issued for its military. A military Longines has engravings on the back of the case with codes indicating what country issued it for what branch of its military.
     
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  10. JimInOz Melbourne Australia Sep 12, 2016

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    Military "style".

    I'd return it if it was described as truly military.
     
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  11. FrPaul69 Sep 12, 2016

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    Yes the item was listed as "military", the seller responded he listed it as such based on other listings of similar watches (most of which were "military-style" after checking the links he sent me, i didnt know there were so many military-style listed as military out there)
    Will return, thanks everyone for your advice!