Time to run the gauntlet and get y'alls opinion on my Tri-Compax.

My watchmaker had to sort through a few issues related to past botched repairs plus locate a staff. Also, he handmade two of the three pushers, Walmart was backordered

It is without an import stamp, so brought into the US at some point.

Has a gold-clad cal 287, circa 1945 with a gloriously brilliant, unoxidized moonphase wheel and unspoiled silvered dial with gold applied numerals and markers. Radium lume shows the hour, double plots at 12.

37-38mm of crisp, sharp stainless steel. Spot on accurate, regulator at midpoint.

SWISS below "6" tucked low

I especially like the uniformed font at each sub dial. This thin, delicate font recedes the sub dials, to my eye, and greatly enhances the uncluttered appearance of the dial and makes the applied numerals and markers just that much more legible at a glance.

Words cannot describe the gold alpha(CORRECTION: SWORD) hands. Not often seen.









Could be the original brushing at the sides of the case, the back has the same brushing.

I want to thank all who posted information and pictures not only here but other forums as well, and Sala for such a nice reference book, warts and all, because that's how I learned.

And a special shout out to Larry S who heard a lonely cry in the dark and stopped to help.

 

Love the watch! Congratulations.

 

Stunning piece!

 

WOW! Those hands, and the moonphase disc, and the whole thing. Amazing. Dibs!

 

Personally I think that the dial is too new for the case, it should be 50s not 40s. But overall a really nice watch

 

Great watch, looks very very cool!

 

Nice case, nice dial. Pushers look very good.

 

Looks amazing!

 

Would love for you to flesh this out with comments and pictures, I'm still learning.


Anybody else have a comment on my dial?

 

Sure thing, I think the thing that stands out to me is the numerals. Here are 2 examples of dials from the 40s:





vs 2 examples of dials from later pieces (60s) - apologies in advance if I am using someone's photos

 

From a reliable member from another forum

 

It is a cool watch. Dial is a 50's dial while case is a 40's case. equally nice and desirable

 

wow. very nice!

 

The SN and case is mid 40's & the dial is fine. There was so much variation and swapping dials with UG.

 

Yes there was but i think we can place this one in the 50's: the short lines in the 3, 6 and 9 in the minutes subdial (in 40's dials these lines were longer as posted in the examples shown above); the closed 6 and 9 in the hour subdial (were open in the 40's) and, despite all variatons, the seconds subdial, in the 40's dials, had always the same configuration.

 

I think I am in love. Larry, you need to tell me about these things! <3

 

Good to know.

 

So beautiful! All that's that's left is for you to tell us that you found it a barn somewhere for a song!

 

Definetively a very nice example and I agree with zr4484 that the dial, though very much original and in very good conditions indeed, is later, probably 50s, perhaps very very late 40s.
You can tell this from a few things, in no particular order:
- The absence of the telephone marks at 3, 6, 9
- The font of the subials, that is "taller/more elongated" than 40s dials and in the running seconds at 9 it only has numbers at 15, 30, 45 and 60 instead of every 10 seconds.
- The 6s and 9s in the subdials are closed instead of open, which would be a red flag at least if the dial was 40s but in this case, with this font they are ok, simply later
- The date compax is not enclosed in a circle

The rest of the watch in instead definitively 40s, including the moonphase disk that has the face. The moonphase disk of watches with those type of fonts always have faceless.

That being said a nice example in good conditions, which is increasingly more and more difficult to find!

 

Thank you, learning more and more.