I know I should always consult first but in the heat of the moment, I have purchased this tricompax 42406 without doing much research. I am hoping that my noob tax isn't going to cost me an arm and leg.

Case and calibre number checks out. Dial looks original and fairly decent to my untrained eye though the tachymeter scale seems to be quite badly damaged.

Case is slightly polished with the bevels being blunted but I would say lugs are still fairly decent.

I have figured that the second and hour hands are not original as I can't find it on other google images and they are a rose gold colour which doesn't match the case. I think the chronograph hand might be original though.

Moonphase disc doesn't have the smiling face so I am assuming it is not an original moonphase disc.

All in all, I've paid about €2700 for it. Have I made a terrible mistake?


Here are the seller's photos.

I would greatly appreciate your harsh and discerning critique.

 

Well i'm certainly not an expert on UG, but in my honest opinion, you did pretty well.

Not sure the main hands are correct ( why do they have lume if there are no lume plots anywhere else on the dial?), and as you pointed out, the moon looks suspect, but the dial looks original, and the sub dial hands, inc the red date hand look ok to me.

Looks an original crown too, also a bonus

Hopefully the experts will chime in later

 

Lume needs to be on hands and dial as a general rule. These are wrong H/M hands. Subs & Chrono are fine. I don't have Sala with me but otherwise moon face was going away in late 40s but it was common to replace in service and your crown may be ok. Leaf, dauphine or baton hands would solve the problem. Yes you have paid a noob tax if you don't fix the h/m hands.

 

I will start sourcing them now. Do you know how much they usually cost?

Apart from that issue, is there anything else that needs attending to?

 

No idea ... couple hundred maybe. More like rarity is the challenge. I think but not sure that you match to movement number and case size. Others might know better. Movement service is always a good idea.

 

Hello,
I also considered getting it, and being a noob as well I have been scared a bit by the hands but most of all by the plated case.
In any case, its a gorgeous piece, could be a great dressier watch. I believe you'll be able to sell it on for roughly the same price when you'll want to (with the right hands) so there's no need to panic

 

Does anyone know what the right length of the H/M hand? It's cal287 and 37mm case size.

 

I was thinking that the dial is in a decent condition, better than some that I see for sale out there so it shouldn't be that hard to sell. I didn't know how hard it was going to be to source for the hands.

About the gold plating, I know it's less desirable but is there any specific reason? Are UG gold plated cases susceptible to flaking? If they are, I gotta be really careful with it.

 

Overall a good and honest example and I would say paid about the right amount.
With that serial number crown should be unsigned but no big deal.
Moonphase also probably replaces with a faceless one but again no big deal.
Overall dial conditions are good apart from the tachy scale.
Main issue are the hands, will not be easy to find them without buying a whole entire watch.
Gold plated UG are actually pretty rare, I would say rarer than both solid gold or steel ones, or at least they seem to come up for sale way rarerly. That being said they are indeed less desireable because.....well just because they are. Currently the mkt appreciate steel the best because gold color is not as fashioable or appreciated as it used to be. If you want gold color then, well, clearly gold is the best choice ! hence gold plated is indeed the least desireable. But from a portability point of view, given that yours seems to be have a plating in very very good condition, it will look as if is a solid gold example.
But the price you paid factored that in.

 

Overall length of the hands you have is OK so just measure and try to find the hands that come closest. Regarding plating...When it goes bad it really goes bad. Yours looks OK. In general plated watches are not as desirable as 18K or SS because of this.

 

Everything has been said !

 

Do you have a good watchmaker nearby? If they do restoration, they may be able to either do something with those hands, like skeletonize them, or source them for you. That is the route I'd go since your watchmaker would know how to spec them. Will cost you some cash but will be worth it. It is dammed hard to source UG hands.

 

I am based in the uk. Seller mentioned that it has been fully serviced recently. I will ask my watchmaker if he is able to source the hands. He doesn't seem to have much time to source parts.

 

For my learning, roughly at what serial number do we accept signed crowns?

 

I would say close to 1.5mm, surely above 1.4 or even 1.45 MM

 

Watch came today!

I really like the feel of it in my arms. Wrong hands aren't as jarring as I thought it would be. I wouldn't mind wearing them as I search for the unobtainium hands.

Thanks for the input guys.

 

Nice example
Hands not original but fit well with the dial.
Congratulations

 

I'm learning that sourcing hands is tough. I'd have the lume removed and I think they would look even better.

 

Removed entirely leaving a gap or relumed?

 

The former. Skeleton hands.