found this at a local vintage shop. Asking for about 5k usd....

 

I’d pass - wrong bezel, crystal and crown.

 

Pass

 

nice case, dial and hands. looks like ref and serial is visible at 21:00. If movement is in good working condition, the only thing i would change is the bezel as the one that is on it could be a titus sub bezel (almost identical to the polerouter sub apart from the triangle instead of dot and worth an arm and a leg to a titus collector) ...

Considering the amount a first gen sub goes for, i would consider it a good candidate for a very straight forward restoration.

 

Personally, I think a crystal without a date window looks better than a crystal with the wrong date window.

I'm on the look out for an original to replace mine should anyone have one going spare . . .

These things are so rare, I even had someone pleading for my original but badly crazed current crystal should I ever replace it. You can see the extent of the crazing in this photo.

 

Yeh, difficult to pull the trigger unless bought at a parts watch price, IDK about 4k ???

 

Thanks

Mmmm so case dial hands are OK? Just need to source for a bezel and crown/crystal?

 

I have a Technos skydiver which may share the same case DNA as Pole sub, most of the skydiver examples has square loupe but mine got the same shape as Pole sub. Do you think they were switched at some point?

 

The trapezoidal loupe is certainly much more common with Polerouter Subs. It widens from left to right, matching the date window on the dial.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that were some Polerouter Subs made with a round loupe. I'm not sure how it was established that the round loupe was original in those cases. Perhaps it is pictured in some advertising or maybe the crystals are signed?

 

Crystals are difficult to source. Quite few have replacements and the round cyclops has been used on early subs.



Bezels can be found as they were used on many different case designs and by many manufacturers. The crown looks identical to the UG space or sub crown but it does not have a U. I suppose it could be a later service part so as long as it is ok, I would not bother.

I would source a bezel and wait for the other parts to come along and you have a sub at a big discount. We can sometimes be a little over the top and see something which is not perfect as a basket case. This one is far from That and Is far better than the subs with questionable dials and hands that we have seen in the past that seem to have sold for a lot more.

 

Thanks for the detailed post.

I just checked with the dealer and he's only able to do 5.2k usd for it.

Is that a decent price? I really have no idea how much are ug subs priced at

 

http://chronocentric.com/forums/chronotrader/index.cgi?page=1;md=read;id=78632 this is going for 6950 USD...

 

Mine with its crazed crystal is £4,500 in its current state.

 

UG used round cyclops on early Polerouter models including the Sub ...

 

That advert does seem to prove that round cyclops were used but I remain a little sceptical. I've heard that the illustrations used in advertising didn't always accurately reflect the watches that were available in every detail.

The advert also also shows the date window to be rectangular in shape but I think they were always trapezoidal. A round cyclops would look better with a rectangular date window but I just don't think it works with a trapezoidal date window.

 

The round loupe was used on Polerouters, that's a fact:

 

I am now convinced

Thanks @gop76 and @Diabolik

 

So for an additional $1750 you get an all original example. I'm not sure how much sourcing all the parts you would need (that is if you can find them) would cost if you take on that project watch.

 

Crystal is most certainly incorrect. There is no documented evidence of a round cyclops being fitted to a Pole Router Sub. Other models, yes but not in this model. The bezel is incorrect too. I cant tell if the crown is signed. It should be signed otherwise, that too is incorrect. Not worth 5k IMHO.