Very rare 18K GP HF on ebay - is it salvagable if a fair price could be negotiated?

I've been intrigued by this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144537829217

It's an exceedingly rare solid 18K, brown-dialed version of the GP HF 42.1 Chronometer. I don't think it's a redial because it's obviously the same model as this one, sold on Hudson Time a while back:

https://www.hudsontime.com/product-page/solid-gold-girard-perregaux-gyromatic-hf-chronometer

They state there that it's the only known example, so I guess the ebay one is the second.

The ebay one isn't quite as sharp, but it's not too bad for a solid gold case. And with some detective work (googling the serial number) I discovered that the same watch was apparently auctioned in the UK in 2019, with an estimated price of 600 - 800 GBP:

https://www.artfoxlive.com/product/2371247.html

https://www.fellows.co.uk/2316-lot-...c-wrist-watch?view=lot_detail&auction_id=9699

The condition report on the Fellow's website states the following:

• Movement is currently functioning.
• Movement has scratches, marks and tarnishing commensurate with general wear visible to the naked eye.
• Dial appears to be in an average condition with some light marks and scratches when viewed under a 4x loupe.
• Hands show marks and tarnishing when viewed under a x4 loupe.
• Glass has noticeable scratches and marks.
• Case shows scratches, marks and dints.
• Crown has scratches and marks with wear to the plating. Winding action is very stiff.
• Strap is in a poor condition with noticeable wear, marks, creasing and discolouration.
• Buckle shows noticeable marks and scratches.

The pictures on the auction sites are much better than the ebay ones. I think the crown isn't original and it's plated base-metal with the plating wearing off.. The crystal looks like it would be best replaced (see side-on picture on the auction site).

Of further concern is that the "Winding action is very stiff" - I read elsewhere that with this calibre this could indicate an issue that might require difficult to find replacement parts.

The thing is, I'm sort of besotted with it... How easy would it be to find a replacement crown and replacement crystal, and is the stiff winding likely to indicate an issue that a good watchmaker couldn't sort out?

This is all assuming I could negotiate the price down...

The photos on the Fellows site are the same ones as on the artforxliove site, I guess the latter is some derivative website?

I registered for the Fellows site, but the odd thing is that there is no "price realised" for the watch. Does that mean that it didn't sell, or was maybe withdrawn? If I check the catalogue for that particular auction, the watch (Lot 70) is missing from it. The ones that are still there all seem to have realised prices.

Have edited! The pictures are actually easier to view on the art-fox site, they can be blow-up to full size if you click and then click again on the zoom.

Good point! Many thanks for doing that.

But you see what I mean about the crystal? It's obviously had some pretty deep scratches and been heavily polished already. Thinking that a new crystal and crown would seriously freshen it up..

I suppose another alternative would be to take the crown to a goldsmith and get it re-plated.

Another of the multiple minor things that worries me is that unlike yours, the movement isn't signed as a chronometer and adjusted to 5 positions etc.. I wonder if the movement or the bridges have been replaced. But I've seen other examples online in chronometers that aren't signed, so perhaps it's a batch thing.

From the ebay ad:

I noticed that the example in the Ranfft database has exactly the same batch number and is stated as being a chronometer.
http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&0&2uswk&Girard-Perregaux_42_1

So would the other number (40383) not appear on a non-chronometer adjusted version of the same movement? I assumed it was just a serial number and that all movements would have one.

Ah! Actually there are three numbers on the Ranfft version! It's difficult to see if my example has the third number as the position it would be is hidden by the rotor in both images. But I'm convincing myself I can see the very edge of it here...

You're right - although it's a pity you can't enlarge the Ranfft images, when I look closely I think I can see 36000.

Well, I got it for £1500.. 😀

My first solid gold watch (my father's one excepted). It'll need a bit of work no doubt.

I'm continually struck by how much the various Swiss brands copied each other in the 1960s and 1970s. Look how similar this Longines Ultra Chron is to the watch I just bought. Same c-shaped case, 18K gold, dark dial, almost identical hands. And it's also a 36000 bph automatic movement..

It's possible both companies were buying parts from the same suppliers.

I think the parts are different - they're just very similar.

The movements at least are mostly completely different between brands - unlike with many modern watches.

Finally got this serviced! I also found a NOS GP gold-filled crown that fits (a long and tortuous process..).


The dial is something special. From a distance it just looks vaguley chocolate-brown, but under magnification it is revealed to be splatter-finished in a range of reddish and yellow colours. The midline of the hands is actually reddish-purple. Difficult to see here, but the hour markers are "steppped" at the sides. All very 70s. I'm amazed at the detail it was thought to be worth including, as much of it is below the resolution of the unaided human eye.