Hi I’m new to collecting and was wondering if anyone knew if my automatic caravelle seahunter from the 70s is a mechanical auto or if it’s fully automatic and also if anyone could explain how you are able to tell which is which.

Number on movement was 1453 30 P

And numbers caseback
1024 (in bold black)
92886

Only thing I know is I believe they didn’t make automatic seahunter until the early or mid 70s u less I was misinformed. Any info appreciated!!

 

It would help a lot if you could post some pictures...

I can't quite understand what you were referring to as "mechanical auto or fully automatic", aren't these terms referring to the same thing?? Anyway, there are only two kinds of mechanical movements in terms of winding -- manual and automatic. Automatic movements has a rotor that turns as your wrist moves, and that winds up the movement for you.

 

I suspect that some of the unusual new phrases making their way into internet communications are by products of inaccurate translations from some Asian languages to English.
I've seen the term fully automatic watch in descriptions on Ebay, usually the watch turned out to be a Quartz type.

Another odd term is a case or watch without band being called a "watch head".
I first noticed this when projectiles or bullets for reloading rifle cartridges were described as bullet heads or cartridge heads, or sometimes as points.

 

It's not an odd term - it's one that is commonly used in the watch industry.

 

It may be commonly used, but odd just the same. I suspect it came about through translation of a non English term.

Do you know of any online glossary of watch makers nomenclature I could study?

 

It may be odd to you, but is certainly isn't to anyone who works in the industry. Example from the Omega Extranet...

Serial number: 78523048
Article ref: 22105100
Watch head ref: 4SU1781652360C
Version of movement: 3313C

Very common term used to describe the case, dial, hands, and movement as an assembly, without the bracelet or strap.

 

I guess it makes as much sense as "hands", "face", "crown",etc.

 

Face is not a term that is used in the watch industry...it’s referred to as the dial.

 

Well relatively few who own or collect watches work in the watch making industry.
I found several glossaries of watch maker terms and none used the word "head" to describe anything.
While the face is usually limited to a clock rather than a watch, I always use the term dial, the term "Watch Face" seems to be used fairly often in retail at least in online shops. Not sure if they mean the physical dial or just the styling imprinted on the dial.

 

I’ll say it again...common term in the industry to describe the watch sans bracelet/strap. I’ve already shown that Omega uses the term as I’ve described. You can believe me or not...im done either way.

 

An habitual contrarian! There are none so deaf as those that will not hear.

 

Maybe you should start a poll asking how many members know what the term "watch head" means.

 

The whole of the English language comes from the translation of non English words

 

Quite by accident I just ran across these ads.

First time I can remember seeing the term fully automatic used for a self winder in an ad like this.


Any guesses of the brand names?
Those prices seem cheap by today's standards but were pretty hefty back then.