What vintage Longines is on your wrist today?

R Roberto_V

An early waterproof tank watch, invoiced on 1942, with a gilt dial. Reference 21453 and has a cal 25.17 inside

R Roberto_V

The reference actually is 4860. Honestly, all the expert collectors I've shown the watch to, agreed that the dial is original. As I mentioned it's a galvanic dial (the digits are mirrored gold) which I'm told is not possible to refinish.

I like it anyway 😀

R Roberto_V

The reference actually is 4860. Honestly, all the expert collectors I've shown the watch to, agreed that the dial is original. As I mentioned it's a galvanic dial (the digits are mirrored gold) which I'm told is not possible to refinish.

I like it anyway

DirtyDozen12

Thanks for sharing the reference number. The important thing is that you like the watch. For me, these water-resistant rectangular cases are very appealing.

With regard to the dial's originality, I strongly disagree with the expert collectors that you've shown the watch to. To me, the dial has multiple anomalous characteristics that suggest that it is not original. The first is the signature. The font does not resemble the ones used by either Fluckiger & Cie or Stern Freres in this period. The dials I showed above, for example, both have typical signatures that are recognizable as being produced by Stern Freres. The second issue is the hour numerals. These appear to have been inspired by 1920s radium dials, but are very atypical on a 1940s dial. Further, their execution lacks the fineness that I would expect from an original dial. Also, is the off-white material in the numerals luminous? The color is certainly not indicative of radium from the 1940s. Also, one would expect pencil-style hands to be paired with a luminous dial of this type in the 1940s. I think it is possible that the present feuille hands are original, but they were likely blue and paired with a non-black dial, originally. I will post a couple more examples for reference.

As for the dial being galvanic, this usually refers to a process in which a brass dial blank is first plated in gold, then receives temporary printing, then receives a black color, and then the areas where the temporary printing was applied are relieved of their printing to expose the gold-plating beneath. Another, arguably more accurate term to describe this process is “a épargne”. Just like any other dial, these layers can be removed in order to refinish the dial. Were there dial restorers who used the “a épargne” process to refinish dials? I don’t see why not.


https://omegaforums.net/threads/new-member-longines-1943-waterproof-tank-carre.38302/#post-442164

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maanu

Sir, you need to write a book on Longines. I will surely buy it. Just don’t price it at $400 USD

LarryG

Rocks and things…