Which Hamilton?

[watch_my_six]

Assume they are the same price, and that both will need a movement service. Do you go for the better case with the dial that has problems with ~half the lume plots (the first two photos), or the dial that has problems with only 1 or 2 lume plots but more wear and tear on the case (the second two photos)?

Some other considerations are that the lugs are more chipped up on the first example, and the crystal is more scuffed up on the second. PS this is reference 11002-3 of the Chrono-Matic.

 

[X350 XJR]

I'd go for a better dial over a better case, you can get a case restored but not a dial.

 

[Waltesefalcon]

I would go for the first one. Lume pips are easily replaced, and other than that, the dial looks good.

 

[MRC]

The photos of the first watch look highly tweaked to me, with exception of the damage to the lugs from strap changing which would be hard to hide. The second watch's photos look much more honest, so I'm applying the "buy the seller" test and voting for the second.

 

[Waltesefalcon]

MRC

The photos of the first watch look highly tweaked to me, with exception of the damage to the lugs from strap changing which would be hard to hide. The second watch's photos look much more honest, so I'm applying the "buy the seller" test and voting for the second.

What are you seeing to suggest there has been some monkeying around with the photos of the first watch?

 

[watch_my_six]

X350 XJR

I'd go for a better dial over a better case, you can get a case restored but not a dial.

But you can get dials restored, and the first watch wouldn't even need a full dial restoration, just a partial re-lume. Wouldn't that be less "invasive" than a case restoration/refinishing?

 

[X350 XJR]

jspdl

But you can get dials restored, and the first watch wouldn't even need a full dial restoration, just a partial re-lume. Wouldn't that be less "invasive" than a case restoration/refinishing?

I suppose that depends how risk averse you are to "restoration' work on a dial.

 

[BAJJ]

At a quick glance (and sure isn’t that what we do throughout the day) I think the first one looks better overall, just my 2 cents, unfortunately like everything where there is choice you are going to get different opinions, good luck with what ever you choose,.

 

[DaveK]

Are the 7:00 & 11:00 lugs bent on the first watch?

 

[JwRosenthal]

DaveK

Are the 7:00 & 11:00 lugs bent on the first watch?

Yeah- that looks wonky. As rediculous as this sounds, I have a watch where someone had at one time bent out the lugs to fit a 19mm strap on 17.5mm lugs. It wasn’t subtle and there were tool mark. I had the lugs bent back in (not without risk of snapping but was a lower value watch) so they were back to normal.

50 years ago people really didn’t care, guy walks into pharmacy to buy strap, no 17.5mm in the Speidel revolving display case, clerk uses pliers and now 19mm straps fit.

 

[watch_my_six]

DaveK

Are the 7:00 & 11:00 lugs bent on the first watch?

Strange, I hadn't noticed but it does sort of look that way, I'll have to compare more photos!

 

[JwRosenthal]

jspdl

Strange, I hadn't noticed but it does sort of look that way, I'll have to compare more photos!

Ask him to take one strait down of the back side

 

[JwRosenthal]

And these tool marks speak to what was done to mine- two pairs of pliers and bend lugs out.



This is my Mondaine

 

[DaveK]

JwRosenthal

Ask him to take one strait down of the back side

We’ll remind you that this is a family-friendly forum.

 

[watch_my_six]

DaveK

We’ll remind you that this is a family-friendly forum.

Haha!

JwRosenthal

Ask him to take one strait down of the back side

What do we think?

 

[JwRosenthal]

jspdl

Haha!

What do we think?

He shot it on an angle
Not helpful

 

[watch_my_six]

JwRosenthal

He shot it on an angle
Not helpful

Ah geez true. It's still wild for me to think that this could be the case, but the uncertainty alone may be enough to turn me off of it (and toward the second example)...

 

[ErichPryde]

JwRosenthal

Yeah- that looks wonky. As rediculous as this sounds, I have a watch where someone had at one time bent out the lugs to fit a 19mm strap on 17.5mm lugs. It wasn’t subtle and there were tool mark. I had the lugs bent back in (not without risk of snapping but was a lower value watch) so they were back to normal.

50 years ago people really didn’t care, guy walks into pharmacy to buy strap, no 17.5mm in the Speidel revolving display case, clerk uses pliers and now 19mm straps fit.

Great advice, and now I feel comfortable picking up a Seamaster trilogy and getting my speedy and SM300 heritage straps to fit

 

[watch_my_six]

It is curious, perhaps these lugs just have that sort of flared shape? This is a shot of the back of the second watch, as well as a number of other examples from across the internet. Perhaps only one of the examples from EuropeanWatchCo looks like it might be relatively straight. Does anyone here have any hands on experience with one of these vintage Chrono-Matics?

 

[MRC]

jspdl

Does anyone here have any hands on experience with one of these vintage Chrono-Matics?

Yes, I have one and I think there are a handful more owners here. One thing to note about the lugs is that they have a distinct downward slope, possibly to disguise the thickness which is not as apparent in the larger diameter Heuer and Breitling "Chrono-matics". This means that the lugs are well out of the plane of the dial or back which may give odd effects in closeup photos. I've had a quick flick through photos of mine but cannot find decent pictures to illustrate. Perhaps tomorrow I'll dig it out and take photos with a long(-ish) focal length lens and put a straight-edge across the back.

Edit: mine has straight down the line 19mm lugs, which is odd for a Swiss made watch but is actually 3/4inch as Hamilton were still an American company at the time.

Edited: Aug 18, 2024