Back to the early Sea Wolf for the day. It seemed to complement the front lawn and the worn flannel shirt
The lawn showed a touch of frost at 9:19 this morning. First frost I've seen in this part of Texas. Spruce can manage to feature snow in his WRUW posts. I can't even drum up decent frost.
Back to an old favourite today. My 175.0033 Speedmaster reduced, 18-karat rose gold bezel, rose gold sub-dials, steel case, bison leather strap. This watch was for Europe only, and only for a short time. Acquired pre-owned in 1991. Love it!
Ah, my first vintage watch purchase, picked up at a local pawnbroker about seven years ago. I paid a heavy n00b price -- about 2x market value -- but that doesn't make it less lovely.
Polished? Yes, but not excessively. The dial has a crisp eggshell appearance, the medallion on the back is perfect, and the tiny lume plots are still throwing off alpha particles at a steady rate. It's powered by the un-common Cal.520. Reference No. 14722-1. The serial number, medallion, and radium lume date the watch to 1959/1960 although the movement was likely manufactured in the 1955-1957 period. The movement came out of the Marc Favre factory in Bienne, which was purchased by Omega in 1955 and subsequently closed in 1957. I submitted a request for an Extract from the Archives, but was informed that records are not available for this watch -- which is not surprising given the history of the movement's origin.
Here are some pics of the case in question and another similar Croton Nevada Grenchen.
The Croton Aquamedico: 17.5 lug / 23 x 37
The CNG: 18 lug / 25 x 37
Thanks for sharing the measurements! Very similar measurements for my Defender. Lug: 17.5mm / Case: 23mm W x 35mm L
Your calibre 520 looks very much like my calibre 420. Ranfft doesn’t list the calibre 520, so I am not aware of what the differences are between the two movements.
Your calibre 520 looks very much like my calibre 420. Ranfft doesn’t list the calibre 520, so I am not aware of what the differences are between the two movements.
Doug
Very interesting observation, the kind that only a watchmaker would make 😀