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papaebetu
·🤦
Zenith A3630 & Zenith divers at large
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bristnj
·I've been researching these a bit, out of interest. My personal belief is that the correct hands are silver arrow style as seen on the vast majority of examples and in the catalog as @LouS points out.
The hour & minute straight hands on the "CollectedMan" example seem very close to straight hands Zenith used on other models and also look close to Rolex Daytona style hands . In the example shown, they also have different lume colors between them, and the hour hand seems newer. I suspect they were replaced at some point. I cannot seem to find another A3630 example with this particular style aside form the only one referenced throughout this thread. I did see one other, but hands were clearly incorrect, with minute hand being painted and style not consistent with this example.
https://www.acollectedman.com/products/buy-zenith-a3630-vintage-divers-watch?variant=34516434307
The black arrow style hands may have been service replacements, or Zenith using existing stock of parts (i.e. the black A3637 1000M hands on the A3630). Would be interesting to see if these are all seen on only later production pieces, or if they are seen across the various 1968-1972 time-frame. (cal. 2542 to cal. 2552). Seems some later examples also have circle crowns with black hands. Few examples I've seen with black hands all have cal. 2552. Perhaps its plausible that these hands (and the circle crowns) were replaced during a service in the past or the parts available were simply being used-up as most of the watches used the same movement(s).
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Zenith-Diver-Hand-set-a3630-1000m-automatic-2542pc-2552pc/143381826559?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
These are gorgeous pieces, and don't seem to come-up often. Congrats to those who have found the lovely examples posted here.
The hour & minute straight hands on the "CollectedMan" example seem very close to straight hands Zenith used on other models and also look close to Rolex Daytona style hands . In the example shown, they also have different lume colors between them, and the hour hand seems newer. I suspect they were replaced at some point. I cannot seem to find another A3630 example with this particular style aside form the only one referenced throughout this thread. I did see one other, but hands were clearly incorrect, with minute hand being painted and style not consistent with this example.
https://www.acollectedman.com/products/buy-zenith-a3630-vintage-divers-watch?variant=34516434307
The black arrow style hands may have been service replacements, or Zenith using existing stock of parts (i.e. the black A3637 1000M hands on the A3630). Would be interesting to see if these are all seen on only later production pieces, or if they are seen across the various 1968-1972 time-frame. (cal. 2542 to cal. 2552). Seems some later examples also have circle crowns with black hands. Few examples I've seen with black hands all have cal. 2552. Perhaps its plausible that these hands (and the circle crowns) were replaced during a service in the past or the parts available were simply being used-up as most of the watches used the same movement(s).
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Zenith-Diver-Hand-set-a3630-1000m-automatic-2542pc-2552pc/143381826559?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
These are gorgeous pieces, and don't seem to come-up often. Congrats to those who have found the lovely examples posted here.
Edited:
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preacher
·The A3630 shown be A Collected Man has beatiful case and stuning dial. but it is all uncorrect:
- bracelet is a Gay Freres 18mm instead 20mm with diver extension
- crown is wrong, it needs z inside star crown
- movement is 2572 that was created lots of years later
- hands are wrong
Even if it is a beatiful watch it can’t be considered a benchmark
- bracelet is a Gay Freres 18mm instead 20mm with diver extension
- crown is wrong, it needs z inside star crown
- movement is 2572 that was created lots of years later
- hands are wrong
Even if it is a beatiful watch it can’t be considered a benchmark
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bristnj
·Hour and Minute hands on the CollectedMan example seem to match those originally on cal. 2572 watches. A few examples from Google Images below.
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bristnj
·I m a big fan of this quite rare and unknown watch and would like to share the information I have on my watch which has the original GF ladder bracelet.
ZENITH STAINLESS STEEL DIVERS’ MODEL, FROM 1968
- Ref. AH 3630
- Serial number: 216D XXX
- Would then belong to the AH 3630’s first production run, which first units were to be delivered for the 1968 Baselfair (in april 1968); this first production run in its whole was delivered between april and august 2018
- This divers’ model furthermore:
- was fitted here with Zenith Caliber 2542 PC (automatic, with calendar)
- is waterproof to 120 m, with a screwed-in back, a turning bezel, and luminescent hands and indexes (covered with tritium ‘with strong luminance’, contrasting against the dark dial)
- appeared notably within Zenith Catalogue from 1969-1970, next to some other divers’ models, among which the famous divers’ version of the Defy (please see the illustration attached to this message, which should be labelled with ‘ZENITH HERITAGE’ as a source next to the picture, if used)
Also from 1968 with S/N 216DXXX. Cal. 2542 PC and GF bracelet dated 1968.
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preacher
·Pietro is a great seller but also has a big expertise on zenith world!
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bristnj
·
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moyrules
·Excellent watch for the value in my opinion ... Yesterday I was writing an email to the seller, very interested to buying it, when I saw it was not available ... shit!! I am drinking a lot of alcohol since then
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KRR
·wondering if the hour markers on the dial look right (shouldn't they be two tone?), and also the second hand (should be pinkish?). I don't have a photo of the crown or the movement yet (and it always makes me worry when there isn't one). And how hard would it be to replace that missing marker at 12 o'clock? Anything else obvious.
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bristnj
·K KRRwondering if the hour markers on the dial look right (shouldn't they be two tone?), and also the second hand (should be pinkish?). I don't have a photo of the crown or the movement yet (and it always makes me worry when there isn't one). And how hard would it be to replace that missing marker at 12 o'clock? Anything else obvious.
