Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Rolex daytona

Three generations of Daytonas : ref 16520, 6263, 6239. I have just exchanged one of my vintage vintage Patek for a black dial Daytona 16520 from Taipei.

I used to have a white dial 16520 in 2002 but i have to let one of my friend have it as he was so persistent. After more then 10 years, I have finally found a black dial T series, which is even rarer then the white dial. The 6239 was from the 60-70s, while the 6263 was from the late 70s and the 16520 most probably from the 1988. The early Daytonas were not popular and I remember not many collectors were keen on these as during the 1980s, these were not vintage enough. Funny, how things can change so much.

During my Taiwan tip, I have also sent in one of my Rolex 6239 to the Rolex center for servicing. Hope I can receive it back before the Chinese New Year as these servicing takes up longer time...









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Monday, November 28, 2011

Rolex 16520 Daytona zenith movement (Patrizzi)

This is a T series from the mid 90s. In Hong Kong, the Rolex daytona has been popularized by the Hkg show. Of the white dial and the black, the black is more in demand and commands a premium vis-a-vis the white dial.

Of all the black dial Daytona, some of the black dialed ref 16520 had been getting quite popular and their popularity reached an all time high when an Italian collector Osvaldo Patrizzi sold his Rolex collection in 2006. His collection included a 16520 black dialed daytona which had a brown discoloration in the subchapter rings. This discoloration from white to brown was seen in some versions of the mark IV dials and were subsequently called "Patrizzi Daytonas." The watch attracted a lot of attention and sold for more than twice the cost of most normal daytonas.

There is some discussion about the black dialed S, N, T and W serial Daytonas which from a manufacturing defect the color of the subdials faded to brown or chocolate colors. Its postulated that this color shift has happened due to ultraviolet ligth exposure and the materials used by Rolex at time. Similar to the cream dial 16550 Explorer 2, this T series Patrizzi Daytonas are highly collectable.













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Thursday, November 24, 2011

Twin Gruen

A comparison between the Alpina Gruen jump hour doctor's watch with the normal Gruen doctor's watch. Isn't the Doctor's watch lovely looking?











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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Gruen Doctor's jump hour watch

This is a much rarer Gruen doctor's watch jump hour. The jump hour can be seen as early attempt for the watch company to create a "digital" watch. I was offered a Rolex Prince jump hour in 1988 but I was unable to afford as I was still in university studying. After more then 22 years, I have finally found a jump hour ( even though it's only a Gruen) with original dial ...
























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Gruen Doctor's watch

There are two types of Gruen Doctor's watch, the jump hour type and the normal.

A. Jump hour


B. normal doctor's watch



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Gruen doctor watch

This is a near mint white Gold filled Doctor's Watch circa 1925 with Original silver dial with black markings and original blued steel hands. Nickel 15 jewel movement. This watch is virtually identical to the Rolex Prince, and the same supplier made movements for both Gruen and Rolex. It comes with the original box and bucker. The side view is nice as its has special pattern running across the both sides of the watch, reflecting great details and creativity..



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Saturday, November 19, 2011

The Four beauties

In ancient Chinese, there were the Four beauties. In my home, there is also 4 beauties..haha smile! : )

I have sold off some of my favourite vintage hifi equipments to convert cast to get these beauties. I am glad as vintage watches will not occupy much space while those vintage speakers tended to occupy much of the space.







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Rolex Explorer 1 , ref 1016

My Explorer 1 ..I have sent this 1016 to HK Rolex center for a change in the glass..


















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Alpina Gruen doctor's watch

I have always love the Doctor's watch and below are the Alpina Gruen doctor' s watch with the jump hour function. I have missed getting the Rolex jump hour in 1988 (couldn't afford it during my University days)...








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Location:Princess Margaret Road Link,,Hong Kong

Gruen watch company

I am not sure if Gruen company still exits, but these are the information which I have found from the internet.

The watch that I like is the 1928: The Techni-Quadron "for exact time in seconds" aka the Doctor's watch. The “Doctor’s Watch” was distributed under the names of Alpina, Gruen, Alpina-Gruen and Rolex (“Prince”). But the infatuation had only a short duration.

The famous Techni-Quadron "doctor's watches" are so-called because the large seconds dial was handy for timing a patient's pulse. These were not sold only to doctors, however. The watch was advertised as a timepiece for technicians and "radio and mechanical engineers"—anyone who needed to measure time in seconds. The 877 movement, manufactured by Aegler in Biel, was also used in the Rolex Prince; this unusual movement gives the watch its distinctive "dual dial" design. Hours and minutes are confined to the upper half of the dial, while the entire lower dial is dedicated to seconds. The Techni-Quadron provided a useful alternative to the tiny seconds hands on most watches from this era, which can be as little as 2mm (one tenth of an inch) long, and are not practical to use for timing.

Below picture left is the Alpina Gruen, together with the Rolex Prince. After the start of the Depression, 1930 an arrangement was made with Alpina, with the production of a dual branded Alpina/Gruen watch.





Top photo: All Techni-Quadron models have a long case and a large seconds subdial, as large (or nearly as large) as the hour/minute portion of the dial. The "dual dial" layout is a distinctive feature of this line. This particular watch is slightly unusual—most have dials that are more functional and less ornate. Compare this dial to the catalog illustration below, which is more typical. (Photo courtesy of Jack Goldberg.)

The Techni-Quadron does not have the hour and minute hands attached at the center of the dial— as other watches do—on the contrary, these hands are attached above where the crown enters the case. The seconds are in their own subdial, which is symetrically placed outside of and below the hours/minutes portion of the dial. Because these watches are sought after by collectors, other models are often represented as Gruen "doctor's watches" when offered for sale.

The Techni-Quadrons were extremely accurate, and like other Quadron models, did well in European chronometer tests.

Some Techni-Quadron models originally came with "expanding buckles." These look nearly identical to modern deployant buckles, but their purpose was different. With the buckle closed and locked, the watch could be worn normally. However, if the buckle was unlatched, making the strap loose, the wearer could slide the watch up the arm until it fit snugly just above the elbow, keeping the hands and wrists free. A 1929 advertising photo shows a doctor wearing his watch this way. These buckles were available on metal mesh bracelets or leather straps. A smaller version of this buckle was offered for women.
Above: An illustration of a Techi-Quadron with an "expanding buckle" from the 1929 catalog. The buckle allows the watch to be worn either normally, or above the elbow, as shown in the photo.

After Gruen moved all production to the Precision Factory and stopped buying movements from Aegler, they made some dual-dial watches that are superficially similar to the Techni-Quadron, using modified versions of Gruen's calibre 500.


Gruen, Rolex and Aegler
One of the most deeply-held myths about Gruen is that Gruen and Rolex at one time manufactured movements for each other's watches. This is not true, although both firms did use some of the same movements—the best known examples are the Gruen Techi-Quadron and its twin, the Rolex Prince. In reality, these movements were manufactured by a third company, Aegler, who was a very close neighbor to the Gruen Precision Factory.

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Friday, November 11, 2011

Not for sale

There are some who wrote to me asking to buy watches but I am not a dealer and my collection is not for sale. Hope you understand that I am more of a collector. : )


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Sunday, November 06, 2011

Prices of PP 3940

For those who is keen to find the discontinued PP 3940, the prices are below: good luck!



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Thursday, November 03, 2011

Rolex Explorer 2 vintage1655

I have often wonder why didn't I buy these collectable vintage watches when they were just launched?

After much thinking, I realised that when these watches were launched duing the early period, Iwill never be able to afford as I was still a student then.

Anyway, I ahve bought my Rolex 1655 cheap (around US$1000)  in the late 1990s when these watches are not that collectable. My first servicing of the watch was done in Taiwan in the year 2002.  and took the watch back for another service last year..Time flies..














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Object of desire

This Beyer Pp looks really nice...


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Problem with signing in

I am facing issues with saving my blog with photos and I cannot seemed to log on using  my ipad. Perhaps, the days have pme to end the blog....