Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Vintage ZRC diver watches

Vintage ZRC diver watches. One more hole to fill as the Le Jour ZRC is send for replacement of the bezel. These must be on eof the most challenging watches to collect.



Monday, October 30, 2017

Grana WWW

As you know, I have restarted my vintage military watch collections and I have slowly built up a small collection of 5 WWW watches. The Grana WWW is the rarest of the twelve watch manufacturers who produced W.W.W. watches for the British military during World War II, known collectively as 'The Dirty Dozen'. Out of the 145,000 W.W.Ws produced, it is estimated that only 1000 - 1,500 were from Grana, making it exceptionally sought after, especially for collectors seeking to own all twelve W.W.Ws. 



I am lucky to be able to find a WWW Grana in good condition. This Grana W.W.W. is from circa 1945 and retains all of its military case-back engravings. The dial features the British military broad arrow, as well a Arabic numerals, a painted minute track and applied Radium index markers. The luminescent material on the hands has aged to a dark brown patina as have the index markers.

The watch is housed in a 36mm stainless steel case with fixed lugs and it has anti-magnetic hands, with an anti-magnetic cage protecting the manual-winding Cal. KF320 movement. The W.W.W. watches were renowned for their timekeeping accuracy, regulated to a chronometer level as this was a fundamental specification required by the British Armed Forces.

The attrativelness of this timepiece is largely underpinned by its exceptional rarity. With sports and military watches very much in demand today, due to its casual and utilitarian feel, this particular piece certainly fits the bill, especially with its wearable 36mm case and with both dial and case in exceptional condition. After finding the Grana WWW, perhaps my collection of the Dirty Dozen can be completed in the foreseeable future. Life is good!



Saturday, October 28, 2017

Eaton quarter cenury club doctor watch

After much searching and waiting, i have finally managed to find one nice all original condition Eaton quarter century club doctor`s watch by Rolex.

Rolex Prince made for Timothy Eaton department store in Canada. These watches were known as Quarter (1/4) Century Club watches and given as gifts to employees celebrating 25 years of employment with the company. The male employees were offered a wrist or pocket watch, both made by Rolex, while the women were offered a gold Rolex cocktail watch or a diamond ring. This watch is one of the first series of watches ordered by Eaton’s from Rolex, the flared case Rolex Prince model 1490. After this model are the Rolex bubbleback, handwind round shape and automatic round watch.

The watch is modeled in 14 karat yellow gold and with squirrel hallmark and case stampings. Inside the watch is powered by a 15 jewel Rolex calibre 300 that is timed and adjusted to 6 positions. The movement is also marked as a Chronometer and graded as an Extra Prima model within the Rolex hierarchy. This was the pinnacle of Rolex watchmaking at the time. The earliest Quarter Century Prince models were given out in the mid 1930’s and were the same model as this example a reference 1490. Some have speculated that Eatons purchased them in bulk orders and dispensed them as needed. Adding to that theory was the fact that as late as the 1940’s Eatons was still presenting Rolex Princes to their employees.

This watch was presented in 1940. This watch features the original silver plate dial with enamel pattern and lettering spelling out 1/4 CENTURY CLUB at the hour markers. This corporate arrangement is the only example of a re-branded Rolex Prince that is known to exist. The yellow gold case measures 23 mm wide across the narrowest section and where the lugs flare, 26 mm. The case is an elongated 42 mm long.






As usual, I have traded the following watches in order to keep the total quantities of watches down:




Thursday, October 12, 2017

Vintage Le Jour ZRC 300 diver watch

I love the vintage ZRC watches and I have just found a rare LeJour branded ZRC 300 divers watch for the American market.  ZRC has a strong following for french and diving watch fans.  What makes this reference so desirable is the beautiful sunburst dial, this one being in excellent condition with perfectly matching patina on the dial and hands. Combine that will an all red day/date wheel and a faded two tone bezel and this makes for one uncommon, stunning vintage tool watch. I have always love restoring watches and I am now waiting for the watch to arrive and install a NOS bezel for it to bring it back to its previous glory.





I have already owned a ZRC spartaile but there are several differences:

The Day is in English while the other one is in French.
This one is named LeJour while the other is ZRC Spartiale
One is with 17 jewels and another 25 jewels
One more unique feature is that there is a spelling mistakes for this as it is spelled Self "Wimding", instead of Winding.


In addition, look at the advant garde design for its watch case, which makes it a timeless beauty. The constructions adhere to the principle of Forms follows Function and these are tools watches made for diving and very few of  these watches were made and it took me years to find another piece.









Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Vintage Rolex bubblebacks & datejust

A collection of Rolex from 1930~40s, 50~60~70s

Rolex Big bubbleback 

南京钟 Nanking Clock

This is a late 1800s Nanking Clock


南京钟,是跟雨花石、云锦一样能够代表古金陵特色的南京特产。 南京钟,又叫苏钟插屏,是明末清初最早在南京根据西洋钟改制的一种南京地产钟表。后来制造工艺又流传到苏州、上海等地,这些地方造出的钟表在当时也被通称为南京



1601年,意大利教士利玛窦来到中国,他向明朝万皇帝献了一件自鸣钟是中国人第一次认识西洋表。由于当不知道件洋玩意的制作方式,所以从皇帝到大臣都感新奇,把它当作玩物把玩。直到清康乾期,从中国的廷到民,才开始大量仿制西洋表。
一直南京民文化情有独的文史学家洪泉告诉记者,第一个改并制造南京的南京人叫吉坦然。据清初刘献廷《广阳杂记记载,明末江宁(今南京)人吉坦然制造一件叫做“通天塔”的自鸣钟,其“形如西域浮屠,置架上自以银块填之,塔之下,中藏铜轮,互相带动,外不得。中前开一,有时盘桶。”就是最早的南京,而吉坦然也因此被奉南京的鼻祖。
了区于西洋,南京又被称“本”。
自吉坦然之后至太平天国期,南京的造钟业迅速展起来。据史料记载,在最鼎盛期,南京城内曾出现过40多家造作坊,成中国制中心之一。
但到了清咸丰三年,南京繁,造匠将造术传州,后来又到了州、上海、宁波等地。南京在辛亥革命期曾鼎盛一,当型号很多,大的有成人一般高,小的可以握于掌中。到抗战时期,南京全面停,因此在流下来的南京都是很珍的。”到南京的“英年早逝”,洪泉得有些惋惜。

“从零件到机芯,从机芯到外壳,南京全部都是由手工制造而成。”洪泉介绍说
清同治年,南京的外壳上为长方形的机箱,下花式底座,上下可灵活拆装,俗称两托。到了光,一些工匠又吸收了中国传统插屏的造型,把表机箱上部改造屏芯,机箱中插入屏架,下部改造花底座,俗称三托,至此南京的造型基本确定。
南京的外壳最常的制作材木,另外有一些紫檀、黄花梨等。其底座雕花装,常见纹饰有“葫芦藤”、“二龙戏珠”、“梅花枝”等。
有些究的工匠在机箱上嵌螺条或象牙,整体造型非常具有民族特色。家住城南孝里的仲仁,已收藏了600多件表,是南京最有名的表收藏家。仲仁告诉记者,南京一般中心大秒,其机芯以两套条盒、塔为动力源,带动运行。常的南京收割式擒器,俗称“走刀”。在功能方面,南京报时刻,单铃、双349之分。
南京因其工精湛、用料究,一出就深受当中上人士的喜,当在南京很多人家把它与瓷瓶、子放置堂中,取其“身平静”的音祈福。
1915年在美国旧金山的“太平洋万国巴拿会”上,南京钟获得了金质奖章,从此中国制造的南京走向世界,在海内外名声大振。

价格暴
南京市收藏家会一位叫刘正丁的收藏家告诉记者,作老南京人他一直想收藏几个南京,但是搜了三四年只找到了几个清朝末期外国人造的表,南京至今也没有收藏到。“在我圈里这东西可是好宝,没有个六七千元是拿不下来的。”
刘正丁告诉记者,在上世90年代,南京几百元,由于奇缺价格也水船高了。
仲仁收藏的600多件表中,也只有15件南京。而些也都是他在“文革”期冒着极大危保存下来的。
仲仁说对南京最大的一次性破坏是在“文革”期,那候南京也被列入“四旧”之列,很多人家里的表都被掉了,保存下来的基本都是那被藏起来幸免于的。
家呼吁保
在上海的多路文化街有一家“南京收藏室”,是全国唯一专门收藏南京的收藏室,收藏室的主人刘国鼎老人解放前是专门从事制作和修南京的。如今个家庭收藏室作上海的涉外旅游位,里面收藏的南京深受国内外游客的喜
几乎所有接受者采访的收藏家、文史学家,都表示南京世是南京人民的一大失。表示,作盛极一的南京志性地,南京应该这样,在沉默中走向灭绝洪泉南京也是南京的城市文化名片,它应该跟云受到保
每一个流下来的先造,都是古人智慧与勤晶,都是经过历史的风风雨雨淘汰后留下来的精品。“南京人应该重新认识和了解自己祖的杰作,并以此荣,将其保

Source : https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%8D%97%E4%BA%AC%E9%92%9F

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