Lemania “Majetek Vojenske Spravy” military watch

Lemania “Majetek Vojenske Spravy” watch

This is my second piece of Lemania military as I have sold one away a few years back. “Majetek Vojenske Spravy” stands for “property of the military administration”: it is cleanly written all over the caseback, with a unique number, usually 3 or 4 digits. This watch was never sold to the general public, there are no markings on the dial so collectors call it the “Lemania Majetek”. This watch was a model used by the Czech Air Force (CAF), during late 1930 and mid 1940 and was produced by three different manufacturers at the time. Longines, Lemania and Eterna. There is some variations between the brands (Longines Majetek was distinctive with its coin-edge bezel and Cathedral hands), the Longines also had a turning bezel. There are two sizes of watch cases, the smaller 37mm and the larger of ~39mm. 

Finally found one back after several years of searching...

Tudor ref 7809 from 1950s

Tudor ref 7809 from 1950s

A rare steel automatic centre seconds wristwatch. The reference 7809 is a rare Tudor model. Interestingly, examples of this reference were used during the British North Greenland Expedition of 1952-1954. The expeditionary team consisted of 30 members, all of whom were sponsored by Rolex with a Tudor Oyster Prince which Hans Wilsdorf (Rolex’s founder) had especially chosen for the mission. On 24th November, 1953, J. D. Walker, Captain of the Royal Engineers, wrote to Rolex to express his gratitude and admiration for his Tudor Ref. 7809 which he said had been highly reliable and accurate throughout the expedition, despite being exposed to extremes of temperature from +70°F to -50° F, heavy daily use and immersion in water. A copy of Walker’s letter to Rolex and illustrations of one of the Ref. 7809 Tudors used during the expedition can be found in Isnardi, A., Tudor Anthology, 2013, pp.232-235. The Tudor cal 390 was often called the butterfly movement.

After, in 1954, it has been used in the submariner Tudor references 7922 , 7924 , 7928. other references with 390 are: 7808 , 7909 , 7949 and 7950.

Just traded my Marchsall Field diver watch for this beauty...

Rolex Prince auction

Rolex Prince

The price of a Rolex Prince was quavalent to the price of a car during the early 1930s and this model have been negelected by new collectors who has only focussed on the Rolex Sports. It now finally has its position and reclaiming its former glory...

Rolex 8171

Rolex 8171

If prices of sports models with simple automatic movements can go up so high, Rolex triple calendars moonphase automatic deserves its place together with the sports as well.

Revival of the Rolex bubbleback

Revival of the Rolex bubbleback

After being neglected for so long, prices of bubbleback has revived! The Bubbleback is an iconic watch as it was the Rolex first automatic watch and the world's first RELIABLE automatic watch..

Latest auction

Prices for 1019 Milgauss and 6202 have increased so much..

RIP

Early Rolex

Early Non sports Rolex

Recently, there seemed to have a revival of vintage Rolex non sports models, especially for the one with unusual dials. The prices of the sports models have become ridiculous and there are too many speculators using the auction prices as target. Sometimes I wonder if one pays US$200,000 for a sports watch, will he be able to sell it when he needs the cash? With these kind of money, one can get tourbillon watches or an apartment.

Special prototype made for the China market

Rolex Eaton watches

Eaton Rolex watches

As a former history student, I am always love watches with unique history. After waiting for 25 years, I have finally managed to find another Eaton watch in automatic version to accompany the earlier Eaton winding model.

Early Rolex Trench watches

Early Rolex Trench watches

These are 1914-1918 vintage trench watches made for use during WW1. Found the white dial many years ago and now the black one with 3 piece case..

Dr watch projects

Doctor watch Projects

Recently I have been working on projects of bringing movements to cases. I have been lucky to find

a nice movement. I have a couple of vintage watch cases in good condition waiting for the movements to complete the project. After more then 20 years, I have finally found the time to complete the restoration project. I think i still have two more cases found from old watch makers many years ago. Enough projects to keep me busy for a while...

Breguet Type XX latest auction prices..

Jatujak Market vintage watches

There are not many vintage watch shops in Bangkok as fewer traders wants to bring in watches to sell owing to the need to pay import duties.

Be prepared to bargain as prices are no longer cheap..Sometimes we get better deal from ebay..

Good for weekend visit and eating some nice coconut ice crrea..

Prince

Part of the fun I in the restoration. Finally managed to get it serviced and running. Need to find an old winding crown now

RELAX

Saturday watch

Vintage Patek Philippe watches

Vintage Patek Philippe watches

As can seen from my photos, I have not been able to acquire any new vintage Patek Philippe since 2011. Many of the PP collectors are unwilling to let go their precious PP. Given the limited number in circulations, one has to wait for the right watch and be prepared to pay high prices for them. Vintage PP enjoys a very differnt status as each watch can be traced back to the date with certified archieve papers from Patek. PP takes pride in documenating all their references as well as serial nos for authentication and record. Moreover, many of the PP watch owners are so rich that they do not often sell away their watches, making collecting them a great challenge...

Patek Ref 09/90, 2526,3433, 2552, 3445

My favouite ref 2526. The Patek Philippe reference 2526 was introduced in the early 1950s and is considered it to be the most iconic time only wristwatch by many collectors. The case design of the watch is timeless as newer Patek Philippe models were molded after the 2526 especially Patek's reference 5035 and 5036. The 2526has a thickness of seven millimeters and a water resistant style screw down back. The ref 2526 is famous for its "porcelain" dial and 30 jewel automatic caliber 12-600 AT movement which includes and 18k large gold rotor. The 12-600 was Patek Philippe's first automatic movement which has always been a great timekeeper.

Instead of the typical metal dial from that period, the 2526 porcelain dial of the watch has a beautiful ivory color with baton markers and sub-seconds together  ch is famous for its double "P" logo as opposed to Patek's famous Calatrava crest logo. I was told that only 600 pieces were produced in all the metals

Rolex Eaton watch Ref #1011 BOMBAY LUGS

ROLEX REF #1011 BOMBAY LUGS 14K SOLID YELLOW GOLD AUTOMATIC MEN'S WATCH

The Eaton departments store in Canada was a legendary retailer for over most of the 20th Century but eventually went into bankruptcy in 1999, after 130 years in business. One of the lasting legacy of their history is the Quarter Century Club watches made by Rolex for their long service awards. The watches are rare in the fact that it is perhaps the only a few instances were Rolex allowed their watches to be rebranded with another companies name and certainly the only one in the post war era. These were amongst the only ROLEX watches produced and allowed by ROLEX to appear without the name ROLEX on the dial. This watch also retains the original ROLEX winding crown.

These watches were presented to employees of Canada's T. Eaton department store who has served twenty-five-year with the company.  It comes in different varieties depending on when the watch was given away. There are a few models from early Pocket watches, to Prince series ref Ref 1490 in the 1930s, ref 2927 in the 1950s, to a manual winding model ref 6022, 6222, 6422, in the 1950s and this automatic model ref 1011 from 1960s, 5031 from the 1970s. For the ladies, there is ref 4554.

This is one of the last series Eaton 14k century club with the desirable automatic movement, and desirable bombe lug with original Dauphine style hands and sweep seconds. The watch is 33mm in diameter and like most Eaton watch is in solid 14k. gold. This Quarter century club ROLEX dating to 1963! This particular model uses the (rarest) reference 1011 solid gold ROLEX OYSTER case with inwardly curved BOMBE lugs. The movement is the original caliber 1520. Ths watch has shown sign of usage and they are aged marking at the dial as the watch is 53 years old...

Not many collectors want to collect these watches owing to the lack of Rolex on the dial and the popularity of the Rolex sports watches. This automatic watch has been on my bucket list for a long time and I have finally found one at very good price, after selling my Seiko 6246, as part of my watch collecting rules of one out one in...

Please see also : http://www.reocities.com/RodeoDrive/Mall/3288/QuarterCentury.htm