June 2020 Stock take

I have tried to limit the number of watches to collect to keep it manageable. For Jan - June 2020， the following are my key highlights and key finds. Following my meeting with Gary, for the coming months, I am planning to streamline and tighten my watch collection. My current collection ranges from Rolex classic and sports, Omega, Longines to Military watches, Doctor's watch to watch with special dials. I will try to trade away some watches and reduce the quantities.

Watches Bought in 2019

Longines Doctor watch (Feb 2019)

Longines pointer watch (Oct 2019)

Weekly auto Orient (Dec 2019)

Orient world timer (Dec 2019)

For the year 2020, I have decided to reduce the quantities of watches I have. As a course of actions, I have traded away some watches in order to bring in some others. In doing so, I hope I am able to tighten my watch collection. There are times where we are tempted as collector to buy some watches where we later regret. Regret in the sense that it does not fit in the current collection focus or we need to expand our collection further.

Watches bought 2020

Rolex Viceroy (Jan 2020)

Rolex Zephy 1008 (Jan 2020)

Bulova Accutron Spaceview (May 2020)

Rolex Prince jump hour (May 2020)

Tudor 7934 (June 2020)

Rolex 1607 (June 2020)

Watches Traded away (2020)

It is never easy to let go watches collected. I have decided to reduce my non core watches consisting of the JLC Memovox & Angelus (initially I was thinking of starting a collection of the alarm series & Angelus series). Moreover, I have broken up my vintage IWC collections & decided not to continue the skin diver series and Longines and Omega watches. During the process, I have also streamlined some of my spares Rolex watches.

Rolex reference 1607 from 1965

I have always love the Rolex Datejust. There are more versions of the Rolex Datejust than we can probably imagine, ranging from reference 1600 smooth bezel to 1601 to  1603  Engine Turn bezel etc and this model alone is the theme of many collections. This one here is a rare reference, 1607, characterized by a “bark” finish on the bezel and if there is a bracelet, there will be bark finish on the on the central links of the band as well.

I believe the Rolex 1607 only comes in solid gold while the others 1600, 1601, 1603 are mainly in Steel, Half gold. The sold gold version for the reference 1601 and 1607 is quite rare. Even though the Watch is stamped 1607, it still uses the 1601 stamped back case.

Rolex’s famed Day-Date reference 1807 is characterized by the bark finishing featured on the bezel and centre links. The Rolex Datejust reference 1607 is characterized by the same bark finish on the bezel and bracelet. Beside the standard and bark finish, there is one more Florentine Finish Watch for the 1803. The watch is from Hong Kong

 

VINTAGE ROLEX DATEJUST 36MM 1607 18K YELLOW GOLD CHAMPAGNE DIAL DAUPHINE HANDS 

Tudor Oyster 7934 with special dial for the Middle East or Indian markets

This afternoon, despite the dark sky and rainy weather, there is sunshine in me as I have manage to make a deal to trade my Rolex 1601 special ghost dial for a Tudor 7934 with special acrylic floral design center dial. It uses the caliber 1156 manual wind movement, 17 jewels.

I am always fascinated with watch with special dial and especially for watches made for the Middle East or the Indian markets. I was told that during the 1950s, these watches were only customized for the the Middle East market or Indian markets, and it is estimated that there will be no more than 100 watches in the world.

My fellow collector friend Gary has a complete collection of these. There are a few variations. First is the size. There is one at 31 mm size (Reference 7803) and another at 34 mm (Reference 7934). Moreover, besides red, there are blue and green colours as well honeycomb dial versus flat dial. (Please see photos of Gary's collection below).

Besides these, there is also another versions made for the Middle East with the map and special indexes as below. I must have kept the Tudor watch since the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Vecheron & Constantin/Le Coultre diamonds galaxy mystery dial 1950s

This post was written in 2011.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Vecheron & Constantin/Le Coultre diamonds galaxy mystery dial 1950s

This watch is a 1950s Vacheron & Constantin/LeCoultre Diamond “Galaxy” Mystery Dial in White Gold. The Diamond “Galaxy" Mystery Dial dress watch was a joint venture between LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin.

This beautiful 1950s double-signed Vacheron & Constantin/LeCoultre Diamond “Galaxy" Mystery Dial dress watch is in Excellent all-original condition. The “Galaxy” is the deluxe version of these Mystery Dial watches and features an amazing 37 diamonds on the dial.

VXN signed, K480CW Swiss made calibre 17 jewel manual winding movement. The fully signed two piece snap top-bezel case (33mm). The distinctive 37-diamond black dial, which has a unique rotating center disk for the hour hand and a rotating clear disk for the minute hand and of course genuine diamond markers, has been nicely kept. It has a clean acrylic crystal.

I have kept quite a nos of mystery dial and this must be the Rolls Royce of the mystery dial watch.

Vacheron & Constantin vintage ref 4870 watch with Vario strap

This is my latest watch, a vintage Vacheron & Constantin 18k yellow gold automatic watch Calibre: P1019/1 with my new Vario strap. This model is without the date function. The later models were using P1019/2,1071/72 calibers. I have to let go two of my watches (JLC Memovox and Stainless steel Omega Constellation) as part of my streamlining exercise in order to get this. This is a departure of my norm.The watch is from late 1950s to early 1960s. The early 1950s model was non screw back case using caliber P499, while the later 1950s models using P499 were using screw back case.

I do not have many Vacheron & Constantin watches as firstly, these were quite rare with very little information or books written. Secondly, they are expensive watches. This is my second Vacheron & Constantin watch. My first one was a Mystery dial, 1950s Vacheron & Constantin/LeCoultre Diamond “Galaxy” Mystery Dial in White Gold bought in 2011 in Hong Kong. The Diamond “Galaxy" Mystery Dial dress watch was a joint venture between LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin and the dial has LeCoultre branding while the back case has Vaecheron & Constantin written. What has attracted me is the special enamel dial and the relatively big size at 36mm (considered big during the 1960s). As a watch collector, besides Patek Philippe, one would have at least one Vacheron & Constantin as it is one of the brand with nice history and heritage.

I hope to find one more Vacheron & Constantin in white gold automatic to match this and form a small collection.

The Old Vacheron watch did not have the Maltese cross logo at the dial, and the 1960s-70s has the Vacheron "&" Constantin wording. Later models only has Vacheron Constantin, without the "&". Moreover, the early 1960s dial were made of Enamel (烧青盘) where the dial has to undergo high temperature treatment. The watch is a good size to wear (36.5mm) and is considered large as the average size of watch then was 30mm-33mm. I hope to find another Vacheron & Constantin in White gold to match it.

Please see the evolution of movements information from the internet:

V&C’s first automatic wrist watch was introduced in 1951, the 12-ligne bumper-winding caliber 477 with central seconds.  Like all of their calibers since 1938, it was based upon a rough-finished ebauche from their movement supplier Jaeger LeCoultre

cal. 477