Apr - Jun 2022, Q2 Review

For the second quater 2022, I have tried to be very selective and extremely careful in my collection. I really wanted to tighten my collection limiting to Rolex and only to a few to keep my collection manageable following my less successful attempts in Q1. 

However, as you can see, in Q2, I have not been very successful for two reasons. Firstly, I am on a nostalgic moment where I have been on the path of getting back some watches that I have sold during the late 1980s and 1990s when I first started watch collecting. Secondly, I have continued my search for Rolex in my wishlists. Nevertheless, I have tried to take it slow now and for the last few days of June, i have been focusing  on the time consuming restoration of vintage watches. 

1. Rolex Explorer 1 ref 6610

This is my second Explorer 6610. My first was purchsed in July 2013.Traded two Omegas plus cash for it

Octo Missilemaster was a populat Mid Price brand in HK during the 1950-60s

Couldnt resist a Rose gold  Rolex 6309. Traded to watches with cash top up for this. 

I have decided to buy this as a project for restoring an old Rolex Prince

Restored Rolex and Gruen doctor's watch each with the correctly marked movements

 

1920s Harwood watch - World's first automatic watch 

Rolex 1803 in Rose gold day date. Even though this is not the most expensive, its one that required the most effort in searching as Rose gold Day Date is super rare, plus having a pink gold dial is also a difficult combination to find.

Wishlists:

1. Rolex rose gold 6309 Pre Thunderbird (Found)

2. Rolex rose gold 1803 Day Date President watch (Found)

3. Rolex 1601 or 1803 Tigereye or Lapis or Onyx

4. Jaeger leCoultre memovx lapis

5. Jaeger lecoultre polaris

Traded away 2022 : To keep the watches number down, I have traded the following:

1. Felix the cat watch

2. Tudor watch ref 7934

3. Rolex 6206 bracelets

4. Omega Constellation date 168.027 white gold bezel

5. Omega 3944/2473

7. Vintage Silver watch

8. Lip thermometer watch

9. Rolex 6604

Revival of a steel Rolex Prince watch part 2 : Restoration of an old Rolex Prince and Gruen doctor's watch

I have finally managed to complete the restoration of the 1930s Gruen Doctor's watch and the Rolex Prince doctor's watch. As per my earlier blog, it seemed like an easy project in the beginning, i.e. just swap the movement. However, owing to the slight differences in case sizes due to different case design and the sizes of the winding crowns, these factors have made the project more complicated. In the end, I will need to source for New old stocks winding stems in order to get it  done. Moreover, the Gruen's movement will need a new balance wheel pin too as the old one was also fautly.

The Gruen doctor watch originally was fitted with a Rolex caliber 300 movement but I haev finally managed to get it replaced with right Gruen engraved caliber 877 movement. Even though both movements are identical, there are slight differences in terms of chronometer graded versus non chronometer grade movement. So the purists  can finally agree ..

The Rolex caliber 300 chronometer grade movement was finally fitted into a vintage steel Rolex prince steel case.

Watches ranging from the 1920s-30s-40s

I shall continue to refine my watch collection as my son has started to have a keen interest in watch collecting and I shall seek his views on what his prefered collections shall be...

Vintage Rolex Rose gold watch ; Rose Rose I love you 玫瑰玫瑰我爱你

I love rose gold watches and the following are the rose gold watches that I ahve managed to find, trade and exchange back. Every single piece has take me much time and efforts but the process is fun!

Rose gold 1803

Rose gold 1601 (1970, 1973)

Rose gold 1601 (1967, 1965)

Rose gold 6305 (1953)

Rose gold 6309 (1959)

This is how a new old stock Rose dial looks like (photo courtesy from the internet, cant seems to find the site). Kindly note that there are many cutome dial or econditioned coloured dial in the market.

Rolex President ref 1803 Day Date yellow gold 無字天書

This was my earlier blog written while working in Bangkok where I got my first rolex Day Date with the rare Chinese calendars

Tuesday, March 07, 2017

Rolex 1803 無字天書

Just received back the watch from Rolex center for complete overhaul and purchase of the two gold pins. This watch is really value for money now as everyone is chasing after the sports watches and neglected these. What I love about the watch is this so called mysterious dial where the Rolex wordings will disappeared at some angles. In Hong Kong, collectors called this 無字天書. This dial was not popular during the early days as everyone wants ROLEX wording to be seen far far away in the 1980s. In addition, I love the watch because it has the  date and day discs in Chinese, instead of English. With the polar dial, the watch will look a bit less bling bling and perhaps more subtle ..

The Datejust series are values for money watches with good size to wear.

Rolex President ref 1803 Day Date rose gold versus yellow

It is not easy taking photos of Rose gold watch as at certain angles, it will appear like yellow gold. The rose gold is more prominent when put side by side with a yellow gold watch. I do not have many Rolex Day Date watches. The Rose and yellow are waiting for their white gold partner. 

I have spent much time in search for a rose gold Datejust. There are two reasons that rose gold Day-Dates are uncommon. For one, it just was not a popular material among men until quite recently. Yellow gold and white gold were simply more wanted in yesteryear. Second, perhaps as a result of the first, Rolex stopped the production of rose gold watches somewhere in the 1970s and only resumed output in the late 1990s. As such, it requires some luck in the search for vintage rose gold watches..

I have set up a short wishlist of watches as I am trying to refind my collection. One more 1601 or 1803 in Lapis or Tiger eyes or Onyx dial to go for the year..

In 2005, Rolex announced a new type of proprietary pink gold called Everose, which Rolex specifically designed from inside their in-house foundry, to retain its red/pink hue. Along with precise amounts of copper and silver, a tiny bit of platinum is added to the 18 karat gold mixture, which locks in its color, and prevents its surface layer from discoloring, even after prolonged exposure to saltwater and chlorine. As such, effectively, the traditional pink gold watches ended in 2004...

Rolex 1803 In 26 languages...

Rolex President ref 1803 Day Date 18k rose gold and Pink Dial

I have missed my chance of getting a Rolex Rose gold 1803 day date several months ago from Mr. Wong. It has a nice Rose gold case, silver dial with pink gold markers. The condition is superb. I have been on a look out since then. I was offered one in Rose gold 1803 with bracelet in HK by Gary but the condition is not as good as the dial has aged quite badly. 

For many of the early 1920s-1960s watches, I can accept dials that are not perfect as the technology in keeping away humidity wasn't perfect then. For Rolex Day Date after 1960s onwards, I think it is reasonable to demand for the best in term of dial, and case and overall watch conditions.

I goggled every night non stop for several month looking to find one. There was one on ebay but unfortunately, the winding crown is not pink and the dial is also one made for a yellow gold watch as the markers are yellow. For those who know me will know that I love rose gold watches! I have hope for a rose gold Rolex with leather strap as I dont think I will wear the full solid gold bracelet watch as its too loud and heavy.. plus the costs is much higher..

Looking back, I have managed to find one yellow gold Day Date while I was working in Bangkok several years ago March 2017 and I have managed to find a white gold Day date with diamonds markers dial watch in Hong Kong in January 2022. Thus, it’s natural for me to try to hunt for a Rose gold Day Date in order to form a small family of Day Date collection. 

From what I have read in the internet, the elusive rose gold Day-Date is one of the most coveted among dress watch enthusiasts as it was only produced in special orders and was not standard inventory for Rolex during this era. The rose gold creates a wonderful presence for the Day-Date, taking the flashiness of yellow gold out of the equation while not flying too far under the radar as a white gold Day-Date can sometimes be. In Asia, the favourite during that era is the yellow gold as the white gold looked liek a stainless steel watch.

This afternoon, my friend from Singapore Ah Meng called and he updated that he has managed to find one in very nice condition. In addition, it comes with a nice pink dial too which is the icing on the cake. The watch was delivered to my home! Really happy! 😊 happy!

Most rose gold and pink gold watches are 18 karat. Rose gold is composed of 75% gold and 25% copper, and pink gold is 75% gold, 21% copper and 4% silver. It’s the high percentage of copper that produces the rose color.

Wishlists:

1. Rolex rose gold 6309 Pre Thunderbird (Found)

2. Rolex rose gold 1803 Day Date (Found)

3. Rolex 1601 or 1803 Tiger eye or Lapis or Onyx

 

Oyster ref 2784 Commander watch from 1941

Rolex has made a lot of interesting timepieces ranging from the early trench watches, cushion watch, Prince and Rolex Bubbleback etc. It has also had several sub-brands or subsidiaries over the years, with Tudor being the most prominent. One of those subsidiaries, although its products are often considered a ‘Rolex’ like any other, was the Oyster Watch Company.

 

The Rolex Oyster Commander was made to the same high standard of Rolex but marked with ‘Oyster Watch Company’. These particular Rolex Oysters were meant to be sold in the Canadian market. Rolex has a long and interesting relationship with the Canadian market, with Rolex focusing on Canadian sales in the mid-20th century, supposedly because of an agreement with its supplier, Aegler. 

For example, the famous department store in Toronto, Eaton’s, sold Rolexes at the time and often changed the name themselves to try to make them more appealing. In addition, Rolex has also produced the Eaton Quarter Century Club watch for Eaton's long service award.

Rolex endorsed this and made unique models like the Oyster Junior Sport and Oyster Recorda for the Canadian market, in trying to tailor their products to this new audience. There were also others like the Oyster Pioneer, the Oyster Aqua, and the Oyster Raleigh.

I personally think the watch looks nicer with a ,etal bracelet...what do you think?

They were designed with 24 hours markings and sold to CANADIAN soldiers going overseas in WW2.

From 1941

It was fitted with a FHF Caliber 59 manual winding movement (FF30), a Rolex modified ebauche movement made by Fabrique d'Horlogerie Fontainemelon, with the movement coming in 15 and 17 jewels versions; having 40 hours of power reserve, with a 18,000 bph rate. This one is 17 jewels. The basic version fifteen jewels is often plainly finished bridges while with seventeen jewels was with beautiful striped bridges, The movement was likely only used in Rolex models for the Canadian market ca. 1935-1945.

Rolex Oyster Commander came in a water-resistant Oyster case and the threaded case back is signed SAR “Oyster Watch Co, Geneva-Swiss, Great Britain Patents.

Source : 

https://montrespubliques.com/new-1minute-reads/the-rolex-oyster-commander

https://www.trovestar.com/generic/zoom.php?id=148781

Vintage Harwood watch 1928-1931

This is the world’s first automatic wristwatch : Harwood watch. The inventor John Harwood invented the self-winding watch in the 1920s. The movement is the forerunner of the Omega "Bumper" movement and the Rolex perpetual bubbleback movement. 

Harwood had difficulty getting a manufacturer to make his watches until Fortis agreed to make them. Another interesting development Harwood incorporated in his watch was the lack of a winding crown. John Harwood tried to eliminate dust from the interior of the watch by removing one of the weak points i.e the crown stem. 

To adjust the time without the crown, one needs to rotate the bezel. On the dial of the watch is a red spot that indicates that the alteration clutch is disengaged. The bezel is rotated in the direction you want the hands to move and after setting is complete, the bezel is rotated in the opposite direction until the red spot appears again. The Harwood watches were produced from 1928-31 and the estimated quantities were about 30,000 pieces.

I used to own 2 vintage Harwood watch more than 30 years ago but sold them away for some reason. Recently, feeling nostalgic, I have decided to hunt for one. I used to have one in pink gold round case and another in filigree case during the late 1980s when I first started vintage watch collecting. It was a very memorable time with vintage watch shops such as Good Old Days, Antique watch corner, Eddie Antique watches and Kinghouse watches at Lucky Plaza. These watch shops were where my usual shops for visits during the late 1980s-1990s. 

After searching across eBay and the internet and forum, I have managed to find one with the filigree case as below 😊 

John Harwood was really ahead of his time with the invention of the first automatic movement as well as the first in having an open back transparent window to showcase the movement.

Left: Normal Harwood back case. Right: back case with transparent window for viewing of movement

The watch that I have found has a transparent glass display back showing the automatic movement. This must be one of the earliest made for salesman’s demonstration watch to show the uniqueness of the innovative automatic movement, the first of its kind , to the watch salesman and customers. Really looking forward to receiving the watch from overseas..

Please visit the site for the history 

http://www.harwood-watches.com/en/history/index.html

https://vintagewatchinc.com/genesis-first-self-winding-watch

https://masterhorologer.com/2009/09/07/blancpain-historical-timepieces-harwood-automatic-1926-the-worlds-first-automatic-wrist-watch/

https://www.fratellowatches.com/tbt-john-harwood-and-the-worlds-first-automatic-wristwatch/#gref

From the NAWCC forum, there are another two of such watches with a clear see through back showing the watch movements.

https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/harwood-pl-watch.163734/