Rolex 16610LV Kermit green bezel (2003-2010)

My key focus for watch collecting has mainly with the vintage series. As previously I have worked in the watch trade, I have helped my brother and friends bought the Green bezel, green arrows, and the green glass Milgauss.

Initially, I was looking for a Rolex 16570 Explorer 2 for everyday use but I have always longed for the Rolex 16610LV (2003-2010) made to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex Submariner. I have missed several watches along the way and I finally decided to aim for one since this has been continued in 2010, almost 10 years.

There are two variations of the Rolex Submariner 16610LV that have a minimal difference. First, there is the original Kermit Submariner, and then there is the Kermit “Flat 4”. The small differences between them are widely discussed among collectors. Most people won’t notice the small difference, but on the Flat 4, the watch has a different font for the number 4 on the dial. The latter 1660LV watches have a four that makes a point on the inside of the 4, but the earlier feature a 4 where it meets with a flat line on the inside of the four

The "LV" in the reference 16610LV stands for “lunette verte”, which refers to the color of the bezel (vert meaning green and lunette meaning bezel). Rolex adds the letters at the end of the reference numbers on watches that have other variations (such as color differences) to help differentiate between different models by their reference numbers.

For example, during the production of the 1660LV, Rolex also made the 16610LN, which referred to the color of the bezel being black.

The Rolex 16610LN looks similar to the  16610LV. The key differences between the 16610LV and 16610LN are the following: The 16610LV has a maxi dial (larger hour markers), larger (fatter) hands, green bezel insert, and the warranty paper will have a V in the model number.

This watch has a special meaning as I have decided to move apartment and use the rental savings to finance this watch. This green bezel will fit nicely with my Rolex Milgausss green glass. Next will be the Rolex GMT green arrow…

https://post.smzdm.com/p/a07ok3gr/

Submariner ref.16610LV 於 Basel World 2003 錶展上首度亮相，以紀念 Submariner 錶款誕生 50 週年，它擁有一些獨特的細節使其與普通版 ref.16610LN 帶有不同，包括「Maxi」錶盤怖局，小時刻度較當時普通版更大，同時也擁有更大的指針和一個獨特的綠色外圈，儘管幾年後在新的 陶瓷版 Submariner 上又出現了新的「Maxi」錶盤和指針。在整個 16610LV 生命週期中，其錶盤和外圈的顏色亦曾經出現過好幾個變數，這可從其序列號分類中查探得到，其中最重要的一個便是 Y 系列的 ref.16610LV，是錶款的最初期型號，最高為Y9xxxxx，非常罕有，除了外圈綠色較淺色之外，亦因為外圈上的 40 數字中，4 的頂部內則為平坦而有著「平頭 4」的稱號，與往後的尖頂相反，正因為這些細微的分別，令這類 Y 字頭型號變得更具價值

Sandoz Duplex Watch

Times flies...4yeras

Sunday, March 06, 2016

Sandoz Duplex watch ... New Old Stock😊

I went for my usual watch hunting this weekend and came across an interesting NOS watch. I have seen a few interesting vintage mystery dials from Sandoz, but this unusual 70's "Duplex" is unique as it features double-sided hour and minute hands that alternate in length and color when rotating into the visible top portion of the dial. Looks real cool that I needed to trade it with my Spaceman watch, Royal watch and NOS Lanco digital watch. I hope JJ will love this watch when I give it to him soon...

Paul Smith also created a contemporary watch with this style of display. Day and month are displayed vertically in the lower obscured hemisphere. The 1970s era is really cool!

Rolex Army Ref 3139

True W.W.2 ''Army'' model from Rolex. While the MOD in the UK commissioned the ''Dirty Dozen'' manufacturers to supply watches to the armed forces,  it is believed that Rolex supplied over 3000 examples of their Oyster cased watches to the armed forces at the same time of which the ''Army'' model was the only one with a military name. The ref.3139 Oyster Army is an unusual Oyster cushion case ever made. It is essentially a square case with stepped sides model. This model was sold either as Army or Everest model Rolex watches.

A military watch character in oyster cushion case. Cal 710 10 1/2. Ref 3139. SN 106079 dated 1941 . 30mm 17 J SS. This watch is found in Hong Kong.

經過歲月的洗禮 3139

See a write up:

https://shop.analogshift.com/products/rolex-army-ref-3139

http://www.timelyclassics.com/portal/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1235

The Rolex 3139 is a smaller brother of the Rolex 4647. It has a similar looking case but the size is slightly smaller than the 4647

Zodiac automatic Moonphase watch

Moon phases are one of the most appealing complications that a luxury watch can boast from an aesthetics point of view  This is a Zociac automatic triple calendars Moonphase watch from the 1950-60s.

This particular Zodiac has Large Gold Plated Case with Stainless Steel Snapback. Zodiac Scale/Balance Logo on Rear.  Case Signed Zodiac Ltd, Le Locle Swiss. Reference 743-908.  Case Has Side Pushers to Manually Advance Month, Date and Moonphase Indicators. Original Black Dial has Been Refinished to Factory Specifications.  Dial has Gold Hour Markers and Matching Gold Hands.  Month and Day Apertures Above-Center. Moonphase Aperture Below-Center. Arrow-Tipped Date Hand Points to the Outer Gold Date Chapter from 1-31.  Gold Center Seconds Hand.  Day, Date and Moonphase Functions Automatically Advance After Midnight.  Dial Signed Zodiac, Automatic and Swiss. This watch is found in Hong Kong.

The movement is a Swiss Made 17 Jewel Zodiac Caliber 74 Full Rotor Automatic Winding Calendar/Moonphase Movement Signed Zodiac Ltd. The watch is 34mm in Diameter Excluding Crown x 42.25mm Top to Bottom and 18mm Lug Spacing

Omega watch made for Middle East

I have always love vintage watches with special dial and watches made specially for the Middle East. Even though buying a fully functioning vintage watch is satisfying, one of the fun in vintage watch collecting is the restoration of vintage watch. I am now working on a restoration project for a unique Omega watch made for the Middle East market. The dial is unique as it has images of the first three Kings of Saudi Arabia plus all the numerals are in local language. 

1. King Abdul Aziz (Ibn Saud)  1932 - 1953

2. King Saud (Saud bin Abdulaziz), son of King Abdul Aziz    1953 - 1964

3. King Faisal (Faisal bin Abdulaziz), son of King Abdul Aziz  1964 - 1975

The watch has been in neglect for many decades. After several weeks of finding spare parts and watch makers, I have finally managed to complete the project with the help of Mr. Wong. The movements and the winding stems will need to be replaced as well as the hands set. The watch is now functioning well for everyday use.

Another watch from the internet for comparison.

Rolex ref 6418 (from 1957) Tropical Oyster Speedking

When the whole world is buying the latest Rolex watches, I am doing the opposite in getting the real vintage watches of the early years. This is simple Rolex Speed King hand wind watch reference 6418 in gold filled.This particular model, a "boy's sized" Oyster Speedking Reference 6418, dates from approximately 1957 and features a 30mm steel Oyster case, beautiful matte black dial with light tropical patina, and a smooth steel bezel, using Caliber 1210.

What made this special is that the dial is unique 3,6,9 like the Explorer model and the dial turning tropical . When I first started to collect vintage Rolex, I remembered my first few watches were the vintage hand winding Rolex Speedking, Royal and later Bubblebacks. Even though these are considered small in size by today’s standard, these watches are very comfortable to wear. This lovely watch is found in India, Channai.

Vintage Man's Jovial moon phase Automatic Date Swiss

A Moon phase watch is a miniature recreation of the different phases of the Moon displayed in an aperture on the dial. This is a vintage Jovial moonphase automatic watch from the 1960s. 

Most of the moonphase watches in the past comes with the triple calendars functions but this one has a Big Moonphase window, date plus a window for measuring the tide. A “new moon” occurs when the moon and sun are in alignment on the same side of the Earth and thus there is no moon visible to us. As the moon travels through its monthly orbit, more of its surface becomes illuminated by the sun — known poetically as “waxing”. The second phase, known as the “first quarter”, is when the right-hand side of the moon is in the sun’s light. Next comes the “full moon” when the entire surface is lit up. Then it moves to the “last quarter” when the left-hand side is visible — waning — until it finally goes back to a new moon again.

This watch is found from Egypt.