Horological Meandering

Vintage watches have always fascinated me, partly due to the fact that they come in a smaller size which for me means being more wearable but mainly due to an undescribable charm they possess that sometimes eludes the current crop of modern watches. Sayin...  

Interestingly, a friend of mine had commented on how ugly the Rolex was and told me to buy a proper watch like one of these instead. As the saying goes, money cannot buy class! ) ...  

I doubt if there is anyone in this forum who would disagree with you

Well if you have the gold teeth and tattoos then the diamonds would match the image I suppose

so he does not really have any excuse to have such poor tastes! Then again he is normally seen from head to toe in Versace which perhaps could explain his taste in watches.

I'm biased These are only a partial number of these I have. The 38 mm + is what you want with the 15 ligne movements or 13.33z ...  

Your collection is mind blowing and here am I trying to buy one watch. The movement is 13.34 and the size is 33mm although I know of a 38mm version with a 15.26 movement.

Belonged to Lt. Col Harold B Lee Royal Army Medical Corps He performed surgery on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day ...  

of not just your collection but the thoroughness of your research. Was Lt Colonel H.B. Lee a friend of relative of the family? I ask because it is amazing what you have of him.

endurance training research for the 1968 Mexico Olympics. He is the father of the ultra marathons. His death certificate. This was the flag for his Field Hospital (Field Ambulance 140) Obituary He was an ultra marathoner And sports medicine researcher. ...  

that there was such a thing as endurance training research. Maybe it was spurred on after Abebe Bikila;s spectacular victory in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He had also won the marathon in the 1960 Olympics, both victories in a world record time.

Well not him, that was Alan Turing, but J.A.G. Troup Director of Naval Intelligence British Royal Navy did setup Bletchley Park where Turing broke the Enigma and Japan's Purple and created the O.I.C. which distributed the code breakers intelligence report...  

You have enough stuff for a good museum should you ever wish to open one.

Condition on both are amazing for their age.

I am a novice on vintage watches so my priorities are condition and originality. I like it when I see old watches being kept so well.

I wish you the best and hope you will acquire this little gem. Best, Emmanuel

The Rolex is quite special and I have been looking for this model in mint condition for awhile now. It also costs five times more than the Longines which makes the Longines incredible value. Then again, I am a firm believer that one gets what one pays for... 

in its current condition. And I have to confess that the Longines is also worth its price in its current condition

it would be the Rolex but choosing both is an outside possibility too Thank you Emmanuel.

It is heartening to know that the Rolex has its fans!

When I started in watches in the early 80’s my main love was early Rolexes. It’s so rare these days to see the complete package. Here’s a cushion I used to have but in a moment of insanity I sold to a friend to finance another piece. Should have robbed a ...  

And I agree with you, you should have robbed a bank! Now all you have to do is buy it back from your friend or rob him!! )

In regard to which one to buy, if you can afford it, buy both. But only If the Longines dial has no hairlines in it. Look carefully with a loupe. Good luck and keep us posted!

Unfortunately I am unable to check either watch as the Rolex is in the USA and the Longines in is Switzerland.

One of us could probably check for you, or recommend a watchmaker to do it

but I hate to trouble anyone on my account. I know, I know, it then becomes a more risky purchase as I am based in Malaysia. Thank you once again!

but that Rolex gets the nod from me.

The Rolex seems to be the more popular of the two watches

You cannot go wrong with either pick. Better still both. Best Anand

Let's see how this saga unravels

And you will regret not getting both so if there’s nothing or nobody holding you back, just get both. And also pick up a chronograph because why not. My approach is something(s) from every decade 1930-2000 ...  

I am actually not very keen on chronographs as they generally clutter the dial except for my monopusher De Bethune which looks like a simple 3 handed dress watch. But yes, you are correct - both the Rolex and Longines are very different apart from the fac...  

These were all tool watches. The Jardur was built as a navigation device for the American Bomber squads like the 100th . If you search Jardur on this site I have a write up on its development and deployment. You are not just getting a vintage watch, you a... 

A third alternative which is probably the rarest of the three. A Frodsham from the 1950s Equipped with a Smith and Sons movement and a Dennison case. ...  

Very nice

There is no way I can afford all three so I will have to give the matter some serious thought. This is actually one of the joys of watch collecting - not being able to afford everything and having to decide what suits us best.

I'd be careful with this watch

which watch were you referring to?!

Charles Frodsham looks very much like a redail. Since the other parts are off the shelf, I would avoid this kind of situation where the dial is the main identity of the watchmaker. A fake dial on the watch could mean the whole watch is a fake.

Well, I had sent the same photo to Richard Stenning, one of the co owners of Charles Frodsham who has confirmed that it is a rare Frodsham wristwatch from the 1950s. He had also confirmed that the case maker during that time was Dennison and the movement ... 

The off center alignment , the very poor print quality and accuracy. The Zero for the numbers is misshapened. The Quarter Markers are all misshapened. The 1 in 15 looks like a double strike. The whole subdial is a amature level print of a cheap rubber sta...  

I must commend you on your eagle eyes. I was very keen on the Frodsham due to its rarity but you have single handedly put me off purchasing this watch. And for that I must thank you because I can't afford to buy an incorrect vintage watch. I don't even us... 

If two knowledgeable people disagree. Assume the worse

One cannot be too cautious in this passion of ours.

I would also point out that one of the great joys of collecting Vintage watches is that you don’t have to bust the bank and for many brands, there is just no value to be gained by faking a $8,000 watch when for the same effort you can fake a $50,000 watch... 

that one gets what one pays for so although vintage watches may seem underpriced (Patek excluded!), there is an inherent risk in buying them and we tend to forget that their prices may appear low compared to more contemporary watches but their prices are ... 

is usually an in house signed movement (except vintage Rolexes), original signed dial, and unaltered signed case. If there is any doubt about any part of the watch not being original, that watch better be a holy grail of that brand and a one of a kind lev... 

This explains why I have never bought a vintage watch!

So it is often better to find a long established retailer of vintage watches with a stellar reputation and someone who is willing to teach you what you are buying. They should have a liberal return policy meaning you can return anything any time if it isn... 

but I doubt if there are any dealers who would accept a returned watch anytime as time limits would usually be stipulated. But I do agree that one should buy the best item one can afford.

Will take back a fake watch they sold. Their entire business reputation is at risk. Others will have same experiences. The watch can be returned years later. If your dealer isn't 100% guarantee the watch, don't buy anything expensive from him.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Any reputable dealer will take it back 100% no time limits

I have little experience buying used watches let alone vintage watches

than when I started. Now we have the internet and can verify that the exact type of watch exists before we buy ours. Check if the dial design and print quality, markings on the case match, movement markings and serial number range all match. Compare the w... 

From 1926 and currently being auctioned at Phillips Hong Kong ...  

I thought you had it narrowed down to the original 2?

together with the Rolex which has been sent for a service by the dealer after an accuracy test. I think the Cartier is likely to go for too high a value though at the current auction. I am afraid the Longines is no more in contention.

When you pull the trigger. Good hunting!!

Thank you.

The Cartier is now unaffordable due to some serious bidders entering the auction. So the Rolex seems like the likely choice. You will find out when I start posting what I end up with )

Looks like it's got extract information, rare and collectible. Looks like a good watch for a collection and likely will increase in value. Go for it.

Which I guess was the popular size 100 years ago. But your endorsement carries much weight and I am fine with small watches not to mention, my wife will be smiling if I miraculously manage to secure this watch!