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What is this movement? "Click" to Login or Register 
posted
I have had this movement for some time, and think it is a beautiful piece. As you can see, it is a hunting movement, very thin, about 12s. I don't know what my chances are of ever finding a case that will fit. Can anyone tell me what it is?

 
Posts: 827 | Location: Bloomington, Illinois in the USA | Registered: September 29, 2008
posted
Here is the dial:

 
Posts: 827 | Location: Bloomington, Illinois in the USA | Registered: September 29, 2008
posted
and the movement:

 
Posts: 827 | Location: Bloomington, Illinois in the USA | Registered: September 29, 2008
IHC Life Member
posted
My guess would be Swiss. The A & R on the balance cock for Advance and Retard and no name or numbers are very common.
 
Posts: 1078 | Location: Ticonderoga, New York USA | Registered: March 01, 2008
posted
Yes, and maybe made for the English or American market, since it also has an F and S on the balance cock. Thanks for the insight!
 
Posts: 827 | Location: Bloomington, Illinois in the USA | Registered: September 29, 2008
posted
It seems funny that so many very high grade swiss watches have no markings whatsoever. What do you suppose the logic was behind putting so much into a watch and leaving the name off?
 
Posts: 827 | Location: Bloomington, Illinois in the USA | Registered: September 29, 2008
IHC Life Member
posted
There were so many poor quality swiss fake movements shipped to the US that I think there might have been a guilt by association mentality. Therefore, no name, no association. If you grew up in the 1960's you would look upon anything from Japan as Junk, but we all know how that turned out.
 
Posts: 1078 | Location: Ticonderoga, New York USA | Registered: March 01, 2008
posted
Yes, but they were required to stamp "swiss" on the movement at some point, weren't they? I think it became a law for importers.
 
Posts: 827 | Location: Bloomington, Illinois in the USA | Registered: September 29, 2008
IHC President
Life Member
Picture of Lindell V. Riddle
posted

Overall it has a 1920s and definitely of European, most likely Swiss origins. My only suggestion would be to try it in a few 12-size cases and see if it is a proper fit to any of them. From that process of elimination a pattern may emerge. Knowing it is the same as this or that would be a good beginning.

But first, pull the dial looking for markings, also determine if there is a detent that would have a lot to do with fitting into a case. And bear in mind that we are in a "survival-of-the-fittest" era in watch collecting. Unfortunately with so many cases being forever-lost each day best use of the ones remaining becomes the overriding question. There will never be enough cases to go around.

Wink
 
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
IHC Life Member
posted
Lindell's suggestion of pulling the dial is a good one if you want to go further. I have found Swiss markings under dials, on the back of dials, stamped along the edge of the movement and buried in a number of places. I'm pretty sure at some point the country of origin was required to be displayed, but I don't know when that was. I have seen Swiss fakes that are just awful and are a waste of the material they are made from. I have also seen Swiss fakes that are very well made.
 
Posts: 1078 | Location: Ticonderoga, New York USA | Registered: March 01, 2008
posted
This doesn't seem to be any more or less than what it is, at least. There are no misleading names or expressions on the movement or dial--nothing at all, in fact. It does have a nice compansated balance. I will ask my watchmaker to take the dial off and look it over.
 
Posts: 827 | Location: Bloomington, Illinois in the USA | Registered: September 29, 2008
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