Let me start by apologizing to all worshippers to the altar of originality, but I would like your advice on a swapping issue. I have two nice multi-color gold 12-size Elgin hunters, one solid gold, the other gold-filled. One has a plain jane 7j movement, the other has an equally plain 15j movement. Each movement needs servicing.

I just acquired a nice looking high grade 23j Grade 190 movement to swap in as a replacement for one of the 7j or 15j movements.

My questions are which of the two hunters should give up its movement in favor of the Grade 190.

Related questions are whether the dial and hands on the Grade 190 are original, and whether the dials and hands on my 7j and 15j movements are original.

A further question is which combination of dials and hands should I use on the two surviving hunters I end up with after swapping the Grade 190 for one of the present movements.

Here are the dial and hands of the Grade 190. Are they original? Lets refer to them as the 23j dial and the 23j hands.

Here is the solid gold hunter. It presently holds the 15j movement, which is Grade 314. Let's refer to this as the 15j case.

Here are the "15j dial" and the "15j hands." Are they original for a Grade 314 15j movement?

Here is the gold-filled hunter case, which presently houses the 7j movement, which is a Grade 240. Let's call it the "7j case."

Here are the "7j dial" and "7j hands." Are they original to this Grade 301 7j movement? Note that 7j dial and 15j dial are very similar except that 7j dial has hairlines and Arabic numbers, while the 15j dial has Roman numerals and no hairlines.

So, let me know:

1. What are your views on the originality of the movement, dial, and hand combinations?

2. Which movement should end up in which case? My assumption is that the 23j should end up in the solid gold 15j case, the 15j movement should end up in the goldfilled 7j case, and the 7j movement should end up homeless.

3. Which dial should the 23j get, assuming the dials are interchangeable? Should it keep its present dial or should it get one of the fancy 7j and 15j dials? If the latter, I presume it should get the 15j dial, which is hairline free, the 15j should get the 7j dial, and the 23j dial should get a new home, not necessarily on the 7j movement.

4. Same question as 3, except as to the hands.

To simplify your answers to questions 2-4, just cut and paste the following into your answer, filling in the blanks with either the appropriate reference (e.g., 15j or "no"): Give the 23j movement: __ case, __ dial, and __ hands. Give the 15j movement: __ case, __ dial, and __ hands. Give the 7j movement: __ case, __ dial, and __ hands.

I would leave the 15j alone, as is...

I would put the 23j in the gold filed case with the dial that is currently on it. Replace the hands on the 23j with the hands from the 7j.

Find a nice case for the 7j.

I agree with Keith, leave the 23j dial since it is original and the "Fleur de les" (or however it is spelled) but the hands are wrong so swap the one from the 7j and leave the 15j watch as it is. The screws should match so no one would know as long as you don't tell them. If you really want to after the hands are switch you could go the extra step to swap the case so that the 23j movement ends up in the gold case and not the gold filled case but that would be up to you since in reality probably someone who spent the bucks for the gold case would probably stuff a good movement in it also.

Both of the Closed Diamond Hands could be Swiss made. The very tasteful fine spade hands are 99% sure to be Elgin. I would put the 23J in the solid Gold case with the fine spade Elgin Hands and use the fancy glass dial with the least number of cracks in it.