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Antique Roadshow Kampfschwimmer Mistery!


Tropic

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I'm new to this particular Forum, Not new to other Sites dealing with Vintage panerai Reps.

I found this interesting article from September (See link)

http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showto...211&hl=3646

And i woundered Am i the only one to notice.....?

Didn't You notice the Text; "Radiomir Panerai" on the Dial?!

It is not suposed to be there, If this watch was taken from A German Kampfschwimmer! The 3646 used by the Kriegsmarine KVK Kleinst kampf verbande, Did not have any ingravings or text (Exept on the Rolex movement)

Very wisely to not simply give Away the unit or Country of the wearer. We are talking about stealth Commando Operations here.

The Backplate ingravings seen on most Vintage 3646 where aplied after the war!

The Regia Marina, The Italian Royal Navy During the Faschist reign. Did Feature The "Radiomir Panerai" ingravings on the Dial of there 3646 Radiomirs, This is usally how You distinction A German Kampfschwimmer from A Italian Decima Mas Radiomir.

So Is the Watch genuine, Is the Strap genuine? The story is suspect, and the watch strap looks like A replacement since All Photos of Kampfschwimmers show Natural undied Leather Straps or tanned by oill and Age. Not Black as used in the 1950's Marina Militare Italian Navy's watches.

My Conclusion?

Hard to say I read A book by A German who trained and served with The Decima and after the 1943 Armistice with the Kriegsmarine. It is not his he is still Alive.

A Other German Officer observed and trained with the Decima Mas to instruct The Einzats Gruppe keller His Watch is known, With it's post-War Ingraving But Kampfschwimmer Dial!

Did A Italian Die hard Decima Mas Member join in the Werewolf actions of the German counterparts?

Faschist X Mas Commander Prince Valerio Borghese fought till the bitter end in Italy but he did not take part in Northwest Europe at the end of the War!

On the otherhand War is A complex Chaotic mix up of hapenings, that are usally simplyfied Avant-le lettre.

Would be intersting to know how A Decima MAS watch ended up in my HomeCountry!

regards,

Kees

Edited by Tropic
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Very interesting :g:

The casebacks were engraved AFTER the war (or their operations) to keep it unmarked? You could be right about the dial. Maybe it is a frankenwatch or "restored" one from way back when ?

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Also Look what happend to the Strap Attachment wire....?....!

On the right side the welding is discoloured (Unlike the originals) and the Left Wire hole in the Case is thorn open.

My conclusion, Somebody did change the strap maybe A long time ago. And did not wan't to Send it to A strap maker who could have Sewn The strap around the Wire loops, So he he pulled the Welded Attachments Out off the Case with force damaging the Case, And badly welde them back after the Strap was exhanged. :g:

Would A polar Bear enjoy the Tropics? :sun:

I think Nanuq just likes you for your name, Tropic...

:lol:

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wow... i never thought that anyone would be able to adapt such knowledge of that time period in european history to wrist watches.

Very well put Tropic, you made many great points in your post. On reading your post, I find that I agree with you, many things about that watch just don't seem to fit or add up...

I wonder who the owner got it from... Joshua... Andrew... TTK?.... just kidding. :bangin:

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I buy Tropic's version 100%. My wife collects old china and regularly chuckles at the bloated values they quote on the show. Since it's a TV program, their job is to create drama, not provide accurate, healthily skeptical appraisals of people's [censored]. The whole idea is the vicarious thrill when someone finds a $100,000 painting in granny's shed or the schadenfreund when the greedy yuppie finds out the Ming vase he thinks he "stole" from the flea market was made in Hoboken in 1923.

Some guy brought in a genuine vintage PAM and a great story so they're not going to tell him the caseback was made in 1945 instead of 1943. Since so many of those watches wound up on the bottom of the ocean, and since the ones that didn't are searched for and collected so voraciously, I doubt there's very many sleepers left.

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