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Gen Tudor PCG 1961 – Build


Kime

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About a year ago, I bought something from someone on ebay which started me on a journey… I think I bought a strap or something equally mundane but the seller asked if I would be interested in any other watch related parts as he was selling some stuff from his late father who was a watch enthusiast, collector and amateur, but skilled watch smith.

One of the many things he offered me was “an old broken Tudor watch”. When I got the bad pictures the case wear looked good, the dial was a very poor copy which was worrying, the crown was not in the movement and the case was “not openable” so it was not possible to know what the movement was or if it worked, if the tube was good or the crown itself.

He was selling it “as is” but it came with a bracelet that appeared to be a gen early pre 7206 rivet which could be correct to the case. It was fairly cheap, not super cheap but I thought in the worst case the bracelet alone should almost make me my money back.

This is what I got… A very early PCG Tudor GIlt Sub... everything seems to be gen, the crown, tube, super domed plexi, case, caseback, insert (prob a later one), the bezel had a bad repair when I took it off but it appears to be gen (but I am not 100% sure there) and not only was the movement a gen 390 but it runs perfectly and even the hands appear to be gen gilt period, all be it lumed very very badly.

The dial however was trash… so I started a hunt for an early gen gilt Tudor dial. After months of looking and WTBs I gave up on the gilt dial, I considered buying a rep… only Phong and MQ make decent ones, with MQ being the only real really close “true gilt” one but even that has inaccuracies and was something like 800USD.

A few weeks ago I managed to find another early Tudor dial with great patina. Not correct to this watch but I figure a gen dial is far better in this case than a rep one. (debate begins on that point).

 

Here are some pics which were a joy to take… the dirt, the wear, the little repairs, the honesty in the case is really nice to see.
If anyone has any clues on those case back engravings (military?) please let me know.

I hope you enjoy them...

 

1-caseback-age_zpsk9wtv9hb.jpg

Case
1-case-montage_zpslq7ybwkz.jpg

Case back
1-caseback-montage_zpsqcyvooz1.jpg

Bezel
1-bezel-montage_zps5moapwml.jpg

Dial
1-dial-montage_zpsiiwuni2r.jpg


1-movement_zpstzmej6cq.jpg

1-crownback_zpsp3co8qoo.jpg

1-hands_zpse4keaek4.jpg

1-case-movement-caseback_zpsidefny77.jpg


So the build begins…

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Wow, you've got amazing skills with the camera!! Cool build, looking forward

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By the way, I found this dial recently, but didnt pull the trigger. It seems to be a true gilt dial (probably not genuine though). Was around 200$. PM me if you want to know the seller!

78a21b5f8be0a9f46536b534acdaacc2.jpg

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Awesome ...

 

@slay that dial... The font isn't even printed straight.

Show me a better dial for 120$ :crazy: not sure what you mean by "not printed straight", maybe I have bad eyes... either way, I just wanted to help out by pointing to a decent alternative that has chapter ring + gold 4-lines

Edited by slay
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Slay that dial is defo not genuine, who makes it?

The problem I found with "high end" rep dials out there is that they seem to have the wrong fonts. The gen early gilt dials have a different font, compared to my white print dial, with "less" or no serifs in the 4 lines bottom half text, (well most of the ones I have seen don't anyway, I'm sure one will come out of the woodwork as soon as I have said that). It is the white printed dials (like the one I have) that have the noticeable serifs on the 4 lines text. The rep dials seem to have serifed fonts on the "gilt" dials but are incorrect. So in this case the nice serifs that MQs gilt dial has, which we normally curse the rep dials for not having lol, are not unwarranted and to my eyes look wrong.

Edited by Kime
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I was right! Royal Marines! Wow! http://www.terryaspinall.com/40cdo/medals/d.html

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ca7d6c49b2eb8d5d86f1c620c377c627.jpg

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Fucking awesome

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Now you MUST restore that watch to 100% original, what a find. With the providence this watch is worth a lot more than you think. A Royal Marines commando watch traced back to camp base Burma is worth a small

Fortune.

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I was right! Royal Marines! Wow! http://www.terryaspinall.com/40cdo/medals/d.html

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ca7d6c49b2eb8d5d86f1c620c377c627.jpg

 

 

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[censored] awesome

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Now you MUST restore that watch to 100% original, what a find. With the providence this watch is worth a lot more than you think. A Royal Marines commando watch traced back to camp base Burma is worth a small

Fortune.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Wow What a history my little watch has... if only it could talk :-) this information is an amazing find... thanks for that !

So it was part of the "40 Royal Marine Commando, Based at Burma Camp Malaya, 1962 to 1966". Certainly dates it correctly... were these watches service watches given by the military? I have to presume so?

Well, I guess this should change from a "build" to a "restoration" :-)

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