hackR Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 ok...i just bought another "vintage" watch...a white dial vintage chronographe w/ lemania movement...i just randomly clicked the trade forum and this one popped up...right place, right time?!...i guess?!...pix from the sale below... any info on the model and/or the details of this rep and/or details of the gen it is repped from is appreciated... the seller has two ss bracelets he plans to show me pix of later tonite...he say one of them is "regular" and one is "riveted"...suggestions on which one i should get for this watch?... i know little about these watches - but i like the vintage thang -- and needed to have a Rlx in my collection...some of you may recall that i recently bought a vintage/aged/worn 6239 Daytona PN black exotic dial w/ poljot movement...so i see this white dial chrono for sale and bounced on it... the crown is broken from the stem, so i'll have to get that fixed...any advice on how to fix this?... thanks all... R- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 It looks a little like a steel version of the bi-compax 3055, but your pics are too small & dark to see enough detail to know what it is. The movement looks kind of like a Mystery Movement (search out 'mystery movement' for details), but, again, hard to tell from your pics. It may also be a generic Valjoux 23, for which parts like stems are available on the bay. If it is a MM, then you may have trouble finding a stem that fits. If you can provide a good, clear macro picture of the movement, especially the area below the balance, its identity might be revealed & then a stem might be located. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackR Posted March 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 thanks, freddy... these are the only pix i have right now... as soon as i get more, i'll post them...the crown broke off the stem...can that be repaired...the seller said that his dad (who's collection was unfortunately sold due a stroke - yikes) had another stem he would insert to set the watch, etc...does this tell you anything? you mentioned a steel version...what was this watch originally made with?... if this watch is a 3055, is this a rare rep?... appreciate your great advice, my friend... R- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 All vintage Rolex watches, especially chronographs, are rare. The 3055 is 1 of their bi-compax chronograph models from the 1950s & was available in either steel or yellow gold Rolex, like many watch makers over the years, made a number of variations on this theme & your rep could be modeled after any of them (or it may be a combination or fantasy design, which is quite common). But, like I said, without good, clear pics, the 3055 is just a guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackR Posted March 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 @freddy -- amazing knowledge...thanks... here's the "sale" pictures...if you zoom in, you can see it slightly better...the back of the case seems to have "3055" on the lower row of backcase numbers... i asked the seller to send me closeups...which i await... how does one know how old a rep is?...i have to assume this isn't a new rep of a vintage watch?!.. thanks...R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Yes, I think you are right about the 3055 on the caseback in these pics. But unless you are the original purchaser, I do not know of a reliable way to determine the age of a vintage rep. However, based on its overall condition, I would say it is more than likely of recent vintage. For reference, the gen 3055 was a small chronograph, with a case that measured something like 29 or 30mm in diameter (without the crown) & the watch in the pictures looks considerably larger than that, probably closer to the 40mm mark than to 30. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Freddy might be right and movement is the same as in DW Daytonas (i.e the mystery movement) but I think there was at least one other version of this vintage Rolex chrono... Paul sold this exact rep back in 2005, and that came with Seagull ST-19 chrono movement (the one that dealers still call Lemania). At least that's what I remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackR Posted March 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 i know the picture isn't the best -- but how does one identify the "mystery movement" from the seagull/lemania movement in this watch?...(i searched for "mystery movement" and couldn't find a good detailed picture)...and freddy, comparing this watch to the black/gold one in your pix above, i would think it's 38-40mm, too...just from the subdial spacing... not a bad looking watch, IMO...should be fun... from what i've read, i should opt for the standard/regular ss bracelet over the riveted bracelet...heard of problems and feel/weight issues in the rep riveted...am i correct in this?!... guys -- thanks for the info...it's great to learn from you...it's appreciated...R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kntabdguy Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 I just got back and saw this thread. I am the seller of the watch and I just sent the pictures to rhack1. I just talked to my father-in-law to see if he remembered this watch. He thought he got it new from Joshua sometime in 2005 but he definitely bought it from one of the forum dealers. Yes freddy is correct about the size of the watch here is a side by side comparison with a real vintage chronograph I found in his collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kntabdguy Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Hi Rob, Saw your thread and thought I would add these pictures for you. I hope they are better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackR Posted March 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Hey K -- good to see you!...hope dinner was good... thanks for the pix...i'm just learning about all this, so i appreciate the info for you and the others...always good to learn about the gen and rep details/history... tell your FIL that this will be well-cared-for...and that i appreciate the info...and most importantly, that I wish him well in his recovery!... R- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Paul sold this exact rep back in 2005, and that came with Seagull ST-19 chrono movement (the one that dealers still call Lemania). That sounds right to me, too. The Seagull/Lemania (& Poljot) was used in many bi-compax chrono reps until the A7750 appeared on scene (about 5 years ago). The movement in your watch could be 1 of those, but, to me, the bridges look more like the MM than the Seagull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackR Posted March 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Is there a previously posted closeup picture and/or descrptive post on the MM?...I searched but all the references are w/i posts and all spread out...unless I missed it.. am on a bb 2day, so that doesn't help either... R- That sounds right to me, too. The Seagull/Lemania (& Poljot) was used in many bi-compax chrono reps until the A7750 appeared on scene (about 5 years ago). The movement in your watch could be 1 of those, but, to me, the bridges look more like the MM than the Seagull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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