How about a thread on watches you have where you just can’t explain how they came about (but maybe someone else here can)?

I’ve shown these before but while I know what this is, I can’t explain how the dial came to be:

And while many vintage Mido’s I’ve seen are on the small side (28mm), this one is pretty large (35mm), and what is going on with the enamel dial and green/red hands? The serial number dates it to…

Watches that make you say “Hmmmmmm?”…

I took my Leonidas chronographe to a 2nd generation watchmaker in my area who was recommended to me. He serviced my watch but told me one of the sub hands came off the post during disassembly. He told me this was not uncommon on older watches. He said he’s unable to get it to stay on so now I have to find another hand. I would be more upset, but one of the sub hands didn’t match anyway so I suppose it’s better to get 3 matching. Would anyone know where I could find the correct size/shape as…

Had my Leonidas Valjoux 71 Serviced – parts needed 🙁

I’ve been keeping an eye out for an early Zenith Defy for years now. Figured they can’t evade me forever, and this morning I was finally proven right.

Went to a swap meet, there it was among some Seamasters and Certinas. Not a mint example by any means, with some hasty refinishing done to the case, but has the original crystal and crown in decent shape, both are hard to find. And maybe even more importantly, it has the full-length GF ladder-bracelet…

Found me a Defy

I picked this up at an antique store today. It was the only interesting watch-thing in the place. Though I couldn’t easily identify a name, it seemed to want to run, and the dial and hands are in excellent condition, but also it was a no-brainer, because the wooden box it came in was easily worth the $10 I paid for it.

It does run, though not super well, so it seems like a reasonably good project to learn watch servicing on. I’ll need a key for it and it will eventually need a case…

Help me identify this pocket watch movement project I found. Maybe Paul Rochat?

My mum passed away at the end of January and amongst the little bits I’m keeping is this nice little vintage mechanical watch.

Trench watch if I’m not mistaken?

There’s no branding on the dial, which has a nice kind of sunburst effect in segments and each of those is textured. The two hands are a nice dark metallic blue.

It’s got a 15 Jewels Swiss movement, (and forgive me here but I have no idea of part names), which on one of the large “cogs”, has 2 stars and two symbols of double…

Ladies vintage mechanical ID please?