I have a new arrival today, a Tissot Navigator, AKA 'The Puck', running the Lemania 1341/Tissot 2170 movement. My best guess is that the watch was used as an ice hockey puck, this is how it arrived:
You can see someone has failed to understand the concept of a case back that needs to be rotated to come off and has used a screwdriver or something similar to try to pop it off:
I sent the watch straight off to Rich Askham, who, inbetween laughing (and I strongly suspect swearing at me) agreed to have a look at it. Initial diagnosis didn't look good, with the watch requiring a few parts, but Simon at STS offered to help and supply some parts if necessary. In the end the movement was going to need a lot more work, here are a few parts that came out (photo from Rich):
Faced with either spending a lot of money on parts or giving up I did what any sane person would do for this battered old thing and threw more money at it, buying Sharky/Mark's Tissot from Sales Corner a few weeks back. The watch was cannibalised (sorry Mark, I didn't tell you in case you refused to sell the watch to me!) for movement and crystal and The Puck lived again! Another pic from Rich, of the movement back in the watch:
Here's a shot of it on my wrist today, looking resplendent in all it's original, erm, patina. The lume is mucky, not a single part of the case or case back is undamaged and even the crown and pushers have chunks out of them. I think it's a very fine looking watch though, and I intend to wear it when I want a nice watch on my wrist but don't want to worry about damaging it (all day pub sessions, rock climbing, hammer juggling, that sort of thing) and probably, because I like it so much, in rotation with the rest of my watches:
Here's an excellent write up on the watch by Rich:
http://thewatchspotblog.com/?p=1070
Sadly it's not my watch, for some reason Rich doesn't want to feature it on his blog. It must be becuase he's already featured one.
So, a watch sort of rescued from the grave (at the expense of another one) and Rich probably blocking my email and phone as I type so I never try to send him another watch for service ever again.
I bought the watch from eBay. I (and Rich) like to think I've learnt my lesson
Glad to hear this ended well. Buying old chronos from ebay is risky to say the least. The cracked glass and cosmetic damage are all fixable, but sourcing movement parts can be a real headache.
Full marks to Richard for the work, and to Simon at STS for supplying some parts.
Paul
And full marks to you for resisting any temptation to polish the case. Top work all round
It looks fantastic!
Very nice. Tissot has made some beautiful watches which I think are much underrated. Oh and this:
sounds uncomfortably familiar!Originally Posted by Foxy100
A cracker and well worth the effort. As said, Tissot/Omega did some of the best looking colourful chrono's of the 70s. I was trying for Sharkys one myself to match up with this old chap of mine....
These are very easy to wear, not too prissy and can take a fair bit of punishment, as seen by yours before surgery! A perforated 20/16mm rallye really sets them off.
Thanks chaps, I'm really taken by it. There wasn't any chance I'd have the case lapped, it has a rather unique finish to it and it wasn't my place to wipe out all the history. It's going to have a much easier life with me than it had with its previous owner.
I think this might be a horological first... buy what is essentially a parts donor, then buy and cannibalise a perfectly functioning watch to fix up the donor.
Well at least one of us was pleased with the end result...
Rich.
PS. I should state that the movement hasn't been serviced in the picture above, it was a straight swap from the running watch which is why it's still scruffy. As Foxy had invested the GDP of a South American country in the project already, rather than fully service the movement, we decided to just regulate it and see how it goes.
Superb watches these navigators, and fantastic work (as ever) by Rich and Simon @ STS.
This is mine, an Armadillo version:
That looks excellent and a really lovely job. It's a heads up to be mindful about the availability of Lemania chronograph parts as I hadn't understood that they were so diificult to source. I daresay that Tissots are normally sacrificed for brands higher up the food chain rather than other, even more fecked, Tissots.
It reminds me that I really ought to parcel a couple of watches up and spoil Rocco's Christmas.
When that question comes up in the pub 'what's the first car you'd buy if you won the lottery' I'd have a Ferrari 250 GTO which I'd cut up and turn into a 250 GTE replica. Lovely car, the 250 GTE, but too many were hacked up to create GTO, Testa Rossa and SWB replicas.I think this might be a horological first... buy what is essentially a parts donor, then buy and cannibalise a perfectly functioning watch to fix up the donor.
Well at least one of us was pleased with the end result...
Rich.
PS. I should state that the movement hasn't been serviced in the picture above, it was a straight swap from the running watch which is why it's still scruffy. As Foxy had invested the GDP of a South American country in the project already, rather than fully service the movement, we decided to just regulate it and see how it goes.
I should have made it clear about the movement, sorry Rich!
I'm a big fan of these and would love to own one, one day. Tops marks to you and Rich.
I'm surprised you haven't done something similar with an MX5
Absolutely the right thing to do and Rich is a gent for humouring you.
I suspect he probably has EdI'm surprised you haven't done something similar with an MX5
Great job Simon, always good to see I'm not the only idiot to do this kind of thing. Oh and Tissot's of this vintage are just as good as their Omega counterparts imho and have more interesting designs.
Cheers,
Gary
No you wouldn't. You'd buy an MX-5.
Bloody hell - that white dial is beautiful, Gary!I suspect he probably has Ed
Great job Simon, always good to see I'm not the only idiot to do this kind of thing. Oh and Tissot's of this vintage are just as good as their Omega counterparts imho and have more interesting designs.
Cheers,
Gary
Thanks Tony. It's often called a silver dial but it's more of a creamy biege colour, depending on how the light hits it.
Interesting movement in these too, a Lemania 1343, which is essentially a simplified 1341, like in Simons watch and as used my Omega. The 1343 was only ever used in these Tissot's, of which they only did the black and cream dial variant. it took me years to find a good cream dialled version.
Cheers,
Gary
Congratulations, Simon! Tissot are still an under-appreciated brand. One can get some fantastic deals on very, very nice watches.
Fab watches, nice pair of 1343s there Gary - rare to have them in good nick like that, these mostly end up a bit battered as per foxy100s - nice job by the way - I think you did mine also Rich.
I still need a black one....
Yes and no. Desings and especially blue dials are interesting but Tissots do have standard Lemanias in (not so bad really) but Omega Lemanias are special. That said both seems to work after 40 years.I suspect he probably has Ed
Great job Simon, always good to see I'm not the only idiot to do this kind of thing. Oh and Tissot's of this vintage are just as good as their Omega counterparts imho and have more interesting designs.
Cheers,
Gary
That said my Tissot Navi Lemania 5012 is second only to Moonwatch. Mark 4,5 will stay in safe.
JP
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