1803/8

Afternoon all, I’ve had a watch delivered that was sold as an 1803/8. However it doesn’t have the quickset feature and the booklets advise you to change the date as you would on an 1803. So question is, is an 1803/8 different to an 18038? The booklet references it as being an 1803/8 but the absence of the quickset has me wondering.

Gibby

Two different watches. Yours is a 1803 with, I believe, the /8 marking it out as the yellow gold version, probably early to mid seventies. The slowset date is correct for this model with the later five digit models introducing the quickset date and sapphire crystal.

Thanks Danstone

Danstone is correct.

Your watch sounds like a slow-set 15xx calibre model 1803/8 (only 1803 would be engraved between the lugs), rather than a single-quickset, 3055 calibre model 18038 which would have all those five digits between the lugs.

One might visually differentiate them without taking the bracelet off, by examining the dials. The 1803 will have a pie-pan dial (dips away at the edge like a sad flan), while the 18038's dial is flat right across its diameter.

Haywood

I can see why the term ended up as “pie pan” rather than “sad flan”, all the same 😆