Reply With QuoteOriginally Posted by Robertmercer
Hi, can anyone give me any information on my watch, i believe it is quite rare and any info would be much appreciated, the serial number is: 0552/9237 7697 1324/82.
I believe the bezel is missing but can be sourced(any ideas?)
Many thanks guys!
Robert
PS:i have photos but do not know how to add them!!
You could have a read through this, hopefully it will help. Look forward to seeing pics.
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...sting-pictures
Think that sourcing a bezel will be difficult, there are a few of these around without
bezels as the bezel sticks out from the case at 9 o'clock and is easily knocked off and
lost I guess, although did read somewhere of a collector who managed to source one
so who knows. A rare watch though.
Mine with bezel.
Hi, thanks mate, hope this works!!You could have a read through this, hopefully it will help. Look forward to seeing pics.
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...sting-pictures
Think that sourcing a bezel will be difficult, there are a few of these around without
bezels as the bezel sticks out from the case at 9 o'clock and is easily knocked off and
lost I guess, although did read somewhere of a collector who managed to source one
so who knows. A rare watch though.
Mine with bezel.
http://s1295.beta.photobucket.com/ed...93b4e.jpg.html
http://s1295.beta.photobucket.com/us...tml?sort=3&o=4
Thanks!! any input appreciated. Rob
Don't know if this pic will show!
http://s1295.beta.photobucket.com/us...abe12.jpg.html
Thanks,Robert.
http://s1295.beta.photobucket.com/us...abe12.jpg.html
Thanks for your help, any more info much appreciated.
Robert
I agree with Bobc - impossible to find the correct bezel which means the watch would only be worth about half of what it would be with a bezel. Current prices with bezel are about £2k - still a nice find though!! Congratulations - is there a story behind where you came across it?
Dave
http://s1295.beta.photobucket.com/us...ml?sort=3&o=11
Hi dave,
My father passed away in 1992 and this was in amongst his belongings, I always remember him wearing it but he came out of the navy in 1970!
He went on to be bar steward of an ex servicemans club until his untimely death so perhaps he was given it by a customer(with the watch being made in 1982) and also he was in the fleet air arm. It has been in my box along with a few other things and I just thought it was a standard shop bought watch until a friend pointed out the name was rare, I see one sold on eBay a couple of weeks ago(with a brand new leather strap) for £2395!!
Rather more than I expected. Oddly enough the number on the back of that one was only 6 digits different to mine and I believe only 250 were made.
Thanks for asking dave.
I will probably take it to a watch repairer for a good clean and see what it fetches. I'm sure my father would rather see his grand kids have a holiday than it laying in the bottom of a box!
Kindest regards,
Robert.
Please don't take it to any old watchmaker 'for a clean' . You need to be very careful about who you take it to and what work you instruct them to do.
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Thank you for the advice, do you have any suggestions as to how I could get it done correctly, I live in Scotland,
Kind regards,
Robert.
Robert,
I can only add what the other guys have said. Look for a competent watch maker who is used to working on military watches. There are a couple of UK guys who are highly recommended on this site. A few of tips.
1. Don't polish the case
2. Don't mess with the dial or hands
3. Protect the markings on the case back
4. Don't change the crystal (if it is original). The crystal with the original profile is hard to find and the scratches in yours can be hand polished out.
5. Whatever work is done should be to retain its originality
Terry
There is a similar watch for sale at this moment on MWR, actually also from 1982...
http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?p=183182
And here the picture of Robert's watch :
Thanks Laurent, I may just sell it as it is and let someone else take on the cleaning etc, the scratches on the glass are very light and will easily polish out, as far as I know the back has never been taken off, and it works perfectly well, good sweeping movement etc, I take it the strap is not original then as the other one has a material strap, thanks everyone, I have learnt more about it in the last 24 hours as I did in the last 21 years!!And here the picture of Robert's watch :
Just one thing annoying me, I have conflicting opinions, one guy said 250 were made and the other 200....is either correct?? :-)
The rest of Robert's pictures:
Thanks terry, you don't happen to know either of the two people on here who can help do you?
Someone else suggested putting it on eBay I'm it's current condition and that it should do well, don't know what to do for the best outcome!!
Thanks
Robert
If you plan to sell it on ebay, please remove this awful bracelet and take good and crisp pictures (in daylight), including pictures of the back,
even without the bezel it should reach a good price...
;)
Robert,
We have no records of how many were issued by MoD. Based on the issue numbers seen to date around 250+
is the best estimate. I was estimating 200 a few years ago but since then more have surfaced and the numbers
change. Right now I've listed 16 issue numbers between 1229/82 and 1464/82, a spread of 235.
Terry
I know that sourcing an original bezel would be rather unlikely but are there any other bezels that would fit the Precista?
I have decided to sell my watch as I don't have the time or knowledge to go about restoring it to its former glory! Not that it needs a hell of a lot done, just a decent service to remove surface scratches and a good clean, sourcing a replacement bezel may prove difficult though, I have been told a standard un 20mm strap will greatly improve the look but as I say, I really don't have the time or experience.
Thank you to all that have helped me out and I wish everyone on the forum all the best for the future.
Be safe guys(and gals!)
Robert.
If you try and take photo's to help sell it and decide to remove the caseback I suggest you take it to a GOOD watchmaker even for that simple operation as some watchmakers get even the basics wrong. Putting a big scratch in the caseback now would be a real shame. You might even decide not to bother with opening it.
Edit:Ooops, just noticed it already has scratches on the casebackback where someone has made that mistake opening it.
regards
siggy
Last edited by siggy; 8th February 2013 at 06:55.
Hi bobc,You could have a read through this, hopefully it will help. Look forward to seeing pics.
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...sting-pictures
Think that sourcing a bezel will be difficult, there are a few of these around without
bezels as the bezel sticks out from the case at 9 o'clock and is easily knocked off and
lost I guess, although did read somewhere of a collector who managed to source one
so who knows. A rare watch though.
Mine with bezel.
May I ask where you acquired the strap, is it a standard 20mm NATO one and also what is the colour of the strap( I know it's grey but is it a certain type of grey?)
Many thanks,
Robert
If you plan to sell the watch the most important think is doing good pictures of it, including the caseback and movement,
a grey 20mm nato can be found on ebay for 10£ (or less) and will not speed up the price a lot...
You could have a read through this, hopefully it will help. Look forward to seeing pics.
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...sting-pictures
Think that sourcing a bezel will be difficult, there are a few of these around without
bezels as the bezel sticks out from the case at 9 o'clock and is easily knocked off and
lost I guess, although did read somewhere of a collector who managed to source one
so who knows. A rare watch though.
Mine with bezel.
Thank you for the information Laurent
Kind regards
Robert
http://s1295.beta.photobucket.com/us...21662.jpg.html
Do you think this bezel is appropriate??
Robert,
That looks like an bezel insert rather than an actual bezel. It will have nothing to attach to. Have a look at this one for the correct bezel
http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=56665
or some of the pics above in this thread here .
The bezel you need does not have a separate bezel insert, the black paint for the bezel is directly painted on to the bezel.
regards
siggy
Ahh, I see!
This is one of the reasons I am not going to attempt to do anything to it myself, I will just sell it as it is.
Any offers please pm me,
Kind regards.
Robert.
Hi Robert,
I'm sure you have not noticed but you need to fulfil some forum requirements before trying to sell a watch on TZ-UK. You have to be a member for a few months and achieve 250 posts to allow you to post on the sales forum where sales posts are allowed. Hope this helps
Cheers
Simon
Ralph Waldo Emerson: We ask for long life, but 'tis deep life, or noble moments that signify. Let the measure of time be spiritual, not mechanical.
Hi Simon, my apologies, I never knew that.Hi Robert,
I'm sure you have not noticed but you need to fulfil some forum requirements before trying to sell a watch on TZ-UK. You have to be a member for a few months and achieve 250 posts to allow you to post on the sales forum where sales posts are allowed. Hope this helps
Kind regards,
Robert
Its actually a black nato, a reflection of my photography skills !
20mm bought from the host of this site, if you click on the Timefactors
logo at the top of the page you will find them and they are excellent
quality. If its a grey one you want then I think that admiralty grey is
the best shade imo. These are sold by Phoenix straps who has a shop
on ebay under the name mickie500, he actually supplies the MOD.
Phoenix nato straps are fine !
all are great watches. depends on what you want, as i could not place explorer and speedmaster even loosely in the same category. is this gonna be a legacy watch for you or are you planning to flip it in the future?
Trying to sell ASAP!!
Thanks
Robert
Welcome preetish1992, but you appear to have posted in the wrong thread.
Good luck with your Precista Robert. I'm becoming increasingly interested in this model. Unfortunately an original is out of my price range; but I’m hoping Eddie (Timefactors) will produce a reissue one day.
Last edited by Imbrex; 9th February 2013 at 14:43. Reason: typo
I know that sourcing a genuine replacement will take nothing less than a miracle (please tell me if you can perform miracles!) but in the meantime will it take any other bezel? Anybody fitted one to theirs? Or am I just going to have to get used to wearing it as is (having just struck a deal with Robert to buy this)?
I've read up on TZ & MWR, both of which are a great source of info on these rare beasts, but other than knowing that there are several other bezel less ones around I can't find anything about fitting a non-Precista bezel.
For example do any of the Benrus Type 1 type clones have a bezel that would fit the Precista?
Do any of the Eddie's current Precista line up have bezels that could be used as a suitable part?
Interesting post over on MWR
http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?p=183492
Anyone interested here?
Which rare beast of a watch would be a suitable bezel donor?
Why is the Precista bezel so different to others and difficult to source?
What are the practicalities of finding someone with the necessary skills to hand make a few - is this something Fricker could do?
When's Eddie going to make a Timefactors homage........!!!!!!!!
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