This week, we've rounded up some fairly unusual replica watches with a strong influence from the 1970s. So you can expect some orange touches from a Rolex Explorer II reference 1655 and an Eberhard Contagraf with an in-house chronograph movement. You will also find a pricey Wittnauer Professional Chronograph 242T, and a clear buyer beware in the form of a Zenith El Primero A386 fitted with a lot of service parts. This is your Bring A Loupe for October 28, 2016.
Wittnauer Professional Chronograph 242T, With Solo DialThis is the fourth time this year that the Wittnauer reference 242T has made it into Bring A Loupe, but this one comes with a twist: it lacks the Genève mention under Wittnauer, forming sort of a solo dial if you wish, to employ Rolex-geek terms. More importantly, the black dial demonstrates again its spectacular balance, and the lume dots seem particularly well preserved. And of course you still get the nicely proportioned 38mm case and the manual-wound caliber Valjoux 72, all of which help account for the rising popularity of this particular Wittnauer chronograph.
The watch dealer Uberz (with a final z) offers this rare Wittnauer 242T for $15,850, a significant premium over the last three examples recently sold replica watches usa, which were in inferior condition, and lacked the solo dial, but still traded in the $8,000 to 10,000 range.
Jaeger-LeCoultre E562 With 'Disco Volante' CaseThe case shape really makes this Jaeger-LeCoultre, which comes as a full set, with presentation box and original papers. The E562 reference mentioned on the guarantee from December 1972 does not bring any other search result, except for the very same watch previously offered by another dealer.
ADVERTISEMENTThis underlines the rarity of this JLC and its polarizing design, nicknamed "Disco Volante" after its peculiar look (the nickname means "flying saucer"), which combines a disproportionally large bezel and hidden lugs. Its automatic movement is no less interesting, as the caliber K881G often received a Chronometer certification, as for instance in the iconic Geomatic. On the caseback, the remaining traces of a purple sticker seem to indicate that the watch was worn sparingly.
The dealer Vesper lists this highly unusual Jaeger-LeCoultre E562 "Disco Volante" for $3,950.
Rolex Explorer II Reference 1655The Rolex Explorer II reference 1655 targeted a true niche market: cave explorers. This explains the 24-hour hand, which is absolutely not a GMT hand (since the external 24-hour bezel is fixed and the hand cannot be independently set). The only purpose of this large hand was to differentiate day and night underground, and the orange color can be credited to this model's launch in 1971. It was never a major success over its 14-year production, but its very distinctive look eventually aroused the interest of Rolex collectors, who then gave it a couple of nicknames from "Freccione" (arrow, in Italian) to the "Steve McQueen," although no evidence has ever been found that the famous actor ever owned this reference. The early examples came with a straight second hands, while the one offered here dates from 1981 and accordingly has a Mk5 dial.
This Rolex Explorer II with its distinctive orange hand is available for $17,500 from The Keystone.
Eberhard & Co. Contograf From The 1970sEberhard introduced the Contograf in the 1960s; judging from its colorful dial and integrated bracelet, the example here belongs to the following decade, but it retained the characteristic date at 6 o'clock. This 37mm chronograph also exists in a blue-dial version; both models use orange for the minute register and the pulsation scale. They do come with an in-house chronograph movement, the caliber 310-82 with column-wheel, and not the more common Valjoux 23 or 7734, which also made possible the placement of a date window at 6 o'clock.
This Eberhard Contagraf is being offered by Casowatches.com; the price is ?,500 (or around $2,700).
Buyer Beware: A Zenith El Primero A386 With A Lot Of Service PartsThere is no doubt that the Zenith reference A386 is a highly desirable vintage chronograph, housing the revolutionary El Primero caliber 3019, which was the only high-beat movement among the first chronograph calibers released in 1969. However, the example here comes with one key issue: its original dial is gone. The picture barely allows you to notice it, but the loop on the O letter from El Primero is a definite tell-tale that this is a newer dial, as is the very white lume on the indexes, and the "Swiss Made" mention at the bottom ?the latter denoting the use of Luminova, instead of the original tritium. The handset and tachymeter scale have also been swapped for newer ones. All those changes heavily impact the value of the watch and are unfortunately not disclosed on its listing, which describes its condition as "excellent." That's kind of logical for brand new service parts, but quite a troublesome setup for collectors.
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