The Swiss Monster Is Back!

Alright Guys,

The Head Swiss Monster is back. I've been traveling quite a bit. I have tons of photos and some great stories to share. Please stay tuned.

 

-JKS

The Head Swiss Monster

UPDATE:

Many are asking where I purchased the above strap. I purchased this from a great dealer named Jacek.

His website is: http://www.hqmilton.com/index.php/site/product/hq_milton_straps/

Harry Houdini's Pocketwatch To Be Auctioned.

Houdini's 18K pocket watch will be auctioned by Bonhams!

The watch is an unsigned/unknown manufacturer and features: a minute repeater chronograph w/calendar and moon phase. 

The watch is dated 1914 w/frosted gilt half plate movement jeweled through the center, straight line lever escapement with bimetallic balance, overcoiled spring and index regulator, lever set, single button chronograph work planted on the barrel bridge, repeating on two gongs by depressing pendant, gold cuvette with inscription, white enamel dial with fifth seconds ring enclosing roman chapters, subsidiary dial for day date and month, moon phase aperture within seconds dial, blued steel hands, plain 18K gold case with English import marks, back lid contains photograph of Houdini. 59mm

Description: 

"To my dear pal
Houdini
From his
Sincere friend
Harry Day
May 1914"

The celebrated escape artist known as Harry Houdini (1874-1926) was born into a rabbinical family in Budapest as Erik Weisz. After his family relocated to New York City, Houdini, a star athlete in his youth, developed a keen interest in magic. Houdini named himself after celebrated French conjurer and clockmaker, Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, whose clocks we will be featuring in our autumn Furniture and Decorative Arts Sale. In 1899, Houdini began working the vaudeville circuit and became famous for his handcuff tricks, earning the name "Handcuff Harry." After escaping from numerous jails, straitjackets, chains, ropes, and one infamous Chinese Water Torture Cell, Houdini passed away at the age of fifty-two due to peritonitis from a ruptured appendix.

This watch was given to Houdini by his English manager, Harry Day, who took an early interest in Houdini and booked all his European appearances. After Houdini's death, the watch was given to his nephew, Harry White.

-JKS

007 Alert: Daniel Craig w/ Vintage Omega Watch !!

Omega Seamaster SM300

A few guys on The Rolex Forum ( http://www.rolexforums.com) were talking about this and I thought I would share. If you haven't joined the TRF, do so! It is the best forum on the net and is filled with genuine and knowledgeable people who are truly inspiring!

For More Info On Corvus Nato Straps, Visit Below:

http://www.corvuswatch.com/index.asp?page=bond_moviestyle

-JKS

Random Act Of Beauty: Rolex 116520 & 6234.

400th Post!!
Rolex 116520 & 6234 (Plus a crusty 1675 :).

One is new, the other old but both are classic!

-JKS

My Panerai Story + "How It's Made"

The Swiss Monster is getting geared up to go to a Panerai GTG. I have been literally reading all things Panerai for days now. The biggest problem is that I do not own a Panerai (I sold a Pam 111) I used to own. For a while the hooplah of the brand spooked me. It seemed like almost daily, I was being stopped and asked about my Panerai. In short, I decided to part with it. Well, now that BIG watches are more prevalent and Panerai watches are less ostentatious, I in the market!

 

Enjoy this "How It's Made"

 -JKS

Hublot Skull Bang

 Hublot Skull Bang

The Hublot Skull Bang is the latest and greatest limited edition. The piece was developed exclusively for Laurent Picciotto (Photo on right). Picciotto is a long time Hublot supporter, and is directly responsible for the first Hublot boutique in Paris. This piece is a gesture to his support and enthusiasm for the brand. The case is made entirely of black ceramic and is in my opinion a bit Rock n Roll and a bit Goth. It is limited to only 100 pieces and can only be found at Chronopassion in Paris.

One problem with Hublot in my opinion. 

 They don't make enough watches!

The Swiss Monster is giving this piece 5/5 Lumes!

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Reference 511.CM.1110.VR.PIC12
Series Limited to 100 pieces numbered from 000/100 to 100/100
Case "Classic Fusion" Diameter 45 mm, polished and satin-finished black ceramic
End-pieces Satin-finished black ceramic
Bezel Satin-finished black ceramic 6 o'clock -12 o'clock 6 H-shaped countersunk black PVD titanium screws
Crystal Sapphire with anti-reflective coating
Bezel lug Black composite resin
Crown Polished black ceramic with Hublot logo
Case-back Polished black ceramic Sapphire crystal with interior anti-reflective treatment Black "Skull Bang" transfer, transparent skull outline on a back background, through which the movement can be seen
Water resistance 5 ATM or approximately 50 metres
Dial Black galvanic sunburst - Black "skull" transfer
Hands Faceted, diamond-polished, skeleton, black galvanic
Movement HUB 1112 automatic movement
No. of components 63 (Jewels: 21)
Date Window at 3 o'clock
Oscillating weight Openworked with black PVD coating, tungsten segment
Power reserve Approximately 42 hours
Strap Black leather strap stitched onto black rubber
Clasp Black PVD steel deployant buckle

-JKS

Talk Like A Pro: Rolex Gears, The Pink/Red Ones...

So, many of you Swiss Monsters can authenticate a Rolex movement from the late 60s and on. Perhaps some of the old Rebberg/Aegler  and Valjoux 72 movement would be confusing but in reality most modern (15XX Series) movements have a "look". There are a few reasons why Rolex movements have this "look". Some of these traits include finishing and engraving. However, I personally look for a pretty distinctive trait. This trait are the "Pinkish-Red" gears (After I find these, I snoop around and verify the movement number and engraving quality).

So here's a hint: The pink gears in a Rolex are Teflon coated. Please note like the name Plexi-Glass (Acrylic), Teflon is the brand name of PTFE. 

Teflon, which is PTFE or polytetrafluoroethylene was discovered on April 6, 1938 by Dr. Roy Plunkett at the DuPont research laboratories (Jackson Laboratory in New Jersey). Plunkett was working with gases related to Freon® refrigerants when upon checking a frozen, compressed sample of tetrafluoroethylene, he and his associates discovered that the sample had polymerized spontaneously into a white, waxy solid to form polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE.
PTFE was first marketed under the DuPont Teflon ® trademark in 1945. The molecular weight of Teflon can exceed 30,000,000, making it one of the largest molecules known. The surface is so slippery, virtually nothing sticks to it or is absorbed by it. No wonder Teflon was choosen to be used on non-stick cooking pans.

So, Now you can refer to these gears as The TEFLON "Ones". 

-JKS

Classic! Vintage Rolex Ad.

Here is a beautiful vintage advertisement from Rolex & Asprey.

Please note the beautiful 3,6,9 Submariner and the Day-Date (6511/6611) w/out hidden clasp & the 1675.

Photo borrowed from Stefano Mazzariol.

-JKS

Random Act Of Beauty: Jaeger Lecoultre.

Random Act Of Beauty: Jaeger Lecoultre.

The Maharani’s Reverso

1936

From 1931, the backs of Reverso watches were personalized with engravings or enamel miniatures. One of the rarest creations featured the portrait of a beautiful Indian lady, probably a Maharani, whose story remains one of the best-kept secrets in the history of the Reverso.

One word: Beautiful

-JKS

Tom Bolt on TV w/ Rolex Sultan Oman Daytona.

Tom Bolt (Watch Dealer) On British TV Show, "Four Rooms".

 For those unfamiliar with the show:

(Wiki) Four Rooms is a British television program aired on Channel 4, in which four dealers in obscure and extraordinary objects try to buy various unique items from members of the public.

The rules of the show state that a seller may enter the four dealer's rooms in any order but cannot return to a room if they decline the dealer's offer.

Below: Rolex Ref. 6270

And... The famous documentary

 Rolex Omani Daytona Ref. 6270:

Ref. 6270 “Baguette Diamond Cosmograph” Rolex, “Cosmograph, Oyster (Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified)”, Ref. 6270/6263. Case No. 9091460. Made in 1985. Extremely rare and very fine, water-resistant, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with round button chronograph, registers, bezel set with 28 baguette-diamonds, dial set with 240 diamonds and nine sapphires, and an 18K yellow gold riveted Rolex Oyster bracelet.

C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back, buttons and crown, diamond-set gold bezel. D. Gold set with 240 diamonds, eight sapphire hour markers, subsidiary dials for the seconds, the 12-hour and 30-minute registers. Yellow gold baton hands with black highlights. M. Cal. 727, rhodiumplated, 17 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to 3 positions, shockabsorber, selfcompensating Breguet balance-spring, Microstella regulating screws. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 37 mm. Thickness 13 mm. Approx. overall length 160 mm.

Estimate: 120,000 CHF - 160,000 CHF Estimate: 100,000 USD - 140,000 USD Estimate: 80,000 EUR - 110,000 EUR   (Please note like all auction est. Most items often fetch much higher prices!!!)

Rolex has produced only very limited numbers of Cosmograph watches set with precious stones, destined for a very exclusive clientele. Ref. 6270 is even rarer than its extremely rare "sister" model, the Ref. 6269, produced during the same period, 1984-1986. Only 4 examples of Ref. 6970, with a specially decorated case, are known to have been made, for the Sultan of Oman. This piece is so rare that there is hardly any documentation or literature devoted to it. The present lot bears two reference numbers: 6270 between the lugs, which refers to the specific characteristics of this watch, and 6263 in the case back. References 6270 and 6263 are identical with the exception of the bezel. The case bodies and backs were interchangeable at the factory.

Above from Antiquorum:  http://catalog.antiquorum.com/catalog.html?action=load&lotid=476&auctionid=213

Remember to visit Tom's Site @

Watchguru.com 

The Video below shows a bit of the beauty of Oman.

-JKS

Random Act Of Beauty.

Rolex Ref. 216710 (Gmt IIC) on Nato!

-JKS

Various Scribbles on Dials :) (Swiss - T < 25)

Or " Swiss - T < 25 " Demystified.
 (Click To Enlarge Photo)

I came across this page on the net a little while back and have been meaning to post. I apologize, I did not note the source. If anyone has claim to this, let me know and I will gladly give you credit. Cheers!

-JKS

Bizarre FS/WTB Ads or How Not To Sell/Buy Rolex (Update)

It's interesting, since Rolex is such a well-known brand. The diversity amongst it's owners never ceases to amaze me. By diversity, I am referring to everything from geographical location to mind-set. I've seen some pretty bizarre "For Sale" pitches as well as "Willing To Buy/Trade" ads posted. So, here are a few that blew my mind...

So, here are a few (Click To Enlarge):

-JKS

What's with TheSwissMonster.com ?

Alright Guys,

I want you all to know that I haven't been slacking. I have some very interesting things at work for TSM. This includes new weekly post as well as merchandise. So, please keep checking the blog for new and exciting material! This will be a very exciting year for TheSwissMonster.com.

Also, Remember I'm always interesting in hearing from our readers. So, please feel free to send in any pictures or other content to TheSwissMonster@gmail.com

-JKS