Some insight/guidance on a 1960s Zenith

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Hi its a nice locking watch I would say the case has been polished, and the dial cleaned , and it looks like the crown has been replaced , I would say the watch on ebay.uk sold for at least 2000 euro to much, I never seen this model sell ever for such an amount .
 
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Hi its a nice locking watch I would say the case has been polished, and the dial cleaned , and it looks like the crown has been replaced , I would say the watch on ebay.uk sold for at least 2000 euro to much, I never seen this model sell ever for such an amount .
Thanks.
I was hoping that it was a high price due to the gold, or being rare, etc - I guess Im being a bit naive
 
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I don't know much about Zenith like LouS does, but I can tell from these pictures it's over polished and the dial doesn't look original. Also I wouldn't pay anywhere near that price for it. Just my two cents!
 
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Like Lou had said in your wtb, it's a redial and case is polished. I just sold a similar central seconds unpolished example at less than a third of that asking price so this one is excessively high.
 
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I understand your attraction to this piece. A 38 mm rose gold case is about as desirable as it gets. And the cal 40, is, like many Zenith calibres, a chronometer-grade movement. I can see why someone took the trouble to do a pretty fair restoration. Unfortunately, as others have noted, the case and lugs have lost their finish and edges during the "provenance polish" (I guess that means it was polished back where it came from... I do love this seller's descriptions) and the dial is awfully clean, with "ZENITH" and "SWISS MADE" printed in unconvincing, serif-free fonts. So the watch seems to have been pretty heavily refurbished, which cuts its value to collectors considerably. But even in very good, original condition, a watch like this would fetch perhaps $2000, and that much only because of the large, rose gold case.
 
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It really is a crazy price. Agree with the USD 2000 estimate, with the emphasis on "in very good, original condition." In answer to your question in your WTB thread, the font of 'Zenith' is wrong, plus the dial is too clean for the condition of the rest of the watch.

Friend Matt, back out of this deal, hang out here for a while to get a sense of plausible prices for such pieces, then make the buy. Odd are you'll save a couple of bucks and get a better-condition piece.
 
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Friend Matt, back out of this deal, hang out here for a while to get a sense of plausible prices for such pieces, then make the buy. Odd are you'll save a couple of bucks and get a better-condition piece.

Fair warning, hanging out here may save you a few bucks on this deal, but the Zenith addiction will cost you in the long run.
 
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Found - like you said - at a fraction of the price. Original dial and no polishing.

PS - how do I mark this thread as <FOUND>
 
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...how do I mark this thread as <FOUND>

First, you post photos of the new acquisition. ;)
 
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::popcorn::

Don't mind me hanging about these parts. Learning ... I'm trying to spend more time on research, before taking the plunge for a nice 60's chrono
 
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Found - like you said - at a fraction of the price. Original dial and no polishing.

PS - how do I mark this thread as <FOUND>
As this was never a WTB thread in the sales section, you can't. It does not apply here.
 
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As this was never a WTB thread is the sales section, you can't. It does not apply here.
Whoops, i had another thread in the sales section - they are linked (Thought I was on that thread).

As for pictures - the watch is a present to myself from my other half and she has put it away.
I managed to take a quick sneaky shot with it first arrived though.

Its a rose gold case (40-T movement), 35mm without crown, and a Zenith strap.
Dated to roughly 1961. Bought it from Italy.

$_12-2.JPG 2013-12-31 16.17.48.jpg

I do have a question though - I noticed the plastic crystal isn't in properly - its a bit loose on the top side (it slightly bulges out near the 12). Can I just push it back into the watch, or should I rather get it professionally done? Afraid I don't have any pics of that. I get the watch at the end of Jan, so will post more then.

Thanks :)
 
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Nice watch, you can't beat the basic gold watch. :thumbsup: