Another Mondaine

[quoll]

I now have a second Mondaine - also picked up for a song. This is a manual wind 17 Jewel with a similar dial style to my automatic, but in gold plate with a more classic case. I have not had a look at the movement yet , but I suspect this is also 1950s. Maybe I'll just collect Mondaines...

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/Quoll06/Mondaine/Mondaine17Jewel1.jpg

[Hartmut Richter]

Nice watch! Restricting yourself to that brand might, however, be a little mundane....!!

Looking forward to a scan of the movement.
Hartmut Richter

[quoll]

Thanks! LOL - Mondaine, mundane.... like it.

[quoll]

It is an AS 1802/03 (an 1802 with date complication) with a Mondaine signature. Ranfft gives an example date of 1970. Does anyone know if that definitely dates the movement or is it just given as an example? I thought that many AS 1XXX movements were earlier than that? I ask because the styling on this one is so similar to my automatic model with a Felsa movement on which Ranfft gives an example date as 1955. So either the styling remained the same over a long period or one of the watches is mis-dated.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/Quoll06/Mondaine/Mondaine17Jewel3movement.jpg

[Ray MacDonald]

I was going to guess your Mondaine is from the 1960s because date complications are not that common in the 50s. The styling is not incompatible with either decade.

[JohnF]

Hi -

I'd also put it at the mid-to-late 1960s/early 1970s.

Why?

The date complication coupled with the central second hand. For a while I was estimating some of the Gruens that I own with similiar qualities as from the late 1950s, but over time it has become clear to me that they were from the mid to late 1960s instead.

While there certainly were some watches from the 1950s with central second hands and data complications, they remained rare. It really wasn't until the late 1960s that they became as popular as they did, partially in the wake of quartz watches which at first didn't have the complications. It was a way to set them apart from the quartz watches.

JohnF

[quoll]

Ray/John - thanks. I agree the style and central second & date complication tend to indicate around 1970 (as does Ranfft).

This is the other (automatic) I referred to, which has a 1955 Felsa 4007N movement - similar look and similar complications, though if anything a more 'modern' case design.:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/Quoll06/Mondaine/Mondainereflect2f5.jpg

[Ray MacDonald]

Again my guess would be a 1960s piece because of the date complication. I think it's a bit earlier than the 70s - which featured chunky cases and baton hands.

[Hartmut Richter]

No, the Ranfft indications are frequently for the watch, not the movement. If there is a date indication for the movement, he will give a range (e.g. 1969-1975), usually right at the top of the writing in the right-hand column. I would also think that the AS was in production well before 1970.

Hartmut Richter

[quoll]

No, the Ranfft indications are frequently for the watch, not the movement. If there is a date indication for the movement, he will give a range (e.g. 1969-1975), usually right at the top of the writing in the right-hand column. I would also think that the AS was in production well before 1970.

Hartmut Richter

Thanks Harmut, I thought that might be the case. No date range is given on Ranfft for the AS1802/03 in the top right hand column. I wonder if there is another resource for dating this movement?

[tallsaul]

Hi every1

I have an old Fortis watch with AS 1802/03 movement.
I have decided to clean the watch and reassemble. Does any1 have photos of this movement? Do I need to explain why I need it?

Saul.

[Ray MacDonald]

It might be better to ask this question as a new thread in the Watchmaking forum.

[tallsaul]

Thanks Ray, we'll do :)