Hi Gianluca
Congratulations for your awesome Heuer Monaco1133 B ,please let the watch as is ,yours is 100% original and with this stand. Hands and not like All transitional modells with square hands.
cheers
Amer

: Hi all,

: this post is to share with you my latest acquisition, a NOS Heuer
: Monaco 1133B with transitional metallic blue dial (but standard
: hands).

:
:

:
:

: Before going on, I really want to thank all the forum experts I
: contacted (Darren, Abel, Richard C., Gigi) that gave me their
: expert evaluation and suggestions as, before deciding if buying
: it or not, I had some doubts about the originality of the watch
: in this unusual combination of dial and hands…

: Apart for the delight of sharing this watch I decided to post it
: because I think it could be interesting for the expert
: collectors of this forum that study the history of the Heuer
: brand and the model’s variations because this watch has some
: particular characteristics that place it on the timeline between
: the true 1969’s transitional 1133B (the metallic dial and the
: cal.11 movement - not 11i but 11 as the date jumps between 11.45
: and 12.00) and the later standard production model (later serial
: #160xxx – not 157xxx or early 158xxx - and standard production
: hands).
: Richard C. confirmed me that the dial is absolutely authentic but
: he told me it’s the first time he saw a trans dial with the
: letters UTO and RON (aUTOmatic cRONograph) not aligned, as
: instead is usual to see on the transitional dial (so letters are
: put like on the matt blue std. dials):

:
:

: And also the HEUER MONACO font is typical of a std - and not trans
: - dial (see the H and R fonts):

:
:

: So putting together all the elements (early cal.11 movement,
: metallic dial BUT with fonts unaligned, later case serial
: #160xxx and std. production hands), it could be that this watch
: had been produced around 1970 (as reference, Arno M.H. std.
: 1133B Monaco – 2010 auction Lot 99 – is #1601xx and is dated
: 1970, I think Arno did some researches about the production year
: of his Heuer :-) ), probably could be that Heuer used on this
: early dial – before swapping to std matt blue one - the same
: fonts cliché that they would have used later for the standard
: dial ?? Only God knows…

: I found occasionally this watch three months ago at an old ex-Heuer
: dealer that had some others interesting timepieces of other
: brands remained unsold and resting in his safe for 40 years and
: more (I had the doubt he could have also some Heuer wristwatches
: after he had shown me some Hervue dash clocks, so I literally
: “obliged” the old dealer to empty the safe and in a watch
: roll, together with some other vintage timepieces there was this
: beauty, secluded carelessly with the unhappy forgotten
: companions).

:
:

: The case was really dirty, especially around the plexi, but nothing
: that a good ultrasonic bath cleaner couldn’t solve:

:
:

: So unfortunately no box and papers for it, but an original unworn
: full-length NSA bracelet:

:
:

: and the usual red sticker on the caseback (even if really dirty).

:
:

: Unfortunately the watch isn’t perfect (is this the reason why it
: has remained unsold in the past years, before the Heuer fever
: re-exploded?), as the tritium dots have eaten a bit the metallic
: brushed finish of the dial around the hour markers:

:
:

: moreover it has some very light scratches on the plexi due to
: careless storing, but the case is in very good shape, I would
: say perfect considering that damned roll, with crisp edges and a
: wonderful untouched brushed finish:

:
:

:
:

:
:

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:

:
:

:
:

: As the watch remained for many years unused, before speaking about
: the price I asked the dealer to verify for melted gasket damage,
: but honestly I never opened a Monaco before (even if I exactly
: know how to do) and he didn’t want to open it (not having the
: spare gasket to replace in case of problems) so we decided to
: give the watch to an expert watchmaker and restorer I used in
: the past and I knew he had experience on vintage watches and on
: Cal 11/12 movements to make it check.
: In effect the gasket was melt but fortunately, after a difficult
: cleaning, no relevant damage has revealed under the old gasket:

:
:

: so, as the watch was opened, in addition to the gasket replacement
: I asked for a complete movement service too (I told the dealer:
: “If I will not buy it someone will do and you will sell a
: watch fully serviced so no worry about the mandatory post-sale
: service”) and a case & bracelet cleaning (excluding the
: lower case part to not damage the red sticker). Now the watch
: runs perfectly and keeps very good time, pushers and crown are
: tender like the butter and date jumps without any problem...

: At the end, even if with a bit of sadness for the small dial
: damage, I decided to buy the watch (“Hey, how many NOS Monaco
: 1133B with trans dial still will exist out there?” I told
: myself).

: Despite to the original NSA bracelet and to another original black
: Corfam 22/16 with sun buckle I have in my drawer, I think I will
: remove the bracelet and I will mount the buckle on a dark blue
: simil-Corfam strap that I’m looking for:

:
:

:
:

: In conclusion, IMHO this dial / hands combination is very beautiful
: (the dial is superb on the natural sun light as it swaps from
: the dark blue to a light sky blue depending on the angle the
: light hits it), even if not fully correct (let’s say that is
: not correct with respect to what Heuer collectors community
: would expect from a transitional Monaco but possible according
: to some collectors I asked to).
: It could also be possible that, in the far past, someone replaced
: the hands or the dial (who knows), but I assume the watch is
: original because the ex-dealer told me the watch never exit from
: his safe in all those years - let's say that he forgot it as he
: didn't remember to have Heuer timepieces before I asked to open
: all the rolls - and moreover he had in his safe also some
: interesting timepieces that usually had only the big exclusive
: agents (like a rare salesman dash clocks holder and some rare
: old 1958 Hervue dash clocks posted here some months ago), but
: who cares, even if probably there will be forum users that will
: think that it is a “put-together” I think it worth to be
: bought …

: Would be curious to know your opinions about this unusual Cal.11
: mvmt / case / dial / hands combination...

:
:

: Thanks you all if you had the patience to arrive until here :-).

: All my best.

: Gianluca