Andrew:

thanks for the message. read below for some answers.

: Hi-

: I, like Jim, came to this through rallying and
: have a small collection now. But I need some
: help:

: 1. Need replacement plastic crystal for my three-button Monte-Carlo.

Based on what I see offered on both sides of the Atlantic, it seems that there are adequate supplies of the replacement crystals. I believe that TAG-Heuer, in Springfield, NJ, will replace the crystal as part of a servicing.

: 2. Monte Carlo runs great but sometimes won't
: count hours above 6. Is this a known
: problem, and who should I go to for work on
: this?

I have never heard of any Monte Carlo with this specific problem. I have seen hour discs that get stuck on a specific number, so maybe this is the same problem. TAG-Heuer, Springfield, NJ continues to service these dashboard timers, and has an excellent reputation.

: 3. I have an Auto-Rallye as well but it
: sometimes sticks with the second hand at the
: bottom of the dial. Again - who might be
: good to look at this?

I'll stick with TAG-Heuer, Springfield. The Auto-Rallye may share its more common movement with other stopwatches, so there may be others who could service this one.

: 4. I'd like to mount this pair together but the
: Auto-Rallye is thicker (older?) - possible
: to recase?

Thicker usually means newer, as the cases began with the lower-profile, and got thicker around 1967.

: 5. Monte Carlo has a single backplate but
: Auto-Rallye has none. Looking for a
: double-plate or even just a single for the
: Auto-Rallye. I could actually machine very
: accurate backplates if anyone is interested,
: but original is original I suppose.

The original double back-plates are prized finds -- usually selling in the $250 to $350 range. I imagine that these would be strong demand for some high-quality reproductions of the double-plates, as I have seen these reproductions selling in the $100 to $150 range.

: Thanks - OnTheDash has turned into the
: worldwide resourse, hasn't it?

The Heuers certainly have a worldwide following, with this extending to the chronographs as well as the dashboard timers. Our webhosting company previusly provided statistics regarding the countries in which our readers were located. It was surprising to see a list of 60 to 70 countries per month.

being a part of this community has been an exciting part of OnTheDash.

: Andrew
: www.musketeerracing.com

thanks,

Jeff