David, it's morning and I could use some...
David, I need some clearifications on the watch we're tracking:
Until I saw your article titled Heuer / TAG-Heuer & Tourneau Lemania 5100 & Valjoux 7750 Chronographs* I had no idea that Pasadenas looked any different. The watch was serviced by Heuer in 1990 (cost $200.00) with no comment from them regarding authenticity.
Here is a complete description. with picture reference to the article* Ok... Is this description consistant with your watch, David?:
Black PVD finish on watch and bracelet
Back - outside numbers 750.501 and nothing else
- inside signature Heuer Leonidas SA Suisse
Internal Signatures Movement -17 jewel seventeen unadjusted and 7750
Rotor - Heuer Leonidas SA Suisse
Hands - like those of the pictured Pasadena 750-50 280SL watch (red second faded to pink) I'm assuming it is.
Dial - almost identical to the pictured Pasadena 750-50 280SL watch except for the subdials which have the style of those on the 501.502 and 750.501 Non Pasadena watches. The dial sounds similar to the LeJour PVD Black I own.
If this watch were offered for sale today there would be unanimous agreement on something not right. However in consideration the year it was bought new and the fact it has remained with the original owner makes the question of real or not more difficult. I'll have to dredge out my example, hopefully I'll find the time to do so today.
Using the Timing Stand price list http://onthedash.com/docs/LeJour.shtml I wonder if someone would redial and rerotor a new LeJour 7203 to sell as a Heuer Pasadena for $35 difference in price. While $35 was worth a lot more back in the day, I find it hard to believe that someone would go to that amount of trouble for so little gain.
Or perhaps Heuer ran short of Pasadena cases and made a batch of Genuine Heuer poor man's Heuers. I suspect that by the time these models were in production, Heuer was in dire enough financial state that Heuer was happy to be making watches for others. Remember that Lenamia owned Heuer for a while before TAG bought them out. Usually your suppliers don't own your firm unless you've fallen behind in Accounts payable.
Does any of this make sense to you? Some does, and with some clearification more will. I'll try to get my LeJour out today.
If you would like to look this piece over I would be happy to ship and return at no expense to you. Let's look at my example before we travel too far down that path.
Thanks, David Cheers
|