Buying a Rolex or Chronosport

[eagle]

That's a very cool strap, and I would love a Chronosport. Maybe someday, we'll see.

[Styles Bitchley]

A bit of a basket case Chronosport just popped on on Ebay in the UK. Might be an opportunity to get it for a low price. It needs work though.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/174892991312?m ... nl%3Dmkcid

[To The Regiment]

Here's one for you Chronosport fans. A modern dive watch that takes many cues from the Chronosport, but is a tough, fully capable Swiss diver rated to 500m:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ1K1JODVe9/

https://www.squale.ch/en/1521_militaire_blasted

And a YouTube video that shows the Squale Militaire in great detail. Skip ahead to 1:40: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY84qV8oxxM

Best,
To The Regiment

[eagle]

Wow, that Squale is really cool! I like Squale, and would love to add one to my collection at some point.

[To The Regiment]

Wow, that Squale is really cool! I like Squale, and would love to add one to my collection at some point.

The only problem might be the customs fees from shipping to the US from Switzerland. Here's one on eBay from a seller who appears reputable: https://www.ebay.com/itm/124828188606?h ... SwxaxhAJ~8. That seems to be the going price, or slightly lower.

You can also find them here for a higher price: https://www.exquisitetimepieces.com/squ ... strap.html

Mine is scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

Best,
To The Regiment

[Styles Bitchley]

The Squale is nice and has solid hints of the Chronosport, but the one to get if you want a modern spec version of it is the CWC Royal Navy Diver. It’s literally the exact same case and bezel. The dial is similar too. In fact, I’m almost certain the Sea Quartz 30 was inspired by the CWC diver back in the 70s. The Royal Navy in the UK moved to CWC after using Rolex Submariners for the 60s and most of the 70s. I think Chronosport picked up the design and was marketing them to enlisted men at shops on US bases. Quartz was considered more reliable at the time so these were gaining favour over Rolex and Tudor for hard core tool watches.

https://www.cwcwatch.com/collections/divers-watches

[To The Regiment]

The Squale is nice and has solid hints of the Chronosport, but the one to get if you want a modern spec version of it is the CWC Royal Navy Diver. It’s literally the exact same case and bezel. The dial is similar too. In fact, I’m almost certain the Sea Quartz 30 was inspired by the CWC diver back in the 70s. The Royal Navy in the UK moved to CWC after using Rolex Submariners for the 60s and most of the 70s. I think Chronosport picked up the design and was marketing them to enlisted men at shops on US bases. Quartz was considered more reliable at the time so these were gaining favour over Rolex and Tudor for hard core tool watches.

https://www.cwcwatch.com/collections/divers-watches

The CWC is awesome, too. Solid watch and pedigree. It just needs some orange and a Tropic strap!

Best,
To The Regiment

[Styles Bitchley]

Yes. The orange minute hand is a really nice detail. I agree totally.

[eagle]

The CWC is awesome, too. Solid watch and pedigree. It just needs some orange and a Tropic strap!

Yes. The orange minute hand is a really nice detail. I agree totally.

I love details like that, and it's one reason I really like the Rolex 116710 with the green GMT hand.

Also, does someone sell a hand set similar to the Chronosport that could be installed on the CWC?

[Styles Bitchley]

The CWC is awesome, too. Solid watch and pedigree. It just needs some orange and a Tropic strap!

Yes. The orange minute hand is a really nice detail. I agree totally.

I love details like that, and it's one reason I really like the Rolex 116710 with the green GMT hand.

Also, does someone sell a hand set similar to the Chronosport that could be installed on the CWC?

Nobody makes paddle hands like the ones that were made on the the Chronosport. However, I just had a custom set made for mine by a guy in the UK (he goes by the handle rmcsherry on watchuseek). Someone had replaced the movement and hands in mine at some point before I bought it and I had to source a new original movement and hands. The post size is different, so the old hands won't fit on a newer movement. I kept waiting for some to appear on ebay or something, but it never happened. In the end, this guy was amazing and cheaper than I expected.

For those wondering what movement originally came on the Sea Quartz 30, it's an ESA 536.121. The Swiss company ESA evolved into ETA, which is probably the best known movement manufacturer in the world.

[To The Regiment]

The CWC is awesome, too. Solid watch and pedigree. It just needs some orange and a Tropic strap!

Yes. The orange minute hand is a really nice detail. I agree totally.

I love details like that, and it's one reason I really like the Rolex 116710 with the green GMT hand.

Also, does someone sell a hand set similar to the Chronosport that could be installed on the CWC?

Nobody makes paddle hands like the ones that were made on the the Chronosport. However, I just had a custom set made for mine by a guy in the UK (he goes by the handle rmcsherry on watchuseek). Someone had replaced the movement and hands in mine at some point before I bought it and I had to source a new original movement and hands. The post size is different, so the old hands won't fit on a newer movement. I kept waiting for some to appear on ebay or something, but it never happened. In the end, this guy was amazing and cheaper than I expected.

For those wondering what movement originally came on the Sea Quartz 30, it's an ESA 536.121. The Swiss company ESA evolved into ETA, which is probably the best known movement manufacturer in the world.

That's a great point: even if someone is lucky enough to purchase a Chronosport Sea Quartz 30, it's nearly impossible to find original parts for them. I recently spoke with a renowned vintage watch repairman (lauded on several watch forums) who has a lot of experience repairing/restoring Chronosports. We looked at a couple of the Chronosports on eBay that needed a lot of work. He went down the list, rattling off the various parts that are no longer available and other parts that couldn't be fully restored because the damage was too severe. He recommended finding a Chronosport in "good" condition to start with so that a restoration would yield much better results.

He was also emphatic about NOT getting the Chronosport wet after restoration, even if the seals are new and it passed a pressure test. His reasoning: all watch seals will eventually fail. If this happens on a Chronosport or other vintage dive watch, it may be impossible to repair the damage because of the lack of original parts. I'm not a watch expert by any means, but his advice seemed solid, especially considering his reputation.

That's why I pulled the trigger on a Squale Militaire. It has the vibe of the Chronosport, and it's a solid diver that's rated to 500m, so I can take it diving without worry. Although it resembles the Chronosport, I read that the Squale Militaire is actually based on a vintage Squale design that was used in the Blancpain Bund among other vintage divers.

For anyone interested, here is a review of the Squale Militaire: https://www.watchprozine.com/horologica ... /13132661/

And some history of Squale dive watches: https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/blood ... -of-squale

I'm still on the hunt for a Chronosport Sea Quartz 30, and one day I'll own one. But I think a modern CWC or Squale is a solid choice for actual diving/swimming. Save the vintage Chronosport for drinking beers and enjoying a cigar with buddies.

Best,
To The Regiment

[eagle]

The CWC QM60 looks really similar to Magnum's Chronosport, complete with day and date (and yes the day/date are the wrong color). Hmm...

[To The Regiment]

The CWC QM60 looks really similar to Magnum's Chronosport, complete with day and date (and yes the day/date are the wrong color). Hmm...

Yes it does, indeed. Great looking watch. Do you know if CWC is still producing that particular model in non-black stainless? I looked on their site, but didn't see it listed: https://www.cwcwatch.com/collections/divers-watches. I hope they continue making it.

I did see some without the day/date on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/363398880451?h ... Sw4yJgoOur.

And here is an alternate route: a vintage Rodania that looks a lot like the Chronosport:https://www.ebay.com/itm/133668197272?h ... SwduRgfdu1. It just needs the Tropic Strap: https://tropicstrap.com

Best,
To The Regiment

[Styles Bitchley]

To the Regiment: congrats on the Squale purchase. It's a really awesome looking watch and is really highly respected. Get it wet!

I believe CWC has stock and then they sell out. They replenish their stock, so you just have to keep checking back. Or try emailing them. I actually emailed them looking for a replacement bezel for my SQ 30 and they got back to me the same day. It turns out that the new bezels will not fit the old cases. The new case must not be an exact replica of the old Monnin ones. It leaves me in a difficult situation, as my bezel is in bad shape. I've got a thread on Watchuseek looking for help if anyone's interested.

[To The Regiment]

To the Regiment: congrats on the Squale purchase. It's a really awesome looking watch and is really highly respected. Get it wet!

I believe CWC has stock and then they sell out. They replenish their stock, so you just have to keep checking back. Or try emailing them. I actually emailed them looking for a replacement bezel for my SQ 30 and they got back to me the same day. It turns out that the new bezels will not fit the old cases. The new case must not be an exact replica of the old Monnin ones. It leaves me in a difficult situation, as my bezel is in bad shape. I've got a thread on Watchuseek looking for help if anyone's interested.

Thank you! I hope it looks as good in person as in the photos.

Ah, that makes sense about the CWC. I imagine it's harder for them to keep their stock replenished these days with everything that has gone on over the past year. I'm keeping my eye on that one for a possible future purchase down the road.

Thank you for sharing that thread. I'll check it out. You may have already spoken with him, but I'd give Jack a call to see what he recommends: https://www.internationalwatchworks.com. He has a lot of experience with the Chronosport and may be able to offer some advice/help.

Best,
To The Regiment