1655 MK1 advice

[Dries]

Hi all,
I have been looking for a 1655.
Looking for opinions on it.
2.90M Caseback II.71
MK1 dial & bezel? Relumed dial? Later hands?
Any info would be appreciated.

[Gina Marie]

case looks pretty thin....either the spring bars are incorrect or it will drive you crazy to have them sticking out the sides while wearing.

[Miami Manny]

Case has been polished for sure but, I don't think its too thin and the springbar poking out has been discussed ad nauseum as not being a determining factor about lug thickness.

I am more impressed with the mark I bezel which is almost never found on a beautiful mark I dial. I like this watch.

Serial should be 2.9-3.0m range for that bezel and its genuine

[Miami Manny]

EDIT: Upon closer inspection the crown guards don't look right... too pointy?

[ref1655]

Originally Posted by Gina Marie

case looks pretty thin....either the spring bars are incorrect or it will drive you crazy to have them sticking out the sides while wearing.

+1...and the 'orange hand' looks a bit too good for a watch of this age. most of them are pretty faded by now. conduct a 'darkness test' to see what glows & what doesn't. with a half-life of approximately 12.3 years, most tritium dial/hands on a 45 year old watch no longer glow in the dark unless they were replaced somewhere along the line.

good luck with your search & acquisition...

[perpetualman88]

Bracelet is wrong for sure

71 should have rivet bracelet

[ref1655]

Originally Posted by perpetualman88

Bracelet is wrong for sure
71 should have rivet bracelet

agreed...although many of those early riveted bracelets had a tendency to stretch & were sometimes replaced during RSC servicing intervals. the newer style bracelets are a vast improvement from the standpoint of longevity & maintaining their shape....my original SS bracelet was replaced after 15 years of everyday use due to stretching & spacing between the links.

[Robbyvm]

i kike the dial and the patina, hands look ok but can be replaced later... the colour is ok for me
Case is a bit overpolished especially on the crown guards
nice mk1 bezel

[05carbondrz]

Those Crown Guards would bother me,They look like PCG's.

[Zoran]

Originally Posted by 05carbondrz

Those Crown Guards would bother me,They look like PCG's.

I agree. Somebody really messed up those crown guards...badly
Other than that it looks in overall good condition. I have seen many in worse condition.
That MK1 bezel looks new! Amazing condition.
The orange hand can be original and bright orange if the watch hasn't been exposed too much to the sun but kept away for a good period of time.
That could explain the darker patina on the plots of the dial.

Other than the cg's, nothing bothers me personally to the extent that I could not live with.

That bezel...

[Dries]

Thanks everybody.

[subx]

mk1 1655s under 3.5M serial number DO have a different crown guard profile, more 'pointey', so it may be correct ( hard to tell with just the one shot if they are polished to a point, or if it is a reflection of the lighting)

my 2 cents

[ref1655]

Originally Posted by Miami Manny

EDIT: Upon closer inspection the crown guards don't look right... too pointy?

the upper CG appears broader than the lower one...it's one of those 'little things' (a minor yet noticeable imperfection) that could end up bugging you depending upon your strictness & adherence towards small details.