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timenowine

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hi,

I'm starting a new thread on vintage Pontiac watches.

I invite anyone who's got a Pontiac (the watch not the car) to share pictures of it, or to share information about this Swiss brand which is now defunct but was highly popular in the BENELUX in the 60 and 70s.

I'm kicking off with pictures of my own Pontiac Nageur, which I like for its pie-pan dial. The dial is actual mono-tone but the light plays tricks on the eye because of the pie-pan shape.

I believe this watch is an unusual model for Pontiac precisely because of its pie-pan dial. The red colour and shape of the seconds hand gives it a rather sporty look; just what you would expect from a watch named 'nageur': French for swimmer. And, yes, the watch is waterproof, too.

And, what do you think of the serial number: 1234? How unusual is that?

 
#2 ·
Looks like a nice 1950s watch. I am not surprised that the brand was big in Benelux - Mikrolisk gives it as a brand of "Etablissements A. Kinsbergen SA" of Brussels. I doubt that 1234 is the serial number, it is more likely the reference number or (in rare cases also found) the calibre designation.

Hartmut Richter
 
#4 · (Edited)


This is one I used to own (I sold it, I had too many old watches). It was using an ETA movement. It's called the "Maillot Jaune". The maillot jaune (litteraly the yellow singlet) is a distinctive color code for the "Tour de France", the famous cycling competition.

I offered my stepfather the "Maillot Arc en Ciel" (Rainbow singlet) which is a very cool mechanical chronograph using a Landeron movement.

Right now, I'm wearing a late 1990's Pontiac Hydraulica. It's a classic watch using an ETA 2824-2 movement and I own a Pontiac Chronograph Quartz which has a "Submariner" look, but pretty good build quality.
 
#7 ·
hello,
I recently bought my first vintage watch at Adelin in Antwerp.
A Pontiac Maillot Arc-en-Ciel.

However, somebody told me it's a fake.

It seems Pontiac adds stars to indicate the quality of the watch. The maximum number of stars is apparently 3.
My watch has 4...

After some internet research, I only found information confirming the 3* story.
No pictures of Pontiacs with 4 stars and 2 dutch sites on pontiac watches with no mention of 4* watches.

Can somebody put me at ease or do I have to go back te the store?

Thank you,
Jan
 
#8 ·
Not a fake watch, but possibly a refinished dial. It looks very clean, maybe too clean for a 100 % original dial.
Maybe others can judge this better, but higher resolution pics would be helpful.
 
#9 · (Edited)
@ jancalliauw: yeah, surely a fake. I'll send you my address and will scrap it for you at no extra cost (Yeah, guys, I know you laughed about this one before ... b-))

Seriously - a beautiful watch! Don't worry about this three-star thing. Look at mine:

Image


I had to have it. Of course I had to. Look at its shape ;-)

A decagon, in a sharp, slim chrome-plated case, inspired by ... I don't know: an architectural drawing by Vauban?

Image

Plan of the fortress and city of New Brisach/SIZE]

Image


Image


Image


The clean, beautiful Peseux 7040 ...

Image


... is a very solid, well-marching handwinder which was used, among others, by Girard-Perregeaux (as cal. 091). It makes for a nice, flat watch:

Image


Note that the crown is signed.

*​

Before everybody goes over the barrel I'd like to state that the watch is very slim, very light and feels like a piece of origami on my wrist. I love it, seriously, but if this is as good as Pontiac's watch quality ever got, it's little wonder that they are defunct now.

That said, Jan: your's has four stars and is, imho, of a quality superior to mine. I think, this three-star thing is nonsense, maybe brought up by someone sitting on a box full of tristars :roll:

As we say in Germany: each day a fool rises from his bed ;-) Don't let them fool you!

Regards
Tomcat
 
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#11 · (Edited)
Hey nice,

I'm from the Benelux (Netherlands) and I've seen quite a few Pontiac watches. I bought and restored quite a lot of them actually.
My latest one is similar to Tomcat's but the dial is vertically instead of horizontally. Has the same Peseux 7040 movement.

So far I've encountered movements by ETA, AS, FHF/Standard, FE, Peseux and Venus.

Has the original strap and buckle as well:

Whenever I restore one I will post some pictures of it here too. I'm currently working on a Memomatic Hydraulica 3, Memomatic goldplated dresswatch and a steel Memodate (AS 1702 with date)

Grtz Melvin
 
#17 ·
Pontiac was founded in 1931 by the Dutchman Ali Kinsbergen and three brothers. The Pontiac brand was registered in Biel, Switzerland by Suprecis Watch SA who produced the first watches. The first two establishments were in Brussels, Belgium and in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
 
#18 ·
I have a gold Pontiac watch that I got from my late grandfather (who lived in Holland). He got it for his 50th birthday in 1950. As you can see it has a milanese loop band and gold markings on the clasp. Going to take it to my watch-guy to see if it still works and get an estimate for what the value might be.
 
#20 ·
Recently purchased this watch off trademe for my dad he has an old pontiac so he just loves it. We dont really know anything about it ie age? It does a PONTIAC printed on the winder. Just wondering if anyone knows its age? Still keeping good time..........could do with a good clean, but he will probably leave it as it is.
 
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Hartmut Richter
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