Details about my Star Jewels wanted, please

[Paysdoufs]

Greetings Enicar community,

Nice forum with a neatly implemented software that you guys are having here

I know it’s rude, but I’ll admit right away that I actually registered hoping to get some clues about the Enicar Star Jewels which I bought last week (photos below).

A bit of information:
- case, dial and plexi in pretty good shape,
- signed crown (no screw-down),
- tritium pips still present (on every second index, but I think that’s by design)
- watch keeps good (actually almost excellent time), certainly due to a full service in 2019 (and that includes the date shift).

I am mainly interested in learning more about:
- the watch's more precise reference,
- whether there's a means to identify its production year,
- and (MAINLY) what caliber ticks inside… Is it an Enicar one? If yes, which one? Of note, the caliber provides a rather quirky date quick set function: While the second and third crown positions both allow to adjust the time (no hacking, though), pushing the crown in from the third position advances the date by one day.

 

[jbcollier]

Going by the logo it is from the 70s. The specific model is the 165-54-01 (engraved on the back). If you google that number you'll find images of similar watches. Some, like yours, with the newer logo (two rings around Saturn), and some with the older logo (single ring).

Can't help you with the movement. However, it will be written on the movement if you open the back. A good watchmaker will be able to do that for you. Don't use one of those adjustable three prong tools. They often slip, forever marring the back.

 

[Paysdoufs]

Tks - I wasn’t aware of the “logo change” criterion And I had mistaken the caseback number for the serial rather than the model code… So I guess the “B” is the color variant (brown/marron), like with modern day Tudors?

Tks also for the input on the caliber. I thought that the date shift mechanism might be a giveaway (I’ve never seen this on any other watch), but it seems I was wrong. For now, I will refrain from opening the watch, though, since it keeps such excellent time. Hopefully, my watchmaker will be equipped for these star-shaped casebacks (Enicar, Aquastar, and maybe some others). At worst, I guess we can always resort to the rubber ball method; or I can send it to the one in GER who did the service in 2019…

Maybe a last question: What’s the consensus around here re. the Dutch guy's Enicar book? Is ist worth the 75 EUR?

Have a great day

 

[Paysdoufs]

EDIT: How weird… Found this one online (on carousell.SG) searching for “165-54-01”), but while the handset seems to be the same, the applied hour markers are completely different ; and I don’t believe that mine have been changed in the past - too clean…

But then again, I am not even sure that handset and markers on that Singapore piece are gold-colored/plated, like they are on mine. And its bracelet doesn’t look super well adjusted either (however, I'll have to say the same about my straight-ended one, too).

So did Enicar sometimes issue different dial variants of the same model (There’s unfortunately no photo of the caseback of the SG piece)?

 

[SteveHarris]

They did yes. The variations are many and it's often hard to find one exactly the same.

The movement will be the AR165 (as denoted by the model number )

Steve

 

[Paysdoufs]

Excellent. Tks so much - that did help in sourcing some more info on the web…

bidfun-db Archive: Watch Movements: Enicar 165

www.ranfft.de

Enicar 165 - oldswisswatches.com

Enicar AR 165 automatic sweep second date: quickset by repeated pulling and pushing the crown 11.75”’ Dm= 26.40mm H= 5.30mm 24 jewels f = 21600 A/h power reserve 45h family: 160: manual wind 161: manual, date 163: manual, day, date 164: automatic 165: auto, date 166: auto, 24h, date 167: auto...

www.oldswisswatches.com

So it looks like a got my dirty hands on a “luxury” watch with an “in-house” caliber…

 

[hns_panama]

That movement is one of the best made by Enicar. It's the basis for the Chronoswiss caliber 122.

 

[Paysdoufs]

It certainly still keeps excellent time (after a service) after all these years