Sherpa Guide MK?

paulb12

Member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
Hello all. Can anyone help identity the MK for this Sherpa Guide? It looks like MK III - the handset is throwing me off. I've only seen one example (in a blurry photo on the Spring Bar), which suggests this might be MK III (?)

Any other info would be greatly appreciated.

Happy Holidays everyone!
 

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hurmen

Member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
Going by the information from The Spring Bar blog the main differences between the Mark II and Mark III Guide are in the dial, the hands and the crowns.

Your dial has the lume dots inside the 3-6-9-12 markers and a printed Saturn logo which make it a Mark II dial.
Mark III has the lume dots outside the 3-6-9-12 markers and an applied Saturn logo.

But the white hour and minute baton hands are Mark III.

Your watch also has two different crowns. One flat Mark II and one thick Mark III.

Not sure what you have here... Maybe someone else can help?
 

paulb12

Member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
Going by the information from The Spring Bar blog the main differences between the Mark II and Mark III Guide are in the dial, the hands and the crowns.

Your dial has the lume dots inside the 3-6-9-12 markers and a printed Saturn logo which make it a Mark II dial.
Mark III has the lume dots outside the 3-6-9-12 markers and an applied Saturn logo.

But the white hour and minute baton hands are Mark III.

Your watch also has two different crowns. One flat Mark II and one thick Mark III.

Not sure what you have here... Maybe someone else can help?
Many thanks! I saw a listing for this watch and had considered picking it up as a project watch.
 

jbcollier

Member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
Not my area of expertise but the transition between models doesn't seem to be a hard break. I have an early Mk III with a lollipop seconds, early dial (painted Saturn and the earlier lume dots) and the thicker crowns and later main hands (rallye, minute and hour). I thought it was a lash up until I saw the exact same watch in a Enicar brochure.
 

paulb12

Member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
Wow. Incredible. Thanks for sharing.

I always have the urge to take a lash-up and try to make it right, pursuing authentic NOS parts, but the fear is, 'what if I take something that's correct and inadvertently make it a lash-up?' :)

I ended up grabbing this piece on the Bay. It was a good price. The movement looked clean and the case and dial also looked to be in decent shape. Maybe it will be a parts watch.
 

paulb12

Member
Enicaristi
Sherpa
Hi, all,

So this Sherpa Guide just arrived in the mail. It's in much better shape than the photos suggest. The case appears to be unpolished; the dial is super clean, beautiful natural aging; and the watch is running (with a winding stem issue, it seems like).

It definitely has a MK II dial but the handset is MK III.

I will say that the lume on the sweep second hand matches the lume of the applied markers on the dial identically. The aging of the hands also bear the same patina and hazing as the applied markers. This isn't so surprising given that the same materials were used and the elements are roughly the same age, but it's interesting to me nonetheless. Some lash-up jobs you see the different stages of patina and aging.

Anyway, my question for restoration experts: What is your advice for trying to make this as correct as possible?

I've already acquired a correct (NOS smaller crown).

It would seem that, based on the Spring Bar, that the handset would be the big thing here -- if indeed this is a lash up.

Should I try to tug it in the direction of this one:

Interestingly, the MK II Sherpa Guide uses a similar (if not the same) handset as the Sherpa Jet MK I -- I wonder if they're the same handsets? (If so, I've sourced one).

Any other restoration advice would be greatly appreciated. I just want to restore this girl back to her former glory.

All best,
PB
 

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