Zenith Cal.126-6 18ct 36mm 1954

£2,350

100% Genuine & All Original

Fully Restored, Serviced and Guaranteed

A Beautifully Well Cared For And Lightly Used Example

36mm Diameter Case, Excluding the Zenith Signed Crown

Mint Condition 18K Yellow Gold Zenith Swiss Fully Signed Case

Wonderful ’50s Faceted Dauphine Hands and Subsidiary Seconds Dial

Pristine Cal.126, 15 Jewel, Incabloc High Grade Manual Movement

All in Absolutely Top Grade & Simply Stunning Condition

Vintage Gold Watches Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee

Vintage Gold Watches 12 Months’ Warranty Included*

New High Quality Black Leather Strap

Hardwood Presentation Box Included

Free Worldwide FedEx Delivery

Free UK Special Delivery

Sold 3rd Sept '19
VGW Reference: Z608
Price £2,350

£2,350

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Highly Recommend
The service from Vintage Gold Watches was as per usual Fantastic, the watch arrived when expected and was extremely well packaged as usual. The watch was even nicer than the photos and went straight onto my wrist. Another fantastic acquisition for my growing collection. VGW is the first and so f
Andrew S via Feefo 29/1/2024
Verified Buyer
I have no hesitation in recommending.
From start to finish the service I have received has been excellent. Kirsty has kept me informed all the way and the level of the finished repair to a very old and worn vintage watch was exemplary.
Bryn H via Google Review 23/2/2024
Verified Buyer
Even better in real life
My watch has just arrived and it looks even better in real life! Just wanted to say a massive thank you to John and everyone there for the help you gave me in securing my dream watch. Cannot recommend your company highly enough. Thank you so much. Mike
Mike G via email 29/11/2023
Verified Buyer
New Vacheron
The watch arrived safely together with all its paperwork and looks lovely both on and off the wrist. It is very beautiful and understated. So a definite “yes” from all of us. Happy Christmas to you all Very best wishes Stephen
Stephen R via Email 6/12/2023
Verified Buyer
ABOUT THIS WATCH

Description

Zenith is one of the oldest watch manufacturers, est.1865 and one of only a handful which has always produced its own movements. The company has an almost unparalleled record of technical achievements and notably, in 1929, Zenith won world renown at Kew Observatory (England), when a Zenith wristwatch won first prize for an accuracy of better than 0.6 seconds per day. During the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, Zenith held the lead in producing the most commercially successful and technically advanced, chronograph wristwatches. The company has supplied movements to many other manufacturers for fitting into their watches, including Rolex for their Daytona Chronograph!

Notable features of this watch are its excellent size at 36mm, a rare 18ct yellow gold case and its pristine movement. This watch also comes with a Zenith signed crown and buckle.

The Dial

The classic and beautifully styled Ivory Cream dial has applied gilt numerals and dagger hour indices, matched with original restored gilt 1950s faceted Dauphine hands.

This is an impressive dial, partly due to its size, but also because of the contrasts between the Ivory Cream of the dial and yellow gold of the case and dial furnishings.

The dial carries the Zenith signature star below ’12’ at the top of the dial and a subsidiary seconds dial at the bottom above ‘6’. The lens has been replaced by a new original part.

This is the original dial, which has been restored to the highest standards by our dial restorers, which are considered to be the best in the UK.

The Watch Case

The 18ct yellow Gold, Zenith Swiss made watch case measures 36mm, excluding the original Zenith signed crown. When this watch was new, typical men’s watch sizes were 32mm, 33mm and 34mm, so 35mm and 36mm watch cases were usually classed as ‘Oversize’ and much fewer of these were made.  This example is a three-piece press fit case and it is in immaculate condition. The case has been cleaned, carefully inspected and very gently hand-polished, as this was all that was required to bring it back to its current tip-top condition. The case has no scratches, dings or other marks visible to the naked eye.

As can be seen, the inside of the case-back is signed Zenith, Swiss Made, with Swiss hallmarks and also carries the external case number 568419.

Please note – our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Movement

The Cal.126-6 hand-wound movement was produced in a total of 110,000 pieces between 1950-1955. This calibre was highly successful for Zenith. This example, which is plated in beryllium-bronze and as can be seen, is in wonderful condition. The movement has just been fully overhauled and serviced by our watchmaker which means fully dismantling the watch and movement, ultrasonic cleaning of all parts, inspection to the critical surfaces under high magnification, with replacement as required with genuine new original parts, then careful reassembly and oiling, using all the correct lubricants to manufacturer’s specification before final testing and calibration. This watch is now running perfectly, having been calibrated and timed at +8 seconds per day! This timing has been confirmed on our electronic timegrapher and is truly outstanding for any watch of this age. We therefore we have no hesitation in offering this watch with our 12 months warranty*.

The watch movement is signed Zenith, Swiss Made and carries both the Calibre number 126-6. and the Serial No. 4,318.429, dating the watch to 1954.

*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.

The Strap and Buckle

The strap fitted is a new high quality Black strap with a Zenith gold plated buckle. Please note, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige, free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown burgundy and black straps in stock, in plain, padded leather, alligator, crocodile or lizard skin.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating the watch to 1954.

Detailed particulars will be included with the receipt, along with our 12 months’ Warranty*. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than totally authentic, or not as described, Vintage Gold Watches of London will offer you a full refund at any time”.

The watch also comes complete with the high quality hardwood presentation box shown in the photographs.

In Conclusion

This is a very impressive 18ct vintage Zenith dress watch, which is ready to wear and very practical for everyday use. If treated with care, this watch will make an excellent investment or heirloom piece. Zenith has always benefitted from a first class reputation for the superb quality of its vintage watch movements and just like Longines, Zenith watches have also been noticeably increasing in value of late.

A word about our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring these to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post sales care and service. This approach inevitably means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are a number of well-known stores in West London which are very successful, charging between two to three times the price you see here. We therefore consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

We are happy to accept PayPal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you wish to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or International Bank Wire Transfer, we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please note, we also welcome part exchanges and if you have a watch or small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.

We will be happy to Service, Repair or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

If you have any questions, please call our landline 020 7727 7095  or mobile  07515 949 250 or if calling from overseas our landline number is +44 207 727 7095  or mobile +44 7515 949 250.

We will be happy to answer any questions and offer advice about this or any of our watches listed for sale. If you would like some general advice regarding any aspect of vintage watches, including buying, selling, or collecting, we will also be very happy to hear from you. We await your call!

Finally, please enjoy some time spent viewing our other fine Vintage Gold Watches!

Thank you.

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