# Vulcain Cricket Nautical



## GaryB (Jan 24, 2009)

Hello all

Don't want to sail under false colors here, just an old diver who bought this watch from a dive shop in Edmonton, Alberta when he was a fairly newly minted SCUBA diver. I am in no way a watch collector or dealer. I work offshore managing diving contracts in the Gulf of Mexaco. Since the price of oil collapsed my work has evaporated, so I was looking through my piles of accumulated mostly junk for things to sell on ebay, when I found my old watch. Haven't worn it since 1975. It stopped running reliably so I bought a Rolex Sea Dweller just before I left for Aberdeen.

Imagine my surprise when I Googled the watch and found that it is somewhat treasured. It winds stiffly in both directions. I vaguely recall one way wound the watch, the other wound the alarm. The interior bezel works smoothly, and when the hands are advanced the alarm sounds, though not as loudly as I seem to remember. (Maybe I heard better in those days  The watch runs for a few minutes and stops. It was never flooded, but I did do a lot of diving with it. The crystal has light surface scratching and the case is lightly surface marred from 4 or 5 years of steady use.

So, all you watch types, tell me what to do. Should I send it out to be cleaned/serviced? if so, where? Can anyone tell me about what it is worth? Should I just put it on ebay? I'm not looking to get rich, just a fair price. I must have gotten an incredible bargain when I bought it, as I certainly in those days could not have afforded to buy a really expensive watch. I think I saw the dive store owner wearing it, remarked to him about it, and he offered to sell it to me. Perhaps he got it as some kind of promotion? I just do not remember what I paid for it. Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely

Gary


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

Would love to see pics. There are quite a few variations of the Nautical, still waiting for one myself that does not have the busier type dials. As far as servicing cost a bit more than a manual watch to service. Only thing to watch for is corrosion dial side. Some of the current Revue Thommen parts can be used in service of some movements.


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## GaryB (Jan 24, 2009)

James and all

Took me a bit to set up to store pics on the web. Sorry for the quality. My camera is just not up to macro shots. The watch is on a printout from a site I Googled called chrono24.com, which is just about all I know about the watch. I am really most interested in selling it.

Gary


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## GaryB (Jan 24, 2009)

GaryB said:


> James and all
> 
> Looks loke I did something wrong. Trying again
> 
> ...


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

http://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt22/gb...lcompressed.jpg


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## GaryB (Jan 24, 2009)

One more try.


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## MIKE (Feb 23, 2003)

Nice story  no idea on value in current condition and I have never seen one before.

Similar dial to my old Fortis Marinemaster but this dosen't have an alarm.










Mike


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## GaryB (Jan 24, 2009)

Hello all

If I have offended anyone or overstepped the forum's boundaries, I apologize. Paul G says to introduce myself. Very well.

I am a 64 year old single male living in New Orleans. I am not a watch geek, though I do love a good time piece. At present I wear a watch I bought from Bev Morgan at an ADC Western Chapter meeting. It was his last one. Says Kirby Morgan on it. Good for 500 meters, which is just about the limit of human in water diving ability. I work offshore managing projects, usually involving Commercial Divers or ROV's (Remote Operated Vehicles). In the diving business for 34 years, I have dived to 1010 feet and spent over 9000 hours in saturation. I was a Corporate Safety Director for several of the worlds largest diving companies for many years after leaving the field. I worked to develop safer DCS treatment protocols and safer diving tables, and am well known among the world's premier hyperbaric physicians. I am also among the four principal authors of the Association of Diving Contractors International's, "Consensus Standards for Commercial Diving Operations."

I am an amateur astronomer and own more telescopes than any man should. Advantage of being single again, you get to buy toys. He who dies with the most toys wins!

I am looking for advice on this timepiece. How to sell it, how to get it fixed, how to get a valuation, etc. Really know nothing and looking for advice.

gary


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

Servicing of the movement its self should be no more than $100USD. That should get it running unless there is corrosion

The alarm won't sound as loud the pivot needs lube, it should run almost 25 seconds max.

Its stiff to wind probably because the gaskets are dry.

Chrono 24 prices are top price, check ebay and ebay germany

And that is one of the nicer dials. Curious if its a plastic or glass crystal

and jeez, the bracelet!! you will miss it I bet if you get rid of it, the Cricket has a long history as the best alarm there is


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## AbingtonLad (Sep 8, 2008)

GaryB said:


> He who dies with the most toys wins!


 :lol:

That's what we like, members with a sense of humour! Welcome to the forum, Gary. It's the ideal place to sell your watch (if you really want to) just get to 50 posts and you can use the sales part of the site. And getting to 50 is easy when you start by asking for advice on a watch like this :notworthy:


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## GaryB (Jan 24, 2009)

Thanks James, Mike, Kevin

The crystal, I think, is plastic. The add on chrono24 says it is plastic, and I think I remember reading on one of my cryptic searches that the second version had a specially developed plastic. Looking at it from the side it extends nearly straight up for almost 3 mm before it begins a shallow curve. It would have to be very thick to withstand 30 atmospheres (990 fsw)

Obviously, your passion has its own specialized vocabulary. Often, my web searches left me more confused than when I began -- the primary reason why I seized upon your site, which, I might add, is very impressive.

James, have you any suggestions as to where I could send it for reliable service? I gather the remark on the bracelet was a knock  hay, I was a diver. We fix things with a 5 pound maul and duct tape. For me, the band was probably first class!

gary


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

Crystal are high anyway, 4 hands in the center

We have a US member who if pops into the thread may be able to direct you to someone he has used in the US. Myself I use a company up here in Canada who has a lot of training in Europe, does vintage for a lot of guys and even Rolex send him pieces to have parts fabricated when they no longer have parts themselves. They are brick & mortar only no net sales. I can let you know if you wish


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## GaryB (Jan 24, 2009)

James

Thanks. I found a Vulcainusa.com site but haven't had time to investigate. Could you please let me have the Canadian site? Incidentally, I am a Canuck, westerner from Vancouver/Edmonton/BC interior. Where are you?

gary


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

I am in Ontario north of TO. Its Damiani in Woodbridge, no harm in mentioning since they don't do anything over the net. Any Vulcains/Crickets I have had serviced were about $100CAD had one was about $140CAD, one year full piece warranty after his service. Ask for the head watchmaker, I imagine you could courier it to him but I would help if needed I like to see these alarms taken care of. There are plenty of good watchmakers in the US I could ask about who my buddies there use.


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