# Wittnauer Electro Chron Skeleton Face Watch



## dk1 (Nov 23, 2008)

Hi Guys, I'm new to forum...I have a Wittenauer Electro Chron watch with a partial view of the inside workings (skeleton) and would like to know as much as possible about it. Can anyone help me? Thanks


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Welcome...

The search function brought up this:

http://www.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?a...2BElectro+Chron


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## dk1 (Nov 23, 2008)

Thanks Jasonm. Nice to be welcomed.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Hi and welcome :rltb:

Would very much like to see a photograph of that please....there are a couple of avid Electro-Chron collectors on this Forum. 

With the help of David (martinus_scriblerus), I've expanded the Electro-Chron section of my website....here....although you wont find a skeletonized Electro-Chrono on it  .

We've also come across two different types of diamond-faced Electro-Chrons....need to add these to the website as well...


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

Here's a photo taken from the NAWCC web site. You can see a skeletonized electro-chron there - top left corner.










I have not personally seen one of these watches. With the original poster's, that makes 3 that I know of - his (or hers), the one that NAWCC has at the musuem, and one which was auctioned off a few years back (went for around a $100 or so, as memory serves - if critical I will try to find my notes on it).

With three sightings, that makes it as rare as the black dial ones (I have seen three of them - I own two, and a friend in Texas recently sold one on eBay BUT it had an original band - I suggest an original band is worth about $400 - I admit using the SWAG theory (some wild ass guess) to come up with that band value, but it seems that watches with the band sell for MUCH MUCH more than your garden variety electro-chron.

If I had to guess a value, I would say about the same as a black dial - say $350 or so. Original band would add $400 or so. This, of course, is predicated on good running condition.

Paul refers to the "diamond dial" electro-chrons. The same fellow that sold the black one has two of them. We are all uncertain whether the diamonds were added after the fact. I will post a photo later. No one yet has turned up a catalogue from that era.

Please post a photo of your watch. I would love to see it.


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

Here is the Diamond Dial Duo.










Remember we DO NOT KNOW if this was a factory dial offering.


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

I guess this post is really for specialists. I did find the sale of the skeletonized Electro-Chron. Check out this link:

http://www.jenack.com/viewauction.aspx?a=9...=51&max=100

You will see that Lot 51 was a skeletonized Electro-Chron, with pre-auction estimated selling price of $200 - $300 and an ACTUAL selling price of $80.00. The sale date was May 1, 2005.

P.S. DK1 - welcome to the forum.


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

Hey oldtimers (read: Paul) on this forum.

The original poster seems to have disappeared. I am really keen to see a photo of this watch. I can't send the guy a private message. Is there any method of getting hold of him?

Please advise.


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## Keith Morse (Jan 28, 2009)

martinus_scriblerus said:


> Hey oldtimers (read: Paul) on this forum.
> 
> The original poster seems to have disappeared. I am really keen to see a photo of this watch. I can't send the guy a private message. Is there any method of getting hold of him?
> 
> Please advise.


Hello All, If you're interested in some pictures of the skeleton-chron I will post some, but i must apologize for the quality of the pictures, I donot have a great camera, so it may be blurry or out of focus.

Secondly, my watch is quite dirty, I acquired this watch from the passing of the grandfather a couple years ago, I was asked to pick out one of his watches to keep so i chose this one since i thought it looked really cool.

He was a heavy smoker, so the inside is more yellow then it should be. and its got scratches etc..also missing original band.




























Inside backplate










Backplate

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/Re...uredFile010.jpg

Inside watch

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/Re...uredFile012.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/Re...uredFile014.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/Re...uredFile015.jpg

WD-5 Battery ( I have a question about this)

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/Re...uredFile016.jpg

If you want me to retake a picture, or tell you what anything says, just ask by my email if i dont respond here, [email protected]

Also, I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to get a modern battery working in this old watch?


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Keith Morse said:


> martinus_scriblerus said:
> 
> 
> > Hey oldtimers (read: Paul) on this forum.
> ...


Thanks for posting!

We've wondered about this version of the Electro-Chron for sometime....seems you have a real rarity there. :thumbsup:

I'll email you some details about fitting modern batteries.


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## Keith Morse (Jan 28, 2009)

> Thanks for posting!
> 
> We've wondering about this version of the Electro-Chron for sometime....seems you have a real rarity there. :thumbsup:
> 
> I'll email you some details about fitting modern batteries.


Thank you very much.


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

Keith Morse said:


> > Thanks for posting!
> >
> > We've wondering about this version of the Electro-Chron for sometime....seems you have a real rarity there. :thumbsup:
> >
> ...


The really intelligent thing to do with this watch is to have it overhauled by Silver Hawk. He worked his magic on my electro-chrons and can do the same for you.

The watch, like I said in my post, is a rarity, the third example that I have either heard of or seen pictures of. It deserves a decent restoration, even if these watches are not particularly valuable (certainly this is one of the charms of the electro-chrons - they sell for prices that regular people can afford, and have a robust movement that can be sorted by the ever competent Silver Hawk).


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## martinus_scriblerus (Sep 29, 2008)

Keith:

If you are ever still out there I'd love to contact you. No way to do this though, as I do not have access to your e-mail address.


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## Keith Morse (Jan 28, 2009)

martinus_scriblerus said:


> Keith:
> 
> If you are ever still out there I'd love to contact you. No way to do this though, as I do not have access to your e-mail address.


Hello Martinus,

You can contact me at : [email protected]


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