# A Nautic-Ski Mystery: Any Suggestions?



## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

I'm working on LIP Nautic-Ski for someone and he asked "On the left side of the dial date window is what looks like a small gear, the teeth just visible in the window (probably need a loupe to see it properly). I have seen this on other watches of this model - but not all. Any idea what this is?"

I had no idea what he was talking about, so went and checked his watch that had just arrived, and sure enough, there they were! A search of the web also revealed a small number of other Nautic-Ski models with this visible wheel. Photo below from one of them:










The wheel is plastic and riveted to the dial. You can see the rivet to the left of the date window in the photo above. And it rotates freely. But here is the strange thing --- it serves no purpose as it engages with nothing on the LIP R184 movement.

I can only assume that LIP had a change in design direction when they were trying to add a date to their standard R148 movement. The trouble with this argument is that we've only seen this wheel on the Nautic-Ski models...never on any other R 184 based watches. Were they trying to add some dive-related feature or perhaps an AM/PM indicator? Was the dial originally intended for some other LIP movement? In the original design, I'm sure LIP would never have intended to have these teeth showing through the date window.

Here is my Nautic-Ski without the rivet or extra wheel:










Any ideas or suggestions? :huh:


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## watchnutz (Jan 18, 2008)

My only thought would be that they were going to add a day wheel to make a day-date. Can you count the number of teeth on the gear?


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

watchnutz said:


> Can you count the number of teeth on the gear?


Darn...the watch is now re-assembled...but I think it was about 12. :lookaround:


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## PhilM (Nov 5, 2004)

Silver Hawk said:


> watchnutz said:
> 
> 
> > Can you count the number of teeth on the gear?
> ...


You know you're going to have to open it up again h34r:


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## harleymanstan (May 29, 2009)

That is a very curious wheel indeed!! I hope someone figures it out. I don't have a clue. If it was for a day of the week function, or something like that, they would have surely made the window larger since the addition of the wheel was to the dial itself.

Here's a picture of mine that I posted recently. It does not have the riveted wheel.










harleymanstan


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## blu-ray (Feb 23, 2009)

This singular feature prompted even me into some action. I dug out my old school protractor, blew up the image and measured the angle between two teeth as best I could. My guess is 12 teeth. None the wiser about the purpose. Month indicator perhaps? It's hard to believe the rivet was meant to be visible. Good one to solve!


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## wookie (Apr 27, 2009)

Silver Hawk said:


> I'm working on LIP Nautic-Ski for someone and he asked "On the left side of the dial date window is what looks like a small gear, the teeth just visible in the window (probably need a loupe to see it properly). I have seen this on other watches of this model - but not all. Any idea what this is?"
> 
> I had no idea what he was talking about, so went and checked his watch that had just arrived, and sure enough, there they were! A search of the web also revealed a small number of other Nautic-Ski models with this visible wheel. Photo below from one of them:
> 
> ...


sorry I've no idea what it's for either, but there is a good technical manual here

http://watchesz.free.fr/mfa/notice_technique_r148.htm

that may help,my money is on a AM/PM indicator


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