# frankenstein or legit? Astrée



## ctgs114 (Nov 16, 2019)

I am not sure if it is a legit watch, any ideas?


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## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

ctgs114 said:


> I am not sure if it is a legit watch, any ideas?


 Is it yours? What makes you suspicious about it?

Astree Watch was owned by Dodane SA of Besancon, France, according to Mikrolisk.

A check in Google Images shows quite a few mechanical chronographs with that branding, with Valjoux or Landeron movements.

The one you posted has a Valjoux 7733.


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## Balaton1109 (Jul 5, 2015)

What's making you think that it may be a franken?

The Astree-Watch brand was made by Dodane of Besançon, France and the movement in your gold-plated example is a 17j Valjoux 7733.

Regards.

Oops, Slight case of cross-posting. My apologies.


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## ctgs114 (Nov 16, 2019)

spinynorman said:


> Is it yours? What makes you suspicious about it?
> 
> Astree Watch was owned by Dodane SA of Besancon, France, according to Mikrolisk.
> 
> ...


 I don't own it, thing that makes me suspicious is the fact that i was not able to find any other watch like that, is it just rare? I am not that familiar with such watches....


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## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

ctgs114 said:


> I don't own it, thing that makes me suspicious is the fact that i was not able to find any other watch like that, is it just rare? I am not that familiar with such watches....


 Where have you looked?

There are a couple of Astree Watch examples currently on Ebay.

If you search eBay for "Valjoux chronograph" or "Landeron chronograph" you will find a lot, with all sorts of different names on the dial.

I have a Landeron version branded Sultana. On one level it's a work of art, but a very mass-produced art.


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

Well, there isn't anything wrong with that watch as my colleagues have already indicated. As to its rarity, I would say that for those of us who are looking at (and into the history of) watches your chronograph may not seem to be a rarity or anything special but in the real world, vintage mechanical chronograph wristwatches are not the common run of watches we see every day.


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## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

> Well, there isn't anything wrong with that watch as my colleagues have already indicated. As to its rarity, I would say that for those of us who are looking at (and into the history of) watches your chronograph may not seem to be a rarity or anything special but in the real world, vintage mechanical chronograph wristwatches are not the common run of watches we see every day.


 I don't disagree, Honour. They are wonderful things and not what most people are going to have on their wrist today. On the other hand, if you've got £500 to spend there's quite a choice on Ebay, either Landeron or Valjoux. So, special yes; rare, not really.

My comment about mass-produced is based on this article on Monochrome Watches, which I found while researching my Sultana. Unless that is totally wrong - and it seems to stack up with the relatively large number of very similar watches still available - they were largely knocked out down to a price.

As I understand the OP's question, they've seen the watch for sale. Whether it's a good buy rather depends on the price and if it's working.


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

My dear Norman @spinynorman, I realized after writing my post that I had seemed to contradict what you said with regard to mass-production/rarity of mechanical chronographs. Please understand that we are essentially in agreement, and I just wanted the OP to be comforted in the fact that vintage mechanical chronographs do not constitute the main fruit on the tree, so to speak, and are a little bit special in themselves. :biggrin:


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