Chopard Happy Sport Square Mini

1939 Elgin
I believe I have a 1939 'ish Elgin 2257 with a 15 jewel, 18/0 movement here. Case is 10KRGP. I picked this up at a flea market recently and just had it put in working order, mainspring was broken. I really liked etched case detail on the left and right. The dial is very minty and overall I felt the watch was very striking. Only a slight wear line on the top and bottom high point on the face. But, not distracting. Sold new for $37.50 with a strap and $39.75 with a gold filled band.I found an ad showing the model on an Elgin site online. Info for this era of Elgin seems to be scarce except in old ad art. I was very pleased to find something.This brings me to a couple of questions. First, did Elgin always use Veritas metal backs on some of their line, was this their means to hit a lower market price than some of their competition? Also, when did rolled gold plating first make it's appearance? I see alot of gold filled in other lines up into the end of the '40's.

Read My Wrist
By Sara Levine , Leslie Milk From a playful poker watch to a rugged Timex Ironman to a $54,000 diamond-encrusted Rolex, the watches that Washingtonians wear can say a lot about themIn an age of cell phones and BlackBerries, few people need watches to tell time. Why do so many people still wear them? For some, watches are fashion accessories. For others, the watches they wear send a message about how they see themselves and how they want others to perceive them.Stylish urbanites, young tycoons, and CEOs use their timepieces to let the world know how with it or successful they are. Presidents and presidential candidates sport low-cost watches to show they¡¯re regular guys¡ªthen, when they leave office for higher-paying work, they change what¡¯s on their wrist faster than you can say ¡°tick tock.¡±Bill Clinton¡¯s Panerai Luminor is based on a design created for the Italian navy¡ªthe large face can be read underwater. It starts at $4,000. Photograph courtesy of vendorBill Clinton wore a plastic-b

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Which AP would you buy as your first?
I¡äve been looking at AP for some time. But after visiting my AD last week I¡äm really mesmerized. I¡äm a little curious which AP you guys would choose as your first one? What criterias did you have, how did it meet your expectations etc?

Speedmaster Modification
I have always been a fan of the Omega Speedmaster - in fact, my first real watch was a 3570.50, which i purchased after much saving and much research several years back. However, over the years, I've grown more fond of the look of vintage speedmasters, with applied omega logos and more slender baton markers. So, i ended up modifying my speedmaster, at least for the time being, so that it looks similar to a vintage model, but has the personal attachment (and much lower price tag) of my modern version. First, i replaced the bracelet with a 1171, as I never particularly liked the modern version. Next, I replaced the dial with one from the 3594.50 re-issue (raised logo, no professional, as it fits the 1861 movement and looks like a more vintage iteration). Finally, in order to appreciate the movement, I replaced the solid caseback with a sapphire version, keeping the hesalite crystal in place on the front dial. I am definitely happy with the end product, and have all of the original