Description
And here we are again with my strange penchant for 1970s batshit crazy watches. This cal 15 Kelek chronograph has a dial like a Heuer Skipper after a really bad acid trip. Kelek were an interesting brand, in the 1970s and 80s they made a comparatively inexpensive quarter repeating wristwatch but finished getting swallowed by the resurgent Breitling company. This new old stock watch still has the original sunburst brushed finish on the case top, factory varnish on the case back and the original 22mm Tropic strap – but the standout feature is the dial with its off centred multi tone registers. This is the kind of watch which demands that you wear a flowered shirt, giant bell bottom jeans and platform boots before you strap it on your wrist.
The case is essentially cushion shaped with a monolithic bezel/centre section and a screwed back – the incredibly solid case upper has sunburst machined/brushed finish with highly polished surfaces elsewhere. The case back is brushed, I think, as the finish is completely obscured by the purple lacquer which was applied to protect the finish at the factory and was supposed to be removed by the retailer before sale.
The dial is best described as essentially psychedelic; there are three different shades of blue, fluorescent red/orange and white on the dial. If some Longines chronographs are nicknamed ‘big eye” – then this should be called “mega eyes” – the space occupied by the running seconds and the 30 minute register is well over 25% of the dial space for each. However, each dial only covers a small amount of the actual space allotted to it; the running seconds in particular looking very lonely stuck in the top of the giant space given to it. The blue dial is surrounded by a silvered outer track broken into seconds and fifths and even further outside is a blued tachymeter track. There is a date aperture at 6, white painted baton hands with orange tips and all the subsidiary timing hands are also in fluorescent orange.
The movement is the classic Heuer/Brietling/Hamilton automatic modular chronograph; this is the calibre 15, which is differentiated from the more common cal 11/12 by having a running seconds hand. It has 17 jewels, Incabloc shock protection and beats at 21,600 bph.
The case is in 99% condition as is the dial, whilst the movement is 95+%.
The watch measures 40mm across, 43mm lug to lug and 13.5mm high, it takes a 22mm strap and the original Swiss ‘Tropic Sport” strap with unsigned steel buckle is still fitted
£5,500.00 (approx. $7,500.00 US)
