MisterV
23
Early Louis Moinet models... reference pictures anyone? Anyone?..
Apr 19, 2021,01:58 AM
This seems to be a long shot for a brand that has won some awards recently, but:
I've come across a buying opportunity for a very early LM model, which seems to be referred to as the Adonis (duograph?..).
Note the differences on the caseback of the models that are on sale now:
The serial number placement and brand name on caseback instead of inside, on the movement plate, are consistent among the items on sale and different from the catalogue picture.
I can't even really find a reference number for this. The Chrono24 listing says "LM45", but it is the only Google result. The Chrono24 listing also appears on eBay from "runaway-hit", a supposedly reputable seller.
Other Moinets from that era on eBay (e.g. Variograph) and elsewhere also have casebacks that are consistent with these Adonis models (i.e. serial number and logos on the caseback and not on the movement plates).
Now... those were early days for the brand, and it's not really something that fakers have an interest in. Plus, I know that small brands - like for instance Dubey & Schaldenbrand - have different casebacks on the same model, presumably changed after a certain model year (unknown for sure). But better safe than sorry. Does anyone here by any chance have better or live pictures? Or have any experience with those? How come a catalogue / promotional picture can be different from the real thing, if it really is the case?..
Finally, how would you describe those models from your point of view? Forgettable or actually interesting? I like the aesthetics I must say, it ticks off a lot of things I have been looking for (sleek tonneau case, large numerals, but not quite as prominent as the D&S Aerodyn) but this does look a lot less like the independent artisan they are now.