Open research

Reference catalog is majority placeholder records

Which of the catalog's reference records are stubs carrying a reference number and nothing substantive, and in what order should they be researched?

Complete list of catalogued factory Spaceview models

Which Bulova Accutron models were catalogued from the factory as Spaceviews, in which years, and in which case executions?

Scope Still the most actionable gap on the brand, but the framing has improved: research turned up a PHYSICAL test that does not depend on having the model list at all, which is a better instrument than the documentary lookup originally sought. The list itself remains worth assembling from the collector databases' scanned period catalogues, since it would confirm a Spaceview positively where the crystal test can only expose a modern conversion.

Caliber map for the pre-2019 J12

Which bought-in Swiss automatic and quartz calibers did Chanel fit to the first-generation J12, and to which references and years?

Scope PARTIALLY ANSWERED for the automatics, which are the ones that matter most because they carry the value. Still open for the quartz executions, which are numerous and poorly documented, and for the year-by-year reference mapping. Chanel's own site holds only current production, so the remainder is an auction-and-dealer-record exercise.

Complete list of Frederique Constant manufacture calibers

Which FC caliber families are manufacture movements and which are modified Sellita or ETA bases, across current and recent production?

Scope The MANUFACTURE side is now largely answered — the family is identified and its members named. What remains open is the other half of the question and the one that actually catches misdescription: which references carry bought-in Sellita or ETA movements, which Frederique Constant does not enumerate as clearly as it does its manufacture calibers. A reference-to-caliber table is the remaining work.

Model-by-model satellite arrangements and additional mechanisms

Across the UR series, which satellite arrangement does each model use, and which carry retrograde minutes, turbine-regulated winding, winding-efficiency indication or other additional mechanisms?

Scope PARTIALLY ANSWERED for the two models the catalog holds; still open across the wider UR series. The remainder is a collection exercise against Urwerk's own published press documentation, which is unusually detailed — the UR-210 press material describes the retrograde mechanism component by component — rather than an archival one.

Which Rado references use which specific ceramic or composite

Across current and recent production, which references use high-tech ceramic, plasma high-tech ceramic, Ceramos, hardmetal or coated steel, and how do the properties of each differ in ways an examiner can observe?

Scope Split in two by research, and the more important half is now answered. WHAT THE MATERIALS ARE and how they differ is established and recorded as its own component record, including the two exceptions that qualify the catalog's own tests. WHICH REFERENCE USES WHICH remains open — Rado publishes material fact sheets but not a reference-by-reference assignment — so an examiner still has to establish the material from the reference before choosing a test.

Which Hermès references carry mechanical versus quartz movements

Across the Cape Cod, Heure H and Arceau lines, which references are quartz and which mechanical, and when did each transition?

Scope Answered for the Cape Cod, and the answer came with something better than a reference list: a VISUAL tell that works from a photograph. Still open for the Heure H and Arceau lines, where the quartz-versus-mechanical split is not established here.

Reference-level split between Le Locle and Villeret production

Which Montblanc references are built at Villeret with Minerva calibers and which at Le Locle with outside movements, across current and recent production?

Scope Substantially answered, and by a better route than the reference table this gap asked for: the CALIBER DESIGNATION itself appears to encode the split, which means an examiner can tell from a specification sheet without needing a lookup. Recorded as an observed regularity rather than a published scheme — Montblanc does not state the convention explicitly — so it wants confirming against a wider sample before being relied on absolutely. The reference-by-reference table remains the belt-and-braces version.

Machine-by-machine caliber and collaborator record

For each Horological Machine and Legacy Machine, which constructors and finishers built the movement, what is its specification, and what was the edition size?

Scope The Legacy Machine attributions are now established and confirm the premise this bundle rests on: the constructors are named, publicly, and can be checked. Still open across the Horological Machines, and for edition sizes generally. The remainder is a collection exercise against MB&F's own machine pages and launch material rather than an archival one — the information is published by design, which is the whole point of recording it as evidence.

Rotation periods and inclination angles across the Greubel Forsey inventions

For each invention, what are the carriage rotation periods and inclination angles, and how do they differ between references?

Scope Directly enables the strongest check available on the brand. PARTIALLY ANSWERED for the two inventions the catalog holds; still open for the Quadruple Tourbillon, the Tourbillon Cardan, the GMT and the Différentiel d'Égalité, where an examiner would know to time the carriage without knowing what figure to expect. Greubel Forsey publishes these as exact specifications per invention, so the remainder is a collection exercise against the manufacturer's own history pages rather than an archival one.

Catalogue of Raymond Weil limited editions and their sizes

Which limited and licensed editions has Raymond Weil issued, in what sizes, in which years, and with which references?

Scope Now operational rather than theoretical: enough documented sizes are recorded to run the arithmetic check on the best-known editions, which is what this gap existed to enable. The full catalogue across every edition and year remains to be assembled — Raymond Weil maintains a partnerships page listing its music editions, so this is collection rather than discovery. Note the practical consequence of the sizes found: these are editions of THOUSANDS, not dozens, so a number inside the range is very weak confirmation and only a number outside it is decisive. That asymmetry is worth keeping in view.

Arnold & Son caliber specifications and La Joux-Perret bases

What are the specifications of the A&S calibers, and which are designed for Arnold & Son as against being La Joux-Perret movements shared with other brands?

Scope The relationship question — the more consequential half — is answered, and it is more favourable to the brand than the gap assumed. The calibers are DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED by Arnold & Son and PRODUCED by La Joux-Perret as a sister manufacture, rather than being shared LJP movements rebadged. So an unfamiliar A&S caliber should be exclusive rather than generic, and finding a stock La Joux-Perret movement in an Arnold & Son case would be a finding. Individual specifications remain to be collected; Arnold & Son publishes a calibres index, so this is gathering rather than discovery.

Precise boundary of the Polarouter to Polerouter transition

Exactly when in 1955 did the dial spelling change, were there transitional watches carrying one spelling with the other generation's caliber as factory production, and how many first-series watches were made?

Scope This gap did its job: it found an error in the catalog's own rule. The transitional watches exist and run the OPPOSITE way to the one anticipated — the concern recorded here was a Polarouter dial over a micro-rotor, and what actually exists is a Polerouter dial over a bumper. The rule has been corrected to a one-directional one throughout the bundle. Remaining: the exact month of the name change and first-series production quantities, neither of which is established, and the second of which may not survive anywhere given the absent archive.

Which references carry the natural escapement

Across current and past production, which Laurent Ferrier references use the double direct-impulse natural escapement and which use a conventional Swiss lever?

Scope Materially advanced, and it broadens rather than narrows the check. The catalog had associated the natural escapement with the tourbillon; it appears on the MICRO-ROTOR platform as well, which means the escapement is a brand-wide signature rather than a single reference's feature. That makes its absence a stronger finding than previously recorded — but the exact set of references still needs establishing before absence can be treated as decisive.

De Bethune caliber designations and their reference assignments

Which numbered De Bethune calibers exist, what are their specifications, and which references carry which?

Scope Advanced, and it caught a fabrication in the catalog's own record: an earlier revision named a 'DB2115 family' that does not appear in De Bethune's published caliber list, and it has been replaced with the DB2005, whose specification is documented. The reference-to-caliber assignment remains open — but the route is easier than assumed, because De Bethune publishes a historical catalogue of its own past timepieces, which is an archive of exactly the kind most brands in this expansion lack.

Bulova American-era movement caliber designations

How should Bulova's alphanumeric movement markings be read, and which calibers correspond to which production periods and models?

Scope The DECODE is answered and recorded as a marking, and it turned out to be more useful than the dating cross-check this gap was originally after: because the letters encode FUNCTIONS, the movement marking can be checked against the dial and hands rather than only against the caseback date. A code promising sweep seconds above a sub-seconds dial is an inconsistency an assembled watch fails. What remains open is the caliber-to-model and caliber-to-period mapping, which is a larger collection exercise against the Bulova databases. Note one correction to this gap's own premise: the jewel count is NOT encoded in the caliber code, contrary to what it assumed.

Which references carry silicon escapement components

Across the manufacture calibers, which use silicon escape wheels or hairsprings, and from which production year?

Scope The headline case is answered and turned out to be far more consequential than 'a silicon escape wheel': the FC-810 Monolithic replaces the entire regulating organ with silicon and is now recorded as its own movement. Whether the other manufacture calibers use silicon in smaller ways is the residual question, and it is a minor one by comparison — a silicon escape wheel changes nothing an examiner can observe, whereas the Monolithic changes how the watch visibly runs.

Laurent Ferrier caliber designations and specifications

What are the numbered caliber designations across the Laurent Ferrier range, and what are their specifications and production periods?

Scope The micro-rotor platform is now identified along with its complication derivative, which covers the bulk of the range. The tourbillon calibers and the full production-period mapping remain open, and are a low-priority collection exercise given that manufacturer confirmation is available at this volume.

Which base calibers underlie the Franck Muller complications

Which base movements does Franck Muller use beneath its complication modules, and which complications are built on in-house architecture?

Scope The house PATTERN is established, which is the part that prevents false findings: an FM caliber number denotes a Franck Muller designation over an outside base, so expecting in-house architecture behind one is the error to avoid. What remains open is the specific base beneath the grander complications — the tourbillons, repeaters and the Aeternitas — where an ETA 2892 plainly cannot be the answer and the catalog asserts nothing.

Rolex end-link codes lack any primary documentation

Can the Rolex end-link code tables in circulation be corroborated against a manufacturer parts catalogue or service document?

Scope Affects every end-link component record and the fitments resting on them.

Component photography missing across the library

Which component records can be given reference photography of genuine examples, so that visual comparison is possible rather than described?

Scope Applies to the whole component library and to the counterfeit-intelligence records.

Reference-level production spans across the Seiko catalog

Can the production start and end years recorded for vintage Seiko references be established from Seiko catalogues rather than from collector estimates?

Scope Affects every serial-dating conclusion, since the reference's production window is the constraint that eliminates candidate decades.

Speedmaster 145.022 dial supply and printing variations

Which dial suppliers produced the 145.022 dials, and can the documented printing variations be tied to supplier or to production period rather than only ordered relative to one another?

Scope The 145.022 is among the most heavily traded vintage Omega references and among the most frequently assembled from parts. Dial variations are described in collector literature in relative order; tying them to dates or suppliers is what would turn description into a check.

Serial-number to production-year mapping for vintage Tudor

Can Tudor case serial ranges be tied to production years with better precision than the current collector estimates, and what evidence base would establish it?

Scope Affects the dating of every vintage Tudor in the catalog. The catalog currently seeds no serial ranges at all, which is deliberate: publishing an estimated band would present an interpolation as a lookup.

Dating the Snowflake dial generations

Can the printing and marker variations within the Snowflake dial be tied to production periods, rather than only ordered relative to one another?

Scope The dial carries most of the authentication weight on a vintage Tudor Submariner, because the case and bracelet are Rolex parts that interchange freely. Tying dial generations to dates would turn the strongest available observation into a cross-check against the serial.

Dating the Co-Axial 2500 revisions

When did each internal revision of the caliber 2500 enter production, and can a revision be identified from the movement without reference to Omega's service records?

Scope Consequential because early 2500s were revised under service, so a watch may legitimately carry a later revision than it shipped with. Without a revision-to-date mapping the catalog cannot state which revision a reference should carry, and an examiner should describe the movement rather than assert its revision.

Which modern references use a sandwich dial

Which Panerai references are built with a sandwich dial and which use a conventional painted dial?

Scope Consequential in the direction that harms a genuine watch. The sandwich dial is the fastest counterfeit check on the brand, and an examiner who does not know that some references legitimately lack one could report a correct painted dial as a fake. The catalog records the caveat and cannot yet supply the list that would let an examiner act on it.

Whether the secret signature is present across all references and periods

On which Cartier references and from which date is the secret signature actually applied, and are there current or recent references that do not carry one?

Scope Consequential in the direction that produces harm. The catalog records that absence must be checked against what the reference should have before it is treated as a finding — but without a list of which references carry the signature, that check cannot currently be performed, and an examiner could report a genuine unsigned dial as suspect.

Which references Rolex service fitted with later-specification dials

Which references did Rolex's service network supply with dials of a later specification, over what period, and can a service dial be distinguished from an original beyond period inconsistency of lume and text?

Scope The highest-consequence gap on the brand in ordinary practice. Service dial replacement is the single most common explanation for a Rolex dial that does not match its reference, it affects value by large multiples, and it is neither an authenticity finding nor an originality-neutral one. The catalog currently describes the classification without being able to supply the reference-by-reference knowledge that would let an examiner apply it confidently.

Distinguishing genuine tropical dials from artificially aged ones

Is there a reproducible method — spectroscopic, microscopic, or by pattern of ageing — for separating a genuinely oxidised black dial from one browned deliberately?

Scope The value multiple on a tropical dial is large enough to fund considerable effort at faking one, and the catalog currently offers heuristics — unevenness, directionality, consistency with the lume and hands — rather than a test. This is a gap where the platform's own evidence-capture apparatus could plausibly contribute, since it concerns photographable surface characteristics.

Caliber transition dates within long-running references

When did each caliber change happen inside references that spanned more than one — the 16710's 3185 to 3186, the 16570's three calibers, the 5512's three, the 1675's 1565 to 1575?

Scope Directly governs how the movement fitments in this bundle are written. Because no transition date can be sourced, every caliber a reference legitimately ran is recorded as factory-correct and only one is marked primary — which is honest but blunt, and means the catalog can say a caliber is possible without saying whether it is expected for a watch of a given serial.

Which Navitimer references were supplied through AOPA, and when

Which Navitimer references carried the AOPA winged dial, over what period, and were AOPA and Breitling-signed dials supplied concurrently within the same reference?

Scope Consequential because the emblem carries a premium and is therefore worth adding to a plain dial. Without a reference-and-period mapping an examiner cannot say whether an AOPA dial belongs on the watch it is in, only whether the printing looks right.

What a Patek extract establishes about parts as opposed to numbers

Does an Extract from the Archives record the original dial, hands and bracelet configuration in enough detail to establish whether the parts currently on a watch are original, or only the caliber, case and movement numbers and sale date?

Scope Consequential because the whole bundle recommends the extract as the strongest available step, so what it does and does not settle should be stated precisely rather than left to be assumed. The distinction matters most on a watch whose dial may have been replaced at service: if the extract records the original dial execution, that is a decisive check on originality; if it does not, the dial remains an open question no document can close.

Which references Patek service fitted with later-execution dials

Which Patek references did the service department supply with dials of a later execution, and can a service dial be distinguished from an original beyond inconsistency of execution with the reference?

Scope Mirrors the equivalent Rolex gap and carries the same consequence. On a Nautilus the dial is a large share of the value, a service dial is a genuine Patek part correctly fitted, and the classification is neither an authenticity finding nor originality-neutral. The catalog describes the distinction without being able to supply the reference-by-reference knowledge that would let an examiner apply it.

Which Caliber 11-family movement belongs in which reference and period

When did the Caliber 12 and 15 enter the references that had carried the Caliber 11, and can a caliber be assigned to a period within references such as the 1153 and 11630?

Scope The movement fitments record every caliber of the family as factory-correct for these references because no transition date can be sourced. That is honest and blunt: the catalog can say a caliber is possible and cannot say whether it is expected for a watch of a given serial.

What IWC's archive will confirm, and for which periods

Which fields does an IWC archive extract carry, does its coverage extend across the whole of the company's production, and will IWC answer an enquiry on a military-issued watch?

Scope The bundle recommends the archive as the strongest step on a questioned vintage IWC, which makes its coverage and limits worth establishing rather than assuming. The military question matters most: if IWC's records show a watch was supplied to the Air Ministry, that would corroborate an issue claim from a direction independent of the engraving itself — which is precisely what these claims otherwise lack.

Authenticating Air Ministry issue markings

Is there a reproducible method for distinguishing service-applied broad-arrow and stores markings from later additions, and do issue records survive that can be consulted?

Scope Mirrors the Tudor military-engraving gap exactly, including the consequence: an exterior engraving worth a large multiple, on an accessible surface, with no manufacturer able to confirm it. The catalog holds the whole class at unverified and offers a procedure rather than a test.

What JLC's heritage department will confirm for an outside enquiry

Does Jaeger-LeCoultre answer archive enquiries against case or movement numbers, which fields does it provide, and over which periods do its records extend?

Scope The highest-value gap on the brand, because it decides whether JLC sits with Omega, Patek and IWC — where an individual watch is checkable — or with Tudor and Breitling, where it is not. The bundle deliberately does not recommend the archive as an examination step until it can state what the step yields, which is a caveat rather than a conclusion.

Doxa dial signature concordance by period

What dial signature did Doxa use in each of its corporate phases — original, Synchron, Aubry Frères and the revived brand — and how do the US Divers co-branded dials fit into that sequence?

Scope The catalog establishes that the signature is the brand's dating evidence and does not yet hold the mapping, which leaves the scheme telling an examiner what to look at without telling them what they should see. Period advertising, catalogues and well-provenanced auction lots would build it.

Distinguishing Soviet military issue from commercially sold military-themed watches

Can a Komandirskie actually supplied to the Soviet Ministry of Defence be distinguished from the commercially sold military-themed watches, and do procurement records survive?

Scope Harder than the equivalent Tudor or IWC question for a reason specific to this brand: the volumes are enormous, the themed dials were sold openly to the public, and Soviet procurement records are not accessible. The catalog holds issue claims at unverified and doubts they can be resolved at the level of an individual watch at all.

Whether a photographic register of balance-cock engravings is feasible

Could photographs of hand-engraved balance cocks be captured systematically and matched, turning the engraving from a per-watch observation into a searchable register?

Scope The most interesting opportunity in this knowledge layer and the one most directly connected to the platform's own evidence-capture apparatus. The engraving is already a unique identifier; what is missing is a captured record to match against. A watch photographed at one authentication could be positively identified at the next — genuine provenance continuity, from a photograph, for a brand where it is otherwise unavailable.

Full mapping of the Hublot material codes

What is the complete set of two-letter material codes used in the second field of a Hublot reference, and does the mapping hold across collections and generations?

Scope The highest-value gap on the brand, because the material field is the one part of the reference that is independently testable and therefore the one worth being able to read completely. The catalog currently records the common codes and would be able to check any reference against the watch with a full mapping.

Production of the 1990s JB300

Was a JB300 actually produced in the 1990s as claimed, in what quantity, and with which caliber?

Scope The reference is seeded as a placeholder with a claimed ETA 2824 and carries no movement fitment, because the catalog cannot establish that the watch existed as described. That is the correct treatment and it should stay until evidence arrives: a reference recorded as a placeholder is visibly incomplete, where one filled in from the brand's account would look researched.

Universal Genève case-reference to caliber and dial mapping

Which case references correspond to which calibers, dial executions and production years across the Polerouter and Compax families, and what do the suffixes after the slash denote?

Scope The central gap on the brand and the reason several records here are named rather than numeric. Universal Genève used a large number of case references and there is no published concordance; without one, internal consistency — the only test available in the absence of an archive — can only be applied loosely. Auction archives are the practical route to assembling it, reference by reference, from catalogued lots with photographs of both case interior and movement.

Photographic reference for original Nina Rindt dial printing

At magnification, how does original 885103 dial printing differ from the reproduction dials currently in circulation, in register-ring definition, wordmark proportion and the placement of Swiss?

Scope The highest-value piece of missing evidence in this entire expansion. The reference is worth tens of thousands, the value sits in the dial, the fraud is well capitalised, and the catalog currently describes the difference in prose. Prose is a weak instrument for a judgement made by eye at magnification. Well-provenanced auction lots supply one side of the comparison and the reproduction market supplies the other.

Period dial printing reference for vintage Tissot

What did genuine Tissot dial printing look like, decade by decade, in the placement and letterforms of the wordmark, Antimagnétique and Swiss Made?

Scope Directly actionable and directly valuable, because the redial is the brand's characteristic vintage defect and the check for it is comparative. The catalog currently describes what a redial looks like in words; a decade-by-decade photographic reference would let an examiner compare rather than recall. Documented auction lots with strong provenance are the practical source.

Vintage Rado reference conventions and caliber assignments

What reference numbering did Rado use before the modern R-prefixed format, and which ébauches were fitted to the DiaStar, Captain Cook and Golden Horse lines through the 1960s and 1970s?

Scope The reason the period DiaStar and Captain Cook are recorded here as named references rather than numeric ones. Rado bought movements in during this era and the assignments are not published; the manufacturer's own archive, or period service documentation, would settle both questions at once.

Vintage Certina caliber assignments, including the Chronolympic

Which calibers did Certina fit to its vintage lines, and specifically which chronograph caliber belongs in a DS Chronolympic of a given year?

Scope Recorded as unverified on the reference itself rather than guessed at. Certina used bought-in chronograph calibers of the period and the assignment is not established in public sources; period service documentation or a run of well-documented auction lots would settle it.

Vintage Mido reference numbering and caliber assignments

What reference conventions did Mido use before the modern M-prefixed format, and which calibers were fitted to the Multifort, Commander and Ocean Star lines by period?

Scope The reason the vintage records here are named families rather than references. The Multifort in particular has run since 1934 under one name across quite different watches, and without a period map the model name conveys very little about what an examiner should expect to find.

Which Commander references are genuinely monocoque

Across the Commander's production, which references use the single-piece case and which use conventional cased construction under the same collection name?

Scope Directly consequential, because the catalog recommends the absence of a caseback as the fastest check on the model — and a check phrased that strongly must not be applied to a Commander reference that was never monocoque. Until the mapping exists, the check should be used to confirm a monocoque rather than to condemn a watch that has a back.

Which Certina models and periods carried genuine DS construction

Across Certina's production, which model lines and which years were built to the full DS specification, and when did the specification itself change?

Scope The catalog treats the turtle as a claim to be checked against the watch's construction, which requires knowing what the construction should be for a given model and year. DS was applied across the range and over decades, and the specification will not have been static; without the mapping, an examiner can establish that a shock mount is present but not that it is the right one.

Photographic reference for genuine Hermès strap construction

At magnification, what distinguishes genuine Hermès watch-strap stitching, edge finishing and underside markings from the counterfeit straps currently in circulation?

Scope The highest-value gap on the brand, because the catalog nominates the strap as primary evidence and then describes it in prose. Leather quality is a judgement made by eye and hand, and a comparative photographic reference — stitch pitch, edge section, the underside stamps — would convert a description into something an examiner can hold a strap against.

Franck Muller reference structure and case-size coding

How is a Franck Muller reference constructed, and how do the case-size and complication designations encode into it?

Scope The reason the Cintrée Curvex is recorded here at case-family level rather than reference by reference. The brand's range is very wide, turns over quickly, and its own site retains only current production — so the reference structure is the practical route to identifying a secondary-market watch, and the catalog does not yet hold it. Auction archives are the assembling source.

Photographic profile reference for genuine Cintrée Curvex curvature

What does the compound curvature of a genuine Cintrée Curvex look like in profile, across the different case sizes, and how does it compare against the single-plane counterfeits?

Scope The catalog nominates the profile view as the brand's primary check and then describes it in prose, which is weak for a judgement made by eye. A side-by-side profile comparison across case sizes would convert the strongest check on this brand from an instruction into a reference. Both sides are readily obtainable.

Yema period reference conventions and caliber assignments

Did Yema assign reference numbers to its 1960s and 1970s production, and which calibers were fitted to the Superman, Rallygraf, Yachtingraf and Spationaute lines?

Scope The reason every vintage record here is a named reference. Yema's period output was substantial and much of the documentation is French-language and dispersed; the Besançon municipal and industrial archives are the obvious route, and would settle the reference and caliber questions together.

French military issue markings on Yema watches

What issue markings did the French armed forces apply to Yema watches, which units and contracts do they correspond to, and over what periods?

Scope Issue markings command a substantial premium and sit on a removable component, which is the combination that attracts fraud. Without a documented list of what genuine markings look like and which contracts they correspond to, an examiner can note that a caseback is marked but cannot assess whether the marking is right. French defence procurement records would establish it.

Which brands used which Von Büren case references, and when

Which manufacturers bought Von Büren dive cases, which case references did each use, and over what period?

Scope The highest-value gap here, and its value extends well beyond Squale: a concordance of which case went to which brand in which years would let an examiner confirm that a given case is period-correct for the dial it carries, rather than merely knowing that shared cases exist. It would improve the Blancpain, Doxa and Heuer records as much as this one.

Photographic reference for hand versus machine finishing at magnification

At magnification, what do hand-bevelled internal angles and black-polished surfaces look like beside their machine-finished equivalents?

Scope Valuable well beyond this brand. The catalog uses the internal-angle and black-polish tests for Montblanc's Villeret calibers, Laurent Ferrier, De Bethune and here, and describes them in prose throughout. A single comparative photographic reference would serve all of them — and finishing is precisely the kind of judgement that words convey poorly and a side-by-side image conveys instantly.

Omega 861 to 1861 changeover year

In which year did Omega replace the calibre 861 with the rhodium-plated 1861 in Speedmaster Professional production?

Scope Affects the production windows on every ReferenceMovementFit for the 145.022 and its successors.

Movement supply to vintage Cartier by house and period

Which movement makers supplied which Cartier houses in which periods, and can a vintage Cartier's movement be checked against an expected supplier rather than merely described?

Scope The highest-value gap on the brand. Because a vintage Cartier's movement is normally a supplier's, an examiner currently has no expected-caliber list to check against — which means the movement, the most informative part of most watches, is close to uninformative here. Resolving it would need supplier documentation from Jaeger, LeCoultre and European Watch & Clock Co. alongside Cartier's own archive.

A documentable standard for correct Royal Oak case finishing

Can the finishing characteristics that distinguish a factory Royal Oak case and bracelet be described precisely enough to be applied by an examiner who has not handled many, and is there any manufacturer specification behind them?

Scope The highest-value gap on the brand, because finishing is the primary authentication signal and the catalog can currently only say what to look at. Audemars Piguet publishes no finishing specification, so the knowledge is tacit and held by people who handle the watches — which makes it hard to transfer and impossible to cite.

Case makers supplying Patek Philippe, by period

Which Geneva case makers supplied Patek in which periods, and can a case-maker poinçon be checked against an expected set for a given reference and date rather than merely identified?

Scope The marking record states that a non-Patek maker's mark is normal and expected, which prevents the common false finding. What it cannot yet support is the useful positive check: whether the mark present is one that should be present. Resolving it needs hallmark-register research tied to Patek production dates rather than anything Patek publishes.

Seiko 6105A and 6105B: what actually differs

What is the substantive difference between the 6105A and 6105B executions — hacking, date quickset, or a purely constructional revision — and exactly when did production change over?

Scope Affects the movement fitments on 6105-8000 and 6105-8110 and any authentication note that turns on which execution belongs in which case.

Seiko reference photography for visual comparison

Can properly licensed reference photography be obtained for the Seiko dial, bezel, caseback, movement and lume comparisons the counterfeit indicators describe?

Scope The image architecture exists on WatchReference. What is missing is legally usable photography: owned, manufacturer-supplied or licensed. Scraping marketplace images is not an option.

Authentication method for military issue engravings

Is there a reproducible method — cutting characteristics, letterform, tooling marks — by which a genuine service-applied engraving can be distinguished from a modern addition, and can any issuing service's records be consulted directly?

Scope The highest-consequence open question on the brand: issue provenance can multiply a watch's value several times, the engraving sits on an accessible external surface, and the catalog currently holds the whole class at `unverified`. Any advance here changes real outcomes for owners and buyers.

Preserving the record of discontinued references

Which TSIKOLIA references have been discontinued and removed from the manufacturer's store, and what did they carry?

Scope The highest-priority gap on this brand, and one specific to micro-brands. A small company removes a discontinued line from its store without trace, and there is no auction scholarship, collector literature or archive to fall back on — so a reference not captured before it disappears may become unrecoverable. The 42mm Seven is already in that position and is recorded here only partially. This argues for periodically re-reading the store and capturing what is there, which is a different kind of research task from anything else in this knowledge layer.

Vintage Tissot caliber-to-reference mapping

Which Tissot calibers were fitted to which models and case references across the mid-twentieth century, and what are the production spans of the principal vintage caliber families?

Scope The largest gap on the brand and the reason several vintage records here are recorded as named families rather than references. Tissot made watches in very large numbers for a century and the public caliber documentation is thin relative to that output — thinner than for Omega, with which it shared an owner. Tissot's own archive in Le Locle would settle it; auction-house condition reports and period service documentation would narrow it.

Whether any Universal Genève production records survive anywhere

Did any part of the Universal Genève production archive survive the Bulova and Stelux ownerships, and did the 2023 acquisition of the intellectual property include access to records capable of confirming an individual vintage watch?

Scope Worth settling definitively rather than by assumption, because the answer changes what an authentication of this brand can claim. The catalog currently states that no archive is available for individual confirmation, which reflects the position as understood — but a negative is hard to establish, and the new ownership is the obvious party to ask. If any records do survive, this brand moves from the hardest in the expansion to a considerably easier one.

Independent evidence for the military association

Is there any evidence independent of the brand — procurement records, dated photographs, issued examples with a chain of custody — for the claimed association between the original Jacques Bianchi watches and French military divers?

Scope The defining open question on the brand, and the one the catalog's records already reflect: the association is recorded as an unverified brand claim on the reference records and is not repeated as fact anywhere. It may well be true. Resolving it needs a source that is not the company, and none has been located.

Period Zodiac reference conventions and caliber assignments

What reference numbering did independent-era Zodiac use, and which calibers were fitted to the Sea Wolf and Astrographic through the 1950s and 1960s?

Scope The reason the period records here are named references. It also matters for the generational check: knowing which calibers period watches DID contain would let an examiner confirm a vintage attribution positively, rather than only ruling out modern production by the absence of an STP caliber.

SKX J and K suffixes: what they actually establish

Do the SKX J and K designations record the country of assembly, or only the origin marking required by the destination market?

Scope Affects the SKX dial component records, the 'Japan A' caseback marking, and any provenance statement about country of origin on an SKX.

Rolex and Cortébert movement supply to pre-1993 Panerai

Which Rolex and Cortébert calibers were supplied for which Panerai instruments, in what quantities, and over what periods?

Scope The supply relationship is established in outline and not in detail. Even a partial mapping would help, since a movement inconsistent with any documented supply is a finding an examiner could act on — one of the few negative checks available on these watches.

Rolex 1575 jewel count

Does the Rolex calibre 1575 carry 25 or 26 jewels, and did the count change during production?

Rolex scrambled serials — 2009 or mid-2010

When exactly did Rolex begin issuing randomised (scrambled) serial numbers?

Gay Frères attribution on Omega bracelets

Which Omega bracelet references were supplied by Gay Frères, and over what period does the supplier mark appear?

62MAS 6217-8000 production window

Over exactly which months of 1965 was the small-crown 6217-8000 produced?

Scope Would sharpen the serial-dating check that this reference's short production window makes unusually informative.

Seiko 7549 quartz caliber

What are the architecture, production span and service characteristics of the 7549 caliber used in the first quartz Tuna?

Scope Blocks a movement fitment on 7549-7009 and on the other 7549-cased professional divers.

Seven-character Seiko serial format

Is the seven-character caseback serial a documented Seiko format, and does it follow the same year and month rule with a five-digit unit number?

Scope Affects the confidence ceiling in lib/catalog/seikoSerial.ts.

6139-600x Proof to Resist transition date by market

In which month did rest-of-world 6139-600x dials change from 'Water 70m Proof' to 'Water 70m Resist', and were North American dials genuinely 'Resist' from the outset?

Scope The dial/caseback wording agreement check on the 6139 family depends on this transition being placed correctly.

Seiko dial-code supplier letters

Do the trailing letters on vintage Seiko dial codes reliably identify the dial supplier, and does the mapping hold across calibers and decades?

Scope Would materially strengthen dial-originality assessment on 1960s and 1970s references if it could be established.

Transition from printed to ceramic wave dials on the Diver 300M

Was the change from a printed wave dial to a laser-engraved ceramic dial a clean cutover at the 2018 reference change, or did the two overlap in production or in service supply?

Scope The fitment records treat the change as aligning with the reference change, which is how it is catalogued rather than how it is proven. Service supply in particular is likely to have blurred it, and a ceramic dial in an earlier watch is currently classified as a service replacement on that reasoning rather than on evidence.

Which Rolex case and bracelet references were supplied to Tudor, by period

Which specific Rolex case, crown, crystal and bracelet references were used on which Tudor references, and when did each change?

Scope The catalog records that vintage Tudor cases are Rolex-supplied but assigns no part references, because doing so would require a parts catalogue covering the supply relationship. Until then a Tudor's case parts can be described but not verified against a list.

Meaning of the CK prefix on vintage Omega case references

What do the two-letter prefixes on pre-1960s Omega references — CK most prominently — actually designate? ST is consistently associated with stainless-steel cases in dealer and service material, but no manufacturer statement establishing the CK series has been located.

Scope Affects how the catalog describes every prefixed reference, including CK2915, CK2998 and CK2913. Resolving it would let the reference-numbering record say what the prefix means rather than noting that it exists.

Field semantics of the Omega Product Identity Code

What do the five groups of the fourteen-digit PIC other than the case-diameter group encode, and is the mapping stable across collections?

Scope Community decompositions circulate and agree on the case-size field while diverging elsewhere. Until a manufacturer source is located the catalog documents only the field it can independently verify with a caliper.

Production window of the Speedmaster 'dot over 90' bezel

Over what period was the dot-over-90 tachymeter insert supplied, and did supply overlap with the later printing rather than replacing it cleanly?

Scope The variation is well catalogued and its dating is not. Because bezels are among the most frequently replaced parts on a Speedmaster, a firm window would raise this from a dating aid on a loose bezel to a usable cross-check on a complete watch.

Overlap between the ETA and manufacture generations

Did any Tudor reference ship with both an ETA and an MT56xx caliber, and were ETA-equipped watches serviced with manufacture movements?

Scope The movement fitments in this bundle treat the boundary as clean, with each reference assigned one caliber. If the generations overlapped in production or in service supply, an ETA in a reference recorded as manufacture would be a service finding rather than the mismatch the current data implies.

Field semantics of the modern Cartier reference

Beyond the metal grouping visible in the leading letters, what do the remaining characters of an eight-character Cartier reference encode, and is the scheme stable across collections?

Scope The catalog documents only the metal grouping, which is checkable against the case in hand. The earlier W-plus-digits form is a separate convention and is not reconstructed either.

Which OP designations correspond to which ébauche bases

Which ETA and Unitas bases underlie each of Panerai's OP-series designations, and did any OP number cover more than one base over its life?

Scope OP numbers are Panerai's internal designations for finished ébauches rather than distinct architectures, and several sit on the same base. Without a mapping, an examiner cannot state what a given OP designation should look like — which is the question that matters, since the expected appearance follows from the base and not from the designation.

Which quartz calibers Cartier fits to the Tank Must and Santos-Dumont

Which caliber numbers correspond to the quartz and photovoltaic movements in the current Tank Must and Santos-Dumont references?

Scope Several current Cartier references in this catalog record a movement type and no caliber, because Cartier names none in its consumer material. Numbers circulate in retailer listings and are not cited here. Until a manufacturer source is located the field stays empty rather than carrying a number nobody can trace.

Hallmark placement conventions by case maker and period

Where on a Cartier case did each case maker strike the French hallmarks, and does placement vary enough by period to be usable as a dating or consistency check?

Scope The marking records state that placement varies with the case maker and period without saying how. Since the hallmarks are the strongest evidence available on a vintage Cartier, knowing where to expect them would turn 'the mark is present' into 'the mark is present where this case maker struck it'.

Reading of the inner-caseback period stamp

Is the quarter-and-year reading of the stamp inside a vintage Rolex caseback supported by any manufacturer source, and how reliably does it correspond to the case serial?

Scope Consequential on refinished watches, where the inner stamp may be the only original marking left legible. If the reading is sound it is a valuable cross-check against the serial; if it is reconstructed, it inherits the same weakness as the serial tables and cannot corroborate them, because both would rest on the same body of inference.

COMEX issue records

Do issue records survive for the COMEX Submariners and Sea-Dwellers, and can a claimed issue number be checked against anything outside the watch?

Scope Mirrors the Tudor military-engraving gap and carries the same consequence: an exterior engraving that multiplies a watch's value several times, with no register to check it against. The catalog holds COMEX claims at unverified absent an independent documentary chain, which is a procedure rather than a test.

Which Tapisserie scale belongs to which reference

Which of the Petite, Grande and Mega Tapisserie scales is correct for each Royal Oak reference and dial execution?

Scope The scale is model-specific rather than decorative, so a mapping would turn a descriptive observation into a check. Without one an examiner can confirm that a dial is machined and cannot confirm that it is the right dial for the reference.

Movement supply in the pre-2019 Royal Oak Chronograph

Which chronograph bases underlie the Royal Oak Chronograph calibers used before the integrated 4401, and how were they modified?

Scope Consequential because the model name spans both eras. An examiner expecting an in-house integrated chronograph in an earlier Royal Oak Chronograph will report a correct configuration as a finding. The catalog records the earlier calibers by number without stating their bases, because the bases are not documented in a source it can cite.

What an Audemars Piguet archive extract does and does not attest

Which fields does an Audemars Piguet archive extract carry, and does its coverage extend uniformly across the Royal Oak's production life?

Scope The bundle recommends obtaining an extract as the strongest available step on a questioned Royal Oak, which makes it worth being precise about what one actually establishes. Coverage by period is unknown to this catalog, and an extract that cannot be issued for a given watch is not evidence against it.

Whether any pre-1979 Breitling production records survive

Do production records from the Willy Breitling era survive anywhere, in the current company or elsewhere, that could date or configure a vintage Navitimer?

Scope Determines the ceiling on everything vintage in this bundle. If no records survive, vintage Breitling is permanently in the position vintage Tudor is in — datable only from the watch and from collector reconstruction — and the catalog should say so rather than leaving the question open indefinitely.

Meaning of the vintage Heuer reference suffix letters

What do the suffix letters on vintage Heuer references — the B in 1133B and its counterparts — actually designate, and is the convention consistent across the range?

Scope The suffixes distinguish genuinely different watches and are consistently used, so recording them matters. The catalog associates them with case or dial execution without asserting a mapping, which is as far as the sources support.

Which references carried which Calibre 5 base

Which outside movement bases has TAG Heuer sold under the Calibre 5 designation, and which reference carries which?

Scope Consequential because the designation is a label rather than a caliber identity. Without a mapping an examiner cannot state what should be inside a Calibre 5 watch, which means the movement — normally the most informative part — establishes very little on these references.

Dating the Spiromax balance-spring introduction within the 324 family

When did the silicon Spiromax balance spring enter production in the 324 family, and does the transition align with any reference change?

Scope The caliber record notes that a serviced watch may carry a later spring than it left with, which makes the spring useless as a dating input unless the original transition is known. With a date it would become a weak but real cross-check on a 5711; without one it establishes nothing either way.

Whether the reference-suffix conventions hold across all eras

Do the bracelet, metal and dial suffix conventions apply consistently across Patek's whole production history, or did the scheme change over time in ways that would mislead an examiner reading an older reference with modern expectations?

Scope The bundle presents the suffix system as a four-point consistency test, which is only sound if the conventions are stable. They appear consistent across the modern references in this catalog; the reference 96 predates the scheme entirely, and where the boundary falls is not established.

Reverso case generations and their dating

Can the Reverso's case generations — carrier construction, gadroon profile, case dimensions — be ordered and tied to production periods?

Scope The case is the model's defining component and carries most of its value, and the catalog can currently describe how to test its action without being able to place a given case in a generation. A generational mapping would turn a functional check into a dating one.

Establishing period engraving and enamel on a Reverso reverse face

Can factory or period decoration on a Reverso's reverse face be distinguished from later work, and does JLC's heritage department hold records of commissioned decoration?

Scope Decorated Reversos command premiums and the surface exists to be decorated, which makes later addition both easy and rational. The catalog classifies undocumented decoration as unknown rather than as either period or added — the honest position, and an unsatisfying one for anyone valuing a watch.

The two undecoded fields in the TW reference number

What do the leading digit of the colour group and the G that follows the case size actually encode?

Scope The line prefix, case size and mother-of-pearl marker are established from the catalog's own records and are decoded. These two are not: the leading digit correlates with price and with case finish on the Ori but does not hold cleanly across the Seven sizes, and the G marks gem-setting on the 32mm while appearing on every 36mm and 40mm reference. Unusually among the gaps in this knowledge layer, this one is answerable by asking the manufacturer — the company is small, active and reachable, so this is a question rather than a research project.

Calibers in the 32mm Seven

Which movements are fitted to the four 32mm Seven references, for which the manufacturer publishes no caliber?

Scope Four of the catalog's fifty-six TSIKOLIA references carry no movement fitment because no caliber is published for them, and the crystal and water resistance are unpublished too. Answerable by asking the manufacturer, and worth doing: it is the only line in the brand where the catalog cannot say what is inside the watch.

Which outside calibers the Mark series used before 2018

Which bought-in movements did the Mark references carry before the 32xxx family, and which reference carried which?

Scope The Mark line ran on outside bases for decades, and the catalog currently holds only the in-house generation. Without the earlier assignments an examiner cannot say what should be inside a Mark XVI or XVII, and an outside caliber in one would look like a finding when it is the correct configuration.

Whether Hublot will confirm an individual watch

Does Hublot answer enquiries against a case or movement number, and will it confirm the material specification of a given watch?

Scope Particularly relevant on this brand because of the counterfeit volume and because the material claims are central to value. A manufacturer confirmation of specification would settle questions that physical testing can only narrow.

Dating Vostok production without a serial scheme

What combination of dial text, caliber generation, case construction and logo can place a Vostok in a production period, and how narrow a window can it support?

Scope There is no serial register and production ran to millions of units, so dating rests entirely on inference from the parts — which is complicated by the parts being interchangeable. The catalog currently records that a Vostok usually cannot be dated closely, which is honest and unsatisfying.

Whether the factory recorded any configuration as canonical

Did the Chistopol factory document standard configurations for its case references, or was the pairing of case, dial and movement genuinely free from the outset?

Scope Determines whether `factory` is ever the right classification for a Vostok configuration or whether `period` is always the most that can be said. The bundle currently assumes the latter for dials and the former for calibers, which is a working position rather than a documented one.

What the modern Lange archive will confirm

Will Lange answer an enquiry against a movement number, and which fields does it provide?

Scope Production began in the 1990s so the records are recent and complete, which suggests an enquiry would be answerable. The catalog does not assert it without establishing it, and the bundle therefore recommends the balance cock rather than the archive as the primary individuating evidence.

Which calibers the Classic Fusion and Big Bang carried by period

Which HUB designations correspond to which outside bases, and which reference carried which caliber over its production life?

Scope Consequential because a HUB number is a designation rather than a statement of origin, and an examiner expecting an in-house architecture behind one will report a correct watch as wrong. The catalog holds three calibers and their bases; the wider mapping is not established.

Which named American Hamilton models used which movement grades by year

For the named wristwatch models — Piping Rock, Boulton and their contemporaries — which movement grades were fitted in which production years?

Scope Needed to close the loop on the recommended examination order for these watches. The catalog's advice is to date the movement first and judge the dial against that date, which requires knowing which grade belongs in which year — currently recorded only as caliber families rather than year by year. Hamilton's own production records and period catalogs would establish it.

Photographic reference for period versus reproduction military dials

What do period GG-W-113 and MIL-W-46374 dials look like at magnification, compared against the reproduction dials currently sold for restoration?

Scope The catalog describes the difference in words — period pad printing spreads slightly, reproductions are too crisp, aged tritium does not glow — and words are weaker than a comparison photograph for a judgement made by eye. Reproduction dials are sold openly, so both sides of the comparison are obtainable.

Doxa period reference numbering

Did Doxa assign public reference numbers to the 1960s and 1970s SUB models, and if so how do they map to case, dial colour and caliber?

Scope The reason the period SUB records here are named rather than numeric. With colour functioning as part of the model identity, a reference scheme that encodes it would be particularly informative.

Whether original production was serialised

Were the early-1980s Jacques Bianchi watches given individual serial numbers, and if so where were they placed?

Scope Determines whether an original can be identified as an individual watch at all. For a small French production of the period, either answer is plausible, and the catalog records no serial scheme rather than assuming one exists.

Detecting composites of vintage and re-edition parts

Can a watch assembled from a mixture of 1982 and modern re-edition components be identified, given how closely the designs correspond?

Scope The re-editions are close enough to the originals that parts interchange, and the originals carry a premium. The catalog classifies a suspected composite as unknown pending examination of lume, printing and movement together, which is a procedure rather than a test.

Jewel count of the Hamilton H-50

Does the H-50 carry 17 jewels, as Hamilton's own specification and its ETA 2801-2 base imply, or 25 as other published specifications for the same reference state?

Scope Small in itself and disproportionately consequential in use, because a jewel count is visible on the movement and an examiner will reasonably treat it as decisive. Until it is settled against a Hamilton technical document the catalog asserts no figure, and no finding should rest on one.

Reliable identification of the pivoting anchor on service dials

Do Rado service replacement dials carry the pivoting anchor in the same form as factory dials, and are there production periods or executions in which the anchor was fixed rather than pivoted?

Scope Matters because the catalog recommends the anchor as the first check on any Rado, and a check that strong needs its exceptions documented. If any genuine Rado dial carries a fixed anchor, an examiner relying on this test would condemn it. Nothing found so far suggests one does, but the absence of a documented exception is not the same as its absence.

Generation-by-generation T-Touch reference map

Which T-Touch references belong to which generation of the tactile platform, and what functions and power sources did each generation carry?

Scope The T-Touch is recorded at platform level because the generations differ substantially — in functions, in power source and in interface behaviour — and assessing one generation against another's expected behaviour would produce wrong answers. Tissot's own archive of discontinued references would close this; the live site holds only current production.

Whether the 1978 Seastar PRX was catalogued under numeric references

Did Tissot assign public reference numbers to the 1978 PRX, and if so what were they and how do they map to the case and dial executions?

Scope Recorded as a named reference because no reliable numeric identity is established, and the modern revival has made the original commercially interesting enough that listings now invent identifications for it. A period Tissot catalog would resolve this directly.

Pre-1950 Bulova symbol date codes

What symbol system did Bulova use to date casebacks before the letter-and-digit codes, and how does each symbol map to a year?

Scope The catalog records the letter system from around 1950 and notes that earlier production used symbols without decoding them. Pre-war Bulovas are numerous and the symbol tables exist in collector sources; recording them would extend usable dating back several decades.

Which Bulova references use the 262 kHz oscillator

Across current and recent production, which references carry high-frequency quartz and which carry standard 32,768 Hz movements?

Scope Matters because the sweeping seconds hand is only correct on the high-frequency references. On a standard quartz Bulova a sweep would be an anomaly, and without the reference-level mapping an examiner cannot tell which expectation applies — the same reference-specific problem the Rado material tests have.

How the 2026 recreations differ physically from the originals

In what specific, physically observable ways do the relaunched Polerouter and Compax recreations differ from the vintage watches they reproduce?

Scope A gap that will grow. Faithful modern recreations of valuable vintage watches enter the secondary market and are eventually offered, honestly or otherwise, as originals — the pattern already visible with the Rado Captain Cook reissue. Documenting the differences now, while the new watches are current and their specifications published, is far easier than reconstructing them in a decade.

Hermès watch reference structure and its decode

How is an Hermès watch reference constructed, and which fields encode model, case size, material and dial execution?

Scope The catalog records the Cape Cod, Heure H and Arceau at model level partly because the reference structure is not established. Given the counterfeit volume on this brand, being able to check that a quoted reference is even well-formed would have real practical value.

Which Montblanc pen authentication conventions apply to watches

Of the widely circulated Montblanc authentication methods — emblem geometry, serial formats, packaging and documentation conventions — which were developed for writing instruments and which genuinely apply to watches?

Scope A practical hazard, and the same one this catalog records for Hermès. The counterfeit apparatus and the corresponding authentication literature around Montblanc are overwhelmingly about pens, they are easy to find, and much of it does not transfer. The emblem geometry does; the serial conventions largely do not. Establishing the boundary would prevent a specific and likely error.

Aquadura service parts availability

Are cork sealing components still supplied for period Aquadura crowns, and what is the accepted service practice where they are not?

Scope Determines whether a substituted conventional crown on a period Mido should be read as a reasonable repair or as an avoidable loss of originality — a judgement the catalog currently records without being able to justify either way.

Physical differences between period DS divers and the Heritage reissues

In what observable respects do the modern Certina Heritage reissues differ from the 1960s DS dive watches they reproduce?

Scope The same problem this expansion records for Doxa and Rado: a faithful reissue, a period original worth substantially more, and no photographic separator. Both sides are obtainable — the reissues are current production and period examples appear at auction — so this is a documentable gap rather than an intractable one.

Which J12 executions use which ceramic and colour processes

Do the black, white and coloured J12 ceramics differ in composition or process in ways that affect their weight, hardness or thermal behaviour?

Scope The material tests this bundle leads with assume the ceramic behaves consistently across executions. That is very likely true and is not established, and coloured ceramics in particular involve different compositions. Worth confirming, because a test recommended this strongly should have its limits known.

Separating Hermès leather-goods authentication material from watch material

Which of the widely circulated Hermès authentication systems — blindstamps, workshop marks, date letters — apply to watches and watch straps, and which are specific to handbags and other leather goods?

Scope A practical hazard rather than a historical question. The volume of Hermès handbag authentication material online vastly exceeds the watch material, it is easily found, and much of it does not transfer — an examiner applying a handbag date-stamp system to a watch will reach a confident and meaningless conclusion. Establishing what genuinely applies to watches would prevent a specific and likely error.

The Villeret Minerva caliber family and its members

Which calibers does Montblanc currently make at Villeret, how do they differ from each other, and how does each relate to the historical Minerva calibers they descend from?

Scope The catalog holds two Villeret calibers and does not assert the differences between them, which is honest but leaves an examiner able to recognise a Minerva movement without being able to say which one. Given the values involved, being able to confirm that the correct Villeret caliber is present — rather than merely a Villeret caliber — would be worth having.

Heart Beat aperture positions and movement orientations by caliber

Which calibers place the balance at which dial position, and are there Heart Beat references whose aperture shows something other than the balance?

Scope The catalog recommends the aperture as a check that works from a photograph, which is a strong claim and needs its exceptions known. If any genuine Heart Beat reference shows a mainspring barrel or another component rather than the balance, an examiner applying the rule strictly would condemn it.

Vintage Baume & Mercier reference conventions

What reference numbering did Baume & Mercier use before the MOA format, and how do the 1973 Riviera and mid-century Hampton executions map onto it?

Scope The reason the period records here are named rather than numeric. Lower priority than the equivalent gaps on the more valuable vintage brands in this expansion, simply because the money at stake is smaller — but the 2021 Riviera revival has begun to change that for the 1973 watch.

Baume Frères Kew Observatory award records

Which Baume Frères movements were submitted to Kew, in which years, with what results, and are the certificates traceable to individual watches?

Scope Worth pursuing because observatory records are institutional and survive, which makes this one of the few historical brand claims in the expansion that could be moved from `probable` to genuinely documented. It would also establish the useful distinction between watches that were actually certified and the wider production the certification is now used to endorse.

Caliber assignments across vintage Baume & Mercier

Which movements were fitted to Baume & Mercier watches through the mid-twentieth century, and to the original Riviera in particular?

Scope The catalog holds only the modern Baumatic. The original Riviera spanned the quartz crisis in both mechanical and quartz form, so a period example could correctly contain either — and without the mapping an examiner cannot tell a correct quartz Riviera from a movement swap.

Photographic reference for fumé gradient quality

How does a genuine Moser fumé gradient behave under rotation and varied lighting, compared with the copies now in circulation?

Scope An unusual case where still photography is inadequate to the gap: the check depends on how the gradient behaves as light moves across it, so the reference material needed is video rather than images. Worth noting because it also implies the right instruction to a remote seller — ask for a rotating video, not more photographs.

Spationaute technical specification and production quantity

What caliber, dimensions and specification did the Spationaute carry, how many were produced, and how does the flown example differ from series production?

Scope The mission and date are well documented and the watch is not. Establishing whether the flown example differed from series production would also sharpen the flown-watch-versus-flown-model distinction the catalog relies on here — if the mission watch was specially prepared, that is itself a check on any claim attaching to a production example.

Moser HMC caliber family and its members

Which HMC calibers does Moser produce, what are their specifications, and which use the modular escapement and the in-house hairspring?

Scope The catalog holds one caliber and the family is considerably larger. Since the movement carries most of the identification on the Concept watches, knowing which caliber belongs in which reference — and which structural features to expect — is more consequential here than it would be on a brand whose dials identify themselves.

RW1212 technical specification

What are the RW1212's dimensions, frequency, jewel count, power reserve and construction, and what is its relationship if any to an outside base?

Scope The catalog records the caliber's existence and its useful property — visible from both sides — without asserting its specification, which is not established here. Since the recommended check is to compare the visible architecture against the published caliber, having the published caliber recorded would make that check considerably more usable.

Which Raymond Weil references use which outside calibers

Across the Freelancer, Maestro and Tango collections, which Sellita, ETA and quartz movements are fitted to which references?

Scope Needed so that an outside movement can be confirmed as the CORRECT outside movement rather than merely an unsurprising one. The catalog currently records that most of the range uses bought-in calibers, which prevents a false finding but does not support a positive one.

Squale reference-to-caliber mapping

Which Swiss calibers has Squale fitted to which of its own references, historically and currently?

Scope The catalog records only that Squale uses outside movements, which prevents a false finding but supports no positive one. Since the brand's cases are its identity, the movement is where a rebuilt or mismatched example would show, and knowing what belongs there would make that check possible.

Gearing behind the spherical moonphase accuracy claim

What tooth counts drive the spherical moonphase, and do they support the quoted accuracy of roughly a day's drift over a millennium?

Scope The same gap the catalog records for the Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon, and answerable the same way: the accuracy follows arithmetically from the gearing, and the gearing is in principle countable. Recording it would convert a manufacturer's figure into a verified specification.

Astrographic mystery-disc mechanism and service availability

How is the Astrographic's disc drive constructed, and are parts or specialist servicing available for period examples?

Scope Determines whether a hazed or wobbling period Astrographic is a repairable condition problem or a permanent one, which is the difference between a service note and a substantial valuation finding. The catalog currently records the symptom without being able to say which.

Tooth counts behind the Perpetual Moon accuracy claim

What gear ratio drives the Perpetual Moon's disc, and does it support the quoted accuracy?

Scope Unusual among the gaps in this expansion because it is answerable by arithmetic once the tooth count is known, and the tooth count is visible through the caseback. Recording it would turn a marketing figure into a verified specification — and would give an examiner a definite number to check against.

Expected wear behaviour of the satellite carousel

How does a satellite carousel behave as it wears, and what distinguishes a worn but genuine mechanism from an ungeared imitation?

Scope Matters because the catalog recommends observation as the test and a worn genuine mechanism can look hesitant. The distinguishing principle recorded here — a worn mechanism still tells the right time — is sound but coarse, and a fuller account of the wear modes would let an examiner separate condition from authenticity with more confidence.

Whether TAG Heuer's archive can confirm an individual vintage watch

Does TAG Heuer's heritage archive hold per-watch production records, and will it answer an enquiry against a case or movement number?

Scope Determines whether vintage Heuer sits with Omega and Patek, where an individual watch is checkable, or with Tudor and Breitling, where it is not. The catalog currently assumes the latter and would materially change its recommendations if the former turned out to be true.

Production quantities and reference production periods

How many of each reference were made, and over what period did each run? Which colourways were offered in which years?

Scope The structural weakness of the whole bundle and the reason the confidence badges look strange next to the movement records. A company this size keeps no archive and publishes no history, so the catalog holds precise specifications for watches whose production it cannot date. That combination — strong on the movement, thin on the watch — is the true shape of the evidence rather than a gap in the research.

Rolex 93150 to 93250 supply transition

When was the 93150 bracelet withdrawn in favour of the 93250 in Rolex's service supply, and were the two supplied concurrently?

Scope Bears on every 20 mm sports reference whose bracelet may have been replaced at service.

Pre-1960s Seiko case numbering

What conventions govern Seiko case and serial numbering before 1960, and where does the six-character date code actually begin?

Scope Affects the Laurel, early Seikosha and pre-war references, none of which are yet in the catalog.

Whether Oystersteel differs from the 904L Rolex used previously

Is Oystersteel a distinct alloy from the 904L stainless steel Rolex used before 2018, or a naming change applied to the same material?

Scope Low priority because little turns on it for an examiner, but worth recording because listings routinely treat the naming change as a material upgrade and price accordingly. The catalog states that the naming changed and does not assert that the alloy did.

Field semantics of the modern Breitling reference

Beyond the metal association in the leading letter, what do the remaining characters of a modern Breitling reference encode?

Scope Low priority: the reference can already be checked against Breitling's own product page, which is what an examiner actually needs. Decoding it would add convenience rather than capability.

What distinguishes the 822 from the 822/2

What changed between the Reverso calibers 822 and 822/2, and does the distinction have any consequence an examiner can observe?

Scope Low priority because little turns on it: both are rectangular manual calibers correct for their references. Recorded so that the near-empty specification on the 822/2 reads as a known gap rather than as an oversight.

Founding year of the brand

Was TSIKOLIA founded in 2011 or 2015, and how does either date relate to the earlier UNIQ label under which the same designer worked?

Scope The brand profile deliberately records no founding year rather than presenting a contested one as settled. Low priority for authentication — a founding year decides nothing about an individual watch — but worth resolving because the catalog currently shows an empty field where a reader expects a number, and the reason should be discoverable.

Field semantics of the Lange reference number

What exactly do the two groups of a Lange reference encode, and is the mapping stable across the collections?

Scope The catalog records that the leading group identifies the model family and the trailing group the case metal and dial execution, which is supported by the references it holds. Low priority: the reference can be checked against Lange's own documentation, which is what an examiner needs.

Full decode of the modern Hamilton SKU

Beyond the collection groupings, what do the remaining digits of an H-prefixed Hamilton SKU encode, and is the mapping stable across collections and generations?

Scope Lower priority than it looks, because the SKU carries no date information whatever it encodes and so cannot do the work the American serial scheme does. Worth having for completeness in matching a watch to its configuration.

Which Horological Machines have been copied, and how closely

Which MB&F designs have attracted homages or copies, and how do those differ from the originals?

Scope Low priority because the economics protect these watches — reproducing a sculptural case in tiny numbers is not worthwhile — but worth tracking, since what exists in the market is loose homage and an examiner meeting one should be able to place it rather than puzzle over it.

Rolex serial-to-year tables have no manufacturer basis

Is there any manufacturer-issued source for the Rolex serial-number-to-production-year mappings reproduced across the market?

Scope The reason no SerialRange rows are seeded for Rolex. Recording estimates as records is the specific failure this gap exists to prevent.

Whether pre-1993 Panerai can be authenticated from the watch at all

Is there any combination of physical evidence that can establish a pre-1993 Panerai as genuine in the absence of a documented chain of custody, or is provenance the only available route?

Scope Marked unresolvable rather than open, and the distinction is deliberate. The archive that would settle it is a military one, partly lost, and the surviving population is small enough that the reference set an examiner would compare against is itself contaminated by accepted forgeries. This is a permanent caveat on every pre-1993 claim in the catalog, not a task waiting for someone with time.

Which Moser references are Concept executions

Across current and recent production, which references carry unbranded Concept dials and which carry conventional signed dials?

Scope RESOLVED, and the answer needs no lookup table — which is why the gap was framed harder than it turned out to be. The model designation declares it. What remains is only the ordinary problem of getting an accurate model name from a seller, which is not a research question.

Resolving the helium escape valve priority claim

Was the helium escape valve on the 1969 Doxa SUB 300T Conquistador co-developed with Rolex, developed independently in parallel, or licensed — and which watch reached commercial availability first?

Scope RESOLVED, and the resolution is that the two claims were never actually in conflict — they answer different questions. The apparent dispute came from both brands stating their own claim without its qualifier. What remains genuinely open is narrower and less consequential: the commercial terms of any Doxa-Rolex arrangement.

Complete list of physical differences introduced by the 2019 J12 redesign

Precisely which features changed between the pre- and post-2019 J12, and how can each generation be identified from a single feature?

Scope RESOLVED, and better than hoped: the single-feature identifier asked for exists and is a COUNT rather than a judgement, so it needs no comparison photograph. Recorded on both J12 references and as a variant. Remaining photographic work would be nice-to-have rather than necessary.

MIL-W-46374 revision-by-revision specification

For each lettered revision of MIL-W-46374, what case material, movement type, dial specification and lume material were required, and which contractors built to which revision?

Scope RESOLVED, and it yielded more than asked: as well as the revision mapping, the Type axis turned out to govern the movement independently, so the two together determine what a watch should be. The marking changes at Rev B and Rev E are datable events, which converts the revision letter from a label into a cross-check. Remaining detail — exact contract numbers per revision — is a lower-value archival question.