
























The Baumgartner 158 31/7 automatic movement runs for a few seconds at a time only after the watch has been spun face down. While the day, date and time could until recently be set without issue the hour hand now cannot be moved manually, suggesting an issue with the cannon pinion. The bottom crown, which should rotate the internal bezel, does not as it is frozen. At a minimum a complete overhaul is required. This seldom seen vintage 1970’s Sears diver, which came from the estate of its original owner, has a near pristine greyish black “T SWISS MADE T” signed dial. Majority of the imperfections seen are on the crystal. The lume, which remains fully intact and emits a faint, short-lived glow after being exposed to bright light, has aged gracefully. The bezel, which shows wear and rotates. Bidirectionally, likely due to gunk buildup underneath, presents nicely. The chrome-plated case shows considerable wear with minor signs of brassing. The outer edge of the case back is stamped “SWISS MADE STAINLESS STEEL BACK WATER-RESISTANT” with “BASE METAL BEZEL” followed by “SELFWINDING, “”16098″ and “22” stamped along the inner edge. The inside of the case back is stamped SICURA S. The crystal needs to be replaced. The 1 jewel unadjusted Swiss “BREVETS” and SICURA S. Stamped Baumgartner 158 31/7 automatic movement runs for a few seconds at a time only after the watch has been spun face down. This watch measures approximately 39 mm excluding the crown, approximately 43 mm including the crown and approximately 19 mm between the lugs. Case thickness, measured from the bottom of the case back to the top of the bezel, is approximately 12 mm. Including the crystal thickness measures approximately 15 mm. As such there are no warranties, express or implied, attached with the sale of this watch. Vintage means old and while my personal belief is that old-school means better quality and workmanship, things can and do go wrong from time to time. For this watch that time is now. Any servicing costs going forward are your responsibility. And please study the 24 high magnification pictures carefully as they are part of the description and serve as an accurate representation of the condition of this watch.
