Precista RN divers watch/navigator

Hello there, This is my first post and I am hoping someone out there may be able to help me. I have a Precista watch which is near Identical to a Marathon Navigator except for the name Precista on the face, Mercedes style hands and a orange second hand, on the reverse of the steel case is written
Gallet and co.
6645-01-150-8115
211
DLA400-90-C-5144
FEBR 1991
This watch was bought back in 1992 new from silvermans army surplus and I was told it was a RN divers watch, it came with a black nato strap.

I wore it every day for about 12 years before putting it away in a drawer, unfortunatly I left the battery in which leaked and when I came to remove the old battery a couple of months ago the connector part of the movement came with it.
It also has a damaged crystal form being droped once or twice.
I would love to recondition this watch as it has great sentimental value as well as being a nice watch to wear and by the lack of info on the web maybe quite unusual.

Has anyone come across one of these watches? and know anything of it history?
The movement inside is a Ronda 375, are these still available or is there a suitable alternative?

Any help or advice would really be appreciated, Thankyou

[Foggy]

The movement inside is a Ronda 375, are these still available or is there a suitable alternative?

Hi

The movement is obsolete, but Cousins material house state a suitable replacement is an ISA 1198.32 @ just under £4.

Cheers

Foggy

[Blackhawk]

That's a very interesting watch, I have never seen one like that before. It looks very similar to the Marathon Navigator, different hands and obviously a different face. It has the identical numbers on the back to my Marathon Navigator. I recently bought a new movement for it, however, it was a Harley Ronda 373 movement. I got it from Otto Frei:
http://www.ofrei.com/page_197.html

[ewan.w]

Hi

These were sold by Southerns when they owned the Precista brand. Theye were illustrated in their catalogues of the the early 1990s. My theory at the time was that Southerns bought surplus cases and had these made up. I wouldn't see a RN watch having a 01 within the NSN number but Foggy would know more about this than me. They also sold some of the Marathon standard issue watches.

Cheers

Ewan

[swanbourne]

I found this in the Southerns catalogue for 1997/98, it was described as a "Swiss Commando, steel, water resistant case, screw crown" and cost £71.



Eddie

[ewan.w]

Eddie's pic is the one I seem to remember too. What is interesting about the crown is that is is the desirable fat crown as opposed to the slimmer one seen on some examples of the Marathon Navigator (e.g. the reissue done my MWR some years back).

Cheers

Ewan

[hogthrob]

Is there any reason why the dial says H3 rather than T<25 or circle T?

[ewan.w]

Is there any reason why the dial says H3 rather than T<25 or circle T?

Hi Gordon

I assume because it's the American mil dial spec; circle T was only ever used on Brit spec mil watches I think.

Cheers

Ewan