That IS the question!
In 2014, I had the unbelievable opportunity to " fall " on a new old stock Cross Hair Dial, and I hesitated to jump on it, a bit, just a few seconds, to tell the truth.
The Geophysic is, by far, more known with this dial:
Indeed, this is the dial which appears in all the ads, catalogs and booklets. And which is installed in most of the Geophysics which pop in the different collectors markets, or auctions.
But we know that the Geophysic E 168, to be precise, came with another dial.
The history behind the cross hair dial can be read here:
This dial has been drawed in January 1958, at the very beginning of the Geophysic Production, and has been housed in a few ( impossible to tell how many were fitted, though ) E 168, in stainless steel or in yellow gold, from what I observed, during these last years.
So, I decided to install it in my Geophysic, since I could also keep my old dial.
Here is the outcome:
The applied indexes and hour markers are very elegant, and the fact that it also have these minutes / seonds numbers each 5 minutes is very à propos for a Chronometer, I find.
The Cross Hair is the last detail, a kind of nice cherry on the cake.
I fell for it, yes, but only if I could keep the more " popular " dial, which was possible.
A nicely fitted box!
I am in Heaven!
To help you to decide, here is a side by side picture of mine, with Patrice's one. How many times did we see these two dials side by side!
Definitely, I am starting to be convinced that getting both of them is THE solution!
Best,
Nicolas.