Being curious about Italian-made Simplex parts I checked photos I'd saved from Ebay auctions and found a couple of examples of Italian made Simplex TdF-type pullchain-plunger rear derailleurs:
http://picasaweb.google.com/
http://picasaweb.google.com/
http://picasaweb.google.com/
http://picasaweb.google.com/
http://picasaweb.google.com/
But also this set listed as Italian-made Simplex with an odd shifter mount. Perhaps meant to be mounted under a headset locknut(?):
http://picasaweb.google.com/
...so maybe your original shifter had this odd mount and a conventional Huret band mount was substituted for downtube mounting.
An odd aside, the derailleur-shifter group the rear derailleur in the first two photos and listed as a "1949 Simplex Derailleur Set- Italian-Made" has a front derailleur cage marked "Le Simplex M. Arregui Eibar".
http://picasaweb.google.com/
http://picasaweb.google.com/
Now of course the Zeus component company was founded in Eibar, Spain by one Luis Arrequi, reportedly in 1929. It seems likely then that the Spanish company Zeus was making parts for Simplex.
Kurt Sperry Bellingham, Washington USA
2008/12/19 Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>:
> Simplex had a factory in Italy after WWII. Fausto Coppi won the 1949 T
> our De France using Simplex derailleurs. Supposedly this shocked Campagn
> olo into developing a more modern cable operated derailleur to replace the
> rod-operated models. If the lever is Simplex, the band sounds like a mis
> match. I don't know why a Simplex lever should have a Huret band regardl
> ess whether made in France or Italy.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, Texas, USA
>
> --- On Fri, 12/19/08, Brook Watts <brook.watts@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> From: Brook Watts <brook.watts@comcast.net>
> Subject: [CR]JUY 51 info
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Date: Friday, December 19, 2008, 1:54 PM
>
> I'm no Francofile so my knowledge of early Simplex needs expert
> assistance.
>
> I've posted some images of a JUY 51 and lever I've had for a couple
> of decades, here's the link:
> http://s27.photobucket.com/
>
> The lever is made in Italy, the derailleur made in France. Does this
> lever match the derailleur? Also the lever is tagged Huret on the
> band, is this common or do I have mis-matched items?
>
> Thanks for any help unraveling the mystery
>
> Brook Watts
> Longmont Colorado USA