Arbu circa 1950 | steel and chromed triple calendar wristwatch
Vintage Watch Update – 2 July 2021 | 2.7.21

Arbu circa 1950 | steel and chromed triple calendar wristwatch

Arbu Datostar Triple Calendar | Circa 1950

With 9 vintage watches freshly added to the website, this update opens with a fabulous triple calendar model made by Arbu, a brand of the Swiss watchmaker A. Buëche & Fils. Contemporary advertisements for the Arbu triple calendar model show that it was marketed as the ‘Datostar’. A detailed examination of an Arbu calendar watch mechanism was given by B. Humbert in his highly regarded book ‘Modern Calendar Watches’ first published in 1956 (see op. cit. p.65). The silvered dial is in excellent condition with slim black Arabic numerals and a contrasting light blue date ring. The apertures displaying days of the week and months are calibrated with blue text to match that of the date ring. The hour, minute and seconds hands are all blued steel while the date indicator hand is polished steel with a red triangular tip indicating to the outer date ring. With a 35mm diameter case, the back is stainless steel and the upper body chromed with satin finished sides.

Omega cal.38.5L T1 circa 1938 | steel hand wound vintage pocket watch

Omega Cal.38.5L T1 | Steel Circa 1938

This stylish and captivating Omega pocket watch has a wonderfully vibrant dial that is in excellent condition with raised, italicised Arabic numerals and vivd blued steel ‘moon’ hands. The style of numerals and hands are often referred to as ‘Breguet’, being designs favoured by Abraham-Louis Breguet on many of his pocket watches made in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The steel case retains good definition with chamfered bezels to the front and back; there is a small and minor fissure to the edge of the case back chamfer.

Omega Cal. T17 circa 1940 | steel hand wound rectangular wristwatch

Omega Cal.T17 |Steel Circa 1940

Omega produced an array of interesting and novel rectangular wristwatch models during the 1930s and 1940s. This steel watch incorporates elements of Art Deco watch design with bold Arabic numerals, a handsome two-tone dial and a steel multi-faceted case. Rectangular watches of the period typically featured curved backs, providing a stylish profile view and ensuring a comfortable fit to the wrist. The numerals and tracks have been engraved into the dial plate and then filled and fired with black enamel paint. This process provides a much harder wearing surface and ensures that the calibrations are not as easily worn away as those executed with standard surface printing. The hands are blued steel and their interesting shape is a design that was referred to as ‘Moderne‘….which in the 1930s and early 40s it was! A great looking vintage model, this watch incorporates Omega’s excellent calibre T17, one of the watchmaker’s most highly regarded movements.

Wyler with Taubert Fils Steel Case | Circa 1935-40

The Wyler watch company was based in Bienne Switzerland. Wyler are perhaps best known for their early innovative wristwatches, including an unusual automatic watch which wound itself via a ‘plunger’ activated by the wrist. This charismatic multi-faceted wristwatch dates to the mid to late 1930s. The small mid-sized case was designed by Taubert Fils and is one of the case maker’s more unusual designs. Octagonally shaped, each side of the case is surmounted by a chamfer that facets inwards to meet the flat bezel. The lugs have an asymmetrical facet to their upper surface creating further interest as light plays across the bevelled surfaces.

Longines Jamboree Ref. 6884 invoiced 1962

Longines Jamboree Ref.6884 | Steel Invoiced 1962

With a super stylish dial design comprising Arabic and lozenge-shaped indexes, this model also features its own unique Jamboree logo. The steel casing retains good definition and has a chamfered bezel and finely faceted lugs. The dial is in very attractive condition with a great lustre and the steel case retains good definition to its angles and edges; there are scratches to the case back where amateur attempts have been made to open it in the past. The watch is fitted with what is almost certainly the original stitched black leather strap with steel Longines pin buckle featuring the Longines winged hour glass logo. Also accompanying the watch is the original Longines presentation case with silk and red velvet fitted interior; the box is in superb condition. The Longines Archives confirm that this watch was originally invoiced to their UK agent Baume on 15 June 1962.

Cyma cal. R.458 hallmarked 1954 | 9ct gold hand wound wristwatch

Cyma Watersport Cal.R458 | 9ct Gold Hallmarked 1954

A particularly attractive Cyma model, this wristwatch has pronounced, elongated lugs. The gold upper body features an integrated chamfered bezel and the case back is a water-resistant-type screw-down back. In excellent condition, the dial has a contrasting two-tone finish with its secondary tone finished in a higher sheen at the dial’s edge. This watch is fitted with a fully stitched vintage strap which is almost certainly the original and this is fastened by a new pin buckle. To the outside of the back, there is a crisp and well-engraved inscription which details the watch’s presentation for long service by Sir William Arrol & Co., a Scottish Civil Engineering firm active between 1873 and 1969 and famous for its involvement in the construction of the Tay and Forth Bridges in Scotland and Tower Bridge in London. Cyma watches are particularly notable for the excellent finishing of their movements – in the present watch, the bridges/plates have been given a decorative damascened finish.

Omega Genève Ref. 131.5016 'Full Set' sold in 1973

Omega Genève Ref.131.5016 ‘Full Set’ | Gold sold in 1973

With its original numbered guarantee booklet and Omega presentation case, this wristwatch was originally sold by the retailer H. L. Brown of Chesterfield on 12 November 1973. In addition to the Omega paperwork, the watch is also accompanied by H.L. Brown & Sons Ltd sale’s receipt and guarantee card, also dated 12/11/73. The watch is in excellent overall condition with a crisp dial and well-defined case. There are some minor scuffs and scratches to the 9ct gold case.

We have fitted this watch with a new Hirsch black suede strap with the original Omega gilded buckle – there is wear to the pin buckle’s finish.

Smiths Ref. A501 hallmarked 1952

Smiths De Luxe Ref.A501 | 9ct gold hallmarked 1952

An excellent example of Smiths’ Ref. A501 De Luxe model, the silvered dial of this watch is in outstanding original condition with raised and gilded Arabic numerals and hands. Housed in a 9ct yellow gold case which was made for Smiths by the English case making company Dennison, the bezel is flat, while the slim lugs have an attractive, angular down-turn. The hand wound movement is the highly regarded Smiths cal. 12.15 which has a traditional English inspired finish, featuring gilded, frosted plates/bridges.

Longines cal. 14.16 invoiced 1956 | 9ct Gold

A lovely lady’s wristwatch, this model has flared horn-shaped lugs and a silvered dial with applied gold Arabic numerals. The Longines Archives note that this watch was originally invoiced to their UK agent Baume & Co on 5 September 1956. Made in 9ct yellow gold, the case has a polished finish and steeply chamfered bezel.

The watch is accompanied by its original Longines leather presentation case although the leather covering to this has degraded and is very patchy and worn.

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