Here is a watch with some history! An Omega "Jumbo", circa 1944, that features a fabulous military-style dial with a distinguished patina. In its stainless steel case (Ref. 2325/5), it carries a Caliber 30 T2 SC movement, variations of which were produced from 1939 to 1963. Many of those movements were used by the British Military and US Army during WWII, adding to its renown. (See Omega's archives here for one such example in a similar style with the 30 T2 SC movement.)
The dial on this particular Omega "Jumbo" is a spectacular example of the style of the era. A matte silvered dial provides a clean look, highlighting the radially positioned Arabic numerals on a reflective silver ring. It's a stunning, subtle two-tone effect that allows the well-aged radium lume on the numerals and hands to stand out. A "railway" minute track sits around the outside, while crosshairs divide the dial through the center. The blued-steel central sweep second hand completes the look. Just the Omega logo and name adorn the dial below the 12 o'clock position.
The Caliber 30T2SC movement is marked with a 10.1 million serial number, dating it to 1944. After 1949, Omega began standardizing their caliber numbering and changed to the better recognized 3 digit scheme, with this movement becoming Cal. 280. It is a 16 jewel, manual wind movement with a 44 hour power reserve and central sweep second function (the SC denoting 'Seconds Central'). It has been fully serviced and is warrantied for 1 year for parts and labor.
The case size is also impressive, hence its "Jumbo" nickname. It measures 37.3 mm in diameter (not including the crown), by 45 mm lug to lug, by 9.8 mm thick (including the crystal). Typical men's watches of the time measured 33-34 mm, so this is a fabulous example of a vintage piece that fits in well with modern tastes. It also retains its original stainless steel crown with unique curved shape. We have it paired with a simple black band, but as a bonus, it also comes with an original Omega stainless steel buckle (16mm).
Omega Jumbos are getting harder to come by, and this is a wonderful piece that will give you excellent service for years to come. Our one year warranty, for parts and labor, will allow you to buy with confidence. Don't miss it!
Universal Geneve SA is a Swiss luxury watch company that was founded in 1894 as Universal Watch. Since its inception, they have produced complete watches with in-house movements, and during the 20th century, distributed many notable and important timepieces. Along with neighboring Geneva companies Audemars Piguet, Girard-Perregaux, Patek Philippe, and Rolex, Universal is internationally regarded for its style of craftsmanship and quality manufacturing. Universal was also the innovator of the first watch with chronograph functions, circa 1917. Needless to say, it is a wonderful company with a great product.
This particular example is a "Cioccolatone" model 10356, and is the only one, in 45 years, we've had the pleasure of owning! It is a rare design that features a square case with rounded corners, evoking the shape of a square of chocolate (hence the style's name), and only 500-1000 pieces are estimated to have been produced. The model was also made in a plain polish version, but here we have the spectacular (and rarer) engine-turned guilloche that adorns the corners. The 18K yellow gold case is paired with a matching gold dial, creating a monochromatic look as rich as its namesake! The case measures 30mm wide (not including the crown), by 42mm lug to lug, by 9.5mm thick (including the crystal).
The "circle in a square" bezel frames the dial beautifully, and has reeded indentations for the hour markers. Slightly wider indentations mark the cardinal points with the plain polish surface around the circle allowing them to stand out for ease of reading the time. The range of textures add a lot of depth to the overall look. Gold Dauphine hands and a central sweep second hand complete the look.
The dial features the "U in a Shield" logo at the 12 o'clock position, with the "Universal Geneve" words below. At the 6 o'clock position is the designation for the movement inside: "Automatic Microtor". The movement inside indeed has a micro-rotor mechanism for its automatic function, allowing this to be an incredibly compact and low-profile design. The Caliber 215 movement also has an impressive 28 jewels and 57 hour power reserve -- it's almost hard to believe it was only in production for 5 years!
We've paired it with a dark brown crocodile band to carry the warm tones and add a further sense of luxury to the piece. This is a very scarce and high end watch that can be yours. Our one year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence. Don't miss it, as we have only seen one in the history of our store.
Another fabulous entry in the pantheon of Bulova Accutron watches -- this is the "Deep Sea." We have only had three of these in our roughly 45 years in business, and its easy to see why collectors love it! Made in 1969, it is the epitome of a manly and progressive wristwatch that contained cutting edge technology of the time.
The story of the Accutron is that in the 1960s the US government wanted to keep this technology out of the hands of the Russians, so they asked Bulova to keep it secret, since we were using this very accurate timekeeper in our space program. The informational pamphlet that Bulova put out to introduce this new technology to jewelers and watchmakers has a space age, cutting edge look (for the day). In the pamphlet, it is explained that the minutes are parsed into 300 discrete segments, and the "ticking" is caused by the vibrations of a small tuning fork at the heart of the movement, powered by a battery and electric circuit. Bulova advertised it as the "Watch that Hums", as you can hear the vibration if you press the watch to your ear! This is an electro-mechanical movement, created before the invention of the now-ubiquitous quartz movements.
Heading into the '70s, the general public was very much into "tool" watches and Bulova made this very interesting dive watch to meet the demand. What's special about this one is the larger size of this "divers" case and black and red "Coke" bi-directional bezel for quick "time-remaining" reference and easy underwater reading. The case measures an impressive 40 mm in diameter, by 45 mm lug-to-lug, by 13 mm thick (including the crystal). The brushed stainless steel of the case and the chunky lugs speak to the style of the era and make it beefy enough to stand up to decades of use.
Like all Caliber 218 Accutrons, it is set by the crown at the 4 o'clock position and has a date feature at the 3 o'clock position. The original Accutron logo crown is rotated in its "home" position in order to quick set the date, then pulled out to set the time. A cyclops window on the underside of the crystal makes it easier to read the date, shown in red numbers on a white background, without creating a bump that sticks up from the surface.
The black matte dial provides excellent contrast to the lumed hour markers and hands, now at a great light shade of cream. The triangle marker at the 12 o'clock position matches the arrow marker of the rotating bezel. Crosshairs extend from the center to the triangle and rectangular markers at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock. Below the 12 o'clock position is the word "Accutron" in applied stainless steel lettering. Above the 6 o'clock position is the model designation: "Deep Sea 666 Feet" (earning this one its "Devil Diver" nickname!) Around the edge are white minute/second markings, making it easy to count the seconds with the "Tuning Fork" stainless steel seconds hand that exhibits the recognizable Accutron sweep motion. Please note that there is some dial damage along the outer edge minute track at the 1 and 6 o'clock positions, but it is not noticeable at first glance and does not detract from the overall appearance of the watch. A small chip in the bezel at the ~39 minute mark is also present, but primarily only visible from the side.
On its screw-down back is a light engraving with the initials "E. V. C.". Beneath that is the serial number and the designation "M9" indicating that this watch was made in 1969. Luckily, our watchmakers having it humming along just like it did when it came from the Bulova factory about 55 years ago! And it could be humming on your wrist! We warranty all of our watches for one year for parts and labor so that you may buy with confidence.
Longines is a well-known Swiss luxury brand, with its watchmaking history dating back all the way to 1832. Founded by Auguste Agassiz in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, they started humbly but grew to establish a factory and mechanized production by 1852 when Ernest Francillon took over operations. Thus began the ability to produce high-precision movements and to ensure the brand's now well-earned reputation for quality.
By the late 1800s, Longines was innovating in order to keep up with their American watchmaking counterparts. They began producing their first in-house chronograph movements, which were adopted as the official time-keepers for competitive sporting events. This notoriety launched the brand into the upper tier of Swiss manufacturers known around the world. In the 1920s, Longines began producing wrist watches for nautical and aeronautical navigation, most famously collaborating with US Navy Officer P.V.H. Weems.
Here, we have an early Longines wrist watch from 1928, not produced for navigation, but for the well-dressed gentleman of the time. It is a spectacular, unusual example of an Art Deco gentleman's watch for a few reasons: its large rectangular size, its sterling silver case, the patina and style of the dial, and the quality of the movement.
To start with, this watch measures 28 mm in width (not including the crown), by 43 mm lug-to-lug, by 12 mm thick (at the center, including the crystal). At the time, manufacturers were wanting something more than a round wristwatch, but most didn't develop rectangular movements until the late 1930s to early 1940s. They realized that they could change the case shape and size by expanding the case outward while still housing a smaller round movement. This one is a giant watch for this time period, when most round men's watches were around 32 mm (or smaller in diameter), and rectangular pieces were often much narrower. It has quite the presence on the wrist, even today, with its slightly curved case and solid, wide lugs. A 22 mm strap is almost unheard of for vintage wristwatches, but we have this one fitted with a black leather feed-through style with red stitching for extra punch. The curved crystal with bevels along all four edges tops it off!
Next of note is the sterling silver case, as the 0.925 stamp and "Rampant Bear" hallmark on the inside of the case back indicate. Sterling cases are rare to find, as they were more expensive than their gold-filled counterparts and later fell out of favor for stainless steel or other metals. It is usually only found in older, high-end pieces from luxury brands, making for wonderful dress watches with a lot of warmth and shine. This watch truly speaks to its 1920s era.
Now onto the dial -- talk about Art Deco style! The ornate Arabic numerals have so much personality, and pair perfectly with the "Longines" logo of the time. The 12 and 6 are enlarged and sit alone, at the top and bottom, with the other numerals stacked along the sides. And, because this is such a large watch, the sub-seconds bit resides entirely above the 6 o'clock position, leaving the numerals and minute tracks uninterrupted. It bears the same rectangular shape as the case, reinforcing the geometric appeal of the piece. Blued steel leaf-shaped hands contrast beautifully against the warm cream patina of the dial. For a watch about 100 years old, the dial is not perfect, but it wears its age beautifully.
Last but certainly not least, is the movement, a Caliber 11.84N manual wind. This movement was used from 1899 onward, in both pocket and wrist watches that were stem wound and set. This was a high-quality movement from the time, featuring a bimetallic balance assembly, which creates stability in the watch's timing accuracy across fluctuating temperatures. In addition, the movement has 15 jewels and a healthy 34 hour power reserve.
A beautiful example of watchmaking history that is still ticking away today like it did when it first left the factory! Our one year warranty will just add to your confidence that this is a piece that will continue to provide excellent service for years to come.
This watch is what Gruen called an "Air Flight". It was originally made for Pan Am pilots to have a quick reference to a 24-hour day for flight time, or military time. We love these "jump hour" Gruens! When the hands reach 1 pm, all the numerals jump to a 24-hour format and then jump back again to a 12-hour format at 1 am -- see the video below to see what we mean! This is accomplished with a rotating disc underneath the main dial. The gold painted Arabic numerals appear in beveled diamond- and circle-shaped windows in the main dial.
And what a dial it is! A beautiful silvered dial in the center is a fabulous backdrop for the dauphine lume hands, with a dark gray painted outer circle that allows the numbers in the windows to really pop. The red central sweep second hand adds just a touch of color and makes it easy to read. "Gruen Precision" is written beneath the Gruen logo at the 12 o'clock position. "17 Jewels" is written at the 6 o'clock position with "Swiss Made" sitting at the very bottom. Faded plots of lume sit to the outside of the windows, within the outer minute/second track.
The 17 jewel, caliber N510SS movement is in excellent condition and is winding, setting, and keeping time like the fine timepiece it was designed to be! The mainspring has a 42 hour power reserve and is manually wound. Made in Switzerland, these Gruen watches have the "Precision" name as a testament to the quality of their production.
The beautiful movement is housed in a chrome body case with a stainless steel back for wearing longevity. It measures 35 mm wide (not including the crown), by 42 mm lug to lug, by 10 mm thick (including the crystal). The case does show wear, as many well-loved watches from this time period do. But, we think the quality of the movement and dial still make this a watch worthy of any wrist!
Circa 1960, this is a watch to make your heart sing. When the numerals change at 1 pm or 1 am, it is a real event that always has our customers exclaiming their delight. We buy every one of these that we can find in good condition because our clients just love the dial action and how nice these watches look on the wrist. We don't have these in stock very often and they usually find a good home within a few weeks. We would love to show it to you! Remember, all of our timepieces come with our famous one year warranty for parts and labor so that you may buy with confidence.
This is a ladies watch like no other! Combing both a superb Omega movement with an unusual 18k gold case, this is a beautiful piece of jewelry as well as an excellent timepiece. This was a somewhat rare combination back in 1966! Notice the gracefully curved lugs that extend far past the head of the watch, as well as the lack of a crown, which allows the long lines to be uninterrupted. This is a "backwind" watch, where the crown resides on the beautifully engraved case back, but is still easy to access and wind.
Take careful note of the watch's size -- it measures only 14 mm in diameter, but 44 mm from end to end, measured straight across. The case is 6 mm thick, including the crown and crystal. The case is solid 18k gold, as stamped in the case back, providing a rich color that pops against the black lizard grain strap. It is quite the dainty watch, but the extended lugs do provide more presence on the wrist and the look of a bracelet.
The dial is silvered, with the Omega logo just below the 12 o'clock position, with "Omega" written above the 6. "Swiss Made" is the only other marking on the dial, at the very bottom, giving it a clean appearance. The hour markers are applied gold bars with black stripes at the cardinal points. The simple black hands make it easy to read the time and help carry the black color throughout. There is some wear or patina on the dial, which we would expect of a watch this age, but it does not detract from the overall look at all. To top it off, the diamond edge crystal adds just enough sparkle to draw the eye!
Within the tiny case resides a Caliber 640 movement, a manual wind, 17 jewel movement engineered specifically for this backwind arrangement! The caliber is marked on the rose gold-colored movement, along with the serial number in the 23 millions, dating it to 1966. We have it fully restored and ready to perform for you just like it did back in the 60's! Our 1-year warranty will allow you to buy with confidence.
As the cherry on top, this watch has an original red Omega clamshell presentation box. We've only had 1 of these watches in our many years of collecting, but hurry and this one can be yours!
If you love watches, you likely love the mechanical engineering and thoughtful design details that go into every timepiece. But, in this case, it's something that you can truly admire every day! A skeletonized watch, such as this Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic Skeleton, give you the perfect look at the components that comprise its beating heart to showcase the brand's technical prowess. You'll find skeleton watches in the collections produced by many high-end watch brands, but here you have one in near-mint condition with its original boxes, band, and buckle for a price that won't break the bank!
Hamilton was once the best watchmaker in America that led many technological advances in watchmaking while staying at the forefront of design and style. The brand has now been sold to a Swiss group, and is still producing high-quality watches that speak to its decades of history. The movement at the heart of this reference H42550 Jazzmaster Viewmatic is a caliber H-20-S, 25 jewel automatic with 42hr power reserve, central sweep seconds, and hacking feature. Through the "dial" in the 12 o'clock position you can see the oscillating balance wheel and hairspring with the pallet fork jewels moving in and out of the escape wheel just below. In the 5 o'clock position you can see the barrel that contains the mainspring, which of course engages with the winding gears in the 3 o'clock position.
From the back, the viewing window displays the auto rotor along with the regulator, and other drive train gears. Depending on the position of the auto rotor, you'll be able to see completely through the watch! The sapphire crystals that encase both the front and the back mean that you'll have superior durability and scratch resistance to boot.
The "dial" itself is comprised of an inner and outer ring in stainless steel. Minute/second hash marks are found along the outer rim with numerals in 5-second increments. Stainless steel arrow hour markers form a bridge to the clean inner ring. To give the dial even more depth, the charcoal gray ring is set beneath the stainless rings and actually forms the upper movement plate. "Hamilton" is written in the 12 o'clock position, with "Viewmaster" in the 6 o'clock position, and is repeated more subtly around the circle. Across the bridges on the front and back is a laser etched "H" pattern. The rubies set in the bridges give it the smallest pop of color.
The stainless steel case measures 40 mm in diameter (not including the crown), by 47 mm lug-to-lug, by 11 mm thick (including the crystals). The lugs feature a brushed stainless finish while the bezel is a smooth polish. The "H" marked crown allows for easy manual winding to finish it off! With its original black crocodile grain band, Hamilton buckle, and display box, this is a package that can't be beat! The watch, of course, comes with our one year warranty for parts and labor so you can buy with confidence.
For vintage Rolex lovers out there -- this is one for you. Here we have an "Oyster Perpetual" that represents both the history of when the "Oyster" model was introduced in 1926 and the transition to the modern "Perpetual" watches that we still see today. The reference 6108 movement produced in the early 1950s is known as a "Semi-Bubbleback" model. At the time, Rolex was developing their "perpetual" or automatic movements while still maintaining their waterproof cases with the screw-down case back and crown. The stainless steel case measures 34 mm in diameter (not including the crown) by 40 mm lug-to-lug by 14 mm thick.
The movement within is a self-winding, or automatic, movement with 17 jewels. The serial number between the lugs is 826,XXX dating the movement to roughly 1952, but we also have the wonderful inscription on the case back of "P.O.V. 6-12-54", so we know exactly when this watch was purchased!
The dial shows this age with a creamy, even patina that looks distinguished behind the tapered hands and blued steel sweep second hand. The applied markers include the "Coronet" Rolex crown logo at the 12 o'clock position, with "3", "6", and "9" at the other cardinal points. Applied triangular markers denote the other hours. Beneath the Coronet is the applied "ROLEX" name with "Oyster Perpetual" written beneath. Above the 6 o'clock position, the dial is marked "Officially Certified Chronometer", as a testament to the excellent time keeping ability of the movement within. Beneath the 6 is the "Swiss" designation. Plots of radium lume are located on the outer edge of each hour marker, which now show the darkened color typically found in watches of this age. The hands are also filled with radium lume, but do have some missing areas present.
The original stainless steel Brevet crown shows the Coronet logo with "Super + Oyster Rolex" written around it. The U.S. made stainless steel Oyster rivet bracelet has a single fold-over clasp, and tapers from the 19 mm lugs to the 13 mm wide clasp. The bracelet fits up to an approximately 7.5" wrist with micro-adjustments available.
Benrus is often underestimated as a brand. They made really nice watches (as you can see here), but are often overlooked in favor of more expensive ones. We think this is a tragedy, because Benrus watches are great looking and well-made!
This particular Benrus has a highly engraved "clipped corner case", typical of the Art Deco period. The case is 18k solid white gold while the band is white gold-filled. The case measures 17 mm wide (not including the crown), by 32 mm lug-to-lug, by 8 mm thick (including the crystal). The crown is graced with a blue sapphire cabochon that really compliments the plume shape blued steel hands. The silvered dial is in great shape, with the proper patina we'd expect of a watch this age. It has an interesting engraved dial center that echos the case engraving.
The band is almost harder to find than the watch, but it really makes the look sing. It is an expansion band with a pierced floral motif on the links and that fits about a 6" wrist, with some additional expansion available. There is some brassing, which shows that it was worn and loved, but it doesn't detract from the overall effect. In my imagination, I can conjure a Flapper from the 1920's sporting this watch to pair with a fabulous dress. Our watchmakers have this 15 jewel beauty winding, setting, and keeping time just the way Benrus intended 100 years ago. For not much dough, this cool solid gold watch can reside on your wrist and be kept for generations to come. Remember, all of our watches come with our famous one year warranty for parts and labor so that you can buy with confidence.
Gruen is one of our favorite brands here at Father Time and this watch is representative of why we are enamored of this company. First, the shape is a classic square with a slight beveled bezel at the corners. Secondly, the dial is the model of subtle design. It sports a beautiful silvered dial with a satin finish and a slightly-recessed seconds bit (at the six o'clock position) that has a "gun sight crosshair" configuration. There are elongated "parallelogram" applied hour markers in between the Arabic numerals at the cardinal points, all in a matching gold-tone. They are perfectly complimented by the "dagger" hands, for a clean look that is easy to read.
The yellow gold-plated case (with stainless steel back for wearing longevity) measures 28 mm wide (not including the crown), by 34 mm lug to lug, by 10 mm thick (including the crystal). The Cal. 415R, 17 jewel movement is winding, setting, and keeping time just as it did way back in 1969. It is a manual wind movement with a 41 hour power reserve. By this time, Gruen was manufacturing all of its watches in Switzerland, although its heritage as a great American watchmaker was still well known.
This "Precision" watch is a great timekeeper that you will be able to rely on every day. Here is a really nice example of Gruen's later production that won't break the bank. Our one-year warranty for parts and labor, will allow you to own it with confidence.
Gruen was a premier watch manufacturer and was, perhaps, one of the companies that you wanted to emulate if you were in the business of making wristwatches. Everything they put their hand to was first-rate. They were the inventors of the "Curvex," a revolutionary, curved watch from the late 1930s. Gruen held the patent on the curved movement, but they also made fine timepieces that contained flat movements.
This Gruen is their Doctor's Watch that has the same movement that Rolex used in their Doctor's Watch. Gruen had a factory in Switzerland in conjunction with Rolex where this watch came to life way back in 1938. This factory made movements for both brands. This tells you something about their quality and strict standards. This 10k yellow gold-filled case is in great condition showing only the most minor handling wear. It measures 21 mm in width (not including the crown), by 44 mm from lug to lug, by 9 mm thick (including the crystal)... a nice size for a vintage watch! This is a very handsome Gruen that looks fabulous. The seventeen jewel, Swiss movement is in fantastic condition and our head watchmaker has it setting, winding, and keeping time just as it did when new, over 85 years ago.
It has a spectacular matte, white dial with contrasting gold Arabic Numerals that give this watch great eye appeal and makes the time easy to read. Also, notice the enlarged seconds bit at the 6 o'clock position: it was so the doctor could take a pulse easily. We have had a few of these watches in our 44 years in the business, but not one as nice as this one. Don't miss it! Our one-year warranty for parts and labor, will give you the peace of mind that this wonderful Gruen wristwatch will perform the job for you while it looks great on your wrist!
During WW2, there was a great need for tool watches that met the rigors of harsh environments, both on land and in water. To meet this need the U.S. Navy's Bureau of Ships (BUSHIPS) opened up a contract bidding process that would require a particular manufacturer to produce a "dive" watch. There were three manufacturers that answered the call: Elgin, Bulova, and Hamilton. These three were already producing the A-11 watches that were employed by the military. Now the conundrum was how to make it waterproof. They cleverly met this challenge by fusing the bezel and crystal to the case and by adding a screw-down "cap" to cover the crown. This not only protected the crown, but it also sealed it against water. This became known as the "Canteen". It was used by the UDT teams during WW2 and by Navy personnel in the Korean and Vietnam wars. It became the first ever "Diver's Watch" that was mass produced. This became the foundation of all future dive watches.
The one we have on offer here is in wonderful condition and is running like the proverbial top. The stainless steel case measures 32 mm in diameter (not including the crown), by 40 mm from lug to lug, by 15 mm thick (including the crystal). It houses the original 17 jewel Elgin movement that is in great condition. The manufacturers were not allow to have prominent markings on the dials so they blacked out the company name and the watch designation. If you hold the watch to the light at just the right angle you can read "ELGIN" just below the 12 and "USN BUSHIPS" just above the 6.
The case back also has the "USN BUSHIPS" marking. Once the case back is removed you will see an inner pressure dome that protects from water ingress. You will also see how pristine the movement is. This watch was destined for the Korean war but bears none of the wear, or damage, we normally see on these watches. It is almost like it has been preserved in like new condition for your wrist. We have only one so don't miss it. Our one year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence.