Wow, what an unusual ladies' rose gold wristwatch! It is what we would call "retro" today. During the 1930s, the Art Deco style was in full bloom and this watch takes inspiration from the angular geometry and elongated forms of the era. Make sure you take a look at the "Zoom-In" views of this beautiful case--the shot of the side view tells the story perfectly. The case swoops up from the base to a plateau that holds 7 rubies at the top and at the bottom of the dial. On top of each of the lugs themselves sit three diamonds and, as if this is not enough, the entire case is 18k solid rose gold with a matching beaded rose gold band. The case measures 12mm in width (not including the crown) by 38mm lug to lug, by 10mm thick.
Now, take a look at the crystal... it follows the curved arch of the case and amplifies the look of the silvered dial. In addition to all of this, the Arabic numerals on the dial are mirrored gold. The 15 jewel Swiss movement is performing perfectly and our one-year warranty will allow you to buy with confidence. We've never seen another like it!
Every once and awhile, a watch crosses our path that we have never seen before. That is certainly the case here. This is an Eloga Bracelet Watch. Yes, we have had this brand before, but never this configuration, and that is because it is a custom designed watch made from ladies' slide chain slides that adorned the slide chains for ladies pendant watches from the late 1890s.
The company had its origins in 1917, when Fritz and Hans Spahr started a watch-making concern in Lengnau in Berne, Switzerland - a very bold step in the midst of the First World War. During this turbulent period of history the Swiss watch-making industry continued to gain headway both qualitatively and quantitatively, and the timepieces produced by the Spahr brothers under the name Eloga gained in prestige.
Fritz Spahr junior became managing director after his father retired, and with the support of his uncle he displayed the necessary courage and perseverance required to build a new factory in 1941, in the dark days of the Second World War. Built near the train station in Lenglau, the premises were ultra-modern and met the demands of the increasingly sophisticated manufacturing methods.
It was not long before the younger Spahr’s solid training, professional skills and experience contributed to the growth and diversification of the company’s production of wrist watches. He mastered to perfection artistic and scientific timepieces, from sophisticated and sumptuously adorned ladies’ watches to high-calibre and complex sporting men’s watches.
It was in this era that the trade press named Eloga as one of the leading specialists in sports watches, with the diver’s model receiving particular acclaim. Fritz Spahr junior continued to guide the company with his customary brilliance and foresight until his premature death in 1965.
A Woman at the Helm
His widow, Grety Spahr, next took over the company’s reins, expertly shouldering all her husband’s responsibilities. With the help of daughter Gisela a new day dawned for Eloga watches, with the women offering more feminine and graceful Eloga watches. They ultimately launched the production of luxury watches for a more sophisticated European clientele.
Eloga, the Diamond watch
Allowing their imaginations free rein, the Eloga women designed and created innumerable elegant Eloga watch designs, from diamond-studded brooch watches to bracelet jewelry, like the one we are presenting here, containing a concealed timepiece. Eloga watches fascinated women across Europe and over the Atlantic and the emergence of infinitely more varied and daring designs garnered many adherents in the prestigious world society. The company moved ahead by using high-grade diamonds and other precious gems. Eloga became acclaimed for its unique collection of jewelled watches, while the longevity and reliability means that an Eloga timepiece is truly of timeless value.
When Father Time was first getting started, circa 1979, it was the fashion for ladies to collect Victorian Slides and have them made into bracelets. During Victorian times, ladies wore small pocket watches on a chain around their neck and the chain had a small slide that the owner could move up or down the chain to adapt to different collar configurations. This is where these slides came from. Some fashionable woman at Eloga wanted to combine the look of the Victorian Slide Bracelets to give this watch a unique appearance. This is the result. The Eloga movement is from the mid-1950s. The unique combination of these two styles have made a truly stunning and unique watch. It is also unusual because it is all 14K solid gold. There were many gold-filled slides but not too many 14K solid gold ones. So, the original hunt for these slides must have taken a long time. Take time to notice that the slides contain an amethyst, a cabochon coral, a ruby, a tiger's eye, 2 cameos, two emeralds, two garnets, and 4 seed pearls... what more could you want? The icing on the cake however is the spring loaded enameled gold cap that makes the watch into a hunting case (where the dial is hidden under the lid). It also has a unique framework around the watch head that sports 4 blue sapphires. The owner would lift the beautiful enameled portrait lid to reveal the watch dial. Once the time was discerned the lid would snap back into place covering the dial and the bracelet would be displayed with no hint of the watch evident. Quite dramatic! If you or your loved one wants something unique then this may be the watch for you. One one-year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence.
Elgin produced watches in Elgin, Illinois (a Chicago suburb), for over 100 years. They were the largest and most prolific of the American manufacturers and everything they turned their hand to was well-made and, as a testament to their prowess, there are many Elgins still ticking away today. This gentleman's Elgin is one of them - and what a handsome case and dial configuration it has. This handsome, rectangular case houses a very nice, 17 jewel movement that our head watchmaker has running like a top. The case is yellow gold-filled and it measures 27mm, by 8mm thick, by 37mm lug to lug. The case is in good shape, showing only minor wear. The two-tone silvered dial is very unusual because it is contrasted by a yellow chapter column, Roman numerals at the even chapters, a seconds bit that echos the case shape, and gold baton hands. There is a scratch at the 10 o'clock position but it is, after all, the original dial. It sports a snake grain band that completes the look. For a watch made circa 1947, it is a real winner for not much dough. Our one-year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence.
If you are a regular here at the Father Time site you already know that we believe that Hamilton was the best manufacturer in America. Not only were they the best in terms of total quality, they were also very competitive. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, the watch company designers were focused on making slightly larger and longer wristwatches. The rectangular shape was in style and there were many riffs on this theme. This particular Hamilton "Donald" is one of the real classic looks in solid yellow gold that they produced in 1941. Its solid gold case measures 28mm in width by 36mm lug to lug. The silvered dial sports applied gold Arabic numerals, gold "dagger" hands, and a brown lizard band with a 14k solid gold buckle completes the look. The 19 jewel movement is in pristine condition and is winding, setting, and keeping time just as it should. This is the kind of dress watch that you can own for a lifetime...don't miss it!
Longines has been a mover and shaker in the watch world since its inception in Saint-Imier, Switzerland in 1832. Founded by Auguste Agassiz, Longines has been a steady beacon for timekeeping. This watch is representative of their quality and robustness in the market. It was made circa 1972 and executed in brushed stainless steel case, with a charcoal dial and applied stainless steel bar markers at the chapters, and a date window at the 3 o'clock position. The model is the "Conquest" Automatic (self winding) with a central sweep seconds hand. The case measures 37 mm in width by 40 mm lug to lug and it sports a minimally stitched, 18 mm, textured, brown leather band. The movement is a 25 jewel workhorse that will give you great service for generations to come. This is a model we have never had the privilege to own before, due to its scarcity in the market. What really caught our attention, other than its great looks, is the pristine condition of the case, dial, and movement. This is as nice as it gets... what a handsome watch...and it can be yours. Remember all of our watches come with our famous one-year warranty for parts and labor so that you may buy with confidence.
Elgin produced watches in Elgin, Illinois (a Chicago suburb), for over 100 years. They were the largest and most prolific of the American manufacturers and everything they turned their hand to was well made and, as a testament to their prowess, there are many Elgins still ticking away, today. This gentleman's Elgin is one of them and what a handsome case and dial configuration it has. This is what we call a "Tonneau" case, due to its shape. It houses a seven jewel movement that our head watchmaker has running like a top. The case is a three-part, yellow gold filled and it measures 28mm, at its widest, by 22mm, at its thinnest, by 37mm lug to lug. The case center shows off some fancy engraving that carries the theme of the engraving on the case front. The silvered dial is very nice and is contrasted by very stylized blued steel hands. It sports a black, lizard band that completes the look. For a watch made circa 1932, it is a real winner. Our one-year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence.
We here at Father Time Antiques are very lucky in that we currently have two Hamilton "Top Hat" diamond dial watches! It is rare for us to get even one within a ten year period. The case is 14K solid white gold and measures 38mm long by 25mm wide. It has a dramatic diamond dial markers with diamond encrusted numerals at the cardinal points. Additionally, it has a row of 5 diamonds just above and 5 diamonds just below the dial opening. This is really a spectacular statement on the wrist!
Hamilton made some very dramatic looking watches in the 1950s and this one is exceptional for its era, circa 1954. The diamond dial Hamiltons were just spectacular in their appearance and very "Art Deco" in their design. Notice the diamond filled 12, 3, & 9 and the slash set diamond markers with solid white gold bezels at all of the other chapters. The unusual case measures 38mm lug to lug, by 25mm wide by 9mm thick (including the crystal). This is what is called a "hooded lug," where the band actually goes up under the case edge however this style with the "Diamond Dial" is usually called called a "Top Hat" which refers to its dress watch heritage. The case lugs are segmented on top of the lug attachment in a nice "Art Deco" configuration. You will know that you have something special on your wrist when you strap this one on. The case is 14K solid white gold and in excellent condition. Our master watchmaker has this watch winding smoothly, setting easily, and keeping time like the day it left the Hamilton factory at Lancaster, PA. The movement is a 22 jewel caliber 770 that is a joy to see as the balance wheel oscillates. If you have been waiting for an unusual and intriguing diamond dial this may be the watch for you! Don't let it get away... we have only one! Don't forget, all of our watches come with a one year parts and labor warranty.
Don't cry for me... I have a really cool gentleman's Cyma watch! Its chrome case measures 38mm in diameter. The manual wind movement has 15 jewels and is in perfect condition. Don't know about Cyma, then let's hear from the company itself:
Behind the brand of Cyma
1862-1902
"Fusing timeless elegance with contemporary flair, Cyma timepieces are the descendants of a long tradition of watchmaking that stretches back one-and-a-half centuries. The name Cyma has its roots in the French word “cime”, meaning “summit”, which, in turn, is derived from the Latin word “cyma”, meaning “a shoot”. It is a name that reflects not only the company’s constant striving for perfection but also the inextricable link with its birthplace in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland.
Initially, it was the harshness of the climate in the high valleys of the Jura – buried for more than half the year beneath deep snow and frequently cut off from the outside world – that gave rise to watchmaking activity during the long winters of isolation. During the 18th century, the efforts of the region’s industrious and ingenious inhabitants gradually led to the establishment of fully-fledged workshops for the design and manufacture of watches, and by 1780 watchmaking had developed into a process involving 30 distinct operations.
Inheritors of the horological gene that pervades the Jura, the two brothers Joseph and Theodore Schwob decided in 1862 to set up their own watchmaking company, Cyma, focusing much of their attention on avant-garde mechanical production techniques. Indeed, with its ongoing achievements in technical innovation, Cyma was one of the companies that made Neuchâtel the renowned centre of the watchmaking industry it is today.
Some 30 years later, the brothers went into partnership with a businessman called Frederic Henri Sandoz who had created a new watch company in Le Locle, another cradle of fine Swiss watchmaking. By this time, Cyma had established itself as a pioneer in the manufacture of intricate repeater watches, high complications and chronographs. The daily production was 150 pieces."
1903-1929
"From the early 20th century onwards, the company received numerous awards, notably for its prowess in extra-slim watches. In 1903, it was awarded the coveted chronometer certificate issued by the Neuchâtel Observatory for its invention of a new extra-flat lever movement fitted inside a pocket watch. Two years later, Cyma introduced the calibre 701 with a thickness of just 3.85mm – a remarkable achievement for the time. In recognition of its watchmaking feats, the company won first prize at the World Fair in Brussels in 1910.
Output, meanwhile, had risen significantly, with some 2,500 movements being assembled daily in the workshops. From 1915, Cyma’s highly skilled designers and technicians were elaborating shock-resistant movements of unparalleled strength, along with the first waterproof models, which were finished to an equally high standard.
During the 1920s, the company was at the forefront of component interchangeability, which enabled its workshops to produce watches on a much bigger scale. By 1929, Cyma boasted the biggest workshop in Europe and employed 2,000 people to assemble 4,000 watches a day. In the same year, the company received first prize at the International Barcelona Exposition."
1930-1959
"While men’s watches still accounted for the lion’s share of the business, in 1930 Cyma made an early foray into the ladies’ market with the Captive. It quickly became known for its elegance and precision, and was adopted by the legendary French writer, Collette, who was then at the height of her fame. She described the watch in her characteristic style: “It is a captive in the most romantic sense of the word... it is bought and sold. Sensitive and compliant, it yields if you handle it masterfully, revealing its face, divulging all its secrets, and each surrender simply adds to its charms...”
In 1943, Cyma unveiled its first automatic wristwatch, endowed with a 420 calibre featuring a unidirectional rotor. This presaged the ‘Autorotor’ 485 calibre of 1957.
The brand’s reputation was further enhanced with innovative products such as an eight-day mechanical alarm clock with single winding key (1945), the Sonomatic alarm clock (1957), and the gold Time-O-Vox alarm clock watch, which received official chronometer certification in 1956. The latter was the only one with the pleasant timbre of that period to ally a 464 calibre, 12 1/2 inch, with a single barrel and small second."
Wow! Quite a history and this is quite a watch. It is all original and has a great looking patina on the original finish dial. Our head watchmaker has the movement running like the proverbial top. This will be a reliable timepiece for many years to come. It is an oversize (38 mm in diameter) for its era, circa 1950. The understated elegance of the watch makes it a straight forward timepiece, but take a look at the double lug configuration in the "Zoom-In" photos it has a lingering reminiscence of the Art Deco era. Once you don this watch no one will be in doubt as to the vintage look it exudes. Our famous one-year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence. Don't miss it!
LeCoultre is a legendary Swiss watch manufacturer and everything they turned their hand to was perfection. Their reputation and status stemmed from the many inventions that they produced. Founded in 1833, they invented a machine to cut steel pinions for watches and went on to produce hundreds of inventions and thousands of calibers in the years since. One of the most impressive accomplishments, achieved in 1844, was the invention of the Millionmeter, the world's most precise measuring instrument. In 1847, they invented a device that did away with key winding and by 1866, they were the first manufacturer under one roof in the Valle de Joux.
We here at Father Time have had a good number of gentlemen's LeCoultre wristwatches over our years in the business, but we have never seen this one before... and what a handsome men's dress watch it is! Raise a toast--this watch deserves it! It has a 14k solid gold case that measures 37 mm in diameter, which was especially large for the era and earns it the "oversize" designation. It has hidden lugs too, where the band ends are not visible, attaching out of sight. Notice the broad band of gold that surrounds the dial... no skimping here.
The silvered dial sports its original finish and it has a great looking patina that speaks to its age, circa 1955. It provides just enough contrast to the bands of gold -- even more so than are apparent in the photos! The applied chapter markers are a unique shape, with the markers at the 12, 3, 6, & 9 o'clock positions being distinguished as smaller teardrop shapes. The "12", "3", and "9" applied Arabic numerals anchor those cardinal points, where the round seconds bit at the 6 o'clock position echoes the overall round case shape. The inner band of gold between the chapter markings and the numerals carries plots of gold and functions as the minute track.
The 17 jewel, caliber 480 manual wind movement is in fantastic condition winding, setting, and keeping time just like it did when it was new. If you are looking for a really nice, solid gold dress watch then this may be the one that steals your heart! Remember, all of our timepieces come with our famous one-year warranty, for parts and labor, so that you may buy with confidence.
The A. Wittnauer Co. was the exclusive sales agent for Longines, starting in 1880, initiating a marriage that would stand the test of 114 years. In 1936, the Wittnauer family sold their interests and the brand was renamed the Longines-Wittnauer Co., a name that became so burnished in the public lexicon that most people assume Longines and Wittnauer watches are one and the same. In fact, they produced different movements that were very individual to their brand. Wittnauer was a Swiss company that made very nice watches and this one is no exception. This particular model has what is termed a "hooded lug," where the band end is hidden under a cover that extends between the lug surfaces. This is a neat feature, but what makes it even more spectacular is the rilled case sides and the charcoal grey, textured dial with white gold, applied arrowhead markers and numerals. The case is white gold filled with a stainless steel back for wearing longevity and comfort. The 17 jewel movement is winding, setting, and keeping time just as it should and is in excellent condition. Now take a look at the segmented expansion band when you zoom in to the photos. It has black leather inserts in six of the segmented portions of the band for a very unusual look. This is a gentlemen's watch from the 1940s, but it would also look great on a lady who wants something just a little bit different. Our one-year warranty, for parts and labor, will allow you to buy with confidence. This is a great looking watch... don't miss it.
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 made fine timepieces that contain flat movements as well. This Gruen is one of those. It has the "tonneau" shape and gives the appearance of a curved watch, but with a flat movement. This is a very handsome Gruen that looks just like a Curvex, but with a flat movement and without the higher price that Curvexes command. The rhodium plated white metal case measures 20 mm in width by 37 mm lug to lug and 9 mm thick (including the crystal). It has a spectacular rose gold dial with yellow gold Arabic numerals that gives this watch great eye appeal and makes it a real winner! The movement is a 17 jewels workhorse that will give you a lifetime of service, if you take care of it. Our one year warranty, for parts and labor, will give you the peace of mind that this wonderful Gruen wristwatch will perform just as good as it did in 1939.
Born in Denmark circa 1745, Jørgen Jürgensen was to become the founding father of the horological dynasty that became Jules Jürgensen in 1814. He was the father of Danish watchmaking, after receiving Royal support and training apprentices to create a domestic industry. His son, Urban Jürgensen took over operations after his father's death after training to become one of the best watchmakers in the world at that time.
Jules Jürgensen watches were later produced in Switzerland until 1957, and from 1834 to 1912 the company was garnered over 34 awards for excellence. To this very day, the company is revered for their prowess in horology and their elegant timepieces.
The case of this Jules Jurgensen is 18k solid gold and it measures 25mm wide by 35mm lug to lug. The classic styling is very elegant and subdued... a real handsome gentleman's watch circa 1955, but it is a size that a lady could easily wear as well. The 17 jewel movement is running like the proverbial top. The silvered dial displays trapezoid markers and is contrasted by dauphine hands. The seconds bit is a simple crosshair design that centers on the small second hand. If you want a real classic, in an 18k solid gold case, then this may be the watch for you! All of our timepieces come with our famous one year warranty, for parts and labor, so that you may buy with confidence.