Reply With QuoteI've picked up similar pieces over the years. Too small to wear and they end up in a drawer somewhere.
Found this amongst things at the weekend. Nice small seconds on a old nato, case has a beating and is rather green? Solid lugs and measures 25mm case. It runs nicely and movement looks clean, think it has had a new case back, and there are some tiny engravings in back with number and looks like initials.
wondering if it is worth getting cleaned up. Too small for me to wear though I think. Anyone have a clue as to the model, yet to find same in that case.
Pics to follow
Last edited by racer66; 11th May 2015 at 18:52.
I've picked up similar pieces over the years. Too small to wear and they end up in a drawer somewhere.
Last edited by Gurmot; 11th May 2015 at 19:16. Reason: Pics now up
pics added, the case says dennison made in england, denisteel
On its NATO?!
Last edited by racer66; 11th May 2015 at 18:56.
Well found Racer !Originally Posted by racer66
pics added, the case says dennison made in england, denisteel
On its NATO?!
A fully jewelled shockproof movement, 40's likely.
I love it when I find stuff like that !
Brendan.
Good find.
I must admit I really like the charm of these old '40's watches and often imagine who owned them over the years.
Helvetia's do seem to be the make that crops up most in that genre.
Cheers,
Neil.
Nice find. Helvetia are a brand long dead that had some nice watches with pretty OK movements with it. Their 1930's big pilots probably their most well known among folks into that sorta thing. Funky propeller logo on the dial. They also made issued watches for the German forces in WW2(their DH is a nice one, slightly larger than the usual examples, gold chatons and all. Very elegant handset). I'd personally reckon more 30's for yours. The shock proofing seems to be an earlier type. I reckon the hands are replacements, if those pips on the dial between the numbers were/are radium. The Dennison case is nice to see. Copper/brass case with nickel plating with a steel caseback. Cased for the UK market? I can't recall ever seeing a Helvetia coming from Europe with one.
As you say though the case sizes for these is an issue. Although it was almost definitely a man's watch at the time, 25mm is just too small these days and I'll happily wear 30mm on my vintage style wrist. These make good women's watches these days.
The size would also say 30s for me. Men's watch sizes are an interesting subject. The first "trench" types for men were 30-35mm, then reduced in size and were at their smallest in general between 1920 and 1940 when under 30mm was common. After that they tended more towards 35mm and outside of some tool watches stayed around that size until the 90's. The UK market is interesting for the design of watches, where the trench style lasted for longer than in other markets. I've seen Longines and Zenith's that at first sight you'd swear were made around 1914-18, yet were hallmarked in the mid 30's.
Thank you for the information and I think 30's too from the style. Interesting you think the case is a standard one then, I thought a repair at some time, looks like under the loup there are service dates every 2 - 3 years in the 50's? I gave the watch case a clean last night and light dab on the face with coton buds, cleaned quite a lot of grime off and looks much better. Also gave it a wind and time set last night rounf 11pm, still ticking now and keeping good time. So you think the pips and gold hands are replacement for lume and maybe other hands?
Either way nice little watch for £1!
In that last pic the pips look a golden colour? Maybe in that case the hands are original? They are smack on the right length anyway. Now if only it was 35mm :) You can't go far wrong for a quid mind you.
yes the pips are gold like the hands, and not applied lume, just a bad first pic. Yes if only 35mm, still a drawer keeper for my lad perhaps.
Great watch for a young lad. So long as he avoids water. :) But again, for a quid! :o Sweet.
You wouldn't have, they never came from Europe like that.
Due to the import tariffs at the time watches were imported from Switzerland as dial and movement only and cased up over here.
The cases produced over here were usually by Dennison of Birmingham.
Cheers,
Neil.
i love it!!!!! cool find
True N, like how Baume cased up Longines early on.
Looks to be a cal 82C (or something like that). Late-forties (?) per the shock absorber (as mentioned above). By the mid-fifties, it was the more modern Kif. Bound to be on Ranfft.
Last edited by Broussard; 12th May 2015 at 16:52.
Yes now you say that I did see 82C under the loup, thanks all for the interest and enthusiasm at something so far removed from modern watches, not that I expect anything less on this forum, lots of top WIS here.
Top knowledge, and a site I never knew existed! Well movement is the same, not the watch, actually not sure it is that movement or an earlier version
http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-...sau&1150297279
edit better
http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-...k&Helvetia_82C
Last edited by racer66; 12th May 2015 at 19:01.
Always happy to help. It's what being a #watchnerd is all about. Probably.
Yes indeed, Baume also made their own watches.
Cheers,
Neil.
Great dial! I wouldn't wear it on an Nato though... Something leather, vintage brown or black ;)
Solid bars on the case though, so not sure how or what?
Solid bars are the oldest of the watch lugs. Leather straps would have a flap, attached by pins or other closures, to attach them either side of the bar. The nylon NATO is relatively new, although a leather version had been used for many, many years before that...
Pretty thing!
I'd love something like that for the odd time when it would be nice to wear something very different to the modern norm
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