When I was a boy (before there was dirt), Thor Heyerdahl was a big deal. He was the "Indiana Jones" of his day and on April 28, 1947, Heyerdahl and five other adventurers, to prove a theory about the ability of the ancients to make extensive ocean going voyages (and to quiet his detractors), hand built a raft and sailed from Peru across the Pacific Ocean to the Polynesian island of Puka Puka. A voyage over 4300 miles of open ocean. He named this raft the "Kon-Tiki" and in the 1950s I was an eager reader of the book by the same name.
On that voyage, Heyerdahl and the crew wore Eterna wristwatches. In 1958, Eterna created the "Kon-Tiki" line in honor of Heyerdahl. It is a great Chronograph "tool watch," which is driven by a 17 jewel, automatic movement that features the trademark five ball-bearing rotor system for excellent timekeeping. The stainless steel case with the "Kon-Tiki" logo on the back, measures 39 mm in diameter (not including the crown), by 44 mm lug to lug, by 13 mm thick (including the crystal).
This particular watch was made circa 1989, in the fine tradition of the "Kon-Tiki" line and it is in great condition. The black dial provides a good contrast for the hands to make it a very readable watch. You can see the "recorded minutes" subsidiary dial just below the 12 o'clock position, and the "recorded hours" sub dial at the 6 o'clock position, and the "Constant Seconds" sub dial at the 9 o'clock position. Along the dial edge of this Swiss beauty there is a "Tachymeter Scale" for calculating speed. The stainless steel bezel just gleams and the red sweep seconds hand ties it all together. The stainless steel link band is in great shape and looks fantastic.
What's not to like here? ... Nothing! Our one-year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence.
Movado is a Swiss manufacturer known for its Museum Watch. Designed in 1947, by Bauhaus-influenced artist Nathan George Horwitt, the watch dial has a very simple design where the dial is defined by a solitary dot at 12, symbolizing the sun at high noon, but Movado also made some very nice watches that are of superior quality...this is one of those. It is a gentleman's wristwatch that is "chronometer" rated, indicating that it has passed rigid standards for accuracy. It is, in fact, at the pinnacle of mechanical watches in a world where few qualify for this mark.
Some Movado watch models have Esperanto names such as Bela ("beautiful"), Belamodo ("beautiful fashion"), Fiero ("pride"), Brila ("brilliant"), Linio ("line"), and Verto ("crown"). The company's name means "movement" in Esperanto.
This Movado has a 15 jewel movement in a sterling silver oversize case with a very nice silver grey dial that has stylized Art Deco, Arabic numerals that once glowed in the dark, along with the skeletonized blued steel hands. There is a perfectly square seconds bit at the 6 o'clock position completing the look. The "Chronometer" designation indicates that it had to pass very strict standards for timekeeping and that it was issued a certificate from COSC (an acronym) which stands for Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres — aka the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute. Essentially, this body is responsible for certifying the precision and accuracy of high-precision wristwatches made in Switzerland, typically found on luxury watch brands. What it means to you is that this is a very reliable timepiece that will be a joy to own. The case, which measures 25 mm in width(not including the crown), by 36 mm lug to lug, by 10 mm thick (including the crystal), is a beauty to behold. To gild the lily, we have fitted it with a black genuine lizard band. Our one-year warranty, for parts and labor, will allow you to buy with confidence.
This is a very unusual pocket watch made for the Latin American market. It is called a "Retrograde Jump Hour". As the minute hand reaches what would normally be the three o'clock position, it jumps backwards to what would normally be the 9 o'clock position and, as it does so, the Roman numeral in the window just below the 12 o'clock position also jumps to the new hour. It's quite a spectacle to view and, back in the day (circa 1906), it was just astounding. This watch is in perfect working condition and is fully restored. The watch is a 19 lignes, 15 jewel movement housed in a yellow gold-filled case that measures 50 mm in diameter, by 69 mm (from the case bottom to the top of the bow), by 13 mm thick (including the crystal). Interestingly, this watch was also used as a promotional piece that advertised "Cigarillos Excelsior" and is so marked on the dial. When you open the case back and take a gander at the dust cover, you will see the Nouveau font that was used during the Art Nouveau period (1890-1910). The case back is beautifully engraved with a Nouveau design and it has, at its center, an un-engraved cartouche just waiting for your family initials. This is a scarce watch that is in excellent condition and one that delights the senses every time you gaze at its unusual dial configuration. Our one-year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to purchase this handsome watch with complete confidence... don't miss it!
Rarely do we get a ladies vintage Rolex but, every once in a while, even a blind squirrel finds a nut - and what a nut it is! This is the elegant "Lady Princess" Rolex. It is executed in 18k solid white gold and displays some spectacular diamonds that grace the curved lugs. The 17 jewel movement is winding, setting, and keeping time just as it did in the '30s, thanks to the expertise of our master watchmakers. The case measures 11 mm wide (not including the crown), by 38 mm lug to lug, by 6 mm thick (including the crystal). This gives it a very elegant proportion to match the beauty of the 18k case and fantastic rectangular movement. The lugs curve downward and contain the attachment for the black cord band that allows a perfect fit for the wearer. Make sure you zoom-in on the photos to see how the diamonds in the lugs shine... they are stunning. The watch is in excellent condition, was lovingly cared for over the years, and has all of its original parts. Yes, it's pricey--but, this is the pinnacle of a ladies Rolex, circa 1935... and it can be yours! Our one-year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence. Don't miss it... we have only one and are not likely to find another.
Produced between 1861 and 1871, the E. Howard series III is a very historical key-wind, key-set pocket watch. The total production was only 24,500. How many survive today is anybody's guess! Certainly there are not many left. On December 11, 1858, the Howard Watch Company was conceived for the manufacture of high grade watches. This particular watch is housed in an 4 ounce "coin silver" case and is running wonderfully. The "N" size watch is slightly larger than an American 18 size. The case measures 59 mm in diameter, by 86 mm form the case bottom to the top of the bow, by 16 mm thick (with the case closed). This 11 jewel beauty has a "Reeds Patented Barrel". On Feb. 4, 1868, Howard patented a new motor barrel that superseded the Reeds. The presence of the Reeds barrel places its manufacture between 1861 and 1868. The timing pattern on this piece reflects the precision one would expect from a Howard watch. The case shows signs of loving wear on the high points, giving it a mellow appearance. The central cartouche, on the front lid, is un-engraved and the back lid is plain polish. The porcelain dial is original to the piece and has a subtle repair just above the seconds bit. The original hands are blued steel and are quite elegant. The Roman numerals and the "E. Howard & Co. Boston" are elegantly hand-scripted just below the twelve in a small script. This is truly a definitive example of the watchmaking art form in America at that time. Here is an heirloom that your family can cherish for decades to come. Remember all of our watches come with our one-year warranty.
The Illinois Watch Company had its beginnings in several other incarnations, starting in December of 1870, in Springfield, Illinois. The two founders were John Whitfield Bunn and John C. Adams. They started the Springfield Watch Company by attracting several other investors, until they had amassed the princely sum of $100,000.00, which in those days was no small task. William B. Miller was to be their first secretary as they started production and a journey over what was to be a bumpy financial road. By 1877, after some difficulty, the company was reorganized and renamed the Illinois Springfield Watch Company and Erastus Newton Bates was chosen to lead them out of the financial difficulties they had encountered but, by July of 1878 they were once again faced with a re-organization and the name changed once again, to the Illinois Watch Company, the final iteration that we know today. The chief executive was Jacob Bunn Sr. (1814-1897) and he was an all-round entrepreneur with his fingers in finance, newspapers, land development, coal, banking, railroads, wholesale groceries, politics and even the manufacture of rope. The Bunn brothers, John & Jacob, were close friends with Abraham Lincoln, whose political career was financed and managed by them. The growth of the enterprise grew steadily from this point on under the management of the Bunn brothers. The fortunes of the company were starting to rise and by 1880, they had over 400 employees, up from 260 in 1879, and ultimately 1200 at their apex. Production was up as well from 33,285 in 1879 to 47,065 by 1880. Just ten years later, they could boast offices in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago.
With the advent of the Railroad Commission, in 1893, Illinois became one of the leading forces behind the design and manufacture of the highly accurate railroad timepieces that became world standards for accuracy and reliability. Illinois was known as the "Cadillac" of pocket watches back in the day! This watch is 16 size in a yellow gold-filled case that is in fantastic condition. This watch is a fine example of American watch making, circa 1916. The Illinois company made exceptional timepieces and this one is representative of how nice they turned out! Illinois put their heart and soul into making very accurate and elegantly engineered watches for the discerning customer. They honed their skills making railroad watches, like this one, for America's "iron horses". The nickel movement in this one has a very interesting damascening pattern in that it is a series of stripes that look really cool. The movement is an adjusted, 21 jewel, three-quarter plate, nickel marvel, that is running like a champ. Railroad watches were precisely regulated to keep the best time possible because people's lives depended on giant locomotives following a strict schedule.
Back in 1891, on April 18th, there was a head-on crash between two railroad trains just outside of Kipton, Ohio. The fast mail train #14 collided with the Toledo Express. The fast mail was running at full speed and the Toledo express was almost at a spot where it would traditionally pull over on a siding to let the fast mail pass. The massive collision killed nine men, six of them postal clerks working on the fast mail train. Investigators determined that the Toledo express crew was at fault. Their train was late and should not have started out for Kipton, knowing that the fast mail was approaching on the same line. The investigation centered on the engineer’s watches, one of which was possibly four minutes slow. A mere four minutes was the difference between life and death on the line. This is why American watch manufacturers strove to make the best possible watch one could own. This is one of those watches.
Look at the large ruby jewels and the gold jewel cups! Take a look at this wonderful porcelain dial, with its bold Arabic numerals for easy reading... it is immaculate! The bold, blued steel hand shape is easy to see for an engineer with one hand on the "Dead Mans" throttle. Additionally, the second hand, which is also blued steel, is the perfect complement to the large seconds bit at the 6 o'clock position. The plain polish, yellow gold-filled case shows only minor wear, commensurate with its age, and it looks great! This is a very nice, genuine Railroad Watch, 16 size, bold Arabic numerals, lever set, porcelain dial, screw back and bezel and a 60 Hour "Bunn Special" to boot. It has a beautiful damascening pattern on the nickel movement that just sings out for your attention. The case measures 50 mm in diameter, by 65 mm from the case bottom to the top of the bow, by 14 mm thick (including the crystal). What's not to like? Our one-year warranty, for parts and labor, will allow you to buy with complete confidence. Don't let it get away.
Suffice it to say that we have never, in over 40 years, had a scarab pin as nice as this one. It is a fabulous Victorian brooch that is executed in 18K solid gold and which contains actual Scarabs. The iridescence of the scarabs backs are really amazing and, contrasted with the beautiful gold work of the mounting, it makes for a phenomenal piece. It measures 41 mm wide, by 41 mm tall, by 10 mm thick and it has a tiny chain that allows it to be worn as a necklace, or a watch pin... very versatile. Everyone who claps eyes on it is amazed and fascinated. Maybe it has an ancient Egyptian curse on it! It is certainly worthy of a place in a "Indiana Jones" film. What a unique piece!
Talk about an unusual watch... this is it. Many ladies' pendant watches were enameled but very few in a form that represents another object. This 18K Gold and Enamel "Jockey's Cap-Form Watch" is exquisite. To gild the lily, it also has its original "Jockey's Riding Crop Pin" that completes the entire theme of the piece. The Riding Crop lays across the "Lucky Horse Shoe" that sports 5 tiny rubies. From the horseshoe hangs a short length of gold mesh chain that ends in a clip used to secure the Jockey's Cap, but is removable. The overall length of the pin from the top of the horseshoe to the crown is roughly 90mm (3.6").
The cap is decorated with 3 sections of red enamel with a delicate scalloped pattern underneath. In the gold sections of the cap, the looped and dot design is executed in blue enamel. All of the enamel is in immaculate condition. Lines of texture engraved in the gold delineate the sections of the cap, as well as around the circumference of the brim/lids. It measures 27mm wide by roughly 32mm long (not including the crown or loop on the brim) by 17.5mm thick.
The top of the hat is a lid that opens to reveal the inner cover that is engraved with initials and "Dec. 3rd, 1892" which dates the piece exactly! The underside of the lid is stamped with the "18K" mark. It's a fabulous Victorian-era piece whose style still translates to today!
It was very gently treated over the hundred plus years of its existence and it has come down to us today in magnificent condition. It is worn with the underside of the cap resting against the chest, making it look like a very elegant gold & enamel pin. Once you lift it up, the dial is revealed and the object declares itself as a wonderful timepiece. The face features Louis XIV gold hands and a porcelain dial with ornate designs fired into it. The minute track features pyramidal markers in two tones: silver at the chapters and gold for the minutes. The black Arabic numerals are clear and easy to read, and an additional gold dot design in between the numerals ornaments them. Finally, a small gold radiating design around the center shaft adds some interest to the middle of the dial.
The only restoration that it required was a thorough cleaning, oiling, and regulating. It has a Swiss 10 jewel, cylinder escapement movement that is as beautiful as the day it was made. It is a "pin-set" mechanism and the crown sits at the back of the cap for easy winding. Our head watchmaker has it running like the proverbial top! Wow! This is one for the ages... don't miss it.
Rotary is a lesser-known brand in the US, but it traces its roots back to Switzerland, like so many brands of the time and is better known in Europe. The Rotary watch brand was founded in 1895 by Moise Dreyfuss in the Swiss town of La Chaux de Fonds. But, in the 1920s, Rotary began exporting watches to England and their popularity was such that they even became the official watch supplier for the British Army in 1940.
Rotary's founder was dedicated to creating beautiful watches with timeless elegance. His attention to detail and insistence on first class personal service ensured the business grew quickly. Their logo, the "winged wheel", was introduced in 1925, and is what you see on the dial of this watch.
And what a dial it is! It has been perfectly preserved, with the lume on the Arabic Numerals and in the blued-steel skeletonized hands having aged to that mellow yellow color we search for, but rarely find. The dial center is a matte silver and the chapter ring is a matte white, creating the striking "two tone" design. A gold ring encompasses the numerals and seconds bit, with a delineated minute track at the outside. At the 6 o'clock position sits the good sized seconds bit, above which is the designation "17 jewels". The combination and originality is just spectacular!
This particular Rotary watch is in such nice condition and our head watch maker has pointed out that the movement in this model features a solid gold escape wheel and fork -- a rarely seen combination! It is a manual wind, 17 jewel movement, with incabloc shock protection (as designated on the case back).
The stainless steel case measures 30.5 mm in diameter (not including the crown), by 37 mm lug to lug, by 9 mm thick (including the crystal). It is in great condition, showing only very minor handling wear. The case back is engraved with its other claims of "waterproof" and "non magnetic". It is a screw-down back that seals beautifully.
This is the only Rotary watch we currently have, and it is a rare piece to find in such great condition. The 30's style is something to marvel at, and with our one year warranty you can be assured that it keeps time just like it did over 90 years ago!
Stunning and rare are two terms you might use to describe this Hamilton, 10K yellow gold-filled, "Seckron" Duo Dial Doctor's Wristwatch. This design was made for doctors with an extra large second hand that made it easy to read and take a pulse, for example, as opposed to a conventional subsidiary second hands. Because it had a limited target market, it was sold in small numbers and therefore is quite scarce today.
This particular watch is in excellent original condition, something that is rarely found in today's market. Two case styles were introduced, one in 1936 that had a rigidly rectangular case that was prone to wear at the corners and then this one in 1941, with a slightly curved case and a more streamlined shape that was right on target for fashion of the time. This version is actually scarcer of the two due to the start of WWII, which curtailed its production. The 10K yellow gold-filled case is in great condition overall, measuring 21 mm wide (not including the crown) by 42mm lug to lug, by 9mm thick (including the crystal). The subtle lines of the stepped case draw the eye and emphasize the length of the piece.
The gorgeous original dial shows a great patina, giving the watch a sophisticated appeal. The stylized Arabic numerals are easy to read, and pair nicely with the blued steel hands. The seconds bit below is in a circle design, with a "railroad track" ring to mark each second and the 10s of seconds distinguished with Arabic numerals. Radiating lines extend from the numbers to fill the rest of the rectangular space. This is an unusual look that you certainly won't find on other watches of the era!
Inside, the manual wind, 17 jewel movement is running strong and keeping excellent time. This watch employs the caliber 980 A movement, which features special gearing for the dial train. Hamilton was widely considered the best American watchmaker, so this is a high-quality piece that will still give you reliable service for years to come. Like everything else in the vintage and antique world, condition is everything!!!
This one is the nicest original Hamilton "Seckron" we have had in over 40 years. I think that the original condition of the dial is what seduces you on first glance. It has the patina of the age and speaks to what this watch must have seen during its life here since 1940. If it could only speak!
The Omega "Chronostop" is a very interesting landmark in Omega's long lineage of fantastic chronographs. They were introduced in the 1960s and had a great run through the 1970s. It is a very unusual chronograph, in that it only has one pusher and there are no recorded minutes, recorded hours, or constant seconds registers. This gives the dial a clean appearance and puts it at a very attractive price point. To use the Chronostop, the 60-second stopwatch feature is activated by a single press of the only pusher located at the 2 o'clock position. The orange central sweep second hand starts ticking, and then the second push stops it and resets it to 12 all at once. In order to hold the second hand in place to take an accurate reading, simply press the pusher in and hold it down. The second hand will stop in place, then fly back once the pusher is released. This makes it extremely simple to time an event and get an instant read-out, while then resetting for the next competitor, race car, horse, or pulse. These watches are very useful tools for athletes, drivers, and medical professionals, and sold well during their production run.
To contrast the bright pop of orange color on the second hand, the dial is a beautiful gray color that also allows the white minute and hour hands to be easily read. The seconds are delineated along the outer rim, with thin lines that allow the time to be ready to 1/5 of a second. The "pie pan" shape to the dial adds interest and places the applied stainless markers at an angle. It's an eye-catching design that you won't find on other chronographs!
A Chronostop sits comfortably on most wrists, with its slightly larger size and sleek case. The brushed stainless steel cushion case is in great condition and measures 35 mm in width (not including the crown), by 39 mm lug to lug, by 12 mm thick (including the crystal).
Our head watchmaker has the manually-wound Omega Caliber 865 movement, developed specifically for this model, working just as it did back 1969. This was a high-quality movement, with 17 jewels and an operating frequency of 21,600 bph for accuracy of timekeeping. This Chronostop is in the best condition for one of these awesome watches that we have ever had the pleasure to own... don't miss it!
This is a very interesting hunting case pocket watch made by Reuge, who was famous for the manufacture of Swiss music boxes. This pocket watch has a Swiss movement for timekeeping and a Swiss musical movement that plays anytime the front lid is opened. You thereby have a lovely tune to view the time by. Musical pocket watches are few and far between and this is one that won't break the bank. This is due to the fact that it is much more modern (circa 1970's) than many of the much older watches. $30,000.00 is not an exorbitant price to pay for an antique one. So, ours is a good compromise. The case, which measures 52mm in diameter, by 73mm (from the case bottom to the top of the bow), by 15mm thick (with both lids closed). It is yellow gold plated and the back sports an external key for winding the music box. The 17 jewel Swiss movement is wound by means of the conventional crown. As an extra, added attraction, there is an oval window that allows the owner to view the gears of the music box when it is in operation. Our head watchmaker has it running perfectly and sounding like it did the day it arrived on our shores from Switzerland. It is quite unusual... don't miss it.